Review: Remember Me by Melanie Batchelor
Remember Me by Melanie Batchelor (Bold Strokes Books, 2014)
Dane Kuttler is a poet, activist and teacher.
Her poetry is often lyrical and narrative, exploring themes of Jewish and queer identities, with a lot of love poems to her grandparents. The most common format for her work is the exploration of a relationship between two people that connects to broader political and social themes.
Dane has featured in coffee shops, living rooms, libraries, back porches and the occasional auditorium, but her favorite venue has always been her first – a dilapidated tree house with sixteen stuffed animals for an audience.
Check our her website for more info.
Gay YA: a personal retrospective
How They Met and Other Stories (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008)
The first gay YA I picked up, in early 2009, was David Levithan’s short story collection How They Met, and Other Stories, recommended to me by someone on tumblr. The first story in the collection, “Starbucks Boy”, radically changed the way I thought about myself. My interest in guys, to that point, had been mostly theoretical. I knew I liked them, theoretically and I knew there were some attractive ones at school with me, but only towards the end of 2008 did the idea of actually, you know, dating one of them start to seem even a little bit real, and not until I turned the last page of “Starbucks Boy” did it really hit me that this wasn’t just real for other people — it was something it wasn’t unreasonable for me to want for myself.
I devoured everything else I could find by David Levithan — the rest of How They Met, The Realm of Possibility, Boy Meets Boy, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Naomi & Ely’s No Kiss List, even the disappointingly straight Are We There Yet?. I got my hands on a used copy of Am I Blue? the anthology of LGBTQ short fiction edited by Bruce Coville in the mid-90s (I owe my 10th grade English teacher thanks for having us read a few stories from it). Then I foundered, until the fall of 2010, as a college freshman, when a friend of mine and I decided to co-teach a class on LGBTQ Young Adult Fiction at MIT’s Splash program. As soon as I submitted the course description, I realized I couldn’t go into it with only one author under my belt, so I set out to find more. Since 2010, I’ve kept track of every new book I finished, and at the end of 2014, with five years of LGBTQ YA reading behind me, this seems a good time to look back on what I found.
Probably the most frustrating thing I’ve learned has been that not all LGBTQ YA is created equal. My early exposure to David Levithan gave me high expectations that not everything has been able to meet. This is both unfortunate, in that obviously I’d love it if all LGBTQ YA were as beautifully written as, say, Two Boys Kissing, and, I think, important for us to keep in mind as we talk about LGBTQ YA in general. In her article “The Politics of Translation”, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak notes that not all “Third World women’s writing” is automatically revolutionary (or even just plain good), even if it may appear so to Western eyes. By the same token, though we might wish otherwise, not all LGBTQ YA is automatically empowering or thought-provoking or even especially good. I’ve read some mediocre books these last few years, although the excellent books have (happily) outnumbered them.
Two Boys Kissing (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2013)
First there are books like Lauren Myracle’s Shine. I think of these as “hate crime books”, books where LGBTQ characters are (at best) secondary, existing to teach the main characters a lesson in tolerance, or (at worst) dead. Shine was a powerful book in some ways (its treatment of the main narrator’s struggle as an abuse survivor), but as far as LGBTQ YA goes — count me out.
Then there are books that do a fair job representing one group while throwing another under the bus. The Difference Between You and Me’s (Madeleine George) handling of Emily’s sexuality comes to mind, as does I Am J’s (Chris Beam) main character, who (to my cis eyes) seems to be a sensitive portrayal of a trans guy, except that he uncritically adopts straight men’s misogyny and homophobia, which rather soured the book for me.
Finally, there are books that just…fall short, one way or another. Brian Sloane’s Tale of Two Summers ended up in this category, for me, by having the straight protagonist end the book in a happy relationship while the gay protagonist is left in the lurch. I’m done being the gay best friend.
For every book that disappointed me, though, there were many others that didn’t (two, Tom Lennon’s When Love Comes to Town and Bill Konigsberg’s Openly Straight, will have to wait for their own blog posts, but I thought I’d mention them here; two others, Scott Tracey’s Witch Eyes series and Deborah Hautzig’s Hey, Dollface, I’ve already talked about). I’ve read some amazing books these last five years, books that six years ago I could barely imagine existing (even those that already existed): Ash (Malinda Lo — honestly, all of Malinda Lo’s books), Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Sáenz), Empress of the World (Sara Ryan), and others.
My reading has ranged from 1978 (Hey, Dollface, one of the earliest LGBTQ YA novels) up through 2014. Reading older books —even just from the early 2000s — has been eye-opening. On the one hand, a lot has changed, just in terms of what stories are being told. While non-straight characters (of variable representational value) have been appearing in genre fiction for decades, ten or fifteen years ago there wasn’t space in YA for a book like Ash or Witch Eyes or even the relatively incidental (but still very important) representation that shows up in Rick Riordan’s The House of Hades. There’s still space for the kinds of stories Geography Club (Brent Hartinger), Empress of the World, and Totally Joe (James Howe) tell — as long as there are young people questioning their sexualities and struggling to navigate the complexities of adolescence at the same time, these are stories that need to be told.
Adaptation (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012)
But there’s also, increasingly, room for other stories: stories like Adaptation and Inheritance (Malinda Lo), stories like The Summer Prince (Alaya Dawn Johnson), stories like Pantomime (Laura Lam) — books that are fundamentally different from the kind of stories we used to get. And we are richer for it: the more different kinds of books LGBTQ characters can exist in, the more of our stories can be told, and the more we’ll be able to see ourselves not as “themes” or “issues” but as people with valid, important, and (this is key) varied desires and experiences.
On that note, here’s to another five years of excellent LGBTQ YA.
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Nathaniel Harrington was born and raised in suburbs of Boston, studied (comparative) literature in college, and is currently improving his Gaelic on the Isle of Skye. He has been writing gay YA since 2008 and reading it since 2009; someday he hopes to be able to share it with others in a format that isn’t half-finished NaNoWriMo first drafts and miscellaneous fragments. He enjoys working out the details of magic systems, doing citations for academic papers, reading in several languages (although he has yet to read any LGBTQ YA in a language other than English; suggestions are welcome), and obsessively categorizing books he reads on Goodreads.
Review: Stranger by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith
Stranger (Viking Juveline, 2014)
Many generations ago, a mysterious cataclysm struck the world. Governments collapsed and people scattered, to rebuild where they could. A mutation, “the Change,” arose, granting some people unique powers. Though the area once called Los Angeles retains its cultural diversity, its technological marvels have faded into legend. “Las Anclas” now resembles a Wild West frontier town… where the Sheriff possesses superhuman strength, the doctor can warp time to heal his patients, and the distant ruins of an ancient city bristle with deadly crystalline trees that take their jewel-like colors from the clothes of the people they killed.
Teenage prospector Ross Juarez’s best find ever – an ancient book he doesn’t know how to read – nearly costs him his life when a bounty hunter is set on him to kill him and steal the book. Ross barely makes it to Las Anclas, bringing with him a precious artifact, a power no one has ever had before, and a whole lot of trouble.
In Stranger by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith we follow the lives of 5 teens:
- Ross, the main character, a prospector who escaped a bounty hunter and is in possession of a valuable but indecipherable book;
- Yuki, the would-be prince of Japan before his parents were killed and he was forced to flee, who is interested in one day becoming a prospector like Ross;
- Mia, the youngest town mechanic in history who welcomes Ross into her home;
- Jenny, the first Changed member of the City Guard; and
- Felicite, the daughter of the Mayor and Sheriff, who spends every possible moment in preparation to become the next generation’s Mayor.
There’s quite a lot of variety between these characters, and in Stranger they go through such a variety of experiences that something can be found for anyone to relate to.
Within these five protagonists is Yuki: would-be prince, and hopeful adventurer. Though not the main character, Yuki is the one character you’ve probably heard of in the buzz around this novel. Several years ago Stranger was allegedly refused by an agent— unless the authors made Yuki straight. Thankfully, the authors stuck with their vision.
I went into this book expecting Yuki’s arc to be the only thing I read it for. I was worried that the rest of the book would fall flat, and would rely too heavily on having A Gay Character or that Yuki would be Gay-with-a-capital-G. Much to my delight Stranger was very engaging, and Yuki’s gayness affected him only in that his love interest was a guy—which, in a world where there is no queerphobia, should be the case.
While some people are suspicious and wary when Ross arrives half dead near the gates, many town members such as Mia and Jennie welcome him in. A solitary treasure-hunter, called a “prospector,” he learns what being part of a community can mean. He struggles with PTSD, and finds it hard to acclimate to this new way of living after being used to the open sky. He begins going to school, gaining especially the skill to read. As the story unfolds we get more and more tidbits from Ross’ past. Romance also unfolds, in an interesting way.
But that’s not all… a violent ruler, Voske, rules close by this frontier town of 1,000 people. He is always trying to expand his rule and stomp out those who refuse it. The combination of that threat, the natural dangers of this supernatural desert, and the need to figure out what’s in the book that Ross has that made Voske send a bounty hunter after him, keeps the story moving.
But there’s also a lot of interpersonal interaction, character growth, and sweet, quiet moments throughout the story. The portrayal of PTSD was so good, and so unlike anything I’ve read before that it made me cry just because of the accuracy of it, and the relief of having it represented.
Ross and Yuki have only a few interactions, and Yuki doesn’t have that many chapters. I found his romance resolved like way way too quickly, especially in contrast to the other romances in the book. I even admit that I can see where some of the editors were coming from, with their suggestions to cut his POV. Looking at his inclusion simply though a lens of making a cohesive story, it doesn’t make sense to have him in there. None of his chapters really further anything, and he’s not necessary to a lot of the action. That said, I think it was incredibly important to keep in, and I’m glad the authors stuck with their vision. As a queer teen, seeing myself represented in a world with no queerphobia like that, not just as a minor character, but one with an actual POV… that sort of meant everything. And if I’m guessing right, his story will become more central to the plot in future books.
One thing I found interesting about the book was how The Change functioned in society—though power systems or prejudices tied in with race, religion, and sexual orientation are no more, a new rift formed around the Changed vs. the Norms. It’s actually incredibly similar to X-Men. It stuck out to me a lot though, because even though most Dystopian novels have something similar to this, the characters are also white, cis, and straight. So it was interesting to see this thing that is typically seen as an allegory for oppressed peoples to be used in a context with people who were once oppressed themselves. Especially because there’s this added layer of the fact that many of them do have power greater than that of the Norms… and augh, *happy squeaking* I feel like I could have an hours long conversation about this.
In the first few chapters, Mia seemed to be describing herself somewhere on the ace and aro spectrums. I knew to keep my hopes low, however, because there’s so many cases of characters who are aro-ace-coded until the one comes along. Unfortunately, that happened once again. That said, the issues are still touched on, and while it’s clear that Mia has some internalized ace/arophobia, it seems the rest of the world is pretty chill with people who don’t experience sexual or romantic attraction. Also I can forgive it a little bit because 1) Mia can still be demisexual/romantic and SORTA SPOILERS 2) there is a really interesting exploration of polyamory. Unfortunately, neither of those things make up with a character feeling “broken” when she doesn’t experience the same things as her friends, and then “ohhh this is what it feels like!” when she does experience it. That doesn’t sit right.
(EDIT: I spoke to Rachel Manija Brown and she confirmed that Mia is indeed demisexual! I still would have liked the narrative to be handled a little differently, but that was pretty exciting to hear!)
Lastly, I would have loved to see representation of trans and intersex people– I have my fingers crossed that the authors will explore this in the future books in this series. There is a growing number of YA speculative books that look at how sexuality will be viewed in the future, but none so far (that I know of) that look at the spectrums of gender and sex.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Stranger—definitely definitely pick this one up, especially those looking for intersectionally diverse speculative YA. The characters were lovable and had compelling stories, the action was fast and intense, and yet it slowed down enough to give the characters some tender personal moments. Sexuality, gender, race and religion are accepted in a completely refreshing way.
Stranger is the first book in The Change Series, I am very, very excited to read the next one when it comes out! I’ve been looking for a good new YA series that includes major queer characters, and this looks like it could be the one!
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Check out our interview with the authors here!
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Vee Signorelli is a passionate feminist who spends their time writing, reading, hunting through queer book tags on tumblr, and keeping up with school. Huge fan of actual representation in books and TV shows, lover of theatre, cultural studies, mythology, and science. Vee is the admin and co-founder of GayYA.org. Find them on Twitter, Goodreads, or Tumblr.
New Releases: January 2015
JANUARY 1ST (UK)
The Art of Being Normal (David Fickling Books, 2015)
The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson — (TRANS)
Goodreads Summary: “Two boys. Two secrets. David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl.
On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan.
When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…”
JANUARY 2ND (USA)
Recipe for Magic (Harmony Ink, 2015)
Recipe for Magic by Agatha Bird — (GAY)
Goodreads Summary: Connor Roth is a fire mage who’s going places. He’s powerful, popular, and he has a plan. But his plan for fame and glory is disrupted when the Oracle sticks him with Landyn Glendower for Senior Trial. This is an act unprecedented in their school’s history. Landyn is a water mage, and everyone knows mages with opposing elements can’t work magic together.
Connor is left with a choice: work alone and fail or swallow his pride and work with Landyn to find a way to combine their magic in a display the Archmages will never forget—if they don’t get kicked out of school in the process.
Harmony Ink / Dreamspinner Press / Amazon
JANUARY 4th (USA)
The Eldermaid (Krystal R. Henderson, 2015)
The Eldermaid by K. Henderson — (QUEER)
Goodreads Summary: Once, it is said, the Powers–the five deities who rule over Love, War, Knowledge, Nature, and Death–walked the land.
But now They are gone, entrusting the guardianship of the world to the many spirits that live in it. These spirits of flame and sea, of tree and metal and storm form bonds with chosen humans, strengthening humanity’s ties with the land.
In this world, bereft of the Powers that created it, a young girl bonds with a spirit of the elder tree. All is not right with the world, however; and it will be up to these two companions to survive an invisible war of conflicting ideologies in which politics, religion, love, and jealousy are major players.
JANUARY 6TH (USA)
Take Them by Storm (2015)
Take Them By Storm (Angel Island #3) by Marie Landry — (LESBIAN)
Goodreads Summary: This book is a standalone companion novel to Waiting for the Storm and After the Storm.
Sadie Fitzgerald has always been different, and not just because she makes her own clothes and would rather stay home watching Doctor Who than party with kids her age. When it’s time to leave Angel Island for college, Sadie is eager to put her old life behind her. Small-minded people and rumors have plagued her for years, but with the love of her adoptive family, the O’Dells, Sadie has learned to embrace who she is. Now she’s not afraid to admit the rumors about her are true: she’s gay. For the first time in her life, Sadie feels free to be herself. She dives into college life and begins volunteering at the local LGBT center, where she discovers her small-town upbringing left holes in her education about life outside Angel Island.
The world is a bigger and more accepting place than Sadie ever imagined. She’s finally found where she belongs, but with the reappearance of someone from her past, an unexpected new friendship, and a chance at love, Sadie soon realizes she still has a lot to learn about life, friendship, and love.
JANUARY 6TH (USA)
Lunaside (Prizm Books, 2015)
Lunaside by J.L Douglas — (LESBIAN)
Goodreads Summary: Moira Connell just wants to drink tea, draw pictures, and hang out with Andrea, her girlfriend. But that’s before her mother accuses her of wanting to spend her time making out with girls, rather than planning which universities to court in senior year.
A job as an art counselor at Lunaside, the summer camp down the road from Moira’s house, is supposed to help Moira prove she isn’t procrastinating, and that she isn’t ‘girl-crazy’ either. Then the eccentric owner of Lunaside ropes her into starring in the camp’s new web series before she can say ‘on-screen panic attack.’ But it’s exactly the kind of huge responsibility Moira’s mother thinks Moira is allergic to, so she jumps in anyway.
Of course, the fact that Andrea is directing the web series, combined with Moira’s sudden, mutual attraction to new counselor Millie, might not help her case. And the way her best friend keeps trying to set her up with Millie certainly isn’t helping, well, anything.
And amidst all of this, she’s still got an art camp to run. On her own. But how hard could that be?
One summer can change everything. Moira’s hoping hers doesn’t end in a worst-case-scenario disaster.
JANUARY 8TH (USA)
Cold Ennaline (Harmony Ink Press, 2015)
Cold Ennaline by RJ Astruc — (ASEXUAL)
Goodreads Summary: Ennaline Whitehall has always been faithful. The god’s love is all encompassing, after all. Besides, she hardly had a choice growing up in the church alongside Ro and Ray, the twin sons of Father Piedmont. Now the twins are talking about marriage—all three are reaching the age for betrothal—but Ennaline doesn’t feel that way about the boys. She doesn’t feel that way about anyone, and who knows what the other faithful will do if they learn of her peculiar coldness?
Questions about romance pale in comparison to the rising god, however. Ennaline and the twins have always helped to keep evil at bay and reassure the people, but the holes aren’t closing properly anymore, and the smell of rot is growing. As the faithful gather at the Piedmont farm and something unfathomable claws its way up from beneath the earth, Ennaline struggles to maintain her beliefs. Alone, she is forced to come face-to-face with her god.
Harmony Ink / Dreamspinner Press / Amazon
JANUARY 8TH (USA)
Poz (The Lives of Remy and Michael #1) by Christopher Koehler — (GAY)
Poz (Harmony Ink, 2015)
Goodreads Summary: Remy Babcock and Mikey Castelreigh are stalwart members of the Capital City Rowing Club’s junior crew, pulling their hardest to earn scholarships to rowing powerhouses like California Pacific. Just a couple of all-American boys, they face the usual pressures of life in an academic hothouse and playing a varsity sport. Add to that the stifling confines of the closet, and sometimes life isn’t always easy, even in the golden bubble of their accepting community. Because Remy and Mikey have a secret: they’re both gay. While Mikey has never hidden it, Remy is a parka and a pair of mittens away from Narnia.
Mikey has always been open about wanting more than friendship, but Remy is as uncomfortable in his own skin as he is a demon on the water. After their signals cross, and a man mistakes Remy for a college student, Remy takes the plunge and hooks up with him. After a furious Mikey cuts Remy off, Remy falls to the pressure of teenage life, wanting to be more and needing it now. In his innocence and naiveté, Remy makes mistakes that have life-long consequences. When Remy falls in the midst of the most important regatta of his life, he can only hope Mikey will be there to catch him when he needs it most.
Harmony Ink / Dreamspinner Press / Amazon
JANUARY 8TH (USA)
Lightfall Three (Adoxography Books, 2015)
Lightfall Three: Luck, Lost, Lady by Jordan Taylor (Book 3 of 8) — (GAY)
Goodreads Summary: It’s always darkest before it’s pitch.
The saga continues….
Raised in 1870s Boston and coming of age in the Wild West, Ivy has to make adjustments. Gala balls and modern plumbing of her youth have given way to a life of dust, horses, and danger around every canyon wall—often zombies. Now Ivy is running for her life, but she has one advantage: she might be the only expert on Daray’s disease west of the Mississippi. If she ever hopes to see Boston again, she must rely on a strange group of new acquaintances and an eccentric Swedish maker who just might be able to build her a ride home—for a price.
JANUARY 13TH (USA)
Unmade (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2015)
Unmade (Entangled #2) by Amy Rose Capetta — (LESBIAN, BISEXUAL)
Goodreads Summary: The galaxy-spanning conclusion to Amy Rose Capetta’s acclaimed sci-fi debut, Entangled.
Cadence is in a race against time and space to save her family and friends from the Unmakers, who are tracking the last vestiges of humanity across the cosmos. As the epic battle begins, Cade learns that letting people in also means letting them go. The universe spins out of control and Cade alone must face the music in the page-turning conclusion to Entangled.
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Indie Bound
JANUARY 20TH (USA)
The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley (Simon Pulse, 2015)
The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun Hutchinson — (GAY)
THIS WILL BE GAYYA’S BOOK CLUB BOOK FOR FEBRUARY!
Goodreads Summary: Andrew Brawley was supposed to die that night. His parents did, and so did his sister, but he survived.
Now he lives in the hospital. He serves food in the cafeteria, he hangs out with the nurses, and he sleeps in a forgotten supply closet. Drew blends in to near invisibility, hiding from his past, his guilt, and those who are trying to find him.
Then one night Rusty is wheeled into the ER, burned on half his body by hateful classmates. His agony calls out to Drew like a beacon, pulling them both together through all their pain and grief. In Rusty, Drew sees hope, happiness, and a future for both of them. A future outside the hospital, and away from their pasts. But Drew knows that life is never that simple. Death roams the hospital, searching for Drew, and now Rusty. Drew lost his family, but he refuses to lose Rusty, too, so he’s determined to make things right. He’s determined to bargain, and to settle his debts once and for all.
But Death is not easily placated, and Drew’s life will have to get worse before there is any chance for things to get better.
A partly graphic novel.
Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indie Bound
JANUARY 20TH (USA)
Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman — (INTERSEX)
Alex as Well (Henry Holt and Co., 2015)
Originally published by Text Publishing in 2013, this is a new edition published by Henry Holt & Co.
Goodreads Summary: Alex is ready for things to change, in a big way. Everyone seems to think she’s a boy, but for Alex the whole boy/girl thing isn’t as simple as either/or, and when she decides girl is closer to the truth, no one knows how to react, least of all her parents. Undeterred, Alex begins to create a new identity for herself: ditching one school, enrolling in another, and throwing out most of her clothes. But the other Alex—the boy Alex—has a lot to say about that. Heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, Alex As Well is a brilliantly told story of exploring gender and sexuality, navigating friendships, and finding a place to belong.
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Indie Bound
JANUARY 21ST (USA)
A Harvest of Ripe Figs (Prizm Books, 2015)
A Harvest of Ripe Figs by Shira Glassman –(LESBIAN)
Goodreads Summary: Esther of the Singing Hands is Perach’s Sweetheart, a young and beautiful musician with a Girl Next Door image. When her violin is stolen after a concert in the capital city, she doesn’t expect the queen herself to show up, intent upon solving the mystery.
But Queen Shulamit–lesbian, intellectual, and mother of the six month old crown princess–loves to play detective. With the help of her legendary bodyguard Rivka and her dragon, and with the support of her partner Aviva the Chef, Shulamit turns her mind toward the solution–which she quickly begins to suspect involves the use of illegal magic that could threaten the safety of her citizens.
JANUARY 27TH (USA)
Train by Danny M. Cohen — (GAY)
Train (Unsilence Project , 2015)
Goodreads Summary: Over ten days in 1943 Berlin, six teenagers witness and try to escape the Nazi round-ups of Jews and Roma. Giving voice to the unheard victims of Nazism — the Roma, the disabled, homosexuals, intermarried Jews, and political enemies of the Nazi regime — this historical thriller will change how we think about Holocaust history.
Marko screwed up. But he’s good at swallowing his fear. By now, the 17-year-old ‘Gypsy’ should be far from Nazi Germany. By now, he should be with Alex. That’s how they planned it. But while Marko has managed to escape the Gestapo, Alex has been arrested in the final round-ups of Berlin’s Jews. Even worse, Marko’s little cousin Kizzy is missing. And Marko knows he’s to blame.
Yet the tides of war are turning. With hundreds of Christian women gathered in the streets to protest the round-ups, the Nazis have suspended the trains to the camps. But for how long? Marko must act now. Against time, and with British warplanes bombing Berlin, Marko hatches a dangerous plan to rescue Alex and find Kizzy.
There are three people who can help: Marko’s sister with her connections to the Resistance, Alex’s Catholic stepsister, and a mysterious Nazi girl with a deadly secret. But will Marko own up to how Kizzy disappeared? And then there’s the truth about Alex — they just wouldn’t understand.
JANUARY 29TH (UK)
Love Hurts (Corgi Childrens, 2015)
Love Hurts (Anthology) edited by Malorie Blackman — (some stories feature QUEER characters)
Goodreads Summary: Malorie Blackman brings together the best teen writers of today in a stunningly romantic collection about love against the odds. Featuring short stories and extracts about modern star-crossed lovers from stars such as Gayle Forman, Markus Zusak and Patrick Ness, and with a brand-new story from Malorie Blackman herself, Love Hurts looks at every kind of relationship, from first kiss to final heartbreak.
Contributors: Maureen Johnson, Catherine Johnson, Philip Pullman, James Dawson, Jenny Downham, Patrick Ness, e.lockhart, Lauren Myracle, Laura Dockrill, Gayle Forman, Makus Zusak, Susie Day, David Levithan, Lauren Kate.
Review: Lies my Girlfriend Told Me by Julie Anne Peters
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me (Little Brown Books, 2014)
I bought this on a whim because it showed up on the ‘What other customers bought’ section of my Amazon page, which made no sense at all the book I was looking at just then was a totally unrelated YA horror. Amazon clearly has some issues with its recommendation system, then, but it’s all good: after finding this book I was very grateful that they’d plagued me on that particular day.
The book opens when Alix’s parents come into her room and tell her that her girlfriend, Swanee, died of a cardiac arrest early that morning. As readers, we’re immediately in love with Swanee and grieving for her the same way Alix grieves for her – this is obviously proof of Julie Anne Peters’ genius, since Swanee has no actual lines of dialogue apart from during flashback moments and yet we still think she’s awesome. Just as Alix starts to come to terms with her loss, she discovers texts on Swanee’s phone from an unknown girl, calling her ‘sweetheart’ and with absolutely no idea about the tragedy that has gone on.
Alix’s story is told in a gorgeous, unique voice that captures the essence of her character perfectly, and as the narrative unfolds our attitudes towards Swanee change dramatically. There’s a wonderful mystery element to the story, which I normally avoid but loved in this case – it’s very character led and focussed on emotions rather than situations, but still retains excellent pace that keeps you hooked. It’s probably a little shorter than average but I still read it in less than twenty-four hours, which for me is weirdly fast. (I also chose the book over Modern Family and eating dinner whilst it was still hot. DEDICATION). Something contemporary YA seems to miss out on at the moment is keeping levels of suspense high – even if the story is realistic rather than fantastical, I think it’s still so important to keep readers desperate to find out what happens next and this book achieved all these things so well.
Yes, this is a romance novel but it’s one of those ‘something for everyone’ books (sorry for the cliché, everyone): there’s mystery, there are antagonists with stunning depth, there’s some sport, and all of the subplots are intricately woven into the main story so none of it feels disjointed. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who would like a moving and deep YA that remains easy-to-read and doesn’t leave you with that suicidal feeling at the end like a lot of stories with similar themes do (looking at you, Titanic).
My final point is that you don’t have to be gay to read it. I think possibly the reason there isn’t much LGBTQIA+ YA in bookshops is because the people choosing the stock think that straight teenagers don’t want to read about queer kids, and this is completely false. For me, Lies My Girlfriend Told Me was relatable because the emotions involved have universal relevance. And just like with any great book, you don’t have to have had the same experiences as the characters you’re reading about in order to fall in love with them.
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Georgie Penney is a teen writer and bookworm from England. At the moment she’s working on a gay YA novel of her own and can be found procrastinating on Twitter (@missgeorgie) or else ranting on her blog (georgiepenney.weebly.com).