A review by jayisreading
Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This was such a unique approach to expressing grief in the form of an encyclopedia dedicated to a friend who passed. This encyclopedia is about a quirky, relatively unknown (fictional) television show that the aforementioned friend, Viv, absolutely adored. It’s an elegy of sorts, with the protagonist, Zelda, discussing various characters from the show but also weaving in her own stories.

It’s heartbreaking to lose a friend, and Zelda doesn’t hide this grief at all. However, she also shares so many moments of joy and tenderness that really uplifted the importance of trans people—especially trans women—just living, loving, being themselves, and embracing each other and themselves.

What I loved that this book shared was an expression of queer love in all its complexities. Zelda’s love was an unrequited one, but I also think it’s so important to highlight the love that comes with friendship as well, which she absolutely had. Furthermore, this book jumps in and out of fiction to draw attention to the preciousness of trans lives that I found utterly beautiful. Plante crafted something so real and breathtaking in all the details and emotions put in such a short book.

As heartbreaking as this book was, I truly appreciated how she found a way to celebrate trans women’s lives. I want nothing more than this world to treasure them and see what joy they bring, which was so wonderfully highlighted in this book. 
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