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A review by shesgotstories
The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
5.0
"If the God I grew up learning about is real, I seriously doubt he loves me. Why else would he make me gay and then send me to hell over it? I left that abusive relationship a long time ago."
This book was absolutely incredible! It's exactly the coming-of-age story I would've loved growing up, although I would argue this book is perfect for any age even if it is a young adult novel. Full of fantastic life lessons and situations that would make even adults stop and self-reflect, you won't want to put this book down.
From the very beginning, I was absolutely obsessed with all the characters and empathized with their struggles. Yamilet is so relatable and I love how we get to watch her come to terms with her identity as a lesbian, even if it means risking it all. Garnering acceptance from family is difficult, especially when their previously made comments make you feel like they won't love you if you are true to yourself. Yami's struggles with her parents and how they might view her are gut-wrenching, but sadly the reality that many face every day. Yami handled the situations well and I adored her as the main character. "But with my mom, at least, it feels conditional. Like if I'm not exactly who she needs me to be, then I'm unlovable. Maybe she doesn't actually love me, but the person she thinks I am."
I loved the fun chapter titles, especially since they added the perfect touch to the story. Upon first glance, it seems like this book may focus more on the religious aspect, and while it does play a large role in establishing the setting, it does not villainize Catholicism but rather call out the individual homophobia of the priests throughout the story and acknowledge the difficult relationship with God that the LGBTQIA+ community has. "Why did God make me like this if I'm not supposed to be like this, huh?
I loved the writing and the side characters and how invested in their stories I got. Every character has a place in the story and everything fits together perfectly. From Yami and Cesar's sibling banter to the various friend groups, I loved watching all the characters interact with each other. Bo was fun and admirable as a love interest who was unapologetically herself and I loved it. Do be warned that there are some triggering topics discussed in this book (including racism, homophobia, and suicide), so be gentle with yourself. These serious topics are very much the reality of life and they were discussed extremely well. I teared up a few times, especially knowing how impactful this book is and the large number of people trying to ban it without truly understanding how much teens need books like this. Discovering yourself is difficult, but it's even more difficult when you can't see a piece of yourself in books.
Overall, I adored this book and the lessons it presented. It's a fantastic book with incredible character arcs that I will recommend to everyone I know.
"It's such bullshit that there's a stigma around being closeted. We get shit for "living a lie" just because we want to survive. I don't want to keep losing everyone I'm close to. I don't want to get disowned and kicked out of the house. It's self-preservation, not dishonesty. I don't owe anyone the truth, and I'll take my damn time with talking about it."
This book was absolutely incredible! It's exactly the coming-of-age story I would've loved growing up, although I would argue this book is perfect for any age even if it is a young adult novel. Full of fantastic life lessons and situations that would make even adults stop and self-reflect, you won't want to put this book down.
From the very beginning, I was absolutely obsessed with all the characters and empathized with their struggles. Yamilet is so relatable and I love how we get to watch her come to terms with her identity as a lesbian, even if it means risking it all. Garnering acceptance from family is difficult, especially when their previously made comments make you feel like they won't love you if you are true to yourself. Yami's struggles with her parents and how they might view her are gut-wrenching, but sadly the reality that many face every day. Yami handled the situations well and I adored her as the main character. "But with my mom, at least, it feels conditional. Like if I'm not exactly who she needs me to be, then I'm unlovable. Maybe she doesn't actually love me, but the person she thinks I am."
I loved the fun chapter titles, especially since they added the perfect touch to the story. Upon first glance, it seems like this book may focus more on the religious aspect, and while it does play a large role in establishing the setting, it does not villainize Catholicism but rather call out the individual homophobia of the priests throughout the story and acknowledge the difficult relationship with God that the LGBTQIA+ community has. "Why did God make me like this if I'm not supposed to be like this, huh?
I loved the writing and the side characters and how invested in their stories I got. Every character has a place in the story and everything fits together perfectly. From Yami and Cesar's sibling banter to the various friend groups, I loved watching all the characters interact with each other. Bo was fun and admirable as a love interest who was unapologetically herself and I loved it. Do be warned that there are some triggering topics discussed in this book (including racism, homophobia, and suicide), so be gentle with yourself. These serious topics are very much the reality of life and they were discussed extremely well. I teared up a few times, especially knowing how impactful this book is and the large number of people trying to ban it without truly understanding how much teens need books like this. Discovering yourself is difficult, but it's even more difficult when you can't see a piece of yourself in books.
Overall, I adored this book and the lessons it presented. It's a fantastic book with incredible character arcs that I will recommend to everyone I know.
"It's such bullshit that there's a stigma around being closeted. We get shit for "living a lie" just because we want to survive. I don't want to keep losing everyone I'm close to. I don't want to get disowned and kicked out of the house. It's self-preservation, not dishonesty. I don't owe anyone the truth, and I'll take my damn time with talking about it."