vrkinase0411's reviews
961 reviews

Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

The Fixer by Lee Winter

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

I don’t believe in relentless bashing, but there is a worrying trend building in lesbian fiction in particular. It seems to be the rise of unpolished sophomoric politics and culture critique, that if I’m being honest, I’m not sure many in this genre have the ability to accomplish without missing the mark or condescension.

With all this said, I speak from a Leftist (specifically in the Black Radical tradition) perspective that I continue on my own to evolve and build and critique within trusted organizing groups. Normally, I would lay my own ideologies aside, to enjoy what I find  is usually escapist feel good divorced-from-all-reality stories; however, in few cases, I find myself to be bludgeoned with surface level and altogether insulting caricatures.

First, let me say that I rarely expect anything outside of whiteness when I read these books. (Also, white-NESS does not mean white PEOPLE, I’m referring to it as a system of created and dominant thought through colonialism, imperialism, and  capitalism). Thus, my bar is nonexistent, for coherent messages. 

Second, if interested, I’ve listed a few starting points for anyone disagreeing with this review. 

Lastly, while I can say this is meant to be constructive, I hold no hope that it will be taken as such.

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All that said, lets get to it:

Eden Lawless, 36 (this is important), is a career activist. She trots around the globe on pet projects and causes, much like her mother, in fighting against injustices (which seem to be conservation-based  with a smidge of environmentalism not environmental justice, yes there are differences). She is lured by a mysterious organization in hopes of exacting revenge against the “evil” politician and arch nemesis. There is where she meets Michelle Hastings, 47?, haughty CEO of said mysterious organization, and is instantly smitten (as is often the formula). Together they set out on the shared mission of bringing down a corrupt mayor of a small town.

Here is where I began rolling my eyes, Eden is 36 years old. A self-proclaimed “leftie-liberal” activist. (Also, for semantic purposes Leftist are anti-capitalists, anti-imperialist, anti- colonialist, and against oppression where they live and globally. Generally speaking. Liberalism is not that. “Liberalism like moderates is the absence of tension, not the presence of justice”, meaning liberalism will fight for a kinder, more inclusive capitalism. So, that term is an oxy-moron.) She is 36 years old calling people “evil” and not once did she mention the system or the effects of the system. White supremacy is a function of capitalism and insidious checks and balances on amassing wealth. Again, I don’t look to lesbian fiction for this critique; but if an author is going to foray into the work of activism and organizing, best not make them out to be idealist 12 year olds. 

Also, why would Eden ,at 36 years old, who  should have had NUMEROUS arrests, experiences of systemic repression, and just a general distrust of government, even entertain a mysterious company in DC to “topple” a corrupt mayor. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but if you’re going to preach at me, be consistent with the character. Then again….

Eden’s mother, River, what most in the organizing community would call a “glory cause chaser”, is another insulting depiction of what I’m assuming is a nod to the mythological notion of “cancel culture”. This waters down people ideologies who truly are fighting for a world where we are not subjugated to participate in forced exploitation and unwilling oppression, down to “well no one is all bad or all good”. 

Yes. That is an understood facet of human existence. However, there are systems created that force hard decisions. Lee off-handedly mentions the CIA toppling governments as if that is not the exact imperialism that has western society at large, ducking it’s collective head as people apply to Lockheed Martin.  This definitely gave “not all cops are bad”, meanwhile organizers are pushing people to say poliCING….emphasis on the “ING”, meaning the SYSTEM, is oppressive and REpressive. Conclusion: Individuals and Individualism is not the answer to systemic issues. That also isn’t to say that there are decisions that can be made. River makes a point of saying that once she found out what the company did, she would have left instantly. This in our community is what we call contradictions: Where our ideologies are misaligned with our life and actions. Some we absolutely can make choices about like not participating in overt government repression, some you can’t avoid right now like cell phones and bananas. All this means is we work THROUGH the contradictions not, go “well this oppressive decision is just a mistake”.

Lee does a masterful job of creating a caricature of activism while watering down the impact of organizers.(another note, activists are not organizers, no matter how interchangeable people would love those terms to be) I don’t purport that this was intentional, but I also didn’t see any gratitude  to anyone doing the endless work of organizing and activism as a knowledge source unlike the Jewish sensitivity reader and Irish depiction reader. So while I won’t assume, several activists or organizers were not consulted, Eden’s character leaves questions open.  

So this whole, take down the Fixers, just the two of them an a journalist is probably the most naive and debasing message of all. Leftist- based organizers and activists in the Black radical tradition  are a communal group. Not perfect by any means and continuing to build community while struggling with contradictions. These terms might be above those not actively engaged in organizing, especially, Leftist organizing, but I felt compelled to say this work is an insult to what I’ve seen and been apart of over the years. Also they work with many “across the aisle”, and across the aisle in this case would be SOME liberals. (And honestly, I might even be embellishing there).

Also, this was a throwaway line but “Personal politics? Being racist wasn’t politics, it was a human failing!”....................................................................I beg you. Just. Maybe stay away from this topic altogether if this is what you’re offering. 

So all that to say, I generally enjoy Lee Winters work, when it doesn’t collide with my lane. This work, though well written (I don’t expect anything less), provided characters inconsistent with their own actual ideologies and message that made the redemption arc forced.

Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry by Imani Perry

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

Capitalism and Disability: Selected Writings by Marta Russell by Marta Russell, Keith Rosenthal

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.25

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

In the Mecca by Gwendolyn Brooks

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

4.0

True North by Carina Lupo

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

These Thin Lines by Milena McKay

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I can now see why people find this work to be prophetic. When we stand still long enough to look around us we can absolutely see what our hypo-empathetic and lack of history will turn us into.

I can't say I'm not offended, however, in Butler's portrayal of poor and homeless people along with conflating middle class "privileges" as something inherently communal.  While, she does draw attention to the widening rich-poor gap, the ACTUAL poor seem to figuratively discarded for a sympathetic view of middle class destruction. Not sure that was her intention, but the demonizing of addicts and actual poor people while engendering sympathy for the loss of the middle class feels on brand for neoliberalism.

Aside from that, it was pointedly written to examine our current conditions and really look at where we are headed.

Olamina makes stark obersevations and creates a coping mechanism that drives her to action while allowing herself to submit to change.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Incest and Cannibalism