Our Own Private Universe--"It's our duty to love everyone, the way God loves everyone. There's no reason why any one group is less deserving of love than any other"

Title: Our Own Private Universe

Author: Robin Talley


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character identifies as bisexual, another main character as bisexual/pansexual/questioning, and minor character identifies as gay. F/F relationship.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Aki is on a Church mission trip in Mexico, when she meets Christa, a girl from a nearby high school, and they fall hard for each other. Aki is thrilled that she can finally do what she is sure other teenagers her age are doing--but what if Christa finds out she doesn't have any experience? Meanwhile, Aki participates in a church debate that enables her to clarify her beliefs and find a new passion.


What I think: In the Acknowledgments, Talley explains that this book is the one she had always wanted to write and wished she'd had as a young-adult reader. I agree 100%--in fact, Our Own Private Universe reminds me of Judy Blume's Forever but with a girl/girl relationship.



The fact that I compared Universe to an iconic Blume book should be enough to go out and read it now, but I'll talk a bit more about what I like. Just open up another tab, reserve the book at your library or purchase it online, and then come back to this review. I'll wait. 😉


Welcome back!  Here's some of what I like about this book--just skip right to the end if you don't want to be spoiled:

1. The main character: Aki (short for Akina) is a relatable character, who acts like a teenager, but she's not annoying, super reckless, or whiny. She's a pastor's daughter but not overly rebellious and doesn't have a chip on her shoulder like the "pastor's daughter" trope.
   
     
2. The love interest, Christa: At first we readers see an idealized Christa through Aki's eyes, but then we find out that Christa is just as insecure (and dishonest about some things) as Aki is. This does not diminish Christa's character at all: rather, finding out Christa is not perfect makes Christa more relatable and is an important growth moment in her and Aki's relationship.
   
     
3. The best friend, Lori: Based on my dating experiences as a teenager and young adult (okay, fine, as a not-so-young adult also), your friend relationships change when you begin dating someone seriously, especially when you are in that "honeymoon" phase of a relationship. My best friends and I went through it each time one of us began dating someone seriously. Lori and Aki fight for most of the book. Not fist-fight but "not speaking to each other" fighting.
    
   I really related to this storyline--I have had the same best friend since eighth grade, and we did not speak to each other for our entire junior year of high school (over some boy thing, I think. I'm not even sure anymore). Friend fights during new relationships are super realistic.
   
     
4. Aki's brother and father: Drew is Aki's older, college-attending brother. She confides in him about her bisexuality, and he confides in her about his desire to leave college to join the military (his pastor father is a pacifist). They both confess their secrets to their father, and although he is apprehensive about Drew's decision (for a reason I won't spoil), he is 100% supportive of Aki's bisexuality. His reaction brought tears to my eyes--it is parental goals.
   
      
5. The teenagers on the mission trip: I did not do the church youth group thing in high school, but I was super involved for several years in the Campus Catholic Group in college (which would definitely shock several people who know me today!). I met some of my best friends ever in that group, but my memories of them are not of us being pious and overly religious. I remember the lock-ins, sneaking booze in the "dry" dorms, the dances, the karaoke at campus bars, staying out all night with ice cream and parties, sneaking out of the camp grounds in the middle of the retreat to drive to Steak N Shake.
   
   Yes, we were the "good kids," but man, we did have some (tame) irreverent fun. There's a scene in which the kids were in small groups, supposedly thinking of ways to talk to other students about Jesus, but they were really changing lyrics to songs about following Jesus to following Blank Panther Wakanda. I laughed so hard at this because this is something my friends and I would have done FOR SURE. I have since cut ties with the Catholic Church for a bazillion reasons, but I hope my children find groups like that one in our Unitarian Universalist church.
   
     
6. Aki's love of Prince songs: Yes, this deserves its own spot in the list because it is very important. Although Christa wears an actual raspberry beret but doesn't understand its significance? For shame, Christa. That's a strike against you, but I'll find it in my heart to overlook it. You may enjoy Prince's Greatest Hits for bonus points, but it is REQUIRED that you listen to them if you did not know "Raspberry Beret."
   
     
7. The debates: A kid named Jake (who reveals himself to be gay later in the story) goes around asking students their opinions on issues such as gun control, universal health care, and gay marriage, since the "elders" of their church are going to vote on their church's official positions later. Aki finds herself becoming one of the organizers of the debate (unwillingly at first) and then discovers she has a passion for bringing affordable health care to those in Mexico.
   
   A lot of people discover their "passions" in high school, and that is one of the reasons I enjoy working with teenagers. The teenage years are so pivotal for so many people--it's when they decide what they want to do with their lives. The debate is the turning point for Aki and maybe for others on the trip.
   
   However, following the United Methodist Church's vote this week made me push this review to today. I can't help but see the similarities of the church's voting in the book (the denomination is not mentioned but could very well be UMC) to the vote that occurred this week. If you aren't aware, the church voted to keep the anti-LGBTQ language in their official church documents, reinforcing the fact that ministers who are openly gay cannot be ordained and same-sex marriages cannot be conducted by UMC ministers.
   
   UMC LGBTQ members and allies have not given up the fight, and likely the UMC will split into different denominations or cchurches will leave the UMC umbrella altogether, but the church will never be the same. I know some UMC church members personally who are extremely upset and countless other compassionate allies and LGTBQ folks (including me) who are angry and sad that such a major church denomination seems to be on the wrong side of history.
   
   Personally, this kind of news makes me exhausted and ANGRY. Why do people want to restrict civil rights? When has that EVER gone well? [Rhetorical question. Not up for debate.]
    
8. The realistic sex scenes: Those of you who have read Forever may have been wondering why I found these books similar. Obviously, Ralph is missing from this story 😉, but there are the most realistic girl/girl sex scenes I've ever read.
   
   If there are other books that describe using latex gloves and dental dams being used, I have never read them. If I could buy a copy of Universe for every person I've ever heard say "But HOW do TWO girls have SEX, lol??" I would, but I would have to be a multi-millionaire to afford all the copies I'd need.

This book is on the 2018 Rainbow Book List.


My final takeaway (in 75 words or fewer): Um, I'm pretty sure I've made it obvious, but YES, you should read this and buy copies for your local LGBTQ youth centers and your local high school's Gay-Straight Alliances.


Memorable quotes/passages from the book:  

• "The stars above me danced in the cool, black Mexico sky. So I started dancing, too" (first lines, hardback edition).
• "I have lots of friends who are straight, privileged white guys, and I'm totally okay with them. I think they should have equal rights, just like the rest of us. . . . As long as they don't flaunt it, right?" (pg. 21).
• "It wasn't about what you did or about how far you went on a stupid imaginary list. What mattered was what you felt" (pg. 265).
• "Frankly, it's self-evident. As people of faith, it's our duty to love everyone, the way God loves everyone. There's no reason why any one group is less deserving of love--either the love of a church community, or the love of a family--than any other" (pg. 327). 

Other reviews:  Teen Librarian Toolbox and The YA Kitten


This book is available from the Greensboro Public Library.