LGBQTIA – Page 11 – My Good Reads

‘Carry On’ – Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On – The Rise and Fall of Simon Snow is a ghost story, a love story and a mystery. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story – but far, far more monsters.

When I read ‘Fangirl’ I found the intrusion of the Simon Snow characters irritating at times, but I loved the characters and was curious to see what ‘Carry On’ would be like. The fact that Rowell has published this would suggest that the characters also got under her skin, and she was curious to see what their story would be like.

I felt the start was a little slow in setting up what became a really engaging story. It was great fun to see these wonderful characters a little more developed. I felt the way Rowell described their relationships was engaging. Top of the list for pure entertainment though has to be the Baz and Simon relationship – brilliant.

Rowell’s story bears very obvious similarities initially with Harry Potter, and there seem to be more than one or two nods to other culturally well-known relationships/stories. However, that doesn’t stop the novel being engaging and entertaining in its own right. The actual plot concerning the Mage and Simon’s role in all this was a brave move. For me, it highlighted the idea of Simon being a pawn in someone else’s game all the way through (or am I reading too much into this?)

‘We Are All Made of Molecules’ – Susin Nielsen

This novel uses humour to mask its more hard-hitting messages, but it’s an entertaining read for those just starting to make the leap into more adult ideas.

Ashley Anderson, 14, is the original Mean Girl at the start of the novel. She is at the top of the social chain in her group of friends, and is put out by the news that her mother’s new boyfriend has been asked to move in. Given that Ashley is still trying to come to terms with the fact that her dad is gay, she is less than pleased by this news. As if this weren’t bad enough for Ashley, mum’s boyfriend has a son – Stewart – a gifted, but socially inept, thirteen year-old.

The story is told from alternating points of view, and this gives us valuable insights into the way each character feels about events. Both the main characters are great, but for very different reasons.

While I found this all a little conveniently resolved, it will certainly get younger readers thinking about the key ideas within its pages.

‘Half Lost’ – Sally Green

I’d adored ‘Half Bad’, was less enamoured by ‘Half Wild’ and was keen to see where Sally Green would send Nathan in this final instalment of the trilogy.

At the start of this novel, Nathan is desperately seeking revenge on Annalise for her part in the murder of his father. He is the linchpin in the Alliance’s plan to bring down Soul, but those closest to him are concerned as to whether he can cope with the pressure he’s putting on himself.

This is full of action, and there are some great moments as we see Nathan drawing closer to his ultimate goal. I loved watching him come to terms with what has happened to him, and realising that it’s okay to be wrong sometimes.

Inevitably, there’s a lot of deaths in this novel – some of which I was more upset by than others. Though there were some unresolved questions (leaving things open for a return to this world?) I felt the ending was a fitting conclusion to Nathan’s story.

‘Undone’ – Cat Clarke

Jem has been in love with her gay best friend, Kai, for years. Though she knows they will only ever be friends, this relationship means everything to her. When he is outed in the cruellest way imaginable, Kai cannot cope with the pressure of his peers knowing and commits suicide. Jem is distraught, and is determined to find out who was responsible for what happened so she can get revenge.

From the outset, I liked Jem. Though she thinks of herself as an outsider, she is portrayed as a strong and witty character. Once Kai, her lifeline, is no longer around though she withdraws from everyone. It is only when she is given a parcel of letters by Kai’s sister that Jem starts to think seriously about how she can make people pay for what they have done.

I wasn’t sure where this novel would take us, but we follow Jem as she puts her plan into action. Watching her transformation revealed vulnerabilities that she didn’t even seem aware of. I liked the way she came to experience some happiness, and Clarke helps us to see that nobody is quite what we see on the surface. Everyone has secrets, and some are better at hiding them than others!

To be honest there were moments in the novel where I wasn’t as engaged as others, but the finale was explosive. It stunned me, and really was not what I expected. It also made me angry. We’d been given a few clues that this ending might be on the cards, but I had really hoped it wouldn’t go that way. For reasons I won’t share here, some of the other characters come out of things very badly. I also couldn’t shake the feeling that for someone who we’re told cared so much about Jem, Kai kept a lot of himself hidden and acted really selfishly.

‘Radio Silence’ – Alice Oseman

In this novel, Osman focuses on Frances – a high-achiever, following the path expected of her – and what happens when she makes friends with Aled.

You may be forgiven for thinking this is a stereotypical YA romance; you wouldn’t be further from the truth. The relationship between Frances and Aled revolves around shared interests, and accepting each other for who they really are, not what they think they should be.

This novel explores so many areas, but never in a way that feels forced. It was a genuinely exciting read, and the ending was almost exactly what you wanted.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

While this review might seem short on details, it’s important that key details are unknown until they’re revealed in the reading.

‘Read Me Like A Book’ – Liz Kessler

First and foremost, the cover of this novel is beautiful. The clever use of colour symbolised for me the discrepancy between how Ashleigh feels, and how she believes she is meant to feel.

I can’t say whether this is a realistic exploration of coming to terms with your sexuality, but it was certainly a sensitive exploration of a character experiencing an awful lot of turmoil.

Ashleigh was not, initially, a character I felt much empathy with, She was, as her friend points out, incredibly self-centred and I could not believe just how casually she got into the relationship with Dylan. Her refusal to engage with her parents was, however, pretty realistically portrayed.

As the novel progressed I was interested to see how the writer used the characters around Ashleigh to help chart her development. I personally felt a little uncomfortable initially with the focus on the relationship between the teacher and Ashleigh, but there is no hint of anything other than compassion and understanding on Miss Murray’s part.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy of the novel.

‘Lies We Tell Ourselves’ – Robin Talley

Sometimes a book comes along that makes you want to grab strangers in the street, thrust it under their noses and urge them to read it. This was one of those books.

‘Lies We Tell Ourselves’ is featured on the Carnegie 2016 Short-list, and deservedly so. It tells the story of Sarah, one of the first black students to be enrolled in the all-white Jefferson High. While the details are fictionalised, they are heavily rooted in fact and this, for me, was what gave the book its main impact. Reading about the traumas faced by the students enrolled on a daily basis was deeply disturbing – and it really makes the reader question their beliefs and attitudes.

Upon first finishing the book I was awash with emotion. My initial thoughts veered between disgust, frustration, anger, respect and outrage. Talley highlighted just how amazing what some people go through to experience a basic human right is. As I read I felt more than little ashamed to be part of a cultural group that could ever think this kind of behaviour is acceptable.

Alongside the issue of racism, the story also focuses on the emotional impact on both female characters of coming to terms with their sexuality in a deeply religious context. Sarah was, for me, the stronger of the two main female characters. From the first time we see her trying to get into school to the day she leaves she shows compassion, intelligence and bravery. However, Linda was the character who seemed to grow and develop as she is challenged to question everything she has believed to be the truth.
Such an important book, in so many ways. I feel honoured to have read it.

‘Silent’ – Sara Alva

At 15, Alex has the kind of life that makes for horrific reading. His mum frequently abandons him, her boyfriend is abusive towards him and he is desperate to hide the fact that he is gay from those around him. These pieces are slowly fed to us, and they felt worse to me because of Alex’s acceptance of his lot in life.

When a well-meaning teacher calls Social Services after Alex is burned, he is angry and determined to reject all overtures of friendship/help. Watching Alex try to find his place as he is taken away from everything he has known makes for painful reading.

It would be easy to put this down as the book is bleak. However, when Alex is taken to foster care he becomes friends with Seb, a boy who doesn’t speak, and they form an unlikely bond. Their friendship – and inevitable romance – really does become a source of strength to both boys and offers some hope to the reader.

The boys do not have an easy time of it, and some of their experiences make for uncomfortable reading. I felt quite wrung out by the end of this, but so pleased that I picked it up.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Saenz

The moment I was given this book to read I had a feeling it could be something special. The cover is beautiful, and it seems to sum up perfectly the sense of loneliness that pervades this novel.

Aristotle – known as Ari – is part of quite a large family, most of whom we never get to see. His older brother is in prison, his father is a Vietnam veteran who speaks little and Ari is used to spending a lot of time alone. Dante is an only child who is also used to spending time alone. The two boys meet in the summer of 1987, when Dante offers to help Ari learn to swim. For these two American-Mexican boys on the cusp of adulthood their friendship provides an opportunity to discover themselves.

We know from quite early on in the novel that Dante is gay. I loved the fact that for most of the book this is not the focus of their relationship. They talk, they fight, they have periods of not talking…but their bond is clear. I loved the way their friendship was portrayed, and there is a real heart-in-the-mouth moment during the early stages of the book (you’ll know it when you come to it) that I didn’t see coming. The boys’ relationship seems quite unsettled after this incident – perhaps quite naturally – and Ari in particular takes a long time to come to terms with his feelings. However, this incident did allow us the opportunity to get to know some of the family members in a little more detail and I found this part of the book really touching.

Saenz’s prose was captivating. I didn’t want it to end, and this is definitely a book I’d want to re-read.

‘The Art of Being Normal’ – Lisa Williamson

This book features on the CILIP Carnegie 2016 pre-longlist, and I’ve been trying to read as many of these titles as I can before going back to those that make the next stage. Some are definitely more appealing than others – and this was one that I was looking forward to reading.

This cover is pretty simple, but conveys clearly the key issue of the book. The latest issue of the book that I’ve seen has a more obscure cover, and I’m curious about the apparent change of focus.

Before you read this you are told that David Piper has, from a very young age, known he wants to be a girl. Every one of his peers seems to be aware of this, and yet only his two closest friends are meant to know for certain. David spends a lot of the book agonising out how to tell his parents that he is transgender, yet we are giving no clues in anything they do that this would be met with anything other than understanding. This minor gripe aside, David is a character that you support and want things to work out for.

When he is defended in school by the mysterious new boy, Leo, things get a little more interesting. We know Leo has a secret. Though we can clearly see after reading how this is set up, the moment where the secret is revealed comes as a real surprise.

While this will find fans amongst readers who may want to explore their own thoughts on this issue, for me the book was more about friendship and how we learn to accept ourselves as we grow away from our families.

This book was one I rattled through, and thoroughly enjoyed.