Scan barcode
A review by perpetualpages
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
CWs: some explorations of parental death, childhood trauma, abandonment, parental neglect; depression, and grief; mention of a past partner's infidelity; mention of cancer; brief reference to blood; and some explicit sexual content.
Let me start by saying that I have loved pretty much everything I've read by Ashley Herring Blake. Her sapphic middle grade books, especially, hold a very special place in my heart, and when this book was first announced I knew I would probably love it too. And I absolutely did!
Delilah Green Doesn't Care succeeds as a romance, for me, because it presents a deeply complex cast of characters who are grappling with so much more *beyond* just romance. While this story is not at all a second chance romance (well, maybe a little bit) I personally believe that it's absolutely about second chance friendship and sisterhood, which is such a worthwhile dynamic I didn't even know I needed in my life.
As a child, Delilah lost her father, and her step-family didn't give her the proper space to grieve that loss in the way that she truly needed, which has left some very deep scars on all of them. That emotional disconnect is what ultimately drove Delilah away from her family and her hometown in the first place, because she felt that she wasn't truly understood or even wanted there. Most notoriously, her step-sister, Astrid, made Delilah feel alienated simply because her grief was "inconvenient" and didn't manifest in ways that were easy to understand.
There's a sense of catharsis to the story, because Delilah is returning to this site of trauma, essentially, but she is not the same person as she was when she left. As an adult, she is much more confident in herself as a badass queer woman and artist. She has done a lot of work to recover her own voice and point of view, and she is not about to be silenced again by anyone for any reason.
This is a chance for her to have those difficult, messy conversations with Astrid about how they could have treated each other better as kids, and it's also a chance for her to prove to Astrid's friends that she's not the "weird," "creepy" kid they made her out to be. Through a bit of forced proximity and some really zany wedding sabotage shenanigans (which are much more entertaining than you would think) Delilah finds herself getting closer and closer with these people she used to be at odds with, and she's unknowingly making those genuine connections as they all conspire together. Ultimately, the story shows her getting that feeling of being wanted and included in a way that she never got to experience as a child.
To see Delilah come back to Bright Falls to confront her family and her past grief is incredibly satisfying, and I think having that journey underlying the main romance makes the focal relationship between Delilah and Claire that much more rewarding to read about. The romance itself was incredibly delightful. I appreciate how Claire is also on her own journey of working through her trust issues, finding ways to successfully co-parent (and co-exist) with her ex, and reminding herself that she is both a parent *and* someone who is desirable and worthy of love.
What kept this from being a five-star book (for me) is that I found myself myself wanting even more of a reckoning with Delilah's family. Astrid is incredibly avoidant when it comes to addressing the emotional void between her and Delilah, and while that that tension between them eventually goes reach a breaking point, I wanted to see even more from their reconciliation. Delilah's step-mom was also a major factor when it came to Delilah's childhood trauma, and I didn't see that relationship being as directly addressed as the relationship between step-sisters. Granted, maybe that's to come in future installments, but I think that would've only added to Delilah's "full circle" storyline.
So in the end, this story is about making amends, reconnecting with your home and your family, and finding love—all things I very much enjoy and appreciate! Overall this story is funny, it’s entertaining, it’s sexy, but it also balances those journeys of healing and reconciliation in really memorable and meaningful ways. I am so excited to see where this series goes next with Astrid's story, and I can't wait to read it!
Let me start by saying that I have loved pretty much everything I've read by Ashley Herring Blake. Her sapphic middle grade books, especially, hold a very special place in my heart, and when this book was first announced I knew I would probably love it too. And I absolutely did!
Delilah Green Doesn't Care succeeds as a romance, for me, because it presents a deeply complex cast of characters who are grappling with so much more *beyond* just romance. While this story is not at all a second chance romance (well, maybe a little bit) I personally believe that it's absolutely about second chance friendship and sisterhood, which is such a worthwhile dynamic I didn't even know I needed in my life.
As a child, Delilah lost her father, and her step-family didn't give her the proper space to grieve that loss in the way that she truly needed, which has left some very deep scars on all of them. That emotional disconnect is what ultimately drove Delilah away from her family and her hometown in the first place, because she felt that she wasn't truly understood or even wanted there. Most notoriously, her step-sister, Astrid, made Delilah feel alienated simply because her grief was "inconvenient" and didn't manifest in ways that were easy to understand.
There's a sense of catharsis to the story, because Delilah is returning to this site of trauma, essentially, but she is not the same person as she was when she left. As an adult, she is much more confident in herself as a badass queer woman and artist. She has done a lot of work to recover her own voice and point of view, and she is not about to be silenced again by anyone for any reason.
This is a chance for her to have those difficult, messy conversations with Astrid about how they could have treated each other better as kids, and it's also a chance for her to prove to Astrid's friends that she's not the "weird," "creepy" kid they made her out to be. Through a bit of forced proximity and some really zany wedding sabotage shenanigans (which are much more entertaining than you would think) Delilah finds herself getting closer and closer with these people she used to be at odds with, and she's unknowingly making those genuine connections as they all conspire together. Ultimately, the story shows her getting that feeling of being wanted and included in a way that she never got to experience as a child.
To see Delilah come back to Bright Falls to confront her family and her past grief is incredibly satisfying, and I think having that journey underlying the main romance makes the focal relationship between Delilah and Claire that much more rewarding to read about. The romance itself was incredibly delightful. I appreciate how Claire is also on her own journey of working through her trust issues, finding ways to successfully co-parent (and co-exist) with her ex, and reminding herself that she is both a parent *and* someone who is desirable and worthy of love.
What kept this from being a five-star book (for me) is that I found myself myself wanting even more of a reckoning with Delilah's family. Astrid is incredibly avoidant when it comes to addressing the emotional void between her and Delilah, and while that that tension between them eventually goes reach a breaking point, I wanted to see even more from their reconciliation. Delilah's step-mom was also a major factor when it came to Delilah's childhood trauma, and I didn't see that relationship being as directly addressed as the relationship between step-sisters. Granted, maybe that's to come in future installments, but I think that would've only added to Delilah's "full circle" storyline.
So in the end, this story is about making amends, reconnecting with your home and your family, and finding love—all things I very much enjoy and appreciate! Overall this story is funny, it’s entertaining, it’s sexy, but it also balances those journeys of healing and reconciliation in really memorable and meaningful ways. I am so excited to see where this series goes next with Astrid's story, and I can't wait to read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Blood, Cancer, and Infidelity