Reviews with content warning for Slavery - This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us

Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

This Is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories of Her, Him, Them, and Us by Katherine Locke, Nicole Melleby

3 reviews

emily_mh's review against another edition

4.0

A good short story collection. But the aro/ace rep could have been better (see my review for Girl’s Best Friend), and I don't think there was any intersex rep. My favourite stories were The Wish and the Wind Dragon and The Purr-cle of Life. As always, I’ll review each story individually:

The Purr-cle of Life by Alex Gino: nonbinary MC. Great things about this great story include 1) cats, 2) the MC’s relationship with their cat getting them through transphobia and other hard experiences, and 3) exploration of grief regarding losing a pet. So many middle-graders will be going through that yet it’s a topic rarely covered in MG.

Girl’s Best Friend by Lisa Jenn Bigelow: aroace MC? QPR. Oh my god having a story like this when I was a kid could have been life changing. I’m so glad it exists! What a beautiful depiction of a queerplatonic relationship. I could really feel the love that the MC had for her best friend. Their connection ended up being so sweet and wholesome. I do wish that the MC explicitly used aro and/or ace as a label, as being in a QPR doesn’t automatically signify these sexualities - they are possible for everyone. And because this is the only story with aro/ace rep (and at that, a suggestion of this rep), it kind of doesn’t feel like aro/ace people are properly represented in this queer anthology.

The Makeover by Shing Yin Khor: nonbinary MC. This was quite short and I think it could have benefitted from a bit of fleshing out. But I liked how it showed the dichotomy of being nonbinary and wanting to dress femme (or masc), but not wanting your gender assumed. I liked where the MC ended up in regard to this.

Paper Planes by Claribel A. Ortega: sapphic, questioning re: gender MC. The I’m always here for intergenerational queer bonding. It’s such a special thing and, like in this story, means both parties end up better than they were before. I’m so happy the MC had a safe person to confide in until she felt ready to come out.

Petra and the Pearl by Lisa Bunker: trans MC. It was really cool following the MC reflecting back on what had led her to the moment she found herself in: about to come out to her parents as trans. I could see how it would be validating to trans MGs or make sense of things that questioning MGs might be feeling. The story also shows the importance of having someone to confide in and to talk to, especially when coming out doesn’t go well.

I Know The Way by Justina Ireland: sapphic MC. Problematic author in my books so not going to review this one.

Balancing Act by A.J. Sass: nonbinary MC. Another problematic author in my books so also not reviewing.

Come Out, Come Out, Whenever You Are by Eric Bell: gay MC. I always love a time loop! This was a straightforward story about the MC accepting themselves and standing up to a homophobic bully. We’re always gonna need stories like these even if they’re not groundbreaking.

Devoyn’s Pod by Mariama J. Lockington: sapphic MC. Dealing with changes in a friendship group or having an unrequited crush are both really tricky situations that MGs go through. The MC here is facing BOTH of them at the same time, so she will be a comfort to many I’m sure. I liked how queerness was incidental to the story, showing how queer kids go through the same trials that non-queer kids do.

Guess What’s Coming to Dinner by Mark Oshiro: sapphic MC. Again, queerness was incidental in this one which I think is so important because it normalises it. There’s kind of a mystery behind why the dinner Sofia proposes is risky and important, which was enjoyable.

The Golem and the Mapmaker by Molly Knox Ostertag: sapphic MC. I’m not sure if Ostertag is Jewish so I’m not sure if it’s their story to tell here. At any rate I prefer when graphic novel contributions in anthologies are provided as extra digital content when the audiobook is acquired, and then the dialogue is narrated. Either that or a FULL adaptation into prose to be narrated. Not the in-between we get of this story (and also previous story The Makeover), when only the dialogue is narrated with some sound effects. It makes for a confusing listen.

The Wish and the Wind Dragon by Katherine Locke: nonbinary MC. Ummmm queer disabled pirates and dragons??? Of course I loved this one!!! At the core of the story is a sibling relationship, specifically siblings trying for reunite, so even more brownie points. Some more retrospection from Jupiter on her relationship with Luna would have been great, as it would have shown how deeply these siblings were connected.

Splinter and Ash by Marieke Nijkamp: nonbinary MC. If you liked Sir Callie you’ll like this! It’s a similar tale about an AFAB nonbinary person trying to escape their predetermined future. It’s a story about being seen and accepted for who you are.

Menudo Fan Club by Aida Salazar: sapphic MC. I’m not sure how I feel about this one as the ending feels unresolved and also sad, which I thought was against the point of this anthology. I did appreciate how it documents one of the first times sapphic girls start to feel really different from other girls around them, that is, when for others boys have gone from gross to desirable.

Stacey’s Mom by Nicole Melleby: sapphic MC. This also felt like it was cut short and needed to be extended further, but it was good. An important story considering how many MGs get crushes on adults, yet rarely do I see this depicted in MG books! Perfectly shows how awkward this can be, but that you aren’t alone in it.

Sylvie and Jenna by Ashley Herring Blake: lesbian MC (word not used). This was good! I like the way Blake writes romances and the MC was entertaining to follow. Suspend your disbelief, however, because I had no idea how the MC didn’t recognise her bully. People don’t look that different between 6 and 12 and PLUS the similar name… how did you not know babe.

Content Warnings

maple_dove's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

When the majority of characters are non-binary: 😌👍

Content Warnings

b_robinson's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I've never read an anthology, but now I'm lowkey desperate to read some more.

I absolutely loved the stories featured in this! The main thing that was so good about it was how the diversity was very intersectional. With a mix of genders, pronoun sets, religions, and races, it was amazing to explore the experiences of so many different identities.

Also some of the stories were SO CUTE.

Content Warnings

More...