Author: Gabby Rivera
LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character and many others are lesbian, and supporting characters are bi and queer.
What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Juliet is thrilled when she, a self-described "closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx," lands an internship with her favorite, feminist author Harlowe Brisbane. Coming out to her close-knit family right before leaving does not go well. In Portland, Oregan, Juliet enjoys researchin (and the cute girl-librarian), but the mostly white, lesbian feminist scene is not quite what Juliet expects. Will a trip to visit extended family help Juliet define feminism for herself?
What I think (In my ranting, I totally spoil 2/3 of the book. To avoid spoilers, click on read more, scroll down to the six rainbows, and read after that): Juliet's story takes place in 2003, in the summer after her first year of college; I thought "that's not that long ago!" but then realized it was almost twenty years ago. Wow.
I like that Juliet researched at the library to research all these women and topics on random bits of paper that Harlowe has written on and thrown into a box. I had never heard of Lolita Lebron, for example. I knew of Del Martin, but she's worth reading about again. Banana Republic is not just an overpriced, preppy clothing store. Kira the cute librarian who bakes and drives a motorcycle? Sign me up! (Okay, not really because I'm terrified of riding on motorcycles. But still, she sounds hot!)
At first, I could not figure out if I were supposed Harlowe and her feminist friends seriously or not. I found all of Harlowe's emphasis on auras, pussies, and lunar cycles annoying, and the first of Harlowe's friends who meets Juliet is rude. I feel uncomfortable with the celebration of period blood--no, I don't think menstruation should be shamed or avoided but celebrating it is weird to me (even though Harlowe's "sacred period ritual kit" is cool, if one could afford to sit in a bathtub of rose petals, concentrating on "balancing your core temperature," instead of popping an Ibuprofen and going to work anyway, like most women have to do).
Also, equating womanhood with periods and ovaries feels strange to me since I am around so many transgender people. Your parts do not make you a woman.
I also would have been super out of place, with everyone being vegan and smoking all the time (it seemed like), and Harlowe always laughed in what I began to think was a patronizing way at Juliet's questions, so I thought, Am I just too old and cynical for this book?
Then I thought, no. I realized, just as Juliet does in the book, that Harlowe is not as perfect as she seemed in Juliet's fantasies. The event in the book that makes this stand out to most is when Juliet and Halow attend a writing workshop for women of color. There are white girls there, who are all "I know reverse racism isn't real, but we're important too; all voices matter! Waaahhh!" and UGH. I hate that.
And you know what? Harlowe doesn't belong there, either! Then Harlowe lectures the white girls, talking about how it's important for women of color to have a voice and to have their own workshop and they need to check their privilege, which is everything I agree with but HARLOWE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE EITHER.
I do not understand why she (and the other white girls) would feel ENTITLED to be there. Seriously. I go to groups of parents of transgender kids. Yes, allies are important, but the groups are for parents and caretakers. I wouldn't crash an Al-Anon group, for example. Those groups are for those lives have been affected by alcoholism in some way. I wouldn't go to a group of people who raise goats for the fair. I wouldn't go to a group for Jewish senior citizens. I wouldn't even feel comfortable in a support group for teachers who teach in alternative schools, even though I once was a part of that group. And these white girls probably wouldn't think they were entitled to any of the groups I mentioned, either. So why go to a group for people of color? Why is a group for non-white people so offensive that white people feel entitled to go it and have their voices heard?
Juliet, I wanted to yell, Harlowe sees you as a token and not as a real person!
An awkward dialogue with Harlowe and her two friends (we later learn that they are in a polyamorous relationship) ensues, and I deduce that Harlowe is hopelessly clueless (in spite of meaning well) and am certain that the author of the book is telling us that, too.
And then: Juliet realizes it. In the most embarrassing, public way, when Harlowe introduces her at an event like she's some kind of zoo animal, all "here is poor Juliet, raised in poverty with no privilege and I'm her mentor and I'm SAVING HER and TEACHING her the ways of the pussy!!!" or something similar, and I can't even. And neither can Juliet because after that event, she jets off to Florida for a visit with her cousin and a break from Harlowe's world.
I just want to add that I don't judge Juliet's decision of running from Harlowe then. I guess you could argue that she should have stuck up for herself, should have spoken up, etcetera. But she's young. I'm not even sure I would have spoken up in that same situation. (Likely, I would have thought of a billion things to say later).
🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
Juliet discovers that for herself, feminism is different than the world of Harlowe and friends, and it takes a whirlwind trip to Florida to spend time with her aunt, cousin, and friends to, well, find herself again. And when she finishes her internship with Harlowe, she does so with a fresh sense of persective.
The English teacher in me wants to geek out at the symbolism--when Juliet leaves for her internship, she takes only Harlowe Brisbane's book, the one that changed her life. When she leaves, she has the Brisbane book plus a stack of other books that she wants to read. You never "peak" as a person. You will always have more books to read and more to discover.
The Juliet of this story, nearly twenty years ago, would probably be laughing at herself now (like I do when I think of who I was in 2003!). Someone who has not changed since they were twenty is suspect, in my opinion.
Oh, and asthma. I have asthma too. I don't know why I added this random fact, except that there are not a lot of asthmatic girls that I can think of that are protagonists in novels.
And I love Juliet's little brother.
This book is on the 2017 Rainbow Book List.
My final takeaway (in 75 words or fewer): Juliet Takes a Breath is not only an enjoyable book to read on its own, it would be a great choice for a book club or discussion.
Identity (be it sexual, political, racial) can be complicated and change throughout your lifetime. This story explains this in an honest and realistic way, leading the reader to think about their own identity. Kudos to the author for writing such a thought-provoking book.
Memorable quotes/passages from the book:
Other reviews: Lambda Literary and Gulf Stream Lit Magazine
"10 Reasons to Read Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera"
If you liked this book, you should read The Nowhere Girls (review coming soon), Girl Made of Stars, and Leah on the Offbeat.
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I also would have been super out of place, with everyone being vegan and smoking all the time (it seemed like), and Harlowe always laughed in what I began to think was a patronizing way at Juliet's questions, so I thought, Am I just too old and cynical for this book?
Then I thought, no. I realized, just as Juliet does in the book, that Harlowe is not as perfect as she seemed in Juliet's fantasies. The event in the book that makes this stand out to most is when Juliet and Halow attend a writing workshop for women of color. There are white girls there, who are all "I know reverse racism isn't real, but we're important too; all voices matter! Waaahhh!" and UGH. I hate that.
And you know what? Harlowe doesn't belong there, either! Then Harlowe lectures the white girls, talking about how it's important for women of color to have a voice and to have their own workshop and they need to check their privilege, which is everything I agree with but HARLOWE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE EITHER.
I do not understand why she (and the other white girls) would feel ENTITLED to be there. Seriously. I go to groups of parents of transgender kids. Yes, allies are important, but the groups are for parents and caretakers. I wouldn't crash an Al-Anon group, for example. Those groups are for those lives have been affected by alcoholism in some way. I wouldn't go to a group of people who raise goats for the fair. I wouldn't go to a group for Jewish senior citizens. I wouldn't even feel comfortable in a support group for teachers who teach in alternative schools, even though I once was a part of that group. And these white girls probably wouldn't think they were entitled to any of the groups I mentioned, either. So why go to a group for people of color? Why is a group for non-white people so offensive that white people feel entitled to go it and have their voices heard?
Juliet, I wanted to yell, Harlowe sees you as a token and not as a real person!
An awkward dialogue with Harlowe and her two friends (we later learn that they are in a polyamorous relationship) ensues, and I deduce that Harlowe is hopelessly clueless (in spite of meaning well) and am certain that the author of the book is telling us that, too.
And then: Juliet realizes it. In the most embarrassing, public way, when Harlowe introduces her at an event like she's some kind of zoo animal, all "here is poor Juliet, raised in poverty with no privilege and I'm her mentor and I'm SAVING HER and TEACHING her the ways of the pussy!!!" or something similar, and I can't even. And neither can Juliet because after that event, she jets off to Florida for a visit with her cousin and a break from Harlowe's world.
I just want to add that I don't judge Juliet's decision of running from Harlowe then. I guess you could argue that she should have stuck up for herself, should have spoken up, etcetera. But she's young. I'm not even sure I would have spoken up in that same situation. (Likely, I would have thought of a billion things to say later).
🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
Juliet discovers that for herself, feminism is different than the world of Harlowe and friends, and it takes a whirlwind trip to Florida to spend time with her aunt, cousin, and friends to, well, find herself again. And when she finishes her internship with Harlowe, she does so with a fresh sense of persective.
The English teacher in me wants to geek out at the symbolism--when Juliet leaves for her internship, she takes only Harlowe Brisbane's book, the one that changed her life. When she leaves, she has the Brisbane book plus a stack of other books that she wants to read. You never "peak" as a person. You will always have more books to read and more to discover.
The Juliet of this story, nearly twenty years ago, would probably be laughing at herself now (like I do when I think of who I was in 2003!). Someone who has not changed since they were twenty is suspect, in my opinion.
Oh, and asthma. I have asthma too. I don't know why I added this random fact, except that there are not a lot of asthmatic girls that I can think of that are protagonists in novels.
And I love Juliet's little brother.
This book is on the 2017 Rainbow Book List.
My final takeaway (in 75 words or fewer): Juliet Takes a Breath is not only an enjoyable book to read on its own, it would be a great choice for a book club or discussion.
Identity (be it sexual, political, racial) can be complicated and change throughout your lifetime. This story explains this in an honest and realistic way, leading the reader to think about their own identity. Kudos to the author for writing such a thought-provoking book.
Memorable quotes/passages from the book:
- "This book about vaginas has you messed up in the head and confused" (pg. 26).
- "I'd rather sit tight in emotional purgatory than ive right into the firey pits of hell and question my parents' motives behind our upbringing" (pg. 155).
- "I've never appreciated someone else's unrequested guidance on my identity. I don't want their interpretation of who I am or where they think my politics should lie. My Blackness, my queerness, my theological inclincations, what I'm like at a family reunion, who I am in the classroom or in a relationship, all of that is mine" (pg. 183).
- "Funny how Harlowe was worshipped among one group of gay people and dismissed by another. How had I been so naive? How could anything as huge as feminism be universal?" (pg. 257).
Other reviews: Lambda Literary and Gulf Stream Lit Magazine
"10 Reasons to Read Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera"
If you liked this book, you should read The Nowhere Girls (review coming soon), Girl Made of Stars, and Leah on the Offbeat.
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| This book is available here: https://library.greensboro-nc.gov/ |
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| Learn more about the Rainbow Book List here: http://www.ala.org/rt/glbtrt |
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