Roar Cat Reads

Tag: YA

  • Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

    Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

    The Emperor needs necromancers.

    The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

    Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

    Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

    Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

    Of course, some things are better left dead.

    Goodreads

    Reading Gideon the Ninth for the first time is a chaotic dump of dense entertainment; Rereading Gideon the Ninth is a masterpiece. The first time through, it took me about 100 pages to be fully invested in the story, though Gideon’s brash attitude and compelling internal voice (and external, to be clear) endeared me to her immediately. Still, it wasn’t until Gideon and Harrow left home for the challenges in Canaan House with other necromancers and cavaliers that I became fully invested. The second time through? I was all in, immediately!

    These girls! Gideon and Harrow are giant messes, and Harrow in particular is legitimately nasty. And yet I love them with my whole shattered heart! Muir’s characterization skills are flawless, and with each additional character she just keeps showing off by creating unique, fully realized people. Dulcinea! Palamedes! The aggrieved teens! Magnus and Abigail! Literally just everyone (except for you, Eighth House).

    I am not, and have never been, a goth lesbian, but WOW does this book make a compelling case. Admittedly. there is a lot of body horror in the story (skeletons galore, beasties and monsters made of bits of people), but Gideon’s upbeat personality makes it all bearable, and this is coming from a Very Squeamish Person. Gore aside, the worldbuilding of a magical system entirely centered on death is incredible. The fact that there are nine houses, each with a different way of manipulating necromantic powers, is truly mind blowing. The religion that is shared but practiced differently on each planet is morbid and wonderful, and I loved the reveal that the heavy-handed religiosity that we are introduced to via Harrow is considered archaic by the other houses.

    Okay, okay, let’s get into the plot. Necromancers and their cavaliers are sent to a mysterious house to solve the mystery of immortality – aka lyctorhood. Everyone immediately assumes it is a competition, which is ridiculously paranoid. Eventually the monsters force some to work together, but maybe the true monster is within the group?? It is a little slow to start, but as I said before, there is a LOT of information being laid out that becomes super important in both this book and the next (so much talk of eyeballs!). It is a wild romp, and I love everyone and everything about it.

    What Make This Book Queer?

    Gideon is a horny repressed jock lesbian, and she has got crushes on everyone – Dulcinea the sweet sick woman, Coronobeth the hottie, and Harrow the archnemesis! This book is fanfic tropes come to glorious life, and we do not deserve it.

    The relationship between Gideon and Harrow is particularly satisfying. They grew up together and they have MAJOR beef with each other. However, if you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers, then my friend. You will be delighted. I love a story with a “I hate you! OMG, you might be dead, NOOOO!” realization. They are traumatized by the slightest vulnerability in each other, and it is satisfying at a bone-deep level to watch them start to work together, respect each other, and trust each other.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

    Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

    Pet is here to hunt a monster.
    Are you brave enough to look?

    There are no more monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. With doting parents and a best friend named Redemption, Jam has grown up with this lesson all her life. But when she meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colours and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question — How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

    In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices a young person can make when the adults around them are in denial. 

    Goodreads

    Wow wow wow! This 200-page YA novel dives into the darkest of topics within one of the brightest worlds I’ve ever seen created. In a utopian society that has eradicated “monsters,” there is no crime and no prejudice. This has led people to believe that there are no more monsters…but this assumption proves to be dangerous.

    This is a story that is all about appearances and heart, and how it is not easy to differentiate a monster from an angel (literally or metaphorically). I got some serious A Wrinkle in Time vibes from Pet when an otherworldly being is simultaneously scary and comforting while offering a young person a hard choice via fantasy philosophy. I hope it goes without saying that this is EXTREMELY MY SHIT, and I was very moved by Jam, Pet, and their interactions.

    The names in this book are very strange (from Jam to Redemption to Whisper to Bitter), but the story is remarkable. Jam accidentally summons a creature from her mother’s painting, a creature who looks monstrous but is built to hunt monsters…one of whom lives in her best friend’s house. Her parents don’t believe it’s possible, and I adored the themes explored around people’s fear of terrible things leading them to ignore the terrible things themselves.

    Although the label of “monster” makes the topics this book addresses a bit more palatable, I think it is only fair of me to acknowledge that there is child physical and sexual abuse in this book; it is not described, but it is known to have occurred.

    Which leads me to my one complaint about Pet. Well, not even the story itself, but the book cover and design. The short length and the bright purple cover with a young girl in pajamas on the front made me assume that this was a middle grade book. When the text said Jam was 15 and she said “shit,” I went online and saw that it is categorized as YA. This makes much more sense considering the dark themes of the story, and I wish this were reflected in its design.

    Pet is one of the best books I read in 2021, and I am very curious to read Emezi’s adult novels!

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    Jam is a 15-year old trans girl. She doesn’t speak often, preferring to sign her words instead. When she does speak aloud, it’s for something truly important. When she was three, the first word she said (yelled, actually), was “Girl! Girl! Girl!” Her parents took her tiny word for it and stopped referring to her as their son. Her knowledge of herself is respected regardless of age, and she is given access to the hormones and surgery that allow her body to develop in more feminine ways during puberty. This is all explained within a page or two as an example of how this utopia differs from our current reality. Other than this section (and I think one mention later in the book), Jam is always referred to entirely as a girl. It feels revolutionary precisely because it’s NOT the focus of the book.

    Non-heteronormative relationships are also displayed in Redemption’s family. He has three parents, one of whom is non-gendered and goes by they/them pronouns. Overall, this world is just blithely accepting of everyone, and it’s beautiful.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

    Find more books nominated for Lambda Literary Awards reviewed here!

  • You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

    You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

    Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

    But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down . . . until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington.

    The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams . . . or make them come true?

    Goodreads

    You Should See Me in a Crown is a YA novel about prom that captures the high school experience in a way that actually makes me remember high school fondly. Yeah, it’s that good. I think it’s a mix of pop culture, swirling emotions, and combined fear and excitement about the future.

    It’s a little ironic that this book reminded me of my high school experience because I didn’t go to prom, but Lighty’s band geekery (woodwinds, represent!) made me so happy. I also resonated with her realization that although some popular kids are evil, most of them are good people who are fun to be around. I distinctly remember that experience during my senior year, and it made me wonder how different the previous three years might have been if I hadn’t been so committed to the nerd vs. popular crowd cliché.

    This IS a book that’s all about prom, and holy cow, does Lighty have to jump through hoops to try to win the crown. There is entirely too much volunteer work and event participation required, but despite my skepticism as to its basis in reality, it was a good set up for fun moments, from a bake off food fight to a football massacre.

    As much as I love the romance in this book (and we’ll get to it), one of the things I loved most was Lighty’s friendships. She’s got a great girl squad, but it’s her complicated relationships with Jordan and Gabby that show real depth and offer some lovely sentiments about forgiveness. And you know I love a platonic guy/girl friendship!

    What Makes This Book Queer?

    Liz Lighty has already come to terms with her attraction to women before this book begins, and she’s out to her friends and family. However, she keeps her sexuality hidden from the world at large, and I appreciated her hesitancy to come out in a small Midwestern town when she’s so close to escaping to a bigger, less homophobic world.

    This becomes much more difficult when she meets Mack, and omg, their relationship is so cute! Introducing a love interest with her defending the protagonist against a racist comment and casually being all, “I have a rule that I speak up when people do or say racist stuff” is excellent. I am also in love!

    My only complaint is that the drama in their relationship hinges on a lack of communication, and that is my absolute least favorite reason for drama. I get that Lighty is self-conscious about her family’s financial status, but it doesn’t feel that weird for a high school student to need a $10,000 college scholarship.

    Luckily, this is a YA novel, and….spoilers, I guess….but things wind up okay! I really loved every beat of Lighty’s experience of being outed and then supported. It gave me such “the kids will be alright” feelings.

    Oh, last thing: Campbell Confidential sounds terrible – do schools really have their own social media apps now??

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

    Find more books nominated for Lambda Literary Awards reviewed here!

  • More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

    More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

    Part Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, part Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Adam Silvera’s extraordinary debut confronts race, class, and sexuality during one charged near-future summer in the Bronx.

    Sixteen-year-old Aaron Soto is struggling to find happiness after a family tragedy leaves him reeling. He’s slowly remembering what happiness might feel like this summer with the support of his girlfriend Genevieve, but it’s his new best friend, Thomas, who really gets Aaron to open up about his past and confront his future.

    As Thomas and Aaron get closer, Aaron discovers things about himself that threaten to shatter his newfound contentment. A revolutionary memory-alteration procedure, courtesy of the Leteo Institute, might be the way to straighten himself out. But what if it means forgetting who he truly is?

    Goodreads

    I can’t say I liked this book, but I’m so glad I read it and I want everyone in the world to read More Happy Than Not.  I read the entire thing in one night: it was wholly engrossing, and then the plot kicked me upside the head and I learned a new kind of desperation for MUST READ.  This is not a feel-good book, but it might leave you feeling….no I can’t do the cheesy “more happy than not” line.  Because honestly, I closed the book feeling more UNhappy than not.  I tend to expect my YA books to have happily ever after endings, and this one was serious is a wonderful but disconcerting way.  

    More Happy Than Not is an intersectional LGBTQ+ novel, telling the story of young gay teenagers who live in poverty as people of color.  I really appreciated Silvera opening my eyes to the stories of men like Aaron…even though this is also, technically science fiction.

    And isn’t that so cool??  That I would wait until the end of the second paragraph to mention that there’s a sci-fi element, the Leteo Institute, which can alter and erase people’s memories.  Silvera masterfully creates a not-too-distant future that, for once, is far more about the things that are similar to our time than about the differences.  I found it really refreshing to read a book that wasn’t up in my face about Cool New Ideas and Technologies.  It made the sci-fi elements more believable, because if they were normal….people wouldn’t insist on talking about them 24/7.

    Anyway, this book will break your heart, make you think, and blow your mind.  So obviously–go read it!

    Originally posted on my blog www.itistrish.com.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

    I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

    When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they’re thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents’ rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.

    But Ben’s attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan’s friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

    At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity. 

    Goodreads

    A coming of age coming out novel that handles the fear of being fully yourself with patience. It stresses the importance of finding safe people to be your foundation so that you can better survive the spaces and people who are less safe (or actively dangerous).

    Ben begins the story at their lowest moment, having just been kicked out of their house after telling their parents that they are nonbinary. I can tell I am old because I just wanted to cuddle them and make everything okay for this tiny precious child. In a nice twist of the “found family” story, Ben finds a family…in their estranged older sister. It was a joy to see the two of them reconnecting and building a new relationship while addressing the pain of their initial separation (which had more to do with their parents than each other).

    Ben finds family in other ways too, of course. I loved the role of the Internet in Ben’s life. It is through Internet role models and community that Ben is able to label themselves nonbinary, and the friends they make online are a support throughout the book. Queer folx often find community online, so this felt very true. But I did like that they eventually joined an in-person support group as well.

    As for those parents…ugh. They are awful in very realistic ways. The dad is just pure bigotry with an utter lack of desire to understand his child. The scene where he condescendingly says, “Now who’s misgendering someone?” to Ben just reeked of smug superiority. It is infuriating and heartbreaking. The mom is more subtly bigoted. She wants to love her child, but under terms that she understands. I do feel a bit sympathetic toward her; I wonder what her reaction might have been if she were married to someone different.

    The romance in this book is adorable, and the chemistry between Ben and Nathan is SO CUTE. However, I have a gripe. No matter how anxious and insecure Ben is, could they REALLY doubt Nathan’s feelings toward them? Nathan overtly flirts with Ben from day one, holding their hand, repeatedly saying they are handsome and cute. I mean, come on!! Teenage boys do not do that sort of thing with their friends. Still…so cute.

    The last thing I’ll note is that I really liked that the book allowed space for people close to Ben to mess up. Sometimes people slipped and called them something masculine. Ben’s inner monologue let’s us know that they are hurt by this, but they model healthy relationships by pointing out instances of misgendering and allowing people to apologize and learn. I think these depictions can help those of us who identify as cisgender to enter into conversations and relationships with nonbinary folx with a little more confidence.

    Rating: 4 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!

  • 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

    A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

    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.

    Goodreads

    SPOILER because I’m annoyed by the book description: By “friendship,” the paragraph above means BOYFRIENDS. This book is queer as hell and so cute.

    This book is lovely.  I read it for the first time in one day, staying up until 2:00 in the morning because I couldn’t sleep until I had the whole thing finished.  This book has everything I love – friendship and the awkwardness of a new romance, families that are deeply scarred but deeply loving, introspective thoughts about growing up and finding yourself.  And the whole thing is told in Saenz’s beautifully simplistic prose.

    I honestly don’t know how to describe how awesome this book is.  Aristotle (Ari) is a loner because he lives too much in his own head, burying himself under pain and doubt and confusion.  Dante is a loner because he is too enthusiastic, too smart and too concerned with beauty and life.  Together they complete each other, in both stupid and meaningful ways.

    I loved the subtle comparisons between Ari and Dante’s relationships and those of their parents.  Seems like quiet melancholy people need outgoing emotional people and vice versa.  Relationship dynamics are so fascinating to me, and it was cool to see three different variations on the same theme of opposites attracting and complementing one another.

    Underlying all the relationships is Ari’s struggle with growing up.  Everything is changing for him, and he doesn’t know how to be himself.  I’m a huge fan of coming-of-age stories, and Ari’s introspective nature makes for a really wonderful look inside an adolescent’s head.

    This book is so fantastic, I wish I could read it again for the first time over and over.

    NOTE: The audiobook is read by Lin-Manuel Miranda, so do yourself a favor and read the hard copy AND listen to the audiobook.

    Rating: 5 out of 5.

    Check out our Queer Lil Library for more book recommendations and reviews!