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A review by onlyongracexm
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I get it that was much harder to be openly gay in the past than it is now. I know this book is so important in terms of its place in LGBTQ history as one of the first(?) published books for teens about lesbians.
It’s just that I, personally, don’t think this book has aged well.
It lies mostly with the writing style than the story, which was also irritating to read. The two main characters, Liza and Annie, sound more like posh British schoolgirls than American students in New York City. And they both sound like they’re twelve, instead of fifteen or seventeen or whatever they are. The writing, especially towards the end, gets so silly that I got annoyed—enough with the em dashes!
Story-wise, I understand completely that getting fired from your job for being gay is a serious issue that we’re still tackling today, but what I don’t understand is how Liza and Annie got caught by that teacher and that student in their other teachers’ house? Like? They just go over to their house? I’m under the impression that teachers generally prefer to keep work and private lives separate. And then, Liza faces expulsion from her private school for something she did off-grounds? Expulsion from the school she’s paying for, the selfsame school that’s struggling financially? The principal talks like a Southern belle who’s trying to keep a family scandal quiet, lest she risks the ire of society. But, my dudes, we’re in New York effin’ City. There are too many people to give a shit about you. And why does everybody suddenly turn Bible-thumpin’ religious? This is New York effin’ City, not Alabama!
*deep breath*
This book just wasn’t for me, personally.
It’s just that I, personally, don’t think this book has aged well.
It lies mostly with the writing style than the story, which was also irritating to read. The two main characters, Liza and Annie, sound more like posh British schoolgirls than American students in New York City. And they both sound like they’re twelve, instead of fifteen or seventeen or whatever they are. The writing, especially towards the end, gets so silly that I got annoyed—enough with the em dashes!
Story-wise, I understand completely that getting fired from your job for being gay is a serious issue that we’re still tackling today, but what I don’t understand is how Liza and Annie got caught by that teacher and that student in their other teachers’ house? Like? They just go over to their house? I’m under the impression that teachers generally prefer to keep work and private lives separate. And then, Liza faces expulsion from her private school for something she did off-grounds? Expulsion from the school she’s paying for, the selfsame school that’s struggling financially? The principal talks like a Southern belle who’s trying to keep a family scandal quiet, lest she risks the ire of society. But, my dudes, we’re in New York effin’ City. There are too many people to give a shit about you. And why does everybody suddenly turn Bible-thumpin’ religious? This is New York effin’ City, not Alabama!
*deep breath*
This book just wasn’t for me, personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Outing