Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

383 reviews

batbaby's review against another edition

challenging funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Alcohol

mreadsbooks's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Outing

Minor: Bullying, Police brutality, and Deportation

f10r3nc3777's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This story really hit home for me, as I struggled to come out to my family and was afraid of being disowned. I appreciate that this book tells a coming out story in a very honest way - it doesn't pretend that it's easy or that everyone will accept you. But it does show how much support you can find in the ones you love, and how liberating it is to be yourself 🥲 I absolutely cried reading this and I loved every moment of it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Violence

jennireadsmaybe's review

emotional funny hopeful 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

If you have anything bad to say about Yamilet, then you'll have me to contend with; I would kill for her. She goes through so much in her story that I just want to wrap her in a hug and protect her from the world. Sonora Reyes captured Arizona heat and catholic school religious bigotry so well. I loved Yami's friend group and her familial relationship particularly because they felt so real to the teenage experience (LET TEENS BE TEENS!!!). I'm definitely going to read more from Sonora Reyes. 

So much was packed into 389 pages/9 and a half hours, but it never felt like the book dragged on to me. The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School covers queer identity, immigration/deportation, mental health, coming out, being gay in a religious heavy environment, and so much more. Reyes handles everything with care. There's a bit of romance sprinkled in between Yami and Bo that I adored. I'm so glad this exists and that BIPOC queer girls will be able to see themselves in the pages of it. 

Read this if you like contemporary YA stories with a dash of romance, messy teenagers existing in an even messier world, unpacking religious trauma, and hot summer days. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Outing

Minor: Bullying and Deportation

spuriousdiphthongs's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

pencilspeaker's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Outing

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, and Classism

mckennaroan's review

emotional funny sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Outing

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Deportation

kajoreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I didn’t really feel the romance. Their crushes on each other came across as part jealousy, part idealization. Their story had potential, but I needed more moments of them actually connecting. Yami pretending to be straight around Bo for most of the book certainly didn’t help.

I did enjoy the book though. I was wholeheartedly rooting for Yami the entire time.

There were some moments that really took me out the book though.. The fortnite dancing?? I wish the editor had put their foot down on that one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Minor: Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

serendipitysbooks's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.25

 The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School is a coming of age story. The protagonist is 16 year old Yamilet, who has just transferred to a private Catholic school, one which is primarily wealthy and white. Her goals are to keep her head down, keep her brother out for trouble, earn enough money to help her mother pay the bills, and to keep her own sexuality quiet, something which proves difficult when she catches feelings for Bo, the only openly queer girl at school. This book covers a lot of heavy topics, including racism, queer phobia, attempted suicide, migration, deportation and complicated family dynamics. My heart certainly went out to Yami; she had a lot to with. While the book did go to some dark places, the fact that it included some romance and humour and that it ended on a hopeful note stopped it from feeling dark and depressing as a whole. I'm certainly not the target audience, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Deportation

handove's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

genuinely one of the best ya books i’ve read in a while

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Suicide attempt