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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Okay, first off, can we please talk about this cover? I love it so much.
Anyway.
I know I usually sing Robin Talley's praises, because she's absolutely amazing. But *gasp* I'd never read one of her books before. I know. Horrible librarian move. But I've at least fixed that! This book was exactly what we need right now.
I've been listening to a lot of podcasts lately (because let's be real, what else am I gonna do during quarantine), and one of them is about the history of punk rock. Which fits in beautifully with this book, in case you needed a soundtrack!
The entire story is told through letters and diary entries, which is honestly one of my favorite styles. It's more about telling and not showing, which is the opposite of how storytelling works, but it works here!
Tammy is one of my favorite characters I've read in a minute. She's angry, she's scared, and she's not unnecessarily tortured! I know in a lot of literature, our queer characters go through it, usually for no real reason. That's not at all the case in this book. Tammy's story, her life...it all makes sense. And growing up in an area very similar to 70s Orange County, I can get that fear and anger.
Sharon is also a delight, don't get me wrong! She doesn't truly "fit" anywhere until she goes to her first ever punk show, and the energy, the rush...hoo, man, giving me flashbacks to my first punk shows.
I love how many books are coming out set in the 70s, and I think this one is my favorite. I give Music From Another World 5 out of 5 copies of Horses. Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for review!
Anyway.
I know I usually sing Robin Talley's praises, because she's absolutely amazing. But *gasp* I'd never read one of her books before. I know. Horrible librarian move. But I've at least fixed that! This book was exactly what we need right now.
I've been listening to a lot of podcasts lately (because let's be real, what else am I gonna do during quarantine), and one of them is about the history of punk rock. Which fits in beautifully with this book, in case you needed a soundtrack!
The entire story is told through letters and diary entries, which is honestly one of my favorite styles. It's more about telling and not showing, which is the opposite of how storytelling works, but it works here!
Tammy is one of my favorite characters I've read in a minute. She's angry, she's scared, and she's not unnecessarily tortured! I know in a lot of literature, our queer characters go through it, usually for no real reason. That's not at all the case in this book. Tammy's story, her life...it all makes sense. And growing up in an area very similar to 70s Orange County, I can get that fear and anger.
Sharon is also a delight, don't get me wrong! She doesn't truly "fit" anywhere until she goes to her first ever punk show, and the energy, the rush...hoo, man, giving me flashbacks to my first punk shows.
I love how many books are coming out set in the 70s, and I think this one is my favorite. I give Music From Another World 5 out of 5 copies of Horses. Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for review!
this book was so sad and made me cry, but it also made me so happy! it was a little preachy as Robin Talley books tend to be, but it was still so good :’) my favorite was when Sharon started going to punk shows, I loved the descriptions. I also just really loved seeing Tammy and Sharon grow closer, I loved the letter format... I loved almost everything!! highly recommended.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars
I truly do not have the words to describe how utterly fantastic this book was. It just . . . wow. WOW. Wow a million times. I adored this book with my entire heart, and I want to go back and read it again from the start. I stayed up til three in the morning reading this, and had tears streaming down my face by the end. (good tears. despite the dark tone, this book is ultimately hopeful)
I don't even know where to start when it comes to reviewing this book. It was so rich with emotions, and so real, and so beautiful. It's not by any means a light or easy book to read: it deals very heavily with homophobia and religion. But the way it handles it is so, so thoughtful and powerful.
The writing was so compelling, I found myself sucked so completely into the story. I don't usually love epistolary novels, but it worked so well in this context, and it really gave the characters' voices a chance to shine through.
Speaking of the characters! They were absolutely wonderful. Each and every one of them was so fleshed out, and I just felt all the feels over them.
- Tammy: Tammy's character . . . holy fuck y'all. I loved seeing how she grew from this scared ashamed closeted gay kid to this really badass girl who was PROUD of her sexuality. It was such a hopeful storyline. And I absolutely loved how it showed her feeling so passionately that her identity wasn't wrong, but still being too scared to fight. It really showed the complexity of her character, and of the queer experience.
- Sharon: Sharon was . . . a complex character. I honestly really hated her at first, but as the book progressed I realized that was because I saw so much of myself in her.(catch me regretting admitting to that later hfghhjhkgfhg) She was incredibly flawed, but her flaws were't overlooked. And she grew into such an incredible person. Her journey from a slightly homophobic brat who made it all about her to a very self-aware person to realizing she was bi was just . . . so well done. I saw so much of my own experiences in her, especially the way she was drawn to the queer community even before realizing she was queer. (<< tagged for slight spoilers depending on your definition)
- The side characters: the side characters were so wonderfully fleshed out! I especially loved Sharon's brother and the girls at the bookstore, but every single one of the side characters felt like a living breathing person, and it was masterful.
Overall? Read! this! book! It is such a gorgeous work of art, and I was absolutely entranced. Please do your eyeballs a favour and read it.
TWs:homophobia, internalized homophobia, death threats, brief mentions of anti-gay violence, outing, threat of outing, panic attack, sexual harassment, threat of conversion therapy
5 stars
I truly do not have the words to describe how utterly fantastic this book was. It just . . . wow. WOW. Wow a million times. I adored this book with my entire heart, and I want to go back and read it again from the start. I stayed up til three in the morning reading this, and had tears streaming down my face by the end. (good tears. despite the dark tone, this book is ultimately hopeful)
I don't even know where to start when it comes to reviewing this book. It was so rich with emotions, and so real, and so beautiful. It's not by any means a light or easy book to read: it deals very heavily with homophobia and religion. But the way it handles it is so, so thoughtful and powerful.
The writing was so compelling, I found myself sucked so completely into the story. I don't usually love epistolary novels, but it worked so well in this context, and it really gave the characters' voices a chance to shine through.
Speaking of the characters! They were absolutely wonderful. Each and every one of them was so fleshed out, and I just felt all the feels over them.
- Tammy: Tammy's character . . . holy fuck y'all. I loved seeing how she grew from this scared ashamed closeted gay kid to this really badass girl who was PROUD of her sexuality. It was such a hopeful storyline. And I absolutely loved how it showed her feeling so passionately that her identity wasn't wrong, but still being too scared to fight. It really showed the complexity of her character, and of the queer experience.
- Sharon: Sharon was . . . a complex character. I honestly really hated her at first, but as the book progressed I realized that was because I saw so much of myself in her.
- The side characters: the side characters were so wonderfully fleshed out! I especially loved Sharon's brother and the girls at the bookstore, but every single one of the side characters felt like a living breathing person, and it was masterful.
Overall? Read! this! book! It is such a gorgeous work of art, and I was absolutely entranced. Please do your eyeballs a favour and read it.
TWs:
Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing me with an e-ARC of Music From Another World in exchange for an honest review!
In the early pages of Music From Another World, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt. I was not 100% into the writing style, and I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for another book written in the form of letter and diary entries. Reader, by the time that I finished this book — I knew this was something I needed when I was a teenager/young adult.
Music From Another World tackles a difficult subject & that’s being a closeted teenager in the ’70s. This takes us into the world of gay rights & being constantly told that you’re going to Hell for falling in love with someone others don’t agree with. It dives into situations where homophobic friends bring you down and parents kick you out.
Music From Another World has scenes that may be difficult to digest & at times, you might end up seething with anger. I am thankful things have changed dramatically for the LGBTQ+ community since the ’70s, but unfortunately, there are still people that are not okay with same-sex love. And to be honest, we should be angry about this.
The punk music scene serves as the backdrop of this LGBTQ+ read. I love books that feature alternative music and loved the mentions of Patti Smith. I even queued up Smith’s Horses album to play while I read. Descriptions of the local shows and fashion choices were vivid; making it easy to visualize what was happening.
If you’re looking for a book centering around LGBTQ+ rights, especially one in a real-life setting, then definitely give Music From Another World a read.
In the early pages of Music From Another World, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt. I was not 100% into the writing style, and I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for another book written in the form of letter and diary entries. Reader, by the time that I finished this book — I knew this was something I needed when I was a teenager/young adult.
Music From Another World tackles a difficult subject & that’s being a closeted teenager in the ’70s. This takes us into the world of gay rights & being constantly told that you’re going to Hell for falling in love with someone others don’t agree with. It dives into situations where homophobic friends bring you down and parents kick you out.
Music From Another World has scenes that may be difficult to digest & at times, you might end up seething with anger. I am thankful things have changed dramatically for the LGBTQ+ community since the ’70s, but unfortunately, there are still people that are not okay with same-sex love. And to be honest, we should be angry about this.
The punk music scene serves as the backdrop of this LGBTQ+ read. I love books that feature alternative music and loved the mentions of Patti Smith. I even queued up Smith’s Horses album to play while I read. Descriptions of the local shows and fashion choices were vivid; making it easy to visualize what was happening.
If you’re looking for a book centering around LGBTQ+ rights, especially one in a real-life setting, then definitely give Music From Another World a read.
3.5 stars. Review to come.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.