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genevieve5 's review for:
Gay the Pray Away
by Natalie Naudus
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
I am in awe of this book. It is raw, honest, emotional, eye-opening, open-hearted, & absolutely hooking. I quite literally could not put it down (that is until I got close to the end, at which point I kept stalling because I was both scared of what would happen & sad about it being over). @natalienaudus does an incredible job of making Valerie’s anger, frustration, and desperation radiate off the page, which is so powerful in & of itself, but it isn’t just that. There’s also so much warmth & hope as Valerie starts to discover herself, starts to find her safe space in the library & in books, starts to fall in love. There’s a complexity to the characters & world that is at once magnetic & heartbreaking. And those factors combined kept me on the edge of my seat, simultaneously riveted & a little terrified about what was going to happen next.
From someone who grew up in heteronormative religious schools (though it was not a cult & no where near as intense as in this book) & found myself through the queer books I read as an adult, thank you, Natalie Naudus, for sharing such an achingly beautiful story.
From someone who grew up in heteronormative religious schools (though it was not a cult & no where near as intense as in this book) & found myself through the queer books I read as an adult, thank you, Natalie Naudus, for sharing such an achingly beautiful story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Outing, Gaslighting