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A review by wanderingjedi
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
1.0
Yet another book that promises a bisexual character and then fails to deliver in a decent manner. When she and another character are talking about sexuality we are provided with what amounts to a well defined "yes, I'm gay" from the lesbian character, while the supposedly bisexual girl gets these gems:
and
Ugh. Why do writers always feel like they have to make bisexual characters seem confused, or worse yet, go down the road of "oh I don't like labels". This is a trend that needs to stop. Bisexuality exists, and it's really frustrating to have representation dangled in front of you only to have it yanked away at the last second. Later on we are treated to even more of this sort of thing, and while she does at one point say "I don't know what I am, yet", which is nice because it clarifies that she's still figuring herself out, it doesn't really do much to make me less annoyed.
Now, to be fair, I know there are people who genuinely don't like labeling their sexuality, and that's totally fine. I also understand that there are people who are confused by their sexuality (believe me I've been there), and that's also fine. However, maybe people would be less confused if they actually got to see themselves represented every once in a while.
Incidentally I went to write a review after I finished re-reading this book, and discovered that last time I read it I only gave it one star. Apparently re-reading didn't change my opinion.
Sosie wasn't sure how to answer. Since she could remember, she'd had crushes on both girls and guys. They were person-specific infatuations...It seemed odd to Sosie that she had to make some hard-and-fast decision about such an arbitrary, individual thing as attraction, like having to declare an orientation major: I am straight with a minor in gay
and
Sosie didn't know if she was a lesbian; she was, however, a Jenniferian.
Ugh. Why do writers always feel like they have to make bisexual characters seem confused, or worse yet, go down the road of "oh I don't like labels". This is a trend that needs to stop. Bisexuality exists, and it's really frustrating to have representation dangled in front of you only to have it yanked away at the last second. Later on we are treated to even more of this sort of thing, and while she does at one point say "I don't know what I am, yet", which is nice because it clarifies that she's still figuring herself out, it doesn't really do much to make me less annoyed.
Now, to be fair, I know there are people who genuinely don't like labeling their sexuality, and that's totally fine. I also understand that there are people who are confused by their sexuality (believe me I've been there), and that's also fine. However, maybe people would be less confused if they actually got to see themselves represented every once in a while.
Incidentally I went to write a review after I finished re-reading this book, and discovered that last time I read it I only gave it one star. Apparently re-reading didn't change my opinion.