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louiseriddles's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Cute, quick read. I especially love Beth.
Sometimes the adult characters don't seem like real people. (Mac's parents, one of the teachers) but it didn't diminish the story.
Homophobia by the characters. Also no mention of bisexuality when it may have been relevant.
The ending is really really sweet.
Sometimes the adult characters don't seem like real people. (Mac's parents, one of the teachers) but it didn't diminish the story.
Homophobia by the characters. Also no mention of bisexuality when it may have been relevant.
The ending is really really sweet.
snchard's review
3.0
It wasn't a bad book, but I always feel icky when teens are forcibly outed. Very quick read, decent audiobook narration.
kba76's review
3.0
Thanks, NetGalley, for the advance copy of a book that feels like it should be part of something bigger.
Mack is gay and has a serious crush on her school’s head cheerleader, Veronica. After she writes a note outlining her crush, Mack has to suffer the indignity of being outed by the boyfriend of her crush. This alone is bad enough, but the reaction of students in her Catholic school is terrible.
Not one adult steps up and tries to deal with the homophobic behaviour that is very much in evidence. Mack doesn’t give in to this awful behaviour - but she does vow to get her revenge by making it her mission to kiss all the cheerleaders. There's no rhyme nor reason to this, but it suits the story arc so we go with it.
To cut a long story short, Mack suddenly finds herself very popular. From never having been kissed to getting a range of girls keen to experiment. This goes to her head a little so it’s no surprise when she falls for further attempts to shame her.
However, this time round there’s a little more support for Mack and she has a girlfriend to help her through this.
Queer leaders was a very short story and it really felt as if it should form part of a bigger picture. It was all a little bit too much like a wish-fulfilment exercise and I felt there was a distinct lack of background detail to help us engage with Mack and her experiences.
Mack is gay and has a serious crush on her school’s head cheerleader, Veronica. After she writes a note outlining her crush, Mack has to suffer the indignity of being outed by the boyfriend of her crush. This alone is bad enough, but the reaction of students in her Catholic school is terrible.
Not one adult steps up and tries to deal with the homophobic behaviour that is very much in evidence. Mack doesn’t give in to this awful behaviour - but she does vow to get her revenge by making it her mission to kiss all the cheerleaders. There's no rhyme nor reason to this, but it suits the story arc so we go with it.
To cut a long story short, Mack suddenly finds herself very popular. From never having been kissed to getting a range of girls keen to experiment. This goes to her head a little so it’s no surprise when she falls for further attempts to shame her.
However, this time round there’s a little more support for Mack and she has a girlfriend to help her through this.
Queer leaders was a very short story and it really felt as if it should form part of a bigger picture. It was all a little bit too much like a wish-fulfilment exercise and I felt there was a distinct lack of background detail to help us engage with Mack and her experiences.
8natalie2003's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? No
2.5
Most of these characters were just generally unlikable
lilymurph's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
eleigh17's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
yurwity's review
1.0
Couldn’t get through it—the best friend was both super cardboardy (no interests or motivations beyond whatever the protagonist was doing) but also crappy and unsupportive. The parents, too! Couldn’t stomach it. Quit a quarter of the way in.
gwimo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
litherose's review
1.0
I finished it. I was frustrated throughout, but not in a good way. I don't remember much of the story now even though I read it last month. I vaguely remember it glosses over a lot of things that never gets addressed in the story. Remembered feeling offended. I just know it left me feeling highly disappointed and somewhat mad. It was not for me. However, I'm sure someone could find some enjoyment in this story.
0.5/5
0.5/5
papilionna's review
1.0
Now, I was trying to come up with a reason to give this two stars, but my gut wasn't comfortable with it. For a coming of age novel about an LGBTQ+ teen, this is one of the most prejudiced things I've ever read.
Back when I was a little baby gay, I too read Afterellen and the likes religiously, collecting signs of queerness and scanning girls' nails to figure out if they were short enough to classify them as possibly gay. Reading this book as an adult, this filled me both with nostalgia and concern. Mind you, I wasn't nearly as bad as the girls in this book.
One of the main characters at one point describes a girl she suspects of being a lesbian as "totally smelling like golf court", which is, first off weird af and, second off so outdated and early 2000s it hurts. That one screams L Word. (Speaking of, there's also that other character, a "stupid" bicurious cheerleader who over-humanises her cat that reminds me so much of Brittany from Glee it can't be a coincidence.)
Now the thing bugging me most about this book is the positively icky plot. Our main character Mack, after being outed by a classmate, sets out to make out with as many cheerleaders as she can, thus proving she can "steal them from their boyfriends".
There's so much wrong with this. I won't go into the whole "stealing someone from somebody" deal, since that's a whole other issue, but will instead focus on the "turning straight girls gay" part. In this essay, I will -
Just kidding. I won't go into too much detail, but I really dislike the "spaghetti girl" thing. (You might know the meme - a girl who is straight until you get her wet).
Firstly, that is the EXACT thing homophobes and creepy men are saying to queer women ("I'll turn you straight, you just haven't been with a real man before.")
I feel like that trope deprives the girls in question of their identity, being their own persons, their own sexualities and inner lives. They are basically objects for our main character.
Maybe I'm all the more aggrevated because Mack is a fucking creep. Her flirting with girls made me want to gouge my eyes out, honestly
The weirdest fucking thing is that these cheerleaders are essentially throwing themselves at Mack, begging her to make out with them, for one reason or another. Not to open a whole other can of worms, but one of them wants Mack to kiss her to "bleed the gay out of her". I'm sure people like that are out there, but most of the characters in this book feel like caricatures.
The writing isn't the worst, but doesn't build any tension or atmosphere. It's a quick read, but not worth it in my opinion.
Back when I was a little baby gay, I too read Afterellen and the likes religiously, collecting signs of queerness and scanning girls' nails to figure out if they were short enough to classify them as possibly gay. Reading this book as an adult, this filled me both with nostalgia and concern. Mind you, I wasn't nearly as bad as the girls in this book.
One of the main characters at one point describes a girl she suspects of being a lesbian as "totally smelling like golf court", which is, first off weird af and, second off so outdated and early 2000s it hurts. That one screams L Word. (Speaking of, there's also that other character, a "stupid" bicurious cheerleader who over-humanises her cat that reminds me so much of Brittany from Glee it can't be a coincidence.)
Now the thing bugging me most about this book is the positively icky plot. Our main character Mack, after being outed by a classmate, sets out to make out with as many cheerleaders as she can, thus proving she can "steal them from their boyfriends".
There's so much wrong with this. I won't go into the whole "stealing someone from somebody" deal, since that's a whole other issue, but will instead focus on the "turning straight girls gay" part. In this essay, I will -
Just kidding. I won't go into too much detail, but I really dislike the "spaghetti girl" thing. (You might know the meme - a girl who is straight until you get her wet).
Firstly, that is the EXACT thing homophobes and creepy men are saying to queer women ("I'll turn you straight, you just haven't been with a real man before.")
I feel like that trope deprives the girls in question of their identity, being their own persons, their own sexualities and inner lives. They are basically objects for our main character.
Maybe I'm all the more aggrevated because Mack is a fucking creep. Her flirting with girls made me want to gouge my eyes out, honestly
The weirdest fucking thing is that these cheerleaders are essentially throwing themselves at Mack, begging her to make out with them, for one reason or another. Not to open a whole other can of worms, but one of them wants Mack to kiss her to "bleed the gay out of her". I'm sure people like that are out there, but most of the characters in this book feel like caricatures.
The writing isn't the worst, but doesn't build any tension or atmosphere. It's a quick read, but not worth it in my opinion.