Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Music from Another World

Interesting structure that I really enjoyed even though I consumed music from another world as an audiobook.I still really enjoyed the structure it was something new that was good executed.The characters were lovable and their storylines were interesting,and sad.But that’s why we’re here isn’t it.

Sharon’s coming to terms with her sexuality,and Tammy’s struggle with being her true self around other people were two of the many important and intense journals that the characters tried to defied in this book.That are really important topics we need to thematic more.Not just that but somehow for me the fact that Tammy wrote Harvey Milk in her letters that were not addressed to Sharon is really emotional.Because I am sure there are many people that can relate to Tammy but also to Sharon.On a side note I was really rotating for Evelyn and Mitch to reveal themselves as a couple,but yk we can’t have everything.

Also really interesting point of view of two teenagers in that time.How it affected their lives and how they tried to deal with it.Besides that this book has some really great quotes that’s why I think I will buy a physical copy and come back.I recommend Music from another world to everyone. :)

Content Warnings

anapthine's review

Go to review page

emotional funny inspiring reflective 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? No

4.75

Would heavily recommend. Amazing.

Content Warnings

laughingrecord's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad 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

4.0

Content Warnings

marjokat's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

toofondofbooks_'s review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

First of all, can we talk about this cover? WOW.

Okay, now we can talk about the book.

This book is a YA historical fiction about two girls in the late 70s who are assigned pen pals by their schools. Tammy is gay in an incredibly fundamentalist Christian family and Sharon is in a similar household and has a gay brother. They get to know one another as the political landscape becomes more and more volatile toward the LGBT+ community even as Harvey Milk becomes the first openly gay elected official in California.

I thought this book was good, but it took a little while to get good - at least 80 pages. I don't know if that was because I couldn't stop thinking about my last read or if it was the book's fault, though. Still, there wasn't really anything special about the writing in general.

I think the story is great and impactful, especially for young readers. I liked the two main characters and thought their individual journeys and their journey together were compelling and tied together in a sweet way. I do think, however, the book as a whole could've been more diverse. There were poc in the book, but they were in the background and not really developed at all. I also think that since transgender women of color were very key players in the early days of the LGBT rights movement, and it would've been nice to see that represented. Overall a decent read.

Content Warnings

elwirax's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

**3.5/5

PROS:
A true slow burn romance which I absolutely love in books

I really enjoyed the gay historical content. As someone who knows the bare bones of gay history it was great to broaden that knowledge and this book did it well.

The manner in which this was written (diary entries and letters), kinda confused me at times and I had a hard time distinguishing whose perspective I was in. However, I did think that this format made the story much more impactful and it was great seeing Sharon and Tammy bond through these letter to eachother.

CONS:
The characters were good (great bi and lesbian rep) but they weren't particular well rounded and fell flat in some aspects. For this reason I would recommend this to younger YA readers, although I know that many older readers can still get something out of this book.

The whole middle section was a bit slow to get through and while it wasn't terrible my reading experience was slightly hindered.

Some of the dialogue was too modern
which slightly threw me out of the 70s setting (was good in the sense that I could relate a bit more though).

Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book. It showcased two girls not only bonding over a shared love for punk rock but also through their own experiences and resiliance in the face of oppression. The gay history in this book was fantastic- from Harvey Milk to Anita Bryant to prop 6 to Pride marches- and I'm glad I could educate myself further on some of the most important historical moments in gay history.

That being said if not for middle section of this book and how slow it was to get through this would've been a solid 4 stars. However, I can only give it 3.5.

Content Warnings

nickoliver's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional 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? No

4.25

This was a very intense, tough read - there was a lot of homophobia, and seeing people be <i> happy </i> about gay people losing their rights was definitely not easy for me. But it was still a beautiful book! I kinda liked the format; it's an epistolary novel, so it's told completely in letters and also diary entries. What I appreciated was that the two main characters, Tammy and Sharon, put their thoughts down differently - Tammy wrote letters to Harvey Milk, Sharon wrote in her diaries -, which helped me to always be aware of who was talking. The only thing I wasn't that big a fan of was the romance. While it was sweet, it also came a little bit out of nowhere.

Content Warnings

xoodlebooks's review

Go to review page

slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

More...