A review by emdowd
Music from Another World by Robin Talley
3.0
Another solid YA historical fiction from Robin Talley! She's a master of doing her research and making her historical fiction seem both timeless and of its time. Sharon may well have grown up to become one of my aunts, who was active in the punk and queer scene(s) in San Francisco from the late 70s through early 90s.
Being the bisexual from San Francisco that I am, I want a sequel to this. How do Tammy, Sharon, Peter and their friends fare in the coming 10 years (Milk's assassination, the AIDS crisis, the commodification of the Castro and the rampant gentrification of SF in general, etc.)? I doubt it would have as optimistic an ending and I think I know how it would go, but I am still curious what Talley imagines for these characters.
What worked: Robin Talley write teenagers that seem like teenagers, they are realistic and believable. Her balance of historical accuracy with 2020 relatability is also on point here. The treatment of bisexuality, neither downplaying it as a reality nor the fact that there has historically been a lot of tension between bi women and lesbians, was also excellent.I can always count on her to give me a solid queer love story with a happy/optimistic ending and this delivered.
What didn't: I didn't feel that either Sharon or Tammy had a distinct enough voice in their letters, save for a few favorite phrases (Sharon's "oh my gosh"). I often forgot whose perspective I was reading until another location or character clue reminded me.
Being the bisexual from San Francisco that I am, I want a sequel to this. How do Tammy, Sharon, Peter and their friends fare in the coming 10 years (Milk's assassination, the AIDS crisis, the commodification of the Castro and the rampant gentrification of SF in general, etc.)? I doubt it would have as optimistic an ending and I think I know how it would go, but I am still curious what Talley imagines for these characters.
What worked: Robin Talley write teenagers that seem like teenagers, they are realistic and believable. Her balance of historical accuracy with 2020 relatability is also on point here. The treatment of bisexuality, neither downplaying it as a reality nor the fact that there has historically been a lot of tension between bi women and lesbians, was also excellent.I can always count on her to give me a solid queer love story with a happy/optimistic ending and this delivered.
What didn't: I didn't feel that either Sharon or Tammy had a distinct enough voice in their letters, save for a few favorite phrases (Sharon's "oh my gosh"). I often forgot whose perspective I was reading until another location or character clue reminded me.