Tag Archives: LGBTQIA+

Throwaway Girls by Andrea Contos

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Caroline Lawson is three months away from freedom, otherwise known as graduation day. That’s when she’ll finally escape her rigid prep school and the parents who thought they could convert her to being straight.

Until then, Caroline is keeping her head down, pretending to be the perfect student even though she is crushed by her family and heartbroken over the girlfriend who left for California.

I wanted to like this book, the description sounded great and while I don’t hate it, I had to force myself to finish.

The writing style is choppy and hard to follow, numerous times I had to go back and re-read pages just to try to figure out who or what was being talked about. There was never enough to distinguish that the chapters had switched from one character to another.

While the book touches on lots of important topics it was just to scattered to really make you think too much about them.

The mystery part didn’t get interesting until the last 1/4 of the book but by then I had figured it out. Wouldn’t recommend.

I Wish You All The Best

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Ben De Backer’s plan to comes out to their parents as nonbinary on their eighteenth birthday result in devastating results: they are thrown out of the house and stumble barefoot looking for a phonebooth to call an estranged older sister. Surprisingly, the sister and her husband welcome Ben to come live with them, and Ben sets out to build a new life with the help of a therapist. Trying to overcome anxiety disorder and keeping a low profile at school to avoid confrontation, Ben’s days drag and the reader feels this slow drag in the writing. But then Ben draws the attention of outgoing and attractive Nathan. As Ben’s spirits improve, a zest for live builds and the writing reflects the accelerated pace.

This is a powerful coming of age story.

Under Shifting Stars by Alexandra Latos

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This novel is full of complex family dynamics within one household. Twins, Claire & Audrey, are very different – even their zodiac signs are different because they were born on totally different days; this has always allowed them to be individuals and not automatically seen as a duo. Within the past year, their family has lost a son and brother; they are all faced with tremendous grief and dealing with that grief in different ways. The twins no longer attend the same school because Audrey in not neuro-typical, but her main goal is to try to get back to the school her sister attends. Claire is desperately trying to figure out who she is and whether or not her body matches her gender identity. As the family attempts to deal individually, they begin to realize that the healing cannot happen unless they do it together.

I enjoyed the book; however the way that the author discussed all of the gender and sexual identity confusion made me feel like I was reading a textbook – terms blatantly defined rather than shown through development. I do feel many teens, and even adults, will easily relate to the emotions and feelings presented in this novel.

Under Shifting Stars

A Very, Very Bad Thing by Jeffery Self

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A Very, Very Bad Thing by Jeffery SelfA Very, Very Bad Thing by Jeffery Self is written in a way that keeps readers wanting more. Narrated through the voice of Marley, a gay senior, the story begins by revealing that Marley has done something bad. Time shifts between the now and the early fall of Marley’s senior year. We watch as Marley meets Christopher, the gay son of a widely known, conservative Christian pastor. Marley and Christopher have an immediate connection, but their relationship is met right away with hostility from Christopher’s parents. The two boys do their best to navigate their budding romance despite outside pressures, but this also means that they do a lot of sneaking around in order to spend time together. In and out of “pray away the gay” camps, Christopher decides that he can no longer return home to his parents and works with Marley to escape, thus leading to A Very, Very Bad Thing. This book is appropriate for middle and high school students.

Vanilla by Billy Merrell

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Vanilla by: Billy Merrell

Vanilla by: Billy Merrell

The book Vanilla by Billy Merrell is beautifully written and have quickly become one of my favorites. The story follows two high school boys, Vanilla and Hunter, who have been in love since middle school. Their relationship is based first on friendship and later on romantic feelings. Although things have progressed physically over time, Hunter is ready for much more than Vanilla is ready to give. The two are struggling in their relationship for the first time; both are emotionally invested and have feeling of love for one another, but Vanilla continually backs away from sex any time the two discuss it or get close to trying – ultimately causing a rift between the two. Written in verse, Vanilla, will appeal to reluctant readers because of the lyrical nature and the unusual formatting, it makes for a very quick read. Ultimately, Vanilla allows readers to watch as the characters struggle with their own sense of self-discovery. Anyone looking to add diverse reads to their collection should consider Vanilla a must-have.