Reviews tagging 'Biphobia'

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

4 reviews

sarah984's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

I can see why other people like this book and I do think some of the commentary on race and perfectionism is worthwhile, but I just did not like this book at all. 

The writing style is very florid and full of repetition (yes she smells like sea salt I KNOW) and annoying fanfic tropes (they keep calling each other by their full names??). The main character is an astronomer but does no astronomy in the book, barely thinks about it despite apparently loving it, and doesn't seem to know why she liked it in the first place. The one piece of "astronomy" in the book (aside from some poetic "you are made of star stuff" nonsense) is a paraphrase of an annoying Tumblr post about a mars rover. I think this felt so glaring to me because I read "The Disordered Cosmos" so recently and it's by an author who is theoretically so similar to this character - a Black lgbtq+ astrophysicist - but had such a strong enthusiasm for the subject matter.

The characters are mostly meant to be pushing thirty but all read very young and immature. There's a character who is a candy striper or something who reveals someone’s private medical details without their consent and no one cares. The love interest is essentially a manic pixie dream girl (also she's Japanese and this is handled very weirdly) and loves the main character even though she treats her badly. The whole thing kind of feels like a fantasy where everyone else puts aside their problems to hold your hand - no other characters’ issues that are brought up are resolved. It also feels like every character just sort of parrots the author’s political opinions despite their actual situation - the main character living off her parents’ money (she's 29 and her dad is paying her rent!) is required to make the plot work but she's joking around about how she's a broke millennial who will never be able to retire and ragging on people with "generational wealth".

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brookey8888's review against another edition

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dark hopeful inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I went into this thinking it was going to be a light and cute romance (kind of like what happens in Vegas but diverse) because that’s what people kind of pitch this as. This was a lot more serious then I wanted and I wasn’t in the headspace to read about certain topics discussed in this. I did really like Grace and the growth she went through and I liked her friendships. The romance was so instalove and not a main point at all. I do appreciate the diversity(race and sexuality), but this wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. If this does sound like something you would like then I do recommend you pick this up! 

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ladygetslit's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I needed this book four years ago, when I was also 28 and having a millennial crisis. 

Grace Porter is a beautifully flawed character who has spent so much of her life building plans around what other people expect from her, what others think she can't accomplish. I initially thought this book would be about her romance with the girl she marries in Vegas at the beginning of the book. What this book was actually about: a messy, chaotic, beautiful young woman trying to figure out who she actually is and what she truly wants for her life. 

Elements I truly loved: 
  • Grace's found family in Portland: they support her constantly and are super affirming, even when she's falling apart and is generally a really terrible friend
  • Yuki's radio show: no spoilers, but just read and appreciate
  • the constant references to how we're all part of the universe really spoke to my galaxy-obsessed soul (even though I'm not a science nerd like Grace is)
  • representation of what it's like to be Black in an academic field: this is super important and eye-opening
  • mental health representation: I loved that Grace not only gets a therapist, but that she has to try out a couple ones first — this is how it actually is and I loved getting this representation

What didn't work for me:
  • to be honest, the writing just left something to be desired... I'm not a fan of the 3rd person present tense style narration, especially in a character-driven story
  • sometimes, the corny, lovely found family stuff got really cringe-y to me... but this could be my reading because I'm honestly jealous and wish I had friends like Grace does
  • I wanted more: more of the quirky queer side characters, more of Grace working through her traumas, more steam between her and Yuki... I just wanted more. I think this author will really blossom in future writing and I look forward to reading them! 

Overall, while I don't think this book is for everyone. But for those of us that it speaks to... wow, I am so glad I finally made time to pull this off my never-ending TBR. Thank you, Morgan Rogers, for writing a book that helped me feel less alone in how long it took me to figure out the path I truly wanted.

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mezzano's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's rare to find a book which captures the millennial experience as fully as Morgan Rogers' Honey Girl does. Within its pages features Grace Porter, a Black lesbian who just acquired their doctorate degree in astronomy. When the declined job and interview requests begin rolling in, Porter goes from the overachieving star pupil to an undesirable company match. Suddenly, everything from her work's integrity to who she is is questioned and scrutinized by companies and universities who do not want to make space for anyone but their own. Porter responds to this quarter life crisis in an interestingly uncharacteristic way: she goes to Las Vegas and gets married. The rest of the book follows the fallout and lessons Porter learns from her past decisions. At the core is one single action: Porter must ask herself if she wants the best or what's best for her.

Grace Porter is 28 years old and facing a world which doesn't have the opportunities for her she was promised. After nearly a decade of additional schooling and nothing to show for it, this book delves deeper into what it means to make life tolerable in a very fraught and lonely world. While it does have it's share of light-hearted conversations and romantic intrigue, at its core, Honey Girl is about the decisions people make while coping. It's not just Porter who feels as though she is falling behind. Porter has friends who are stuck in jobs they never wanted, whether it be out of obligation or the paycheck. The stress of maintaining appearances wears on each person differently, and its fascinating to see how each character copes and makes sense of the life they are given. The end of the book is particularly rewarding, as lapses in understanding are fixed with honest communication. 

On a personal note, this book was particularly relatable in ways I was not expecting. Porter's experience was not too unlike my own, excluding the clear difficulties that systematic racism plays in academia. I had also lived in the world of STEM research and academic grinding, wearing myself out at the cost of my mental and physical health. Honey Girl starts at the beginning of Porter's independent life, and I related strongly to the emptiness the main character felt when the research opportunities and university classes ran dry. There is a great emptiness that comes with selecting a job field which does not make space for you. Like Porter, I had also had to evaluate what the best truly meant and what was important to me to have in my life moving forward. After finishing the book, I was astounded that Rogers had no documented experiences in either STEM or graduate programs. In either case, Morgan Rogers' debut is a strong and realistic entrance into the realm of literature. 

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