Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I haven’t read a Talley book I didn’t love. There’s something about her writing that resonates with me in a way I can’t quite explain. Pulp unfolds across two timelines: one historical and one present-day, both set in Washington, D.C. I found each storyline equally captivating and was deeply invested in both main characters’ journeys. Talley’s ability to craft well-rounded characters and spotlight queer stories from both the past and present is truly commendable.
Pulp was a pretty cute book! Not my absolute favorite YA novel, but I loved the conceit of two intertwining stories decades apart. That was really fascinating and is a framing narrative that I truly enjoy. It was handled with grace and the author did a lot of research into both the period, the type of literature, but it left me needing a bit more. There was a part of me that desperately wanted to see Janet Jones' story expanded once she goes to New York, but it doesn't really come until the end. Everything with Abby feels both very good but in some ways a bit repetitive. It's not bad in the least though. It's a good read but it left me wanting some more and not really in ways that I was hoping for it to do.
Pulp, though, is a loving tribute to the literature of the time and, surprisingly, of fan fiction which ties these genres together in a rather unique and fun way that, honestly, I hadn't considered before. In a sense, fan fic can be a pulp of the new era, allowing writers to explore themes and stylings that aren't presented or accepted in the main stream consciousness. No less valuable as a medium than "Serious" literature, too. It shows how such writing binds us and brings us together and that's maybe the most important part of Pulp rather than the story and plot, which is why I'm elevating is a bit higher and actually rating it at all. I liked that aspect which is something I think about but don't really, always, see it presented in literature.
Overall, I can recommend this for it's fun and the enjoyment I definitely got out of it. But, it was flawed in ways that left me wanting more in some areas but opened up possibilities in others. Definitely want to check out Robin Talley's other work, as well as wanting to commend her for an ambitious project!
Pulp, though, is a loving tribute to the literature of the time and, surprisingly, of fan fiction which ties these genres together in a rather unique and fun way that, honestly, I hadn't considered before. In a sense, fan fic can be a pulp of the new era, allowing writers to explore themes and stylings that aren't presented or accepted in the main stream consciousness. No less valuable as a medium than "Serious" literature, too. It shows how such writing binds us and brings us together and that's maybe the most important part of Pulp rather than the story and plot, which is why I'm elevating is a bit higher and actually rating it at all. I liked that aspect which is something I think about but don't really, always, see it presented in literature.
Overall, I can recommend this for it's fun and the enjoyment I definitely got out of it. But, it was flawed in ways that left me wanting more in some areas but opened up possibilities in others. Definitely want to check out Robin Talley's other work, as well as wanting to commend her for an ambitious project!
While it's always fun to read books set in the city where you live, the characters in this book didn't grab me.
Very slow and boring with shallow characters. Too bad, as I really liked the premise!
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-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
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm so glad young LGBTQ people have this book. I learned a lot about the Lavender Scare and I love the idea of connection through storytelling and literature. However, I found myself only really invested in the older woman's story and although I think a lot of teens will identify with the 2017 bits, it was predictable and s l o w for me.
I liked this well enough, but I'm beginning to wonder if Talley isn't a one-hit wonder for me. I LOVED her first book, but the ones I've read after have just been meh.
I'm especially sad because as soon as I heard the premise for this book I immediately wanted it in my hands (a young girl from our time who is a lesbian begins researching lesbian pulp fiction from the 1950s for a school project, and fixates on a particular author, and the narrative is split between her and the author from the 1950s; it's part historical fiction, part contemporary).
I just had such a hard time with the contemporary narrative. I did not care about the narrator at all. She seemed like a vehicle for the reader to learn things about the 1950s culture and characters and publishing and all that without having to shoehorn it in to the historical narrative, which was utterly compelling. I had no interest in the main characters' break up with her girlfriend or her troubled home life. Those kinds of things are exactly why I don't normally read contemporary young adult fiction, unless there's a hook of some sort that interests me (i.e. half the narrative is set in the 1950s during McCarthyism and the 1950s narrator is a young lesbian who finds herself writing pulp lesbian fiction).
I would still recommend checking this out if it sounds interesting to you; it very well might be a case of YMMV. But the historical section is great.
I'm especially sad because as soon as I heard the premise for this book I immediately wanted it in my hands (a young girl from our time who is a lesbian begins researching lesbian pulp fiction from the 1950s for a school project, and fixates on a particular author, and the narrative is split between her and the author from the 1950s; it's part historical fiction, part contemporary).
I just had such a hard time with the contemporary narrative. I did not care about the narrator at all. She seemed like a vehicle for the reader to learn things about the 1950s culture and characters and publishing and all that without having to shoehorn it in to the historical narrative, which was utterly compelling. I had no interest in the main characters' break up with her girlfriend or her troubled home life. Those kinds of things are exactly why I don't normally read contemporary young adult fiction, unless there's a hook of some sort that interests me (i.e. half the narrative is set in the 1950s during McCarthyism and the 1950s narrator is a young lesbian who finds herself writing pulp lesbian fiction).
I would still recommend checking this out if it sounds interesting to you; it very well might be a case of YMMV. But the historical section is great.