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cl83's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
faiithkelly's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the idea of this story but felt like a lot of the characters and storylines were left underdeveloped. While some of the flawed feminism was challenged, I think the narrative could have had a more inclusive tone. But perhaps some of that can be attributed due to the story taking place in the 2000s and not current day. Additionally, at times, this book seemed more like a compilation of definitions or lessons, and less of a fiction book. However, I enjoyed reading it and loved Juliet as a character and following her along her journey.
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
A really great book about love, identity, race, sexuality & community. Highly entertaining, compelling, and informative. Definitely recommend.
beteboe's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this YA book so much! I think it really does the queer poc experience justice, especially those that are surrounded by white feminists "who mean well" and how hard those spaces can be to navigate. It was such an easy read and I loved getting to know Juliet. The other characters could be defined a bit more to my liking but overall very positive about this!
jennymf's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
henrynotcavill's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this book was a great mix of social commentary and humor. Really enjoyable read that deals with issues of race, sexuality, gender, family, love, and more without minimizing them or oversimplifying.
paigereitz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
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
comfsp's review
5.0
(kinda funny how i was reading this on my period)
THIS WAS AMAZING
now, I'm no woman and I do not feel any connection to that word and identity, but I do like to think myself a feminist. However this book made me think about and dive deeper into questions I was certain I had the answers for.
As an Eastern-European white person I never had any Black and Brown folks in my immediate environment, but Harlowe's association of the Bronx with violence made me really think about how we've been tought to think about roma people for example. I remember i had a romani friend in elementary school and my mom's first reaction was to ban me from being friends bc "what if she steals my stuff".
It was great seeing Juliet explore gender and womanhood in a new light and discovering the diversity of queer people. As a trans person i never associated having a uterus with being a woman, but many people from my family still think i'm delusional and that is just not how the world works. seeing someone being curious and actually retaining anything of what people tell them was a breath of fresh air.
LOVE this book, love Juliet and Ava's look on life and i can't wait to see more from this author
THIS WAS AMAZING
now, I'm no woman and I do not feel any connection to that word and identity, but I do like to think myself a feminist. However this book made me think about and dive deeper into questions I was certain I had the answers for.
As an Eastern-European white person I never had any Black and Brown folks in my immediate environment, but
It was great seeing Juliet explore gender and womanhood in a new light and discovering the diversity of queer people. As a trans person i never associated having a uterus with being a woman, but many people from my family still think i'm delusional and that is just not how the world works. seeing someone being curious and actually retaining anything of what people tell them was a breath of fresh air.
LOVE this book, love Juliet and Ava's look on life and i can't wait to see more from this author
ihateprozac's review against another edition
5.0
THIS NEEDS TO BE REQUIRED FUCKING READING.
Juliet Takes a Breath is the story of a lesbian Puerto Rican gal from the Bronx as she learns about her own queerness and feminism over the summer break. Through an internship with a famous white feminist, she’s able to learn about her own identity and discovers that feminism just isn’t feminism unless it’s intersectional.
A key theme of this story is that nobody is born woke, and we need to stop being elitist gatekeepers of knowledge. Nobody is born with the language and tools to navigate queerness and feminism, and Juliet doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. Policing people for how much or little they know while simultaneously preventing them from learning is just counterintuitive.
Juliet isn’t going to get it right the first time, and she doesn’t. She makes mistakes, she learns, and it's through talking with others and a willingness to learn that she becomes a completely different feminist by the end of her internship. I got into feminism over a decade ago and am constantly learning, so I feel for Juliet in trying to absorb all of this info over just a few weeks!
The way in which Rivera tackles white feminism and intersectional feminism within the context of a YA contemporary is honestly just masterful. There’s such nuance to the way this book discusses privilege, queerness, and intersectionality, and that white people “letting” marginalised groups “have space” and exist in these spaces isn’t actually helpful.
Set against this huge learning experience is a narrative of Juliet coming out and not being accepted by her mother. Often with YA coming out narratives it’s the father that isn’t accepting (and it’s usually couched in “but I’m just worried about your future” homophobia), but in this case Juliet’s mother is the one who reacts negatively. A key theme of their relationship throughout the story is communication, and that while running away may be the easy option, sticking it out and having the hard conversations can be valuable.
I legit have no criticism of this story or the writing. It was just incredible and every bit as lifechanging as I thought it would be.
It deserves a MILLION stars.
Juliet Takes a Breath is the story of a lesbian Puerto Rican gal from the Bronx as she learns about her own queerness and feminism over the summer break. Through an internship with a famous white feminist, she’s able to learn about her own identity and discovers that feminism just isn’t feminism unless it’s intersectional.
A key theme of this story is that nobody is born woke, and we need to stop being elitist gatekeepers of knowledge. Nobody is born with the language and tools to navigate queerness and feminism, and Juliet doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. Policing people for how much or little they know while simultaneously preventing them from learning is just counterintuitive.
Juliet isn’t going to get it right the first time, and she doesn’t. She makes mistakes, she learns, and it's through talking with others and a willingness to learn that she becomes a completely different feminist by the end of her internship. I got into feminism over a decade ago and am constantly learning, so I feel for Juliet in trying to absorb all of this info over just a few weeks!
The way in which Rivera tackles white feminism and intersectional feminism within the context of a YA contemporary is honestly just masterful. There’s such nuance to the way this book discusses privilege, queerness, and intersectionality, and that white people “letting” marginalised groups “have space” and exist in these spaces isn’t actually helpful.
Set against this huge learning experience is a narrative of Juliet coming out and not being accepted by her mother. Often with YA coming out narratives it’s the father that isn’t accepting (and it’s usually couched in “but I’m just worried about your future” homophobia), but in this case Juliet’s mother is the one who reacts negatively. A key theme of their relationship throughout the story is communication, and that while running away may be the easy option, sticking it out and having the hard conversations can be valuable.
I legit have no criticism of this story or the writing. It was just incredible and every bit as lifechanging as I thought it would be.
It deserves a MILLION stars.