Reviews

Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

moxygen's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective medium-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? Yes

4.25

jonna_doucette's review

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

hendrixpants's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

enbylievable's review

5.0

Made me desperately nostalgic for my mom's cream of wheat

avioreadsbooks's review

emotional reflective

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

4.0

jess_mango's review against another edition

4.0

This book was like a fever dream. A week in the life of a two-spirit/indigiqueer Jonny who is trying to make his own life in the big city. He's working to raise money before he has to return to the reservation for his step father's funeral. He makes money by working as a cyber-sex worker that willingly fetishizes himself to pay the bills. He morphs himself into whatever image his clients want from their "exotic Native" lover. This book is poetic and loaded with sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Jonny is not necessarily making the best choices at all times but he is mostly aware of what he is doing. His days are filled with misdeeds and melancholy memories. This was an excellent first novel from poet Joshua Whitehead.

What to listen to while reading...
Work Bitch by Britney Spears
We Found Love by Rihanna
Get Ur. Freak On by Missy Elliott
Hustler by Simian Mobile Disco

thank you to the publisher for the audiobook!

redochre's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

laurareane's review against another edition

2.0

I don’t read a lot of books with blatant sex in it, so this was a bit much for me. The story and perspective was fresh.

lennymckenny's review against another edition

5.0

This was very interesting. Lacking on a strong plot for me, but the poetic writing and unique perspective kept me enthralled.

Merged review:

This was very interesting. Lacking on a strong plot for me, but the poetic writing and unique perspective kept me enthralled.

purplepierogi's review against another edition

4.0

this novel reads like a memoir, fleshing out the narrative a queer indigenous sex worker in Winnipeg with reflections on childhood, gender/sexuality, life on the rez, self fetishizing etc, and I really enjoyed it

and I want to note — at the risk of sounding like a prude, sometimes books that have graphic descriptions of bodily fluids etc etc can throw me, but this was so good and so engaging, and the language that initially struck me as a little crass / jarring I actually really respect. that unapologetic, straightforward presentation of sexuality even at its ugly parts is important and made it feel v real and earnest but not tragic