Hi all and welcome to another post on mini reviews! I read all these stories in June and I know we are heading towards mid-July, but I loved all of these so much and I felt that I had to express so.
Two of these are audiobooks and the third one I acquired through the library.
Mini Review #1
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Author: Akwaeke Emezi (author), Christopher Myers (narrator)
Length: 5hrs and 33 min
Publisher: Make Me A World
Release Date: September 10th, 2019
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.
CW: child abuse
The narration for this audiobook was amazing! I was so enthralled by the story and the narrator only made the world and the characters come alive even more. The writing is poetic and touches upon so many relevant themes despite being set in the future. I loved the main character, Jam. Her desire to do right by her community was admirable.
Most of the stories I’ve read with Trans MCs focus on the pain of the experience. Pet is not that story. Jam is a femme trans MC wit selective mutism. It was so interesting to experience a character that used sign language to communicate most of the time, but also a character that wasn’t defined by their transition whose parents were so welcoming and accepting. It was not only Jam’s parents but the world that she lived in embraced transition and she wasn’t othered. I loved how mental health was discussed in the context of the parents.
Pet, the titular character and the monster that comes to hunt for a monster was my favorite character. The voice the narrator used and the wit of the writing was brilliant. Pet is the one that looks like a monster, but what makes a monster? Their looks or their actions? This is a big theme that is discussed throughout the novel. The novel sets itself as a utopian society, but we all know how those turn out.
Jam’s relationship with her best friend, Redemption, is such a necessary relationship in YA lit. Girls and boys can be friends without having to all I love, they can care deeply for each other and protect each other without this pressure.
Emezi’s Pet is a poignant story about friendship, monsters, family, and truth. Their writing is simply exquisite and I cannot wait to pick up more of their books.
Mini Review #2
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Author: George M. Johnson (author & narrator)
Length: 5hrs and 12 min
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: April 28th 2020
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.
Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.
CW: Incest
The audiobook for All Boys Aren’t Blue is narrated by the author. I enjoyed the conversational tone of the author. This was my second audiobook memoir and it was a great experience. Johnson discusses many topics regarding growing up queer, acceptance by family and of the self. The discussions revolving around support network is one that I loved. Even though his family may not have understood him as a child they still protected him and loved him. I loved the pieces relating to his grandma, the way she was and treated George reminded me of my own grandmother and even made me realize something about our relationship.
The message Johnson sends readers about its importance and the intentions for this manifesto are beautiful. This memoir very much deals with intersectionality of identities, which is one of the topics that I always look for in reading. All Boys Aren’t Blue is an honest and raw discussion of queerness and a celebration of Black joy that you won’t want to miss.
Mini Review #3
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
Pages: 290
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 29th 2019
In a community that isn’t always understanding, an HIV-positive teen must navigate fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love–and lust–for the first time. Powerful and uplifting, Full Disclosure will speak to fans of Angie Thomas and Nicola Yoon.
Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.
Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.
Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on…
I had a library loan of this book since before March. I kept on saying that I would read it and then it would fall to the back of the pile. In June I said “no more”. What drew to this story was the topics of bisexuality and living with HIV. I thought I would love it, but never imagined the extent of how much.I absolutely loved Simone. She is funny and caring. She went for what she wanted and yes she isn’t perfect and experiences self-doubt, but at the end of the day she will stand up for herself. That’s great to see. Also, her love for musicals is so contagious.
Simone’s relationship with her parents is just amazing and I loved their dynamic. Also, her friends are so amazing. I loved how they were all queer and the exploration of those friendships. Their relationship felt so real and so tangible. I could see myself talking to my friends like that and hanging out with them.
The romance! Miles was such a great character. The moments between Simone and him melted my heart. He doesn’t play games with Simone he is straightforward about his affection, I just loved that so much.The discussion of bisexuality and not feeling as if you belong in queer spaces resonated so much with me. Questions such as can I still be bisexual if I like a boy? That is a question that I struggled with so much when questioning my sexuality and Full Disclosure tackles it beautifully.
I had never read a book with a main character who is HIV positive. My encounter which such topics has been with shows/plays that take place in the 80s, so this was a whole new experience. There is this perception that people with HIV cannot live normal lives and this is not the case if one has the appropriate care. I enjoyed the way the novel tackles these topics and how they are obviously a part of Simone’s life, but they do not hinder her, they are not her because she is so much more. This is another book that makes a strong emphasis on the importance of support networks and I love that.
Full Disclosure is a fantastic read about questioning sexuality, falling in love, navigating friendships, and living despite what society thinks.
I don’t fully know if those were mini reviews, but thank you for reading them! I hope you enjoyed this post 🙂
Erin says
Mini-reviews are possibly my favourite! And I loved all your thoughts on the books?
Natalie says
Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing them.