Book Review: Unicorn Hunting by A.R. Hellbender
Reviewer: Leslie Rewis
3.5/5 stars
152 pages
Unicorn Hunting by A.R. Hellbender was a very surprising read. Most of the YA fiction that I have read about queer characters tends to focus more on their coming out and what ensues because of it. If you are looking for a story with a queer character that has a plot line not revolving around coming out, Unicorn Hunting is a good place to start. This is the perfect book for a book lover of fantasy, action, and of course, non-straight crushes.
Unicorn Hunting by A. R. Hellbender (BookCountry, 2013)
The protagonist, Caoilinn “Cal” Valderan, is a unicorn hunter. She is hunting in order to provide for her family. She is joined by her best friend, Sura; her crush, Adryan; and her would-be enemy, Delphina.
Cal and her friends soon find out that there is more to learn about unicorn hunting than what their instructors tell them. Without giving too much away, the unicorns reproduce rather strangely.
The story also revolves around a moral dilemma. Why do the girls have to kill the unicorns? Cal is faced with deciding whether killing unicorns is truly the right thing to do. On top of her new job, she also has to worry about Adryan falling for someone else and Delphina kicking her butt.
Essentially, Cal is making a decision to stand against everything she have been taught in society, and that is never easy.
Unicorn Hunting has enough surprising twists and turns to keep the best of readers busy. From one moment to another, Cal can either be slaying unicorns or questioning her feelings for Adryan or exploring new feelings altogether. Cal captured my heart within a few chapters. She is not a perfect character and I do not want her to be. She and all the other main characters of focus are human and easy to relate to.
Overall, Unicorn Hunting is a winner. For anyone out there wanting to see queer representation in books, this is a start in the right direction. Cal clearly has feelings for another girl, but her feelings are not the central arc of the story. Rather, her own moral journey and taking a stand have a higher rank in the story line. For those looking for a kiss or two, you won’t find that much in this story. However, this adds to the story line, rather than retracting from it.
If you are looking for an unconventional queer story, action scenes, and unicorns… well this is the only book I know of that does all of that – and more. My only complaint is that I was looking for more at the end. However, all the best stories leave the reader feeling just like that.
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Leslie Rewis is an English major from Alabama. When she is not reading and working on school work, you can find her procrastinating on Tumblr at thetypicallytwisted.tumblr.com and on Twitter @lemur1993. She hopes to begin working on a doctorate in English after graduation and publish some queer stories.
Review: Bottled Up Secret by Brian McNamara
Bottled Up Secret by Brian McNamara is out on shelves today! We received a review copy through netgalley.
Brendan Madden is in the midst of his senior year of high school and couldn’t be happier. He has a great group of friends, his pick of colleges, and he has recently come to terms with his sexuality. One night, he meets Mark Galovic, a gorgeous, younger classmate of his. In a matter of minutes, Brendan is hooked. As the friendship between them grows, Brendan reaches his breaking point when he spontaneously confesses his feelings to him. Brendan is shocked and elated to find out that Mark feels the same way about him. The two begin to date, but because Mark is not out, it must remain a secret. As their friends and family become suspicious, openly gay Brendan becomes increasingly frustrated with their discreet relationship, while Mark becomes more and more paranoid that they’re going to be found out.
Bottled Up Secret by Brian McNamara is a critical addition to the Gay YA literary world. The book grabs you by the hand and takes you through the romantic ups and downs of the main character, Brendan, and his first love, Mark. Throughout the book, Brendan is going through his senior year in high school; contemplating what college to go to, participating in musical productions, and competing in tennis tournaments-all while struggling to keep their relationship a secret, even from his closest friends.
Bottled Up Secret by Brian McNamara (Bold Stokes Books, out on shelves today 10/14!)
The story starts with Brendan seeing a musical with his closest friends, which he could not be in because of other conflicts. He’s happy with life and enjoying his senior year and loving his friends. The banter between Brendan and his friends is witty and endearing and the feelings of love and happiness are palpable. And at this point, Brendan has not yet come out to his friends, even his closest friend, Kara, and is shy when someone mentions that girls are always surrounding him, as most of his friends are girls, and generally avoids topics of dating.
Brendan meets Mark at a party and the attraction is instant. Brendan frequently thinks about Mark after the party and when they meet with other friends, he often tries to steal a few moments alone with him. He often wonders if Mark is flirting on purpose or just being friendly. They grow close and, after some difficulty, confess mutual attraction. Mark states that their relationship would need to remain a secret because he is unsure about what this relationship means for him, as he has dated girls before but no boys, but he has an overwhelming attraction to Brendan and wants to engage in the relationship.
Mark struggles with himself and spends a lot of time worrying about who will find out and when and what he will say when they do find out. Brendan is not in any hurry to announce their relationship to the world but he wishes to at least be able to share it with his closest friend. However, he does not resent Mark for his reservations. As this book is written in first person from Brendan’s point of view, we don’t directly know what is going on in Mark’s mind but his feelings and anxieties are clearly communicated.
One thing that is wonderful about this book is that the amount of love and care that Brendan gives to Mark throughout the book comes through clearly. The reader is able to share Brendan’s feelings along with him as they grow and change. From the first beginnings of attraction and the feeling of having butterflies in his stomach whenever the one he adores is near, Brendan’s heart shines through.
Another wonderful thing that shines through this book is the sense of friendship that Brendan has with his friends: there is a warm and glowing feeling of comfort and companionship between them and Brendan. The reader can feel relaxed and at ease as if they are indeed included in this tight-knit group. It is easy to share their experiences, not only in love but also the trials of senior year of high school.
This was a wonderful book and a privilege to read. I will most likely reread it in the future and recommend it highly to anyone interested in this genre. There is no empty filler and anything that needs to be explained, is explained without being too expository. The characters personalities come through clearly and everyone’s feelings come across most often through dialogue and interaction. The book flows seamlessly throughout and is a very pleasurable read.
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Rae Glenn loves reading so much that it has become a physical need. Supporting the LGBT youth has become as important to her as breathing. It is only natural for these to come together. You can find her @LovelyRedMuffin
Call for Volunteers
UPDATE AS OF 10/30/14 AT THE BOTTOM.
In the past few months, we have been witness to GayYA’s explosion. It’s been amazing and incredible and shocking and in all honesty, we were not at all prepared for it! This started as a fun side project to bring together some people, and has grown into something we’re incredibly passionate about that has a chance to really make a difference in the world.
Right now, we’re so busy scrambling to cover all of our bases that we’re not able to get to everything that needs to be done done. As a result, a lot of cool projects are slipping through the cracks. We’re looking to gather a small group of dedicated volunteers to help us with some small but essential tasks. Then we can continue tackling the big picture, and get more cool things like the book club, interviews, and discussions going. (And hopefully, pull less of our hair out in the process!)
Things that would be awesome, but are by no means required: graphic design, knowledge of coding, knowledge of rafflecopter, experience editing, experience with wordpress.
If you have one of these, please include an example of something you’ve worked on or created, and/or a brief summary of your experience.
Everything else is fairly simple, and just requires a bit of time. We’ll probably be capping our number at five for now, so please contact us within the week (by 10/20) if you’re interested. If selected, you will be expected to help us on average with one small thing every week, whether it’s updating the blogroll, setting up a giveaway, or adding some titles to our book list wiki. If you want to do more, that’s fine! And if there are some weeks when you’re not available, that’s OK too.
If you’re interested and think you might be a good fit, please email victoria@gayya.org with a little bit about yourself and why you’re interested in volunteering.
UPDATE: Wow! We have gotten an absolutely incredible response to this! We never thought that so many people would be interested in helping us! We now have a few new graphic designers, two editors, and a bunch of people helping us with day-to-day things. Because of the enormity of the response, we will be extending this until 11/8, and looking for:
Copy-editors
Critical Readers well-versed in a least one problematic thing like racism or ableism
“On-call” volunteers who are up for helping out with random things that crop up
Audio-Editor who can edit our monthly interviews
Welcome to Gay YA’s first ever Book Club!
We are reading our very first book, a steampunk/fantasy called Pantomime by Laura Lam. You can check your library, or order it online from Amazon US, UK, or Canadian, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Powell’s, Book Depository, Waterstones, Hive, and Chapters. You can also buy the e-book from Kobo and The Robot Reader. (Consider grabbing a copy of the sequel, Shadowplay, too. That’s next month’s book!)
Follow the book club on our tumblr, and in the #GayYA Book Club tag. We’ll also be on Twitter, where you can keep up with the book club on the #GayYABookClub hashtag. Most of the action will be happening on tumblr, however. Keep up with Laura at lauraroselam and on twitter at @LR_Lam, and the wonderful fan base at lauralamfans.
Pantomime by Laura Lam (Strange Chemistry, 2013)
You can participate by:
– Posting something on your own Tumblr blog and tag the post #GayYA Book Club— we’ll reblog it.
– Submitting something to our Tumblr at thegayya.tumblr.com/submit
The book club will begin with non-spoilery posts on 10/13, and then follow this schedule:
– October 16-23: Pages 1 through 199
– October 24-31 Pages 200 through 392
You can express your feelings about Pantomime however you choose — reviews, analysis, questions, fan art, gifs, quotes, a video blog… the world is open to you! And, of course, you can reblog other people’s posts to add your own thoughts and responses.
We’re also running a giveaway until the start– we got some great prizes up for grabs! Enter now, because it’ll be closing on 10/14! Giveaway is open internationally!
In addition, we’ll be interviewing Laura Lam this Sunday (10/12)– if you have something you’d like us to ask her, send it our way!
Thank you all for reading, and we can’t wait to see what you think of this wonderful wonderful book!
(Thank you to the Reblog Book Club, Tumblr’s Official Book Club for this brilliant way of formatting a book club. Some of it we added but most is based off of their format.
Are Coming Out Stories Still Relevant in 2014?
by Amy Dunne
Are coming out stories still relevant in 2014? It’s a question that can divide opinion.
A little while ago, I attended a literary event that was full of people I didn’t know. A little group formed and I was taking part in their discussion. When asked what I do for a living, I experienced the usual moment of panicked hesitation that I’ve come to expect and struggled to decide on my answer. Should I have been honest and upfront, or should I have given the half truth answer that avoids potential awkwardness. The dilemma I’ve found with openly saying I write lesbian fiction is very much dependent on what the person or group perceive it to mean. For example, in the past people have automatically come to the conclusion that it means I write smut or porn. Some people have never heard of lesbian fiction and question everything—which is fine by me. Some are clearly uncomfortable with whatever they’re imagining it to be and struggle to grasp what exactly I mean, when I say, “they are basically like any other story, but with a lesbian protagonist. That’s the only difference.” I suppose it comes down to knowing your audience, but that is sometimes impossible. On this particular occasion, I was honest and said, “I write lesbian YA fiction.” I was immediately set upon by an infuriating person who knows-it-all. “Please don’t tell me you write coming out stories. Ugh! They’ve been done to death and there’s no need for them anymore. Gay people are accepted these days. It’s so much easier for young people to come out nowadays, than what it used to be.” I was so stunned, I couldn’t actually speak. Thankfully the person was called away before I exploded with my fiery retort. I should probably also mention that the same person stated that, “young people don’t even read nowadays.” I always try to respect other people’s point of view, but sometimes it can be difficult, especially when their opinions make huge sweeping generalisations and come across as very ignorant.
Secret Lies by Amy Dunne (Bold Strokes Books, 2013)
As it happens, I’m proud to say that my debut novel Secret Lies is a YA lesbian novel that includes a coming out story. It was published by Bold strokes Books in December 2013. It won a Golden Crown Literary Award in the YA Category in 2014. I would also like to point out how incredibly popular YA fiction is which begs to differ with the opinion that young people don’t read nowadays. (Although it isn’t just young people that read and enjoy YA fiction).
Last week, I was invited to do an author reading, signing, and Q&A session. Two of the women who came along were from Zimbabwe. They opened up to the group about their experiences of identifying as lesbians while living in Zimbabwe. They experienced negative comments and actions directed towards them on a daily basis from family, peers, members of their community, and the church. A whole host of obstacles were constantly set against them. Their homosexuality was believed to be caused by possession of evil spirits. And yet, both women have persevered and remained together in their relationship. They described the harrowing experiences that are faced by other LGBTQ people in their community, who are not so lucky. They also mentioned how little support there is for LGBTQ people. They felt that a novel addressing coming out and the many pressures: social, family, peers, society, and religious beliefs could really help others in their community. I have to say that meeting and talking with them was an absolute honour. It really struck a chord with me.
I appreciate why some people feel that coming out stories aren’t needed anymore. On a worldwide scale, the LGBTQ community are making huge strives towards equality whilst celebrating our diversity. The hope for the future is that one day coming out stories won’t be needed because coming out won’t be an issue. It will be accepted as a normal part of who a person is. I think it’s a very positive outlook and shows hope for full equality. My only issue with it is that we are not at that stage yet. In fact, I think we have a while to go and an awful lot more hard work before we even get close to that desired reality.
I enjoy reading coming out stories. If I could have read one when I was a young adult, I have no doubt it would’ve changed my life for the better. That was the deciding factor and inspiration for my decision to write Secret Lies. It’s basically the YA book I wish I’d had access to back when I was a teenager.
Coming out stories give a unique perspective and can offer solace and hope for a happy future. I think to claim that coming out today is easier, is somewhat ignorant. Perhaps in general, it’s easier for the LGBTQ community to come out and it is wildly more accepted. Legislation is changing, LGBTQ rights are improving, there are a host of same-sex celebrity couples that are famous, and the internet allows for positive LGBTQ media to be accessed easily. But these alone, aren’t enough to battle against communities that hold a strong religious or social belief that homosexuality is wrong.
Season’s Meetings by Amy Dunne (Bold Strokes Books, December 2014)
What about the individual young person who is living in a small town, or whose family is devoutly religious? Young people are often solely reliant on family / caregivers for financial support and basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, medical treatment, and love. They have little choice in the school they attend, the community they live in, and the rules and legislations that are forced upon them. An adult has significantly more opportunities to escape from a difficult situation. They can move state/ country, get a new job, actively seek out LGBTQ friendly communities, and decide if they want to practice religious beliefs. This isn’t possible for a young person who is dependant on their family / caregivers, peers, school, church, and community. It can be unbearably isolating and harrowingly stressful for a young person who feels that they are different to the norm. For these young people, their situations are unable to change dramatically for perhaps a few years and a coming out story can offer comfort in an otherwise bleak and lonely world. It can help instil the belief that life does get better. That you’re not alone. They can be a lifeline.
The high rates of young LGBTQ people who are homeless, self-harm, or feel there is no choice but to take their own lives, shows that we are still far from achieving the ideal utopian world that I mentioned previously. That is why I’m so passionate about coming out stories. We only have to look at countries like Russia and Uganda to see that the fight for equality is ongoing and taking place on a global scale. To believe that it’s easier today for an individual to come out is a huge generalisation that ignores each individual’s right to their thoughts, feelings, and unique personal experiences. Coming out is a hugely emotional, psychological, physical, and sometimes spiritual experience. Who are we to determine it’s nothing special? Especially, if it feels significantly special to the young person. My coming out impacted greatly on my life. In fact, I’d go as far as to say without those experiences, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
If in the future, coming out stories are no longer needed or written, I don’t believe that will detract from the historical importance or the reader’s enjoyment of those stories. Even though they are often works of fiction, each story still gives an insight into what the protagonist is experiencing, thinking, and feeling. Love is universal. We can all empathise with the thoughts, fears, and feelings that are invoked when we fall for that very first person. The excitement, the potent desire, and the way our bodies seem to react of their own accord, are powerful enough to often stay in our memories for the rest of lives. These stories describe a specific time, place, social setting, ideology, ethics, and technological advancements, that become a written record of what life was like for LGBTQ people at that time. They describe the fight for equality (on a personal level, but also on country /global level) and the reasoning and beliefs that battle against it. In years to come, they will show a very specific time in history. Future generations may look back with the same disgust at the abhorrent inequality and treatment of the LGBTQ community, as we now look back on slavery, child labour, and the treatment of women throughout history. We wouldn’t refuse to read literature that depicts the history of other minorities on the grounds that we no longer live in that era. The same should be said for LGBTQ history.
I believe that coming out stories are still important, but also that they don’t take away from other stories that feature LGBTQ protagonists without a coming out theme. Sometimes it’s nice to read a novel where the main protagonist is already out and proud, and their sexuality is just another aspect of who they are. I would argue that there is a need for both.
To sum up, I feel that coming out stories are needed today, as much as they ever have been. In the future they will offer a different perspective that details part of our LGBTQ history and for that reason they will always be important. YA fiction is a genre in its own right, and not just a reading age. I’ve heard from a reader aged fourteen and a reader in their seventies who both read and enjoyed Secret Lies.
If you’re not keen on reading coming out stories, that’s perfectly fine. There is a tremendous variety of LGBTQ fiction of varying genres just waiting for you to pick up and read. We all have different tastes and that is celebrated by the diverse high quality fiction that is out there. But for those who want to experience a different perspective or relive the trials and tribulations of self-discovery and first love, a YA novel will do just that.
I wish you happy reading.
Amy was raised in Derbyshire, England. She attended Keele University and graduated in 2007 with a BSc in Philosophy and Psychology. After graduating she worked for a while with vulnerable young people. Her debut YA novel, Secret Lies won a Golden Crown Literary award in 2014. She is married to her beautiful wife, Lou. They share a love of Dolly Parton, have two gorgeous cats, and a very mischievous little dog.
Contact Info:
Twitter: @giftofthegaborg
Website/Blog: authoramydunne.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/amy.dunne.165
E-mail: authoramydunne@hotmail.com
Coming this December– Season’s Meetings by Amy Dunne (adult but YA-friendly!)
Could the festive road trip from hell actually lead to love?
Catherine Birch is a lonely workaholic who hates Christmas. This year, she is being forced to celebrate with her best friend’s family in the Highlands of Scotland. Having missed her flight, Catherine reluctantly ventures on a road trip with beautiful stranger Holly Daniels.
Although polar opposites, the intense attraction between them is unmistakable. Just as Catherine begins to think spending Christmas with Holly might not be so bad, a raging snowstorm leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere. Huddled together, with little chance of rescue, they forge a pact: if they escape, they’ll make this a Christmas to remember. But will it be remembered for the right reasons?