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lbarsk's review against another edition
So, as per the usual, I read this in two batches - the beginning 10% or so one night, and then the rest all in one big go between April 15 and 16. And let me say that I just... don't... know how to handle this book.
For the first time ever I'm not rating it at present because it's just so OVER-THE-TOP filled with multiple kinds of queer trauma and transphobic/homophobic violence that at points I was like, OH WAIT NOW *THIS* IS HAPPENING? I understand that Salvatore drew a lot on their own experience as a genderqueer person growing up and I completely appreciate someone writing through their traumas as a way to cope with them and also show empathy/compassion/sympathy with others who have experienced similar things.
BUT WOOF? It was like, okay Jesus Chreezus, for every good thing that happens there's four-to-five bad things. And yes, there is a happy ending, but by that point I was emotionally exhausted from the ups and downs of the book.
Another thing that had me kind of scratching my head were the racial politics here; it seemed like Salvatore was doing his best to be as sensitive and thoughtful but the Black secondary character (who I did enjoy, a queen honestly) did seem to be lowkey a Magical Black Girl Lesbian BFF for Carey, and then Cris' Filipino heritage isn't touched on all that much despite him saying that it majorly informs who he is as a person. So I think some sensitivity reading may have helped there?
What's hard is, look, on the one hand, you love to see genderqueer characters existing on the page. You simply love to! At a time when nonbinary and genderqueer experiences are kind of being mainstreamed into "The Official Third Gender Option," having a wealth of depictions in YA of how kids and teens can be nonbinary and genderqueer in all kinds of ways is GREAT. More of that, please! But on the other hand I just feel like if I had read this book as a teen I would've been like, wow, holy shit, this is traumatic and I'm stressed. BECAUSE I FELT THAT WAY AS AN ADULT! Like genuinely so much so that at one point I was like "now hold up is Ryan Murphy writing this book." And obviously he isn't, obviously it's by someone under the trans umbrella, but still.
I'd love to hear what my queer and trans friends think if/when they read this, because maybe that could help me better articulate my own thoughts? It's like... look, I get that not every LGBTQ+ story needs to be sunshine and rainbows, since life doesn't work like that, and ALSO every LGBTQ+ story shouldn't just be the depression trauma sadness zone, since life doesn't work like that either. This book does seem to try to be having that conversation! It just, FOR ME, listed so heavily to the side of "yikes a lot of painful events happening quickly" and it was hard to get past that.
For the first time ever I'm not rating it at present because it's just so OVER-THE-TOP filled with multiple kinds of queer trauma and transphobic/homophobic violence that at points I was like, OH WAIT NOW *THIS* IS HAPPENING? I understand that Salvatore drew a lot on their own experience as a genderqueer person growing up and I completely appreciate someone writing through their traumas as a way to cope with them and also show empathy/compassion/sympathy with others who have experienced similar things.
BUT WOOF? It was like, okay Jesus Chreezus, for every good thing that happens there's four-to-five bad things. And yes, there is a happy ending, but by that point I was emotionally exhausted from the ups and downs of the book.
Another thing that had me kind of scratching my head were the racial politics here; it seemed like Salvatore was doing his best to be as sensitive and thoughtful but the Black secondary character (who I did enjoy, a queen honestly) did seem to be lowkey a Magical Black Girl Lesbian BFF for Carey, and then Cris' Filipino heritage isn't touched on all that much despite him saying that it majorly informs who he is as a person. So I think some sensitivity reading may have helped there?
What's hard is, look, on the one hand, you love to see genderqueer characters existing on the page. You simply love to! At a time when nonbinary and genderqueer experiences are kind of being mainstreamed into "The Official Third Gender Option," having a wealth of depictions in YA of how kids and teens can be nonbinary and genderqueer in all kinds of ways is GREAT. More of that, please! But on the other hand I just feel like if I had read this book as a teen I would've been like, wow, holy shit, this is traumatic and I'm stressed. BECAUSE I FELT THAT WAY AS AN ADULT! Like genuinely so much so that at one point I was like "now hold up is Ryan Murphy writing this book." And obviously he isn't, obviously it's by someone under the trans umbrella, but still.
I'd love to hear what my queer and trans friends think if/when they read this, because maybe that could help me better articulate my own thoughts? It's like... look, I get that not every LGBTQ+ story needs to be sunshine and rainbows, since life doesn't work like that, and ALSO every LGBTQ+ story shouldn't just be the depression trauma sadness zone, since life doesn't work like that either. This book does seem to try to be having that conversation! It just, FOR ME, listed so heavily to the side of "yikes a lot of painful events happening quickly" and it was hard to get past that.
readwithkiekie's review against another edition
4.0
I was hesitant on writing a review as I identify as Genderqueer and I feel it’s important to have an own voices review out there. I actually really enjoyed the book, in fact me and Carey have a lot in common from situations that happens to them through out the book and with musical artists as well. Carey loves Sam Smith and Years and Years, 2 artists I truly love!
I will say my reasoning for rating it 4 stars was due to the instalove between Carey and Cris, it happened so quickly and I couldn’t fully believe in them as a couple because of it. Secondly Carey’s obsession with Mariah was a lot and it made me uncomfortable at times but overall this book was pure fluff with great representation
I will say my reasoning for rating it 4 stars was due to the instalove between Carey and Cris, it happened so quickly and I couldn’t fully believe in them as a couple because of it. Secondly Carey’s obsession with Mariah was a lot and it made me uncomfortable at times but overall this book was pure fluff with great representation
exeterplcb's review against another edition
3.0
This book was fine, but I did not feel like it did anything in particular to stand out among other similarly themed books. It was still a heart-warming story about the power of community and standing up for what you believe in, but the ending fell a little flat.
bethany6788's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
4.0
Damn it, another book by Steven Salvatore where I’m crying. I love feeling emotionally connected to books. I feel like it’s a superpower.
This book is about Carey, a genderqueer teen who dreams of being a diva singer. Carey lives with their mom and grandmother, who encourage their dreams. Carey decides to try out for the school musical…which leads to some controversy. <<<very simple description of this book.
I loved Carey and all of their diva-ness. I loved their friends, especially feisty Monroe and sweet Joey. I loved Cris. I loved Bianca and Phoebe and Mr. Kelly. The love and genuine support was so great.
Max was the worst and I LOVE how Carey stood up to him at the protest. Take that power back!!!
There were so many times I was in tears, from the first kiss, to the supportive mom, to the best friends in the world, to the anniversary of the day Cris’s mom died, to their ideations, to the protesting. I was welling up constantly at the fight these kids were going through. My heart broke for them.
I love reading books about messy, flawed characters who feel like people you know. That’s how this book felt to me. I stayed up WAY too late reading it cause I had to know what happened with the protest. The twist there was welcome but a bummer too. Definitely a great read!!
This book is about Carey, a genderqueer teen who dreams of being a diva singer. Carey lives with their mom and grandmother, who encourage their dreams. Carey decides to try out for the school musical…which leads to some controversy. <<<very simple description of this book.
I loved Carey and all of their diva-ness. I loved their friends, especially feisty Monroe and sweet Joey. I loved Cris. I loved Bianca and Phoebe and Mr. Kelly. The love and genuine support was so great.
Max was the worst and I LOVE how Carey stood up to him at the protest. Take that power back!!!
There were so many times I was in tears, from the first kiss, to the supportive mom, to the best friends in the world, to the anniversary of the day Cris’s mom died, to their ideations, to the protesting. I was welling up constantly at the fight these kids were going through. My heart broke for them.
I love reading books about messy, flawed characters who feel like people you know. That’s how this book felt to me. I stayed up WAY too late reading it cause I had to know what happened with the protest. The twist there was welcome but a bummer too. Definitely a great read!!
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
Okay, okay. I really truly think this book can do a lot. In a lot of ways. You can tell that this book is so absolutely personal to the author and I can't take that away. It is raw and at the heart celebrates the genderqueer character at the heart of it, but man does it hurt.
I received an ARC of this book through the publisher; however, all opinions are my own.
I received an ARC of this book through the publisher; however, all opinions are my own.
paz_books's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me feel so seen.
This was the first book where I actually underlined quotes, annotated, and commented on the whole way through. I love how even though Carey, our protagonist, is so powerful and so awe-inspiring, they still make mistakes. No one is perfect, but everyone can be the best they can be. I adored everything about this book, from the plot, to the characters, to the writing style; which was so raw and stunning. This book also gave me a new-found appreciation for Mariah Carey which I enjoyed ahah. Even though me and Carey experience being gender non-conforming in different ways, I could still relate so perfectly to them and their story. There is a dire need for more genderqueer and non binary characters in media, so I am so so grateful to this author for representing us in such a powerful and honest way.
This was the first book where I actually underlined quotes, annotated, and commented on the whole way through. I love how even though Carey, our protagonist, is so powerful and so awe-inspiring, they still make mistakes. No one is perfect, but everyone can be the best they can be. I adored everything about this book, from the plot, to the characters, to the writing style; which was so raw and stunning. This book also gave me a new-found appreciation for Mariah Carey which I enjoyed ahah. Even though me and Carey experience being gender non-conforming in different ways, I could still relate so perfectly to them and their story. There is a dire need for more genderqueer and non binary characters in media, so I am so so grateful to this author for representing us in such a powerful and honest way.
madden_b's review against another edition
5.0
This novel swept me off my feet. It was such a beautifully done queer contemporary and I just adored the MC. I had a hard time getting into the first half of the book, but that's a me thing. I loved every aspect of it. The representation, the music, the queer romance(s), the Broadway references. EVERYTHING. It dealt with serious topics but was also just so empowering. 5 stars.
literary_ya's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.5
breezyjean's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
sagittariusreads_'s review
emotional
reflective
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