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A review by souslesignedelalune
Queerly Loving by E.H. Timms, Kay C. Sulli, Shira Glassman, Sacha Lamb, Teresa Theophano, G Benson, Nyri A. Bakkalian, Astrid Ohletz, Carolyn Gage, A.P. Raymond, Evelyn Deshane
3.0
I bought this book on a whim thinking it was a comic anthology so you can see how prepared I was. All I wanted was to read something quickly and queer and that exactly what Queer Loving was. It was good but I feel like it could have explored different identities and a different way (the trope of the LI being mistaken for a woman/man to show that they were either a butch woman or a trans person was used a lot in my opinion, and not always well)
_____
1. Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't) by Sacha Lamb
3.5 ⭐️
A cute story between two gay Jewish boys. The main character is trans and trying to navigate life with his crush on another guy from school. I liked that his twin sister was supportive, she's in a relationship with a Muslim girl, Ayesha.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable was the way Elijah and Nick texted
2. Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
2⭐️
rep: The main character is a trans woman, LI is Jewish
warning sex on page
I wanted to like this, really. I've read [b:Knit One, Girl Two|34732711|Knit One, Girl Two|Shira Glassman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490847932l/34732711._SY75_.jpg|55918009] by the author and loved it. The novella started out strongly with a fantasy world in which Mage exist, a main character with secrets, a acrobat who has to escape a crowd. Really I couldn't ask for something better. Sadly I felt like it was rushed and nothing was really explained, as if the story had to end quickly.
3. Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli
3⭐️
rep : m/m relationship
Not my favourite either but it was still very well written. My only problem was again that the end felt rushed. I know it's a short story and it's complicated to take the time to build the relationship but I wish there were more pages because I loved the atmosphere. But that's only my opinion
We follow Zach who decided to spent the summer in Colorado to relax before going back to study for his PhD
4. Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
4⭐️
rep sapphic characters, one of them a butch lesbian, and a f/f side couple
tw use of 'dyke', lesbophobic parent
It was one of my favourite. Two girls meet during a typewriting competition (probably set in the 80s) and they start hanging out. The writing was good and I loved how their relationship evolved. It wasn't easy but it was hopeful and they had the positive representation of two women living together with their child, and they helped them.
5. First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
5⭐️
rep: f/f relationship, bi LI, the mc is a lesbian trans woman
tw: PTSD attack described, war, attack of a military camp
This story was without a doubt the best of the anthology. Kate writes a email to Hannah in which she talks about her life, how she's struggling with PTSD and what happened during her time serving in the military. It was so well written, moving, hard and hopeful at the same time. I could have read an entire book about Kate's story, her transition and her relationship with her girlfriend Bree who's bi. I loved them, their domesticity, their love for book and the way they helped each other.
6. Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
4⭐️
rep: sapphic Deaf main character, a side character is a trans woman who uses crutches
tw: PTSD, ableist world, misgendering (call out on page)
Juneau used to work in a mine with her partner Melody until a explosion killed everyone. Since then she has been living far away from society with a dragon who's like her service animal. The world that Deshane's created is brillant, I liked that we can really understand how important dragons are and how they can help someone. They communicate with the help of painted dominoes and like humans, they deserve respect.
I also liked that Juneau doesn't understand everything but she's willing to learn and challenge the society she lives in.
7. Planchette by Carolyn Cage
1⭐️
tw: sexual assault, violence, murder of queer side characters (graphic and on page), queerphobia, alcohol consumption, mentally ill parent
The only reason I gave this one star is for the style, it's all written in a play-form which fitted the plot and the way it flowed. Sadly nothing about it was hopeful and loving and I couldn't understand what the author wanted to do with Jude. Are they a trans boy? A butch lesbian? Who knows? Because it's all very vague. It could have stayed that way to show that Jude is questioning and hasn't figured it out yet, but a big part of the plot is about the way they dress, act and want to be treated by the world.
Ok, this is set in 1879 but this could have been better and less graphic. I felt like it was unnecessary and suffering porn in a way. The ending is vague and again is not about love, being loved or being hopeful. The two main characters don't really understand each other and throughout the story Mollie was so disrespectful toward Jude, especially when she asked them to remove their shirt to know if they had breast...
I really don't know why this story is in the anthology
8. Birthday Landscape by E H Timms
3.5⭐️
rep: two aro characters in a relationship, the main character has a prosthetic foot
tw: PTSD attack described on page
Really good story set in a fantasy world. Cavallan comes back from the war to stay with his loving family. I loved their dynamic, I felt as if I was with them in their home, cutting apples and drinking tea. The descriptions were well written, I could pictured the drawing Cavallan made for his kids.
But more importantly Cavallan and his wife Rose are both aro and live happily together. And you know they communicate and talked about what they wanted in their relationship and it's such a positive representation.
But I wished asexuality was explored too, even if it was to say that they are aro but not ace (or on the spectrum) because this part made me wonder if Rose was aroace:
9. A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond
3.5⭐️
rep: polyamorous relationship between three people, one of them use they/them, another one is trans and uses she/her and the other use ey/eir. There's also a f/f side couple and a side character who use xy/xyr
This story was basically be gay, do crimes in space and save queer people which I'm all for.
Set in a futuristic world where people live in towers depending on their ranks, a group of people try to help a queer woman espace her home because her father wants to marry her for connections.
It was really good and I loved to see non binary trans characters
_____
1. Miss Me With That Gay Shit (Please Don't) by Sacha Lamb
3.5 ⭐️
A cute story between two gay Jewish boys. The main character is trans and trying to navigate life with his crush on another guy from school. I liked that his twin sister was supportive, she's in a relationship with a Muslim girl, Ayesha.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable was the way Elijah and Nick texted
2. Gifts of Spring by Shira Glassman
2⭐️
rep: The main character is a trans woman, LI is Jewish
warning sex on page
I wanted to like this, really. I've read [b:Knit One, Girl Two|34732711|Knit One, Girl Two|Shira Glassman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490847932l/34732711._SY75_.jpg|55918009] by the author and loved it. The novella started out strongly with a fantasy world in which Mage exist, a main character with secrets, a acrobat who has to escape a crowd. Really I couldn't ask for something better. Sadly I felt like it was rushed and nothing was really explained, as if the story had to end quickly.
3. Wishing on the Perseid by Kay C. Sulli
3⭐️
rep : m/m relationship
Not my favourite either but it was still very well written. My only problem was again that the end felt rushed. I know it's a short story and it's complicated to take the time to build the relationship but I wish there were more pages because I loved the atmosphere. But that's only my opinion
We follow Zach who decided to spent the summer in Colorado to relax before going back to study for his PhD
4. Hunt and Peck by Teresa Theophano
4⭐️
rep sapphic characters, one of them a butch lesbian, and a f/f side couple
tw use of 'dyke', lesbophobic parent
It was one of my favourite. Two girls meet during a typewriting competition (probably set in the 80s) and they start hanging out. The writing was good and I loved how their relationship evolved. It wasn't easy but it was hopeful and they had the positive representation of two women living together with their child, and they helped them.
5. First Light at Dawn by Nyri Bakkalian
5⭐️
rep: f/f relationship, bi LI, the mc is a lesbian trans woman
tw: PTSD attack described, war, attack of a military camp
Of course if I bring it up even in passing, the first thing people ask is if I’m seeing a therapist. They’re trying to be helpful, and I get that, but I’m getting tired of the suggestion. Lately I just thank them and chuckle at it. Yeah, I am seeing a therapist, and this still happens. Therapists are great, but they aren’t magicians, and even under the care of the best therapist, the fact of the matter remains: trauma’s a bitch.
This story was without a doubt the best of the anthology. Kate writes a email to Hannah in which she talks about her life, how she's struggling with PTSD and what happened during her time serving in the military. It was so well written, moving, hard and hopeful at the same time. I could have read an entire book about Kate's story, her transition and her relationship with her girlfriend Bree who's bi. I loved them, their domesticity, their love for book and the way they helped each other.
6. Dragons Do Not by Evelyn Deshane
4⭐️
rep: sapphic Deaf main character, a side character is a trans woman who uses crutches
tw: PTSD, ableist world, misgendering (call out on page)
Juneau used to work in a mine with her partner Melody until a explosion killed everyone. Since then she has been living far away from society with a dragon who's like her service animal. The world that Deshane's created is brillant, I liked that we can really understand how important dragons are and how they can help someone. They communicate with the help of painted dominoes and like humans, they deserve respect.
I also liked that Juneau doesn't understand everything but she's willing to learn and challenge the society she lives in.
7. Planchette by Carolyn Cage
1⭐️
tw: sexual assault, violence, murder of queer side characters (graphic and on page), queerphobia, alcohol consumption, mentally ill parent
The only reason I gave this one star is for the style, it's all written in a play-form which fitted the plot and the way it flowed. Sadly nothing about it was hopeful and loving and I couldn't understand what the author wanted to do with Jude. Are they a trans boy? A butch lesbian? Who knows? Because it's all very vague. It could have stayed that way to show that Jude is questioning and hasn't figured it out yet, but a big part of the plot is about the way they dress, act and want to be treated by the world.
Ok, this is set in 1879 but this could have been better and less graphic. I felt like it was unnecessary and suffering porn in a way. The ending is vague and again is not about love, being loved or being hopeful. The two main characters don't really understand each other and throughout the story Mollie was so disrespectful toward Jude, especially when she asked them to remove their shirt to know if they had breast...
I really don't know why this story is in the anthology
8. Birthday Landscape by E H Timms
3.5⭐️
rep: two aro characters in a relationship, the main character has a prosthetic foot
tw: PTSD attack described on page
Really good story set in a fantasy world. Cavallan comes back from the war to stay with his loving family. I loved their dynamic, I felt as if I was with them in their home, cutting apples and drinking tea. The descriptions were well written, I could pictured the drawing Cavallan made for his kids.
But more importantly Cavallan and his wife Rose are both aro and live happily together. And you know they communicate and talked about what they wanted in their relationship and it's such a positive representation.
Now he had good companionship, a home that welcomed him, and no lopsided alloro love to cause problems on either side.
But I wished asexuality was explored too, even if it was to say that they are aro but not ace (or on the spectrum) because this part made me wonder if Rose was aroace:
She’d wanted children without the pressure to perform in bed, and had been happy to bring them up alone if necessary. He’d been neutral, not expecting to live long enough to see them grow, and not wanting to land someone else with unwanted work.
9. A Gallant Rescue by A.P. Raymond
3.5⭐️
rep: polyamorous relationship between three people, one of them use they/them, another one is trans and uses she/her and the other use ey/eir. There's also a f/f side couple and a side character who use xy/xyr
This story was basically be gay, do crimes in space and save queer people which I'm all for.
Set in a futuristic world where people live in towers depending on their ranks, a group of people try to help a queer woman espace her home because her father wants to marry her for connections.
It was really good and I loved to see non binary trans characters