Scan barcode
A review by safeblanckreadingjourney
Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore
4.0
➳ four mariah carey stars.
this was wonderful!! i loved carey as a main character. and i did enjoy seeing their growth through the chapters. the strength they showed, even when they were dealing with difficult situations, was eye-opening and empowering.
as the author themselves said:
“i wanted desperately to give carey a drama-free story that had nothing to do with their identity [...] but after mining my own experience and working with many queer students of varying identities in the classroom [...] i knew this had to be an honest, real story that shows that light can shine in the dark when young people fight the good fight and push for progress.”
this debut novel is indeed filled with trauma, sadness, and grief, but most importantly it talks about a group of fierce personalities (carey is only one of many) who don’t back down, despite being faced with aggressions, bullying, discrimination, and so on. there are heartbreaking moments, yes, but the focus is on how carey is able to find the strength to keep going and regains control of their voice. furthermore, it’s gorgeously written and engaging all the way through. this debut novel deserves all the attention it’s getting, if not more. read it now!!
content warnings: abuse, anxiety, blood, bullying, car accident, death of a loved one, degenerative illness, gender dysphoria, grief, gun violence (someone mimics holding a gun), hate crime, homophobia, misgendering (on multiple occasions), physical assault, suicidal ideation, violence.
this was wonderful!! i loved carey as a main character. and i did enjoy seeing their growth through the chapters. the strength they showed, even when they were dealing with difficult situations, was eye-opening and empowering.
as the author themselves said:
“i wanted desperately to give carey a drama-free story that had nothing to do with their identity [...] but after mining my own experience and working with many queer students of varying identities in the classroom [...] i knew this had to be an honest, real story that shows that light can shine in the dark when young people fight the good fight and push for progress.”
this debut novel is indeed filled with trauma, sadness, and grief, but most importantly it talks about a group of fierce personalities (carey is only one of many) who don’t back down, despite being faced with aggressions, bullying, discrimination, and so on. there are heartbreaking moments, yes, but the focus is on how carey is able to find the strength to keep going and regains control of their voice. furthermore, it’s gorgeously written and engaging all the way through. this debut novel deserves all the attention it’s getting, if not more. read it now!!
content warnings: abuse, anxiety, blood, bullying, car accident, death of a loved one, degenerative illness, gender dysphoria, grief, gun violence (someone mimics holding a gun), hate crime, homophobia, misgendering (on multiple occasions), physical assault, suicidal ideation, violence.