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A review by xsophiehoughton
Read with Pride by Lucy Powrie
4.0
I was late to the party for The Paper & Hearts Society, but fell in love with the cast of characters as soon as I read it, so knew that I needed Olivia's story when it was released. In Read With Pride, we follow Olivia Santos as she navigates year 11 and all the difficulties that entails. After being supported by her friends when she told them she was demisexual, and finding Cassie returned her feelings, she didn't think anything could bring her down, but her school has brought in a new, archaic policy, basically restricting pupils from reading LGBTQ+ books after one parent complained. Olivia knows how important it is for everyone to see themselves represented in books, and soon she plans to change the school policy. While doing so, she starts a new book club, Read with Pride, and meets so many others in school who are against the policy, and want to be open about their sexualities without feeling ashamed. Juggling both her book clubs, her revision and exams, and her fledgling relationship, Olivia soon finds herself spiralling out of control.
The only real negative I have about this book is the lack of time we see The Paper & Hearts Society together. They definitely take a back foot in this book, though Cassie is still important. I love how Cassie and Olivia are together, but there were a few moments that were so full of angst that could've just been solved by a quick conversation, and the unnecessary drama would've gone. That being said, I can kind of see why that was there, because it highlighted Olivia's burnout even further. The new cast of characters were wonderfully diverse, and seemed so real and true to modern teens. All of them come together to fight for a noble cause, but honestly become the best of friends, and we couldn't ask for any more. This book was perfect, especially for LGBTQ+ teens, and I'm even more excited for book 3!
The only real negative I have about this book is the lack of time we see The Paper & Hearts Society together. They definitely take a back foot in this book, though Cassie is still important. I love how Cassie and Olivia are together, but there were a few moments that were so full of angst that could've just been solved by a quick conversation, and the unnecessary drama would've gone. That being said, I can kind of see why that was there, because it highlighted Olivia's burnout even further. The new cast of characters were wonderfully diverse, and seemed so real and true to modern teens. All of them come together to fight for a noble cause, but honestly become the best of friends, and we couldn't ask for any more. This book was perfect, especially for LGBTQ+ teens, and I'm even more excited for book 3!