popthebutterfly's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Music From Another World
Author: Robin Talley
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: March 31, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 17+ (love, some language, forced outings TW, some abusive language)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 304
Amazon Link
Synopsis: It’s summer 1977 and closeted lesbian Tammy Larson can’t be herself anywhere. Not at her strict Christian high school, not at her conservative Orange County church and certainly not at home, where her ultrareligious aunt relentlessly organizes antigay political campaigns. Tammy’s only outlet is writing secret letters in her diary to gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk…until she’s matched with a real-life pen pal who changes everything.
Sharon Hawkins bonds with Tammy over punk music and carefully shared secrets, and soon their letters become the one place she can be honest. The rest of her life in San Francisco is full of lies. The kind she tells for others—like helping her gay brother hide the truth from their mom—and the kind she tells herself. But as antigay fervor in America reaches a frightening new pitch, Sharon and Tammy must rely on their long-distance friendship to discover their deeply personal truths, what they’ll stand for…and who they’ll rise against.
A master of award-winning queer historical fiction, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley once again brings to life with heart and vivid detail an emotionally captivating story about the lives of two teen girls living in an age when just being yourself was an incredible act of bravery.
Review: Overall, I thought this was a good book. I loved how the story was told and I thought all of the characters were compelling. The world building was divine and overall I really enjoyed it.
The only issue is that I felt like there were multiple occurrences of forced outings, which can be triggering, and the letters and diary entries did get a bit stale after a bit.
Verdict: It’s pretty good! Definitely recommend!
Book: Music From Another World
Author: Robin Talley
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: March 31, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 17+ (love, some language, forced outings TW, some abusive language)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 304
Amazon Link
Synopsis: It’s summer 1977 and closeted lesbian Tammy Larson can’t be herself anywhere. Not at her strict Christian high school, not at her conservative Orange County church and certainly not at home, where her ultrareligious aunt relentlessly organizes antigay political campaigns. Tammy’s only outlet is writing secret letters in her diary to gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk…until she’s matched with a real-life pen pal who changes everything.
Sharon Hawkins bonds with Tammy over punk music and carefully shared secrets, and soon their letters become the one place she can be honest. The rest of her life in San Francisco is full of lies. The kind she tells for others—like helping her gay brother hide the truth from their mom—and the kind she tells herself. But as antigay fervor in America reaches a frightening new pitch, Sharon and Tammy must rely on their long-distance friendship to discover their deeply personal truths, what they’ll stand for…and who they’ll rise against.
A master of award-winning queer historical fiction, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley once again brings to life with heart and vivid detail an emotionally captivating story about the lives of two teen girls living in an age when just being yourself was an incredible act of bravery.
Review: Overall, I thought this was a good book. I loved how the story was told and I thought all of the characters were compelling. The world building was divine and overall I really enjoyed it.
The only issue is that I felt like there were multiple occurrences of forced outings, which can be triggering, and the letters and diary entries did get a bit stale after a bit.
Verdict: It’s pretty good! Definitely recommend!
leepetterson0's review against another edition
5.0
This is my best friends favorite book and when she told me she thought I'd like it, I was sure she was totally wrong.
This book blew my freaking mind. I think it's historically accurate and touches largely on the Civil Rights movements in the 70s. I love that the romance was in addition to that and not solely focused on it.
Overall, LOVED it! 5 stars!
This book blew my freaking mind. I think it's historically accurate and touches largely on the Civil Rights movements in the 70s. I love that the romance was in addition to that and not solely focused on it.
Overall, LOVED it! 5 stars!
emdowd's review against another edition
3.0
Another solid YA historical fiction from Robin Talley! She's a master of doing her research and making her historical fiction seem both timeless and of its time. Sharon may well have grown up to become one of my aunts, who was active in the punk and queer scene(s) in San Francisco from the late 70s through early 90s.
Being the bisexual from San Francisco that I am, I want a sequel to this. How do Tammy, Sharon, Peter and their friends fare in the coming 10 years (Milk's assassination, the AIDS crisis, the commodification of the Castro and the rampant gentrification of SF in general, etc.)? I doubt it would have as optimistic an ending and I think I know how it would go, but I am still curious what Talley imagines for these characters.
What worked: Robin Talley write teenagers that seem like teenagers, they are realistic and believable. Her balance of historical accuracy with 2020 relatability is also on point here. The treatment of bisexuality, neither downplaying it as a reality nor the fact that there has historically been a lot of tension between bi women and lesbians, was also excellent.I can always count on her to give me a solid queer love story with a happy/optimistic ending and this delivered.
What didn't: I didn't feel that either Sharon or Tammy had a distinct enough voice in their letters, save for a few favorite phrases (Sharon's "oh my gosh"). I often forgot whose perspective I was reading until another location or character clue reminded me.
Being the bisexual from San Francisco that I am, I want a sequel to this. How do Tammy, Sharon, Peter and their friends fare in the coming 10 years (Milk's assassination, the AIDS crisis, the commodification of the Castro and the rampant gentrification of SF in general, etc.)? I doubt it would have as optimistic an ending and I think I know how it would go, but I am still curious what Talley imagines for these characters.
What worked: Robin Talley write teenagers that seem like teenagers, they are realistic and believable. Her balance of historical accuracy with 2020 relatability is also on point here. The treatment of bisexuality, neither downplaying it as a reality nor the fact that there has historically been a lot of tension between bi women and lesbians, was also excellent.I can always count on her to give me a solid queer love story with a happy/optimistic ending and this delivered.
What didn't: I didn't feel that either Sharon or Tammy had a distinct enough voice in their letters, save for a few favorite phrases (Sharon's "oh my gosh"). I often forgot whose perspective I was reading until another location or character clue reminded me.
ashleybakerwrites's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really liked this one- it was a breath of fresh air after reading my last read. This is what I wanted A Scatter of Light to be. It had very similar themes, but was set in the late 70s. I loved the employment of the art and community around the plot. I also thought the found family aspect of this one was really great. It wasn't a masterpiece to me, but I really liked it. 4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Abandonment, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse and Bullying
Minor: Biphobia and Violence
mustbeinwantofawife's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pixiebell96's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, it combined an interesting narration style with important topics to create a fairly easy to read, fairly evocative book.
I really enjoyed the use of punk music as a thread between the two characters, and the recognition of the subculture parallel as a wish to be part of something beyond the white Christian lives they were part of and met through.
It was also lovely to hear a story, if fictional, about LGBTQ women in SF of that era who weren't an accessory to men
I really enjoyed the use of punk music as a thread between the two characters, and the recognition of the subculture parallel as a wish to be part of something beyond the white Christian lives they were part of and met through.
It was also lovely to hear a story, if fictional, about LGBTQ women in SF of that era who weren't an accessory to men
catebethh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
oliviacorey's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I really enjoyed this book! The letter format made it easy to read and it was overall pretty captivating. Susan and Tammys’ stories felt hopeful, despite their incredibly difficult circumstances. I liked the perspective on the lgbtq+ liberation movement that was provided by their backgrounds. Good book.
lphr3ads's review against another edition
4.0
I can't remember when's the last time I read a story that had me crying buckets. I'll admit that I don't know much about LGBTQ+ history or who Harvey Milk is, but a quick search on Google helped fill in the gaps, though it's not necessary to read this book. Music from Another World by Robin Talley follows a friendship between Tammy and Sharon. Both girls carry a heavy secret and come from deeply religious families. Their stories are told through letters and journal entries. Brought together by a pen pal project, Tammy and Sharon develop a friendship that spans the state of California. Tammy, a closeted Lesbian teen, writes unsent letters to Harvey Milk, who at this time is fighting for gay rights in California. Sharon, on the other hand, uses her diary to voice her inner thoughts and demons. She also bears the burden of her brother's secret; spoiler alert: he's gay. Tammy and Sharon confide in each other and come to depend on each other's friendship. The girls bond over similar interests, like punk music and Patti Smith, while divulging life-shattering secrets. Before this book, I have not read any of Robin Talley's books, but I was pulled into her story. Music From Another World is full of heartbreak and anguish, (not angst), but actual anguish. Both girls have well-rounded, but distinct personalities. While this is a work of fiction with historical elements, Talley's storytelling is realistic. The thoughts and feelings of Tammy and Sharon are told in a way that reflects their hopes and dreams, but also their fears about the trajectory of their futures. The atmosphere of anti-gay sentiments not dulled and realistically described; Talley's approach reflects the hate against and fears of the LGBTQ+ communities during an uncertain time. I don't normally read too many historical LGBTQ+ fiction titles, but I'm glad I picked this one up.