Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

"Sometimes I wish I was more like Bo. Unapologetic, proud, happy, supported."

This book definitely hit me in more ways than one. Something I'd like to highlight is the use of accurate informal spanish. I speak spanish as my mother tongue and often non hispanic/latino people include it in their works and it's SO BAD. Like incredibly awful writing and lack of research, but obviously this one is the exception as I understand the author is latine themself.

Anyway, I may not be mexican like yami but it still feels so nice to have mas representación latina <3

As a final note, go be your lil gay selves people, fuera del closet o no, proud or not proud, just be.

"Um, what’s the occasion?” Cesar asks.
“Es gay,” Mom says with a huge grin on her face.
Cesar and I burst out laughing. The pan dulce is made up of the bi flag colors, and the decorations are rainbow. Oh, Mom, she tries so hard. It’s really sweet."

Content Warnings

rey_therese07's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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drink4horror's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-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

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lowkeymarie's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

This book is about...well, a lesbian going to catholic school. But it's also so much more than that. There are complicated family dynamics, a beautiful sibling relationship, messy friendships, and a lot of tough topics that are handled fearlessly but with compassion.

I saw right before I started reading it that it's a finalist for the 2022 National Book Awards (Young People's Literature), and it absolutely deserves the honor. 👏😭

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ziemia_do_nany's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective tense 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

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jenna_gilb's review

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emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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casually_booking's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School was so good. The cast of characters was dynamic and the setting of catholic school really brought to the forefront discussions on race, class, immigration status, religion, sexuality, and sexual orientation. Very intersectional. As someone who transferred to Catholic school for a few years, many of Yamilet’s experience rang true for me as a Person of Color. I absolutely loved Bo, and as a transracial adoptee, I see myself reflected in her. The conversations she had about embracing her culture on her terms really resonated and the author wrote these sections very well. My only critique of the book was that it felt a little long, but it had a big pay off in the end. I found myself laughing and crying throughout the book. There was some gutting parts. Yami, Bo, and Cesar’s experiences as queer teens of Color truly demonstrated the uniqueness of everyone’s journey.

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booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

WHY AREN’T MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK!??

Yamilet is forced to a new school to help her younger brother who is always getting in trouble, and also after being outted by her best friend. Being Mexican at an all catholic school isn’t easy, but being Mexican and queer is even harder.

At her new school Yami is determined to stay in the closet at this school, but one of her new friends Bo is making it extremely hard for her to stay there.

This book is so profound and talks about so many topics in a beautiful way. It dissects the inter workings of homophobia in the Mexican community and families. Breaks down and discusses hard topics like immigration, abortions, gay marriage, suicide, family pressure(felt very Louisa from encanto at times and it was amazing) in a way that it isn’t the main topics of the books. But is handled so well.

Lesbinana’s Guide to Catholic School is an absolute must read. I loved every thing about this book and the audiobook was phenomenal.

Cw
Racism
Suicidal attempt
Homophobia
Biphobia
Lesbiphobia
Religious bigotry
Outing
Bullying
Mental illness
Classism
Deportation
Toxic friendship

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