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That was riveting.

My heart dropped the moment I read that. This was not the childhood I had, but this is life today.

I’m eading this for this week’s book club. Im taking a break from the Game Changer series because my other TBR must be attended. I’m waiting for the story to go wrong. I hope I’m wrong.

The strength of this book for those of us in the community is in the back half. At that point we get a mesmerizing narrative of the author’s journey as well as a photo project of trans people who talk about what being trans means to them. The first half is good, too. The information is sound. However, I felt that if someone is a soft ally or not an ally, they may feel too challenged and leave the book. It also is good for people who are questioning their wexuality or gender as there is a lot of information about non-binary sexualities and identities. I think the first half works best as queer experiences 101 reference guide, choosing sections that are most relevant to them and people in their lives.

My book club is reading this and will chat with the author in a couple weeks. It’ll be interesting to read something directed at allies.

It is interesting to read this book after seeing All of Us Strangers a few weeks back. While this book is very different from All of Us Strangers, the themes of isolation and lost connections are strong in both.

I’m reading a story or two from this anthology each day. I was really impressed with the first one about a young trans girl and an aloe plant.

I’m a few chapters in. It’s pretty horrifying, but in quotidian ways. It’s really interesting to see myself reflected not in the narrator, but in the environment that surrounds her. It feels like a damning, yet valid, indictment.

Sahara’s MH fascinates me. So far only two characters names are shared with the reader. The rest are titles, descriptions, and periodically redactions.

What a wonderful story of young people breaking free from religious-based hegemonic oppression. It is also heartbreaking seeing almost all of the characters suffering under it, even the believers as they get more and more entangled. It’s definitely YA romance with many of the accompanying tropes, but seeing them in this setting brings joy and liberation to a world that could have gone very dark and devastating. Sometimes you need an HEA to help you process the horrors intimated in the narrative.

I’m reading this for a book club this weekend. It’s a pretty easy read so far. Valerie (FMC) is a biracial teen growing up in a culty and very white Christian nationalist denomination. She is finding it difficult to conform and repress in a way that will make her family happy and doesn’t understand what’s wrong with her. Between a book she snuck out of the library and a new friend, Riley, Valerie might have the tools she needs to understand that there is nothing wrong with her and her feelings.

It might be hard for people with religious trauma, parental trauma from a patriarchal household, or come from highly homophobic environments. It is written for a YA audience.

Found it again…with not enough time to read before book club. I’ll finish it anyway. 🫤

I misplaced the dang book. I won’t be able to finish it before book club. Hopefully I’ll find it before it’s due back.