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A review by elksy
Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender
3.5
This is hard for me to rate. The main characters are likeable and relatable, even as someone who hasn't been a Yound Adult for some time. The storytelling that some reviewers find confusing or chaotic made sense to my neurodivergent mind. And I love how this story takes teenagers' worries and questions and growth seriously.
But the central conflict of the novel (Lark not immediately telling their followers that a few tweets were accidentally posted by someone else) felt pretty overblown to me. I have spent over a decade on Twitter and cannot imagine caring if someone had "taken credit" for one single thread someone else posted on their profile (because the friend who wrote it didn't even WANT credit). The situation leads to plenty of worthwhile reflection on social media, cancel culture, and accountability, but it still feels slightly contrived to me. (Mostly I am grateful I didn't have a large online following at 17. My long-gone myspace blogs were embarrassing enough.)
This story has great characters, glorious representation, and abundant social commentary, with a sweet and satisfying ending. I just wish the main plot propellant had been a little more convincing.
But the central conflict of the novel (Lark not immediately telling their followers that a few tweets were accidentally posted by someone else) felt pretty overblown to me. I have spent over a decade on Twitter and cannot imagine caring if someone had "taken credit" for one single thread someone else posted on their profile (because the friend who wrote it didn't even WANT credit). The situation leads to plenty of worthwhile reflection on social media, cancel culture, and accountability, but it still feels slightly contrived to me. (Mostly I am grateful I didn't have a large online following at 17. My long-gone myspace blogs were embarrassing enough.)
This story has great characters, glorious representation, and abundant social commentary, with a sweet and satisfying ending. I just wish the main plot propellant had been a little more convincing.