Review: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown
Series: Standalone
Published: August 30th, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
432 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary YA/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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Joanna Gordon has been out and proud for years, but when her popular radio evangelist father remarries and decides to move all three of them from Atlanta to the more conservative Rome, Georgia, he asks Jo to do the impossible: to lie low for the rest of her senior year. And Jo reluctantly agrees.

Although it is (mostly) much easier for Jo to fit in as a straight girl, things get complicated when she meets Mary Carlson, the oh-so-tempting sister of her new friend at school. But Jo couldn’t possibly think of breaking her promise to her dad. Even if she’s starting to fall for the girl. Even if there’s a chance Mary Carlson might be interested in her, too. Right?
 

What appealed to me initially about Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit was the premise of having a character who’s out and proud but has to basically go back into the closet for various reasons. It was an interesting reversal from the norm, especially when you throw in Jo’s faith and the fact her dad is an evangelical minister. 

I liked Jo a lot. I appreciated her strength, I appreciated that she was flawed, that she made mistakes and owned them, and that she was passionate about her beliefs. I was indignant and angry on her behalf when her dad asked her to lie low for the year, but part of me understood the reasons and thought Jo handled it amazingly well. Even though I hated how much she had to/chose to lie, I also understood that she’d been put in an impossible situation, and I respected her for keeping her word to her dad, even when it was incredibly painful and stressful for her. Besides a great main character, this book absolutely shone with incredible secondary characters. From characters we saw a lot of, like Jo’s new friend Barnum (seriously, I need a BTB in my life, pronto) and her stepmom Elizabeth, to more minor characters like Jo’s adopted grandmother Althea and her new step-granddad Tater, this book had a terrific cast of characters. I liked the diversity of the characters and the variety of personalities, and that there were characters you simply didn’t like or even hated. Not every group of friends is wonderful and supportive and like-minded, and I liked how that came across with Jo’s new group of friends.

There were a lot of positives about this book, but I was also conflicted at times while reading. The first half of the book was slow at times for me, and I started to get annoyed with how long the ‘is Mary Carlson gay or not’ question dragged on (spoiler: 50% of the book). I think the book would have been even stronger if it had been slightly more condensed, especially at the beginning. I was going to give this book three stars until I reached the end and pretty much cried my way through the last couple of chapters. I’ve read books where people come out to unsupportive or downright hateful people and then those same people learn the error of their ways and do a complete one-eighty within the span of pages; this, thank goodness, was not that. Bigotry isn’t cured overnight, or sometimes at all, just like forgiveness isn’t always an instantaneous thing, and I appreciated how both those things were dealt with. I thought the ending was absolutely beautiful and perfect, and it left me satisfied, happy, and hopeful.

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit is going to be a really important, meaningful book to a lot of people, whether they’re struggling with their sexuality, working toward coming out, or trying to figure out how to find balance and harmony in being queer and also being religious/having strong faith. It’s also an important book for straight people and allies, giving them an inside look at the struggles, and also how they can help and support queer friends or family members. That’s not the only reason you should read this book, though; it’s also funny, touching, poignant, sexy, and a wonderful exploration of complex family relationships and friendships.

Have you read Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any other books that deal with sexuality/orientation and religion?

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Review: Keeping Her Secret by Sarah Nicolas

Keeping Her Secret by Sarah Nicolas
Series: Endless Summer
Published: August 22nd, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Crush
220 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary YA/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: Via NetGalley in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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The last person Riya Johnson expected to run into at her new summer camp is Courtney Chastain—her childhood best friend and the girl who broke her heart after a secret, mind-blowing, life-altering kiss. She definitely didn’t expect to be sharing a bunk bed with her for four long weeks.

Courtney has what every girl wants—she’s beautiful, rich, and the object of every boy’s desire at Camp Pine Ridge. Too bad none of them make her feel an iota of what Riya’s kiss did all those years ago. But Courtney needs to uphold appearances at all costs—even if it means instigating an all-out prank war with Riya as her main target.

Neither girl can stop thinking about the other…but that doesn’t mean they can give up past hurts and take a chance on a future together.

My first thought when I discovered Keeping Her Secret: a romance about two girls falling for each other at summer camp? Count me in! It’s no secret I’ll read just about anything f/f, so throw in the added bonus of a fun setting (I always wanted to go to sleep-away camp), and I’m in.

There was a lot to like about Keeping Her Secret. I enjoyed the dual POV and think it worked well for this story. It was important to get both girls’ perspectives to see how they were feeling and what they were thinking about certain situations. They were very different, so it was interesting to see how they perceived each other, especially when they didn’t vocalize certain things to each other.

One thing I really appreciated was the exploration of how - and why - coming-out experiences are different for everyone. Riya was open about and comfortable with her sexuality. I was so happy to see a bisexual main character - it’s still so rare to see on-page rep, especially in a main character. Courtney, on the other hand, didn’t even realize she was gay. She’d kissed a lot of boys and never felt anything, but it was like she had this mental block that prevented her from even considering she might like girls, even though she’d liked the kiss she and Riya shared years ago. It was Courtney’s growth I appreciated most. She had a lot to figure out - not just her sexuality, but her future as well. She was popular, rich, beautiful, and talented, but there was more to her than met the eye. She tried to seem tough and mean (and at times she really was just plain mean, rude, and entitled), but she was worried what people would think of her, and afraid of the control her parents had over her, especially when it came to her future. With her parents being rich and powerful lawyers living in the south, she was certain they wouldn’t accept a gay daughter. I enjoyed watching her work through things and gain some strength and independence.

I also really liked the side characters, especially Courtney’s twin brother, Colt (he was probably my favourite character - loyal, kind, caring, supportive, would do anything for his sister) and Riya’s new friend Dee.

So why only three stars? I couldn’t connect to the characters. And because I couldn’t connect to them, my emotions never went beyond the surface. I wanted the girls to end up together, but I wasn’t rooting for them the way I do for characters I truly love and connect to. I think part of it could be the fact there was so much angst and drama. It seemed never-ending at times. Things would get smoothed over, but then there’d be another incident or misunderstanding and the animosity between the girls would amp up yet again. I get that the characters were emotional, hormonal teenagers and they were trying to figure stuff out, and I also get that the setting of the story made for limited plot potential, but it did affect my overall enjoyment of the book. This could just be a ‘me thing’ though, and might not bother other people. This might be one of those instances where the fact I’m not a teenager and haven’t been for awhile comes into play!
       
If you’re looking for a quick, cute, character-driven summer read about self-discovery and acceptance, be sure to check out Keeping Her Secret.

Have you read Keeping Her Secret? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Did you ever go to summer camp?

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Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Series: Standalone
Published: February 21st, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
359 pages (paperback)
Genre: Contemporary YA/LGBTQ
Acquired this book: Bought
Warning: May contain spoilers
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Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is one of those books that I think people will either ‘get’ and connect to or they won’t. It’s quiet and poetic and has a slow, meandering feel to it. For people looking for cute, quick romance, this is pretty much the opposite. It definitely has a cute factor, but in a different way than fluffy reads or sweet romcom type books. In place of a tradition plot, we get more of a series of events that make up Aristotle’s life. The overall effect is something beautiful and poignant that seeps into your heart and mind if you let it.

Mostly this is a book about friendship and family. I absolutely loved the boys’ families and the family dynamics we got to see. Not only were their parents present, they also play an important role in the story. There are so many books with absent parents or horrible parents, so it was refreshing to see parents who were involved in their kids’ lives, talked to them, guided them, and loved them unconditionally. The friendship between Ari and Dante was complicated; they were similar in many ways, but also different, and it made their relationship complicated at times. I thought they played really well off each other, and I enjoyed their interactions and the slow progression into something more than friendship.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a book that makes you think - about life, friendship, love, family, acceptance, your purpose in the world. It’ll break your heart and heal it at the same time. It really captured the feeling of those confusing teenage years as you try to find your place in the world and discover what it all means.

Have you read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to?

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