Category: LGBQTIA

‘The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue’ – Mackenzi Lee

Is this worth reading? To quote one of the main characters, “Abso-bloody-lutely!”

From its opening pages to the climax, this is a rip-roaring read that I loved for many reasons:
1. The evident love of her subject the author shows. Following our characters on their Grand Tour was an experience, with little nuggets of historical information salted away throughout.
2. Felicity. A wonderfully strong female character with a droll sense of humour, intelligence, compassion and utter fearlessness in the way she transgresses the expectations of society.
3. The humour that was evident throughout. From the acerbic wit of Monty to the scenes involving the most hapless pirates ever, I couldn’t help but laugh aloud at many points in the book.
4. The positive depiction of Monty and Percy’s relationship. Whether this would have actually been credible at the time simply doesn’t matter. It was a privilege to watch their relationship unfold, and I was rooting for them.
5. The fact that it hooked me at the start, but just got better and better as the story unfolded.
6. The unexpected tender moments. Scipio recognising a kindred spirit in Monty, and teaching him to stand up for himself brought a tear to my eye.

Let’s be honest, there will be many who will dislike this book for the very reasons I loved it. More’s the pity!

For sheer exuberance this novel will be hard to beat, and it shared something of the spirit of some of the 18th-century novels I studied for my degree. Coupled with its modern sensibilities I think it’s a potent combination.

‘The Regulars’ – Georgia Clark

What would you sacrifice to be pretty? Friends, your job…your life? That’s the decision that three twenty-somethings have to make in this novel.

I fell for the cover, totally. So, like most of the characters in this book I am superficial and rather focused on first impressions.

The premise behind this book was fascinating. Three friends in their early twenties, suffering the usual angst and body issues, are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An old friend passes on something called Pretty. Curiosity gets the better of them and they take it. After some Inbetweeners-style bathroom reaction to it, the girls learn it has changed them.

Glossy, beautiful and like Photoshopped versions of themselves, the three girls get to play. They see just how good life can be for the beautiful people…but their angst and issues remain, and life on the other side isn’t actually much greener.

This reminded me a little of Limitless, but focusing on three characters meant things were always rather superficial. The scenarios the girls get into were, possibly, meant to be humorous but I found them rather depressing. If only they’d had the chance to do something better.

Ultimately, the girls come to realise there’s positives to who they really are. We leave the book none the wiser about what the drug was, how it worked or whether others were on it. Do we need to know? Probably not, but the message that beauty is only skin deep and we should learn to love who we are is rather obvious.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this, but I feel it could have been so much better.

‘Release’ – Patrick Ness

I don’t know if I dare confess to not knowing ‘Mrs Dalloway’, but I loved ‘Forever’ as a teenager and was in awe of a writer who could be so open and frank about discovering sex as Judy Blume was. This latest release by Patrick Ness may well be inspired by these books, but this was really a book of mixed responses for me.

The story focuses, in the main, on a day in the life of Adam Thorn. He is the younger son of an evangelical preacher, gay but not able to share this with his family (though there are clues that they know this) and about to spend the night at a going-away party for his first love, Enzo. We follow Adam through his day – so mundane in many ways, but also packed with exquisite moments.

Alongside Adam’s story is this rather odd tale of the spirit of a recently deceased girl (murdered by her boyfriend) hell-bent on getting revenge. She is accompanied on her journey by a 7ft faun and, on occasion, people in the real world see her. I confess to not really being sure what was going on here. It felt like some kind of symbolic representation of Adam’s life but it did feel like it was getting in the way of the story I wanted to know more about.

I found myself frustrated at the start by Adam’s family – the chrysanthemum scene was symptomatic of their inability to talk together – but I thought there might be hope when Adam’s brother, Marty, reveals he has got a girl pregnant. Sadly, we follow Adam on his day and there’s always a sense of someone not quite getting it.

The scene with Adam’s sleazy boss, Wade, angered me. I felt rather sorry for Enzo, in spite of the hurtful way in which he behaved towards Adam. However, that moment when Adam realises what has been going on, and gets his release from this toxic relationship was to be applauded. The moment that choked me, where I really wasn’t sure I wanted to read on, was the moment when Adam finally confronts his father with the reality of his life. A rather unconventional approach to outing yourself, but when his dad turns round and says “You’ll never know how hard I have to work to love you” I thought my heart would break!

I can see some readers might be uncomfortable with the level of detail given to describing Adam’s sex-life. Yes, it’s graphic but not really much more than we might get from many writers describing a heterosexual relationship, and I certainly didn’t get the feeling it was gratuitous. What I do think is worth noting is the positivity shown in the relationship between Linus and Adam. There was a real tenderness to their interactions and an emotional intimacy that anyone should be honoured to share.

All in all this was a read that I found absorbing. In turns drawn to and repelled by Adam and his family, I felt Adam’s story was Ness at his best. The other parts were, sadly, detracting and I felt they were Ness trying too hard to be clever.

‘History Is All You Left Me’ – Adam Silvera

History is all you left me

One of the things I love about being part of an on-line reading community is hearing from other readers about books that I might not have otherwise picked up. Adam Silvera’s novel – published in January 2017 – is my first read by this author and, based on my feelings after reading this, it won’t be the last!

Our story focuses on seventeen year-old Griffin, and how he feels after the death of his ex-boyfriend and first love, Theo. Griffin is definitely finding it hard to accept the loss of someone so important to him, and we see him being torn apart by his obsessions as he tries to adjust to life without the person who remained so important to him.

This was one of those books that snuck up on me and has left me more than a little stunned…in a great way…and there were a number of reasons for this.
First, let’s deal with the fact that Griffin is gay and celebrate that this book doesn’t treat it like anything other than part of who he is. Yes, he has relationship difficulties. Sometimes he acts like a jerk. His relationships have touching moments that I felt privileged to be allowed to witness. Sometimes it’s painful. Whatever we’re witnessing, it’s part of him.

Second, the structuring of the story was something that I found immensely satisfying in revealing the characters we were introduced to. Splitting between History and Today to show the memories Griffin has and how he’s dealing with the aftermath of Theo’s accident was, initially, rather confusing but it makes perfect sense as we draw closer to Griffin and see just what he’s living with.

There are so many things I liked about this story. It explores a painful event in anyone’s life, but learning to live with loss and first love will be relevant in some way to most readers. The closing pages – as we see Griffin finally coming to accept, in part, what he needs to do to forgive himself – were emotionally hard to read.

The final line really intrigued me as it suggested Griffin might not be quite as reliable a narrator as we were led to believe. Who can judge whether you have a shared history wrong? I’ll be puzzling this over for some time.

‘My Ladybird Story’ – Magus Tor

 

My Ladybird Story

In this novel Tor focuses on the story of John, a young teenage boy who feels different but can’t identify why. We follow him through school as he becomes friends with the new girl, Aureus, a force to be reckoned with.

As soon as these two become friends it’s clear they have found their own support network. Together, John and Aureus find ways to cope with the demands and stresses of high school. Yet John remains quiet, prone to periods of intense depression and nobody can work out why.

The novel takes us on John’s journey as he comes to terms with his identity, eventually recognizing that he has gender dysphoria and undergoing therapy/counseling as part of his gender reassignment.

Novels exploring identity and transgenderism do seem to be becoming rather popular at the moment. That’s no bad thing – certainly for those who are living the experience and need all the support they can get. However, though this novel was positive in its affirmation I couldn’t help but feel there was a sense of earnestness about this that made it feel a little less effective.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance.

‘Two Boys Kissing’ – David Levithan

Two Boys Kissing

The Valentines Reading Challenge seemed the perfect opportunity to get round to reading this novel by Levithan.

Inspired by a misremembered Walt Whitman quote, a real-life attempt to break a Guinness World Record and a need to chart some of the ways in which the attitudes to homosexuality have/haven’t developed over time this is a novel that gets under your skin.

The story is narrated, in the main, by a Greek style chorus representing the voices of gay men of the past. The idea of older men – whose lives have been affected in every different ways by their sexuality – narrating the tales of the younger gay men in this novel is an interesting one. There is a real sense of history here – putting certain events in context and showing just things have changed. Sometimes for the better; but, often, nowhere near far enough.

The central characters – Harry and Craig – are ex-partners who have remained close friends. Their attempt to kiss non-stop for over 32 hours becomes the focal point for many younger boys who are coming to terms with their identity and how it will impact on their lives/relationships.

There’s a lot of characters here, and we get little more than a superficial insight into their lives, but it’s enough. I’d urge you to read this if you haven’t already.

‘The Pants Project’ – Cat Clarke

The Pants Project

Due for release in March 2017, I have to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Cat Clarke’s first journey into middle-grade writing prior to publication. A heartfelt, entertaining and thoroughly recommended read.

Liv (Olivia) is Transgender and has always known that, at heart, he is meant to be a boy. He hasn’t told anyone of his thoughts, and his voice immediately grabs our attention and has us rooting for him to come through what life throws at him unscathed.

Our novel begins with Liv about to start middle school. This is daunting enough, but Liv is horrified by the strict dress code that his new school enforces as it means he has to wear a skirt. His best friend – who suddenly isn’t as keen to be seen with him as she tries to ‘get in’ with the popular girls – is increasingly distant and, once his new classmates learn he has two mums, Liv becomes a target for bullying.

As I read I have to say that I could predict some of the incidents that took place. Perhaps this is inevitable given the target audience for the novel. In spite of this, ‘The Pants Project’ reminded me of novels such as ‘Wonder’ – full of charm, earnest in their message but ultimately uplifting.

I cannot wait to see what students make of this.

 

‘The Song of Achilles’ – Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles

When we first meet Patroclus he is a young prince, awkward in his own skin, and definitely feeling that he is seen as a disappointment to his father. When he is exiled to the kingdom of Phthia, Patroclus comes to spend time with Achilles – the boy who is rumoured will grow up to be the greatest Greek fighter of all times.

We watch the boys grow up together and, even though they are very different, they form a strong bond. This disappoints Thetis, the mother of Achilles, who does all she can to separate the two young men.

An interview I read with Miller while I was reading this talks of her desire to understand why a character such as Achilles acts as he does (which didn’t seem to be of much interest to Homer). This, I think, explains why the first half of the book feels rather slow-the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus has to be established so that we understand the love they share.

Once we venture into the war of Troy, Miller’s writing really came into its own for me. Richly evoked, while holding little back, and seamlessly blending the worlds of mortals and gods.

The concepts explored in this story are, indeed, timeless and it really made me wish I had more than a passing acquaintance with some of the stories of Greek mythology.

For anyone who thinks Classics is a dull subject…I’d say read this and you may be pleasantly surprised.

‘Things I Should Have Known’ – Claire LaZebnik

Things I Should Have Known

Scheduled for release in March 2017, I have to thank NetGalley for granting me access to an early copy of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Claire, on the surface, seems a typical American teenager. She has everything going for her, and is rather obsessed with popularity. Determined to help prepare her autistic sister, Ivy, to lead a more independent life, Claire decides it is time to get her a boyfriend. Ethan, a boy in Ivy’s special needs class, seems perfect. Claire can overlook the fact that Ethan is the younger brother of David, the know-it-all in her class who seems to wind her up at every opportunity.

With that kind of summary, you can – if I’m being honest – spot where this is going a mile off. However, though it clearly signals its intentions, the novel quickly veers off in another direction and was definitely better for it.

We are treated in this novel to a story that explores the issue of autism and how it can impact on everyone’s lives. We are treated to a rather sweet romance. We are also treated – and I think this was, by far, the best bit – to a frank exploration of the more complex thoughts and feelings that might be part of the experience of someone living with a family member with autism. Claire and David don’t always get things right, and they certainly have some lessons to learn about themselves and their siblings.

‘All of the Above’ – Juno Dawson (published as James Dawson)

all of the above

‘All of the Above’ is one of those books that I wish I’d been able to read as a teenager as Dawson has such a distinctive voice, exploring some of the concerns you might face with candour. That said, it isn’t exactly comfortable reading. I picked this up as it’s on the nominations for Carnegie 2017, but all I could think was I’ll never get this into our school library!

When Toria moves to the back of beyond she imagines hiding out until school finishes. What she gets instead is a rather unusual group of new friends, and some interesting experiences.

There is a small warning on the back about strong language, but exploring sexuality and showing teenagers drinking/drug-taking means this is going to be one of those novels that will get some het up about the content rather than focusing on its relevance. There is a knowingness to this that could be off-putting, and I sensed some editorial judgements that led to a real conflict. The word ‘f***k’ was starred throughout the novel, yet other terms that might be considered more derogatory were used without concern and printed in full. I’d be interested to know the background to this decision, but I did feel it painted a somewhat skewed picture of this group of teens. 

Ignoring those reactions, the story itself was compelling for what it showed us about the friendships within it. Toria veers between self-obsessed drama queen and painstakingly shy – but her hesitancy and discomfort in her own skin was very real. Polly is a force to be reckoned with; not always likeable but eminently lovable. Beasley was a guy that had you rooting for him to get his happy ending. Daisy…think I’m in love! Her struggle was dealt with sympathetically, but without it all being too saccharine. Nico could have been a character to loathe, but he’s a good guy who just happens to not be the one for that moment.

While there were bits I was less keen on – the whole crazy golf setting became wearing – I felt Dawson captured well that sense of self-doubt. This was a novel that bravely shows sometimes people get it wrong, and that’s okay.