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the_true_monroe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Violence, Vomit, and Alcohol
courtnoodles's review
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
Minor: Cursing, Abandonment, and Alcohol
teaskate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Outing
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Hate crime
anapthine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Abandonment
Minor: Biphobia
tw/: religious trauma, mentions homophobia within religious communitylaughingrecord's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: Biphobia and Emotional abuse
marjokat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual assault
Minor: Hate crime, Violence, Vomit, and Alcohol
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Okay, now we can talk about the book.
This book is a YA historical fiction about two girls in the late 70s who are assigned pen pals by their schools. Tammy is gay in an incredibly fundamentalist Christian family and Sharon is in a similar household and has a gay brother. They get to know one another as the political landscape becomes more and more volatile toward the LGBT+ community even as Harvey Milk becomes the first openly gay elected official in California.
I thought this book was good, but it took a little while to get good - at least 80 pages. I don't know if that was because I couldn't stop thinking about my last read or if it was the book's fault, though. Still, there wasn't really anything special about the writing in general.
I think the story is great and impactful, especially for young readers. I liked the two main characters and thought their individual journeys and their journey together were compelling and tied together in a sweet way. I do think, however, the book as a whole could've been more diverse. There were poc in the book, but they were in the background and not really developed at all. I also think that since transgender women of color were very key players in the early days of the LGBT rights movement, and it would've been nice to see that represented. Overall a decent read.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
elwirax's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
PROS:
A true slow burn romance which I absolutely love in books
I really enjoyed the gay historical content. As someone who knows the bare bones of gay history it was great to broaden that knowledge and this book did it well.
The manner in which this was written (diary entries and letters), kinda confused me at times and I had a hard time distinguishing whose perspective I was in. However, I did think that this format made the story much more impactful and it was great seeing Sharon and Tammy bond through these letter to eachother.
CONS:
The characters were good (great bi and lesbian rep) but they weren't particular well rounded and fell flat in some aspects. For this reason I would recommend this to younger YA readers, although I know that many older readers can still get something out of this book.
The whole middle section was a bit slow to get through and while it wasn't terrible my reading experience was slightly hindered.
Some of the dialogue was too modern
which slightly threw me out of the 70s setting (was good in the sense that I could relate a bit more though).
Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book. It showcased two girls not only bonding over a shared love for punk rock but also through their own experiences and resiliance in the face of oppression. The gay history in this book was fantastic- from Harvey Milk to Anita Bryant to prop 6 to Pride marches- and I'm glad I could educate myself further on some of the most important historical moments in gay history.
That being said if not for middle section of this book and how slow it was to get through this would've been a solid 4 stars. However, I can only give it 3.5.
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Emotional abuse
nickoliver's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Minor: Hate crime, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
xoodlebooks's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Drug use, Hate crime, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood