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A review by kaylinwriter14
Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry
3.0
3 Stars
I want to start this review with a bit of a disclaimer. Though I wasn’t sent to Catholic school, I was raised in a very religious environment. I was homeschooled, meaning most of my education and activities growing up revolved around church. I have experienced first hand growing up queer and non-religious in a church environment. Because of this, this book felt very personal for me, and I’m incapable of remaining fully impartial. There’s a lot others loved about this book that didn’t work for me, but I’m not saying I believe it’s a bad book.
This story starts with Michael, a self-proclaimed atheist whose parents have just enrolled him in Catholic school. Along the way he befriends Lucy, a Catholic feminist, Jewish Avi, and Wiccan Eden. This is the first YA book I’ve encountered that directly grapples with religion. I loved that Michael’s friend-group was diverse and supported each other despite their disagreements. This is also the first book I’ve read that actually uses the word atheist.
I loved that this book wasn’t afraid to showcase the dark-side of institutionalized religion. Michael’s school is filled with sex-shaming propaganda, subtle homophobia and antiquated gender roles. This never seemed over-the-top and instead was handled with sensitivity and at times felt hyper-realistic. But this is not a conversion book. In the same way Michael isn’t pressured to ‘find God’ the book does not try to insist that religion is inherently bad. These harmful behaviors are challenged by many characters and it is strongly indicated that being religious is not what determines your morality—good OR bad.
So while this is a big, important discussion, the rest of the book operates under the pretense that “church” and “community” are synonyms. A church can be community but you do not need church to have a community. And while a church is a community for some, it can be very isolating for others.
If an organization and its people are consistently belittling and marginalizing you and your friends you are not obligated to stay.
This conversation occurs after Avi (who is gay) learns a teacher was fired simply for her same-sex marriage. Avi is understandably upset that his friend, Lucy, continues to support an institution that is blatantly homophobic. This argument sort of fizzles out and the overall theme is that everyone needs to be tolerant of each other. Tolerance shouldn’t include being complacent in your friends marginalization.
I’ve had a really hard time articulating why this book didn’t work for me, and I think I just personally disagree with part of the ending. I don’t agree that being tolerant of different religions means accepting the injustices of organized religion. The narrative states many times that being religious doesn’t mean someone has to be homophobic or sexist, and holds out hope that the younger generations will change these churches and practices that are. I don’t agree that being part of a community means sometimes accepting practices that are harmful.
In Conclusion:
Maybe it’s me. Maybe my experiences have impacted what I took away from this book. I have several friends who really seemed to enjoy it and have vastly different perceptions than me. *insert shrugging GIF here*
—————
Buddy-read with Ad Rocks Socks
(Who is being super kind for putting up with me taking 80 years)
”I didn’t lose my faith or anything, I just never had it in the first place. I never believed in any kind of God.”
I want to start this review with a bit of a disclaimer. Though I wasn’t sent to Catholic school, I was raised in a very religious environment. I was homeschooled, meaning most of my education and activities growing up revolved around church. I have experienced first hand growing up queer and non-religious in a church environment. Because of this, this book felt very personal for me, and I’m incapable of remaining fully impartial. There’s a lot others loved about this book that didn’t work for me, but I’m not saying I believe it’s a bad book.
This story starts with Michael, a self-proclaimed atheist whose parents have just enrolled him in Catholic school. Along the way he befriends Lucy, a Catholic feminist, Jewish Avi, and Wiccan Eden. This is the first YA book I’ve encountered that directly grapples with religion. I loved that Michael’s friend-group was diverse and supported each other despite their disagreements. This is also the first book I’ve read that actually uses the word atheist.
I loved that this book wasn’t afraid to showcase the dark-side of institutionalized religion. Michael’s school is filled with sex-shaming propaganda, subtle homophobia and antiquated gender roles. This never seemed over-the-top and instead was handled with sensitivity and at times felt hyper-realistic. But this is not a conversion book. In the same way Michael isn’t pressured to ‘find God’ the book does not try to insist that religion is inherently bad. These harmful behaviors are challenged by many characters and it is strongly indicated that being religious is not what determines your morality—good OR bad.
So while this is a big, important discussion, the rest of the book operates under the pretense that “church” and “community” are synonyms. A church can be community but you do not need church to have a community. And while a church is a community for some, it can be very isolating for others.
“Why?” Eden asks. “It hurts people you care about. It hurts you. Why can’t you leave?”
“Because it’s my home!” Lucy bursts out. “And it’s a mess. I know it’s a mess. But it’s my home, and I’m going to stay, I have to stay, and make it better.”
If an organization and its people are consistently belittling and marginalizing you and your friends you are not obligated to stay.
“What happened to Ms. Simon isn’t my fault.”
“If you put money in the collection plate, you’re supporting them. You’re literally financially supporting what they do.”
This conversation occurs after Avi (who is gay) learns a teacher was fired simply for her same-sex marriage. Avi is understandably upset that his friend, Lucy, continues to support an institution that is blatantly homophobic. This argument sort of fizzles out and the overall theme is that everyone needs to be tolerant of each other. Tolerance shouldn’t include being complacent in your friends marginalization.
“There will always be people you have to listen to,” Dad says. “There will always be rules you think are wrong or unfair, and you know what? Too bad. You’ll have to learn to make better choices.”
I’ve had a really hard time articulating why this book didn’t work for me, and I think I just personally disagree with part of the ending. I don’t agree that being tolerant of different religions means accepting the injustices of organized religion. The narrative states many times that being religious doesn’t mean someone has to be homophobic or sexist, and holds out hope that the younger generations will change these churches and practices that are. I don’t agree that being part of a community means sometimes accepting practices that are harmful.
In Conclusion:
Maybe it’s me. Maybe my experiences have impacted what I took away from this book. I have several friends who really seemed to enjoy it and have vastly different perceptions than me. *insert shrugging GIF here*
—————
Buddy-read with Ad Rocks Socks
(Who is being super kind for putting up with me taking 80 years)