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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Like Water in Books

Dec 17, 2018

Like Water

Rebecca Podos | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)

7.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

I'm always interested in queer young adult books, and this one especially caught my eye with its mention of "performing mermaids." Because y'all know I love my mermaid books! So Savannah isn't a real mermaid, she just plays one at a water park. But it was enough to make me pick up the book, and it's a good book. Young adult books about discovering your identity are always needed, and this book is about Savannah realizing she's bisexual.

Much of the angst in this book comes from Savannah not knowing if she has the same disease her father does, and she's not sure if she wants to know. Altogether, in this book we have chronic illness, hispanic teens, bisexual, lesbian, and genderqueer teens, small-town angst....there's really a LOT of demographics covered in this book.

I like Savannah, but I don't like her love interest, Leigh, very much. Leigh does NOT have her shit together, and between drinking and doing drugs, all while underage, she poses a very real threat to Savannah's well-being.

I'm a little nonplussed by the ending of the book. It leaves a few questions unanswered, but not in a cliff-hanger-y way. It's more of a possibilities-left-open kind of way. Which makes sense for a "first love" romance. It's not necessarily a "true love" story. It reminds me of John Green novels in that way.

So - it's a great book for representation, but don't expect a tidy, wrapped-up ending. You won't find that here.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com

Kudos

Merissa (12919 KP) rated We Still Live in Books

Dec 11, 2019

We Still Live

Sara Dobie Bauer | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

We Still Live is a contemporary, standalone book that deals with some hard-hitting issues - mental illness and violence at school being just two. John is classed as a hero for his actions in the summer, but it affected him in ways even he doesn't fully understand. Isaac is a new teacher, running from his own past. John isn't Isaac's type, he tells him often enough to begin with, but there is an attraction there that he can't deny.

Although to begin with I wasn't 100% behind Isaac and John, they both managed to change my point of view so I can't see either of them without the other. If I'm being completely honest, I wasn't sure about when Simon turned up. So much emphasis had been made on Elizabeth that when Simon turned up, it almost felt jarring.

This is very well-written, with plenty of emotion and soul-searching to be found. Sara Dobie Bauer showed in so many ways how something like this will have an effect on everyone, and will affect how they view their surroundings in the future.

This is a deep and meaningful book, definitely not one to be read lightly. This does not stop me from highly recommending it though. In fact, I think this is something everyone should read.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!