gaykittens's review
4.0
Did anyone else notice that Sarah Moon thanked her co-editor in the acknowledgements but he didn't thank her back?? Cold.
ama_reads's review
3.0
For the most part I enjoyed reading the letters in this book, especially the inclusion of the graphic novel style ones; however, as I was reading one after another, several seemed repetitious. On the one hand, this is great as it shows that even though they felt they were alone in their experiences, there were others who were feeling and experiencing the same. On the other hand, this made for a somewhat boring read at times.
Additionally, many of the writers are not names that would be known to the intended audience - teenagers. I would imagine that the impact of reading about a beloved author's experience would be more powerful than reading about strangers.
Additionally, many of the writers are not names that would be known to the intended audience - teenagers. I would imagine that the impact of reading about a beloved author's experience would be more powerful than reading about strangers.
girlgeekcyclist's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book but it was a bit repetitive. It's a nice message / concept but I felt like more could have been done with different ways of storytelling like comics.
angelreadsthings's review
5.0
Candid. Diverse. Heartbreaking. Relatable. Humorous. Encouraging. Beautiful. I highly recommend this book for queer youth, queer writers, and especially for those who are both.
lelex's review
4.0
Another one I've had checked out for like, actual months. I liked it well enough. There's always something to be said for tugging on your heart strings with letters to your past self, but a lot of them were a lot more poignant due to the queer aspect than I've found other versions of this same theme. A lot of yearning.
My favorites were Gregory Maguire, Sarah Moon, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, and Nick Burd's.
"Once is enough and once is sometimes necessary."
"I understand. I'll be here when you get here. I'll be so glad to see you."
"One day you'll meet a man whose eyes are so startling you understand you'll never know the end of him."
"It's a lovely dream to have a fairy-tale romance. But dreaming that dream has a consequence too. The consequence is yearning. It hurts, doesn't it?"
"You're going to find the love of your life, a tall beautiful woman, who is kind and warm and Southern. She will whisper secrets to you in a voice that sounds like dessert."
"Stop being a Lost Boy, settle for being a dwarf pirate, maybe Smee."
"This is the thing: You'll love Dad. You'll look to him for advice and support and there will be times when he is the only person you think you can call. He will be there for you. He will tell you he loves you and that he's proud of you. And all of this will happen after he knows your most hidden, most ashamed secrets. All these things that make you feel like a monster now. He will now them. And he will be proud of you. I promise."
"Your whole entire family in every single version that exists and will exists loves you with its entire fumbling heart."
"You will have lots of friends. Try being vulnerable in front of them - they'll like you for it."
"It's okay that your friends make fun of you for liking folk music. It will make a comeback!"
"Your parents are rock solid, full of what Saul Bellow called "potato love." It's the ordinary, daily stuff that shapes everything."
"Some will appear on corners on Tuesday afternoons while you are checking to see if you have enough cash for both an iced coffee and a chocolate croissant. This will sometimes happen hundreds of miles from the place you both met and left them, and you will realize the past is chasing you with a knife in its teeth and a daisy in its hand. Smile at these people even if you don't want to. Men are handsome when they smile."
"When the waiter comes, play a game where you try to get him to sit across from you without actually asking him to do so."
My favorites were Gregory Maguire, Sarah Moon, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, and Nick Burd's.
"Once is enough and once is sometimes necessary."
"I understand. I'll be here when you get here. I'll be so glad to see you."
"One day you'll meet a man whose eyes are so startling you understand you'll never know the end of him."
"It's a lovely dream to have a fairy-tale romance. But dreaming that dream has a consequence too. The consequence is yearning. It hurts, doesn't it?"
"You're going to find the love of your life, a tall beautiful woman, who is kind and warm and Southern. She will whisper secrets to you in a voice that sounds like dessert."
"Stop being a Lost Boy, settle for being a dwarf pirate, maybe Smee."
"This is the thing: You'll love Dad. You'll look to him for advice and support and there will be times when he is the only person you think you can call. He will be there for you. He will tell you he loves you and that he's proud of you. And all of this will happen after he knows your most hidden, most ashamed secrets. All these things that make you feel like a monster now. He will now them. And he will be proud of you. I promise."
"Your whole entire family in every single version that exists and will exists loves you with its entire fumbling heart."
"You will have lots of friends. Try being vulnerable in front of them - they'll like you for it."
"It's okay that your friends make fun of you for liking folk music. It will make a comeback!"
"Your parents are rock solid, full of what Saul Bellow called "potato love." It's the ordinary, daily stuff that shapes everything."
"Some will appear on corners on Tuesday afternoons while you are checking to see if you have enough cash for both an iced coffee and a chocolate croissant. This will sometimes happen hundreds of miles from the place you both met and left them, and you will realize the past is chasing you with a knife in its teeth and a daisy in its hand. Smile at these people even if you don't want to. Men are handsome when they smile."
"When the waiter comes, play a game where you try to get him to sit across from you without actually asking him to do so."
bhofmeier's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
alyjensen24's review
5.0
This was a beautiful idea. The execution was great, and I also loved the incorporation of the little comics and illustrations from the different authors throughout. Some made me cry, others made me laugh. This was great.
misspentdays's review
This collection of letters from queer writers to their younger selves is edited by Sarah Moon, while James Lecesne of the Trevor Project, which offers hotline services to LGBTQ young adults in crisis, serves as a guest editor. The collection features sixty authors writing letters to their younger selves.
While all of the contributors are now successful writers, they are a cross-section of ages and experiences, which helps this book feel more universal than it otherwise might have. This feeling on my part is in opposition to the Kirkus Review's perception that by the nature of the contributors (very successful authors and illustrators), universality is reduced.
Patrons reading this book will appreciate the variety of voices and styles the letters are written in, including a response to a letter one of the author's wrote to their adult self at 13, along with a number of comics. Some of the writer's tell of feeling extremely isolated, alone, or even unaware; others mention being aware of who they were and okay with it. This is another important aspect of the book. It does not tell the reader they must be depressed or horrified about the idea of their sexuality, but that it okay if it is a struggle. Aside from inspiring letters and the ability to feel supported by these distant writers, the book also provides contact information for the Trevor Project, which could be a lifesaver for some readers.
Many of these author's names will be familiar to readers, which the reader will likely appreciate. It definitely carries the "It Gets Better" message throughout, which makes sense as the book came out when the campaign was at it's height.
While all of the contributors are now successful writers, they are a cross-section of ages and experiences, which helps this book feel more universal than it otherwise might have. This feeling on my part is in opposition to the Kirkus Review's perception that by the nature of the contributors (very successful authors and illustrators), universality is reduced.
Patrons reading this book will appreciate the variety of voices and styles the letters are written in, including a response to a letter one of the author's wrote to their adult self at 13, along with a number of comics. Some of the writer's tell of feeling extremely isolated, alone, or even unaware; others mention being aware of who they were and okay with it. This is another important aspect of the book. It does not tell the reader they must be depressed or horrified about the idea of their sexuality, but that it okay if it is a struggle. Aside from inspiring letters and the ability to feel supported by these distant writers, the book also provides contact information for the Trevor Project, which could be a lifesaver for some readers.
Many of these author's names will be familiar to readers, which the reader will likely appreciate. It definitely carries the "It Gets Better" message throughout, which makes sense as the book came out when the campaign was at it's height.