Man o’ War – Cory McCarthy
The title refers to the Portuguese man o’ war, a venomous, jellyfish-like creature whose strange biology makes it difficult to classify. It’s an apt metaphor for River McIntyre, a high school swimmer growing up in the shadow of a fading marine theme park in small-town Ohio and slowly realizing the identity they’ve been handed doesn’t quite fit.
When the novel opens, River is still trying to perform normalcy. They’re a competitive swimmer, rumored to be queer but insisting they’re straight, navigating life with an overbearing mother, an asexual older brother and a community where difference is tolerated but not always understood.
A school field trip to Sea Planet forces a confrontation with that reality when River runs into Indy, a former classmate who left town after coming out — a moment made more uncomfortable by the fact that River once helped organize a “normal sexuality day” in response.
From there the story initially follows familiar YA beats: first love, messy friendships and the uneasy process of trying to figure yourself out. River comes out as a lesbian and begins dating Taylor while growing increasingly intrigued by Indy, who has embraced a nonbinary identity. The first half leans heavily into these coming-of-age tropes and feels a little more traditionally YA than I expected.
But the novel becomes far more interesting once River and Indy graduate and their relationship unravels. Devastated, River pours that energy into trying to make the swim team at Ohio University, but she doesn’t want to swim with the women — a choice that ultimately forces them to confront questions about gender, body autonomy and belonging more directly. It’s here that Cory McCarthy shifts the story into something special.
River is messy, impulsive and occasionally frustrating — very much a teenager — but McCarthy gives them real interiority. You can be exasperated with River on one page and rooting for them on the next. The swimming storyline, particularly around trans athletes in sports, also adds a timely dimension without feeling overly preachy.
What the book ultimately argues, very clearly, is something that should be obvious but somehow isn’t in our political discourse: no one understands a person’s life better than they do. Even people who are still figuring themselves out deserve the space and psychological safety to do so.
One of the more interesting aspects of the novel is its exploration of internalized homophobia within a mostly supportive environment. River’s peers are generally accepting, aside from predictable high school teasing. Their family dynamic is more complicated — particularly with a Lebanese mother shaped by her own experience growing up in America during and after 9/11 — but not purely antagonistic. That nuance makes River’s struggle feel more authentic than many coming-of-age stories built entirely around external rejection.
The first half may test some readers’ patience. The characters can be a little grating and the story wanders. But if you stick with it, the back half becomes something much more endearing and honest.
The audiobook narration by E.R. Fightmaster initially feels monotone, though it becomes easier to appreciate once River’s emotional disaffection reads as part of their personality rather than a performance issue.
Even as someone within the queer community, my own identity has always been binary, and I don’t personally know many trans or nonbinary people beyond acquaintances. McCarthy’s portrayal of River’s journey offered insight without feeling like the story existed primarily to educate the reader.
It’s not a perfect novel, but by the end “Man o’ War” was definitely worth the time.
Rating (story): 4/5 stars
Rating (narration): 4/5 stars
Format: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: March 1 – March 4, 2026
Multi-tasking: Good to go. The early chapters require a little attention to keep track of River’s shifting identity and relationships, but once the story settles, it’s an easy listen alongside most routine tasks.
