Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes

84 reviews

hannahgarstang's review

Glad I read this, it made me cry and laugh. 

I really loved the discourse around coming out and how it should always be on your own terms and that we don't owe other people that info. 

I also thought the conversations around cultural identity were handled really well. 

This book touched on so many difficult issues around race, sexuality and mental health. It did this while also being funny and even quite fluffy at times. I wish I'd been able to read something like this as a young adult/teen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Outing, Deportation, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying

Minor: Toxic friendship, Violence, and Death

filipa_maia's review

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.0

I had high hopes for this book, but it disappointed me. Don't take me the wrong way: this is a very important book about a very important topic. How many teenagers (and adults) suffer in silence, trying to hyde who they are? When the rejection comes from your own house, what can you expect form everyone else?

I felt sorry for Yammi many times throughout this book: trying to be straight, feeling the catholic guilt... The part where she starts saving money waiting to be kicked out of her house broke my heart.

Now let's get to the negative points: this is the slowest of slow paced if I've ever read - we spend half the book just getting to know Yammi and then everything is rushed towards the end; the lack of communications between that family just was a deal breaker for me; her mother constantly showing love and affection towards Cesar and never Yammi; the mother being a complete homophobic and then, by the end, everything is reversed; the father (I don't need to say more); the way things turn out to be at the end... was just 'meh'...

Anyway, maybe this book was written for a different target audience, maybe I'm just not the right age. Despite all this, I think this book can help someone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Abandonment, Biphobia, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Deportation

Minor: Alcohol and Police brutality

charliesshit's review

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

5.0

makes you happy cry, makes you sad cry
You know in Mulan when they all sing “I’ll make a man out of you” and in the end they’re all happy and great and then they walk into the burning village where everyone’s dead? Yeah you will get that feeling with this one (it’s great!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Police brutality

Moderate: Racism and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Bullying

spoopfish's review

hopeful lighthearted slow-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

3.75

Character development was slow, sometimes it felt like it was unrealistically so. I have religious trauma myself and had a difficult coming out to my own parents, but the extremity of the main character’s hang ups about coming out to other queer people was kind of ridiculous. That being said, the characters were (mostly) fleshed out and I cried at some point, but I think the latter was more reflective of my own personal experiences as a lesbian. The romance was very well developed, including all the realistic trappings of stupid teenagers being stupid, and the useless lesbian trope, something I can’t help but love. Story was cute and the cultural bits were lovely to see, but again, the writing was somewhat annoying in how “fellow kids” relatable it tried to be for contemporary youth. Sure, mentions of TikTok and Twitter make sense, but there’s a point where having characters dab and twerk so much feels… out of touch, to put it lightly. The story resolution was a bit too convenient with a specific character’s development. If you can get past these things, though, I’d recommend giving it a read - it’s a good look into the mind of a closeted lesbian, parentified teenager who’s honestly just trying her best while connecting to her indigenous latina roots. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, Deportation, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Hate crime, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship

Re: story resolution,

mom’s change of heart and acknowledgment of her parentifying her daughter

seems to come far too easily and the whole scene of

all of them yelling at their dad over the phone and essentially high-fiving like they just fixed everything

was cringey.

elliereadsthings's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

"Mijo, if the Bible tells me I shouldn't love my kids, then the Bible is wrong."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Homophobia, Grief, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, and Deportation

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Alcohol, Police brutality, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Outing, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Classism, and Medical content

farfetched's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I whole heartedly loved this book. Yami is glorious, she's trying so hard and doing her best and she doesn't always do the right thing but you can't help but cheer for her all the way through. I loved Bo, too, and the nuance that grows about her once Yami starts getting to know her. I loved Cesar and his and Yami's relationship, and his plotline was done really nicely, I think,

and I hope that he and Jamal get back together properly

! The wording was great, it's very snappy and authentic, and the way it called out various social issues without completely focusing on them was great. Also thought the chapter titles were really clever and well used. Highly recommended for a modern sapphic romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Racism

Moderate: Biphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Minor: Deportation, Outing, and Police brutality

Has a happy ending, no one dies, focuses on self acceptance although it does deal with homophobia and racism.

laughingrevolution's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Homophobia, Deportation, and Racism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Outing

Minor: Bullying

kelsiepixler's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

Once I started this book, I could not put it down. Devoured it in half a day. The character development was just 🤌🏻💋

When her mom ended up supporting her, I bawled. Hysterically. Full on sobs at 1 in the afternoon

The way the author draws you into the narrator’s life leaves you feeling so connected to the events that happen to her and her family members. Hands down one of the best YA novels I’ve read in a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Outing, Racism, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Deportation, and Hate crime

Moderate: Bullying, Police brutality, Sexism, Misogyny, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Classism, Abortion, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

literatehedgehog's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

Ah, YA, with your lovably flawed teens figuring out themselves and their relationships. I loved Yamilet through her mistakes, her anger, her protectiveness, her difficulty trusting people with her true self, and I especially loved her relationship with her brother. The love (and teasing) radiated off the page. Though the culture, queer identities and immigration issues may be a novel combination, they are mapped on a familiar arc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Deportation

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, and Racism

morganvw's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

as part of 2024 bingo for my book club, i’ve marked this read for the spot “made me cry” (even though it could’ve also taken the spot for “diverse cast” “fake dating” or “gay longing”). this was a beautiful YA that does not tread lightly on what it means to be a teen girl. then there are added layers of what it means to be a *brown, queer,* teen girl (who is also the eldest child of immigrated parents) who gets moved to a predominantly white catholic school. and what inspires? lots of crushes, a realistic sibling relationship, parental pressure, and the internal gay turmoil of being in the closet.

i resonated closely with all the main characters in one sense or another: yamilet’s experience of being the eldest sister, figuring out how to tell people (family) i’m queer, and navigating a private school that doesn’t always align with my beliefs; bo’s experience of being an outspoken queer chinese adoptee; cesar’s struggle with mental health issues.

this had both hardship that can be a bit heavy for a YA book, but also lots of fun fluffy moments. i genuinely enjoyed this and definitely recommend it to anyone!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Homophobia

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Bullying, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Deportation, and Outing