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anxiousnachos's review
4.0
Juliet Takes A Breath is a feminist powerhouse of a novel with one of the best YA voices I've read in a while. It does such a good job at turning education about issues like racism and sexism into a novel that doesn't feel the slightest bit preachy.
This is a book white feminists should read to understand why their feminism is fucked up. There is no main plot, but instead we follow Juliet, a college age lesbian who is doing a summer internship with the white feminist author of her favourite book, Raging Pussy, a book which opened Juliet's mind to the power of her own body. The book is very much the journey of young, not really knowledgable about issues like gender and race, Juliet, and how she grows and learns about identity and who she is.
This had so much potential to be the most preachy novel I've ever read. And I'm so impressed Riviera managed to make this entirely the opposite of preachy. I think it's very much down to how great a character Juliet is. Her uncertainty, confusion and at times naivety of Juliet is so relatable, it felt very much how I felt as a young teen learning, and I think a lot of people will remember moments they have felt as unsure and ashamed as Juliet did for her lack of knowledge. Because Juliet is so relatable, it made her journey of learning so much more natural and thus not preachy at all. It really highlights the need for intersectional feminism, confronts the deep deep issues with white women's feminism, and asks questions of both Juliet and the reader to consider.
The reason I did not give this five stars is due to very heavy cissexism for the first of the book. This is portrayed as part of Juliet's learning journey but it did mean I found the first half of the book very uncomfortable, particularly when I hadn't expected it. It is called out and challenged later in the book, but my one big critisicm of this is that I don't think it went far enough in the challenging. It almost felt like an afterthought. My other small thing, and one which the author actually addresses in the author note, is regarding the forgiveness Juliet gives her mentor for her actions. As I'm sure many people (both who read this book and who suffer from shit like this is real life!) want greater consequences to befall those who screw up repeatedly.
I really enjoyed this YA novel. Despite the uncomfortable gender feels during the first half, I was still in love with the voice of Juliet, who was so engaging and so relatable. This book does a great job at examining intersectional feminism, particularly with race, and all white women should read it and question themselves because of it.
So please note that going in!
This is a book white feminists should read to understand why their feminism is fucked up. There is no main plot, but instead we follow Juliet, a college age lesbian who is doing a summer internship with the white feminist author of her favourite book, Raging Pussy, a book which opened Juliet's mind to the power of her own body. The book is very much the journey of young, not really knowledgable about issues like gender and race, Juliet, and how she grows and learns about identity and who she is.
This had so much potential to be the most preachy novel I've ever read. And I'm so impressed Riviera managed to make this entirely the opposite of preachy. I think it's very much down to how great a character Juliet is. Her uncertainty, confusion and at times naivety of Juliet is so relatable, it felt very much how I felt as a young teen learning, and I think a lot of people will remember moments they have felt as unsure and ashamed as Juliet did for her lack of knowledge. Because Juliet is so relatable, it made her journey of learning so much more natural and thus not preachy at all. It really highlights the need for intersectional feminism, confronts the deep deep issues with white women's feminism, and asks questions of both Juliet and the reader to consider.
The reason I did not give this five stars is due to very heavy cissexism for the first of the book. This is portrayed as part of Juliet's learning journey but it did mean I found the first half of the book very uncomfortable, particularly when I hadn't expected it. It is called out and challenged later in the book, but my one big critisicm of this is that I don't think it went far enough in the challenging. It almost felt like an afterthought. My other small thing, and one which the author actually addresses in the author note, is regarding the forgiveness Juliet gives her mentor for her actions. As I'm sure many people (both who read this book and who suffer from shit like this is real life!) want greater consequences to befall those who screw up repeatedly.
I really enjoyed this YA novel. Despite the uncomfortable gender feels during the first half, I was still in love with the voice of Juliet, who was so engaging and so relatable. This book does a great job at examining intersectional feminism, particularly with race, and all white women should read it and question themselves because of it.
So please note that going in!
yazarreola's review
5.0
Tenía al menos 2 años que quería leer este libro pero una razón u otra no lo conseguía, pero que dicha fue encontrarlo. Ya está dentro de mis libros favoritos de temática LGBTQ+
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
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
4.0
A really great book about love, identity, race, sexuality & community. Highly entertaining, compelling, and informative. Definitely recommend.
beteboe's review
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