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literallymya's review against another edition
5.0
This was so so sweet. I finished it in two days! A heartwarming story that discusses religion and gender fluidity and sexism. I would give it a complete five starts except it is really more like a 4.5 because of one of my pet peeves: CW: assault
Spoiler
the main character's obsession with David Bowie. Bowie had sex with a fifteen year old as a grown man. the romanticization i see of him everywhere, especially in queer culture is gross to me.emmaloren's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
melia_lachinski's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. I thought it was very thoughtful commentary on what fundamentalism can look like, how it comes to be, and how what a person believes can change. All the characters felt like real people, and I loved the nods to Appalachian culture. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. One word: liberating
booksandcoffeerequired's review against another edition
5.0
Read this little YA gem in less than 48 hours while on vacation, and it was so worth every turn of the page. Set in rural Tennessee, Quiver tells the stories of both Libby and Zo, two very different 16 year olds. Libby and her family adhere to the strict Christian “quiverfull” movement, where members believe they should have as many children as possible so they can become God’s warriors. Genderfluid Zo comes from a liberal, feminist, socially conscious family that have moved from Knoxville to grow closer to both nature and a slower life. Almost exact opposites, the two become fast friends when Zo’s family move in next door...but both must learn more about who they are and what they want when their families’ differences lead to trouble. I found this book while looking for things to read for Pride Month, and it was so refreshing. Watts perfectly embodies the growing up pangs for both teenagers, as well as their own unique problems, through a clear, straightforward writing style that lends to the story. I adored both main characters, too - Libby was such a strong, brave character, and I loved Zo’s acceptance of standing out, and her quirky family. Not only that, but she also doesn’t outright shame either family’s way of thinking, but instead shows both sides’ thoughts through a critical lens. It was refreshing that Christianity wasn’t looked down on, but rather those who warp it to suit their own narrow-minded needs were shown to be in the wrong. We need more books like these that don’t paint ideas in black and white, especially for teens forming their opinions on such things in today’s world. It even helped me question my own thoughts around Christianity as someone who was raised in church but has since stepped away for reasons similarly explored here. I’d definitely recommend this as a book for high school libraries, and especially for Southern teens looking for reads close to home on topics of Christianity, gender, sexuality, and self acceptance.
readingwitherin's review against another edition
5.0
"I suppose what I'm saying is.. Libby, if you want a different life for yourself one that lives up to the beauty of the name you won't have to leave your country like I did. You'll just have to step outside the door of your house and into the real world."
Quiver is about a family who is super religious. If you've ever watched those big families on TLC or the UP channel you'll know what type of family I'm talking about.
Libby is the oldest in her family is left with a lot of the responsibility of helping her mom with everything. This is a lot for a teenager and its even harder when your family has a lot of rules that add on even more responsibility due to the way her father and her family see religion. When a new family moves in next door the whole family dynamic starts changing as Libby is seeing a different side of the world that she hasn't ever been allowed to learn about.
This ends up causing conflict and along with her mom struggling with things as well due to being pregnant again. Libby's life will change forever in this book.
Overall I really loved this book. Libby is a character I absolutely loved. She was so smart and wanted to learn and take risks, even though she knew her decisions would get her into trouble. These decisions ended up changing the whole family and made her mom start to see things in a new light for the first time since she was in college. This was a big thing and we really started to see the cracks in the family that had been being overlooked. The whole evangelical quiverful movement is very big on the man being the one in charge and the one who makes all the rules and this family lived that.
I really liked the way Watts wrote this, she made you feel like you were Libby and experiencing all that she was. All the emotions and the stress and the turmoil that was happening in this family were done so well. I cannot recommend this one enough if you're interested in seeing the Quiverfull movement from a different perspective.
"I go places. I talk to people. I read books. I watch TV. And thanks to the social worker, we're all in counseling to help us recover from what our therapist says is called "spiritual abuse" and adapt to the real world."
Quiver is about a family who is super religious. If you've ever watched those big families on TLC or the UP channel you'll know what type of family I'm talking about.
Libby is the oldest in her family is left with a lot of the responsibility of helping her mom with everything. This is a lot for a teenager and its even harder when your family has a lot of rules that add on even more responsibility due to the way her father and her family see religion. When a new family moves in next door the whole family dynamic starts changing as Libby is seeing a different side of the world that she hasn't ever been allowed to learn about.
This ends up causing conflict and along with her mom struggling with things as well due to being pregnant again. Libby's life will change forever in this book.
Overall I really loved this book. Libby is a character I absolutely loved. She was so smart and wanted to learn and take risks, even though she knew her decisions would get her into trouble. These decisions ended up changing the whole family and made her mom start to see things in a new light for the first time since she was in college. This was a big thing and we really started to see the cracks in the family that had been being overlooked. The whole evangelical quiverful movement is very big on the man being the one in charge and the one who makes all the rules and this family lived that.
I really liked the way Watts wrote this, she made you feel like you were Libby and experiencing all that she was. All the emotions and the stress and the turmoil that was happening in this family were done so well. I cannot recommend this one enough if you're interested in seeing the Quiverfull movement from a different perspective.
"I go places. I talk to people. I read books. I watch TV. And thanks to the social worker, we're all in counseling to help us recover from what our therapist says is called "spiritual abuse" and adapt to the real world."
courtneyreviewsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
The contrast between Libby and Zo's families is sometimes an extreme, but it works well for the purposes of this book. Having grown up in a family much closer to Libby's, I appreciated how the family dynamic played out throughout the book. I did feel that some of the Libby plot lines were predictable, but that was ok.
BECAUSE ZO. Zo is the kind of kid that any parent would be thrilled to have, and she is that way because her parents are AMAZING. Zo's story was rich and well-developed, was not a coming out story or a self-acceptance story, but rather a story of understanding that some people are so radically different from you that they cannot embrace who you are, and that some people are so radically different and yet they CAN. Her parent's love her, love how she expresses herself, and see the value in their unique child.
BECAUSE ZO. Zo is the kind of kid that any parent would be thrilled to have, and she is that way because her parents are AMAZING. Zo's story was rich and well-developed, was not a coming out story or a self-acceptance story, but rather a story of understanding that some people are so radically different from you that they cannot embrace who you are, and that some people are so radically different and yet they CAN. Her parent's love her, love how she expresses herself, and see the value in their unique child.
pippin's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.25