Ziggy, Stardust & Me--"I wish. I wish with all my might we were up in the stars looking down on us, laughing."

Title: Ziggy, Stardust & Me

Author: James Brandon


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is gay and another is Two Spirit.


Content Warning: Graphic violence, physical and sexual assault, conversion therapy. Homophobia and racism.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): In the summer of 1973, Jonathan lives with his alcoholic father. Believing that his attraction to boys is a dangerous mental illness that must be fixed, Jonathan endures aversion therapy.  Jonathan tries to avoid bullies and spends his time talking to his dead mother while listening to David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust. He feels alone, until he meets Web, a Two-Spirit Lakota boy. Can Jonathan trust the happiness and contentment he feels with Web?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I used to be able to read about topics of sickness and child death, but having kids seems to have wired my brain differently; now I get upset to the point of panic attacks when reading or watching children suffering (It's embarrassing. During one memorable incident at a teacher in-service I left the room sobbing after watching a PSA about children getting injured in a meth lab explosion).

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me--"I'm just willing what I'm feeling to be true. I'm willing myself to believe this is real."

Title: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me

Author: Mariko Tamaki; Illustrations by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main and supporting characters are lesbians and background characters are queer


Content Waring: Abortion


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Freddy is madly in love with her girlfriend, Laura, but Laura (who is popular, funny, cute, thoughtless, and MEAN) keeps breaking up with her. Freddy's friends can't understand why she keeps going back to Laura Dean, and their on-again, off-again relationship nearly causes Freddy to lose her best friend.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Laura Dean is one of those books that I can see non-YA readers (or those who prefer their books to be moralistic in content) scoffing at. Teenage Freddy is besotted with Laura, who is just the WORST. I strongly identify with Rainbow Rowell's blurb on the back of the book:

The Dangerous Art of Blending In--"Maybe the only real ugliness is what lives inside some people."

Title: The Dangerous Art of Blending In

Author: Angelo Surmelis


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main characters are gay


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Evan is the only child of Greek immigrant parents: an abusive mother who sees him as a "disappointment" and workaholic father who avoids all conflict. Evan escapes in his art and writes about his pain in his journals, and it takes Evan falling in love with his best friend Henry to realize that he deserves more than his mother's harsh words and physical violence; he is capable and deserving of love.
 

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): When I was about ten, I read Don't Hit Laurie!, which made a lasting impression because of its vividly terrifying descriptions of child abuse. My mom was NOTHING like Laurie's mom in that book, yet I read it over and over because it was morbidly fascinating and still memorable thirty years later.

I have reviewed books with terrible parents and been horrified by many of them, but none have upset me as much as the way Evan's mom treats him in The Dangerous Art of Blending In.

Deposing Nathan--"Up until he jammed a shard of ceramic in my gut, he was the best friend I ever had"

Title: Deposing Nathan

Author: Zack Smedley


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main characters are bisexual.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Cam and Nate are best friends--that is, until Cam is arrested for stabbing Nate. Cam claims he didn't do it but will not give details. Nate is asked to give a statement, under oath, that will either put his friend in prison and/or expose secrets that he does not want anyone to know.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Holy freakin' cow, y'all. This book would have trapped me in the bathtub if I had started reading it there because I could NOT put it down.

The Songbird's Refrain--"The future is not linear, my little songbird" OR "I'm a bluebird that's been dreaming"

Title: The Songbird's Refrain (pre-order the book for its release September 3!)

Author: Jillian Maria


LGBTQ+ Representation: Lesbians. More than one.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Elizabeth finds a flyer advertising a one-of-a-kind show appearing nearby. When she attends the show, she is fascinated by one of the acts: a woman, covered in feathers, with the same mysterious blue eyes that were on the flyer--trapped in a cage. When the woman dies, Elizabeth finds herself trapped in the cage, growing feathers, forced to sing nightly. Can she escape the power of the sadistic witch, the Mistress, who has trapped her?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I spent the first half of this book singing "I'm a Bluebird" from Follow that Bird. Remember? Big Bird is trapped in a cage and forced to sing by these two evil guys who kidnap him for the freakshow part of their fair, and why are there so many twins in that audience? I couldn't stop picturing poor Elizabeth as Big Bird.

It's safe to say that all resemblances to Sesame Street end there.

Before I Let Go--"Kyra burned so brightly. Until she had nothing left to give."

Title: Before I let Go

Author: Marieke Nijkamp


LGBTQ+ Representation: I know this sounds contradictory, but the rep is both insignificant to the plot AND contains spoilers. Just rest assured that there is LGBTQ+ rep.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Corey and Kyra were best friends in their Small Alaskan town, Lost Creek. Corey goes to boarding school, and days before she visits Lost, Kyra dies. Corey returns to Lost, but something's different. The people reject Corey, calling her an outsider, and worship the memory of Kyra, claiming Kyra's death was "meant to be." Corey is determined to find out the cause of Kyra's death and figure out the mysterious events in Lost.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): What am I reading? I asked myself at least one hundred times while reading. And yet, I couldn't put it down.

Black Wings Beating--"Birds of prey killed to eat, but only humans could choose to kill"

Title: Black Wings Beating (Skybound Saga Series #1)

Author: Alex London


LGBTQ+ Representation: One of the main characters is gay, as is at least one supporting character.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Kylee can speak the ancient Hollow Tongue but wants nothing to do with falconry, the sport that's brought death, debt, and misery to her family. Brysen, to save the boy he loves, seeks the Ghost Eagle, a famed predator that has never been captured. To complete the quest, Kylee and Brysen climb the mountains, which are full of power-hungry tribes of people who do not hesitate to murder those who get in their way.


What I think:

EMCEE (off-camera): Welcome Theydies and Gentlethems to today's episode of Jen Reads the Rainbow--The Game Show version!

[Upbeat theme music plays; audience applauds uproariously]

EMCEE: Featuring Alex London's Black Wings Beating!


[Audience applauds as JEN makes entrance]

JEN: Thank you, thank you everyone! I'm thrilled to be here tonight. I just finished the book Black Wings Beating and y'all . . . I really enjoyed it!

[Applause and cheering]


JEN: However--there is ONE part of the book that I dislike.

I Wish You All the Best--"Labels can help people find common ground, can help them connect, with themselves and other people."

Title: I Wish You All the Best

Author: Mason Deaver


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character is nonbinary. Another is bisexual.


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): When Ben comes out as nonbinary to their parents, they (Ben) are kicked out of the house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband. Ben keeps their gender identity (and anxiety disorder) a secret from the kids at their new school and finds solace in art class. Then, Ben becomes close friends with Nathan. Could their friendship turn into something more? Will Nathan accept Ben as nonbinary?


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Ben's parents' reaction to their child's coming-out is sad, but not uncommon: nonbinary people are often misunderstood even within the LGBTQ+ community.

Girls of Paper and Fire--"When the world denies you choices, you make your own"

Title: Girls of Paper and Fire

Author: Natasha Ngan


LGBTQ+ Representation: Two main characters in f/f relationship


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Lei (part of the Paper caste, the lowest class in Ikhara) lives a peaceful life in her country village until she is kidnapped and taken to the palace of the Demon King to become one of his concubines. The first time Lei is summoned to the cruel, violent king, she fights him instead of submitting to him. Lei falls in love with another Paper Girl, Wren, who is hiding a dangerous secret.


What I think: I knew the book was going to contain scenes of violence and sexual assault, but I still was taken aback by the beginning, which contains a plot event that has been a deal-breaker for me in the past. I did not give up the book, since this event is necessary to give Lei a reason to take the kidnapping soldiers seriously but come on. Some of us have NEVER gotten over these two books (do not click on my links unless you want to be spoiled).

Dear Rachel Maddow--"Liberty and justice for all. Well. Shmiberty and Shmustice anyway"

Title: Dear Rachel Maddow

Author: Adrienne Kisner


LGBTQ+ Representation: Main character and two supporting characters identify as lesbians. F/F relationship


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Brynn's life is not going the greatest lately. Her older brother died of a drug overdose, mom and stepfather are abusive, girlfriend broke up with her, and grades are so bad, she is not eligible to write for the newspaper (the only part about high school that she enjoys). As a class assignment, she begins to keep a journal in which she asks for advice via emails to her idol: Rachel Maddow.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): I love Rachel Maddow so this title caught my eye. I thought the story was going to be light-hearted, but instead it was delightfully, timely, and frustratingly political--and I enjoyed it immensely.

One of those posts in which I don't @ the authors--Inspired by Marie Kondo

Exhausted from working retail at Christmas + mental illnesses (mine and other family members') = writer's block. Also, my ridiculously large to-be-read-and-reviewed list is stressing me out instead of making me happy.

Several of my friends have been all, "You should get rid of the books in your list that are not giving you joy!" and I'm like, "Please don't make me watch Tidying Up. I hate cleaning!"

So even though I told my friends I'm never watching the show, I am basing this post on KonMari Method and removing/not finishing/or not indepthly-reviewing any books that do not give me joy. Do you think I should give any of them a second (or third, or fourth, or more) chance?

(Don't tell my friends I'm surrendering to Marie Kondo. They'll get cocky. 😉)

Don't Let Me Go--"You're not going to straighten things out by running away. Take the phone and talk to your boyfriend!"

Title:  Don't Let Me Go

Author: J.H. Trumble


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Adam is in New York appearing in a play, while Nate is still home for his senior year of high school.  Nate has always depended on Adam for support and desperately misses him. Nate makes a new friend, Danial, but is finding a long-distance relationship very difficult to maintain. Nate starts a blog, which causes some controversy, and begins helping naive, closeted Luke, but if Nate's not careful, he's going to lose Adam for good.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Do you like teenage romance novels with angst, an extra side of angst, and angst for dessert?  Then you'll really enjoy Don't Let me Go.

Actually, that's a bit misleading.  Angst to me implies fluffy, over-the-top teenage nonsense, and that's not completely true about Adam and Nate.

Alex as Well--"More about untreated mental illness than intersex or trans"

Title: Alex as Well

Author: Alyssa Brugman

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Alex, who was raised as a boy, always knew that she was really a girl.  Even as she lives as a girl, the "boy Alex" still lives inside her--it's like she is two people at once.  Alex struggles to live authentically as she deals with her mentally unstable mother and non-confrontational father. When she enrolls in a new school and contacts a solicitor to help her change her birth certificate, Alex discovers something startling.

What I think (in 400 words or fewer):  This book was . . . unsettling.  Alex identifies as a girl and the "boy" Alex talks to her in her head, like another personality.  Every time Alex does something particularly masculine, or rude and vulgar, she blames "boy Alex."  Alex refers to her male part as her "noodle" and mentions that it is smaller than average.

Saving Alex--"We still have a lot of work to do"

Title:  Saving Alex:  When I Was Fifteen I Told My Mormon Parents I Was Gay, and That's When My Nightmare Began

Author:  Alex Cooper with Joanna Brooks

What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): When fifteen-year-old Alex tells her parents that she is a lesbian, she thinks her parents are sending her away to live with her grandparents.  However, Alex's parents send her to the Siales, a husband and wife team who take in "rebellious" teenagers and "fix" them.  Until Alex manages to escape with the help of school staff and a lawyer, she is physically and mentally abused in order to "cure" her of her homosexuality.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer):  Saving Alex that reads like one of those delightfully trashy unauthorized Kitty Kelley biographies that I went through a phase of reading in high school (don't judge).  I do not mean, however, to negate the seriousness of Alex's story by comparing it to a sensationalist novel.  Saving Alex is an autobiography and therefore is authorized, and it is truly horrifying.

Rainbow Road--"A very Sweet Valley Rainbow High road trip!"

Title:  Rainbow Road

Author: Alex Sanchez


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): In the last book of the Rainbow Boys trilogy, Jason receives an invitation from an all-LGBTQ high school in California wanting him to speak, as a star high school athlete, about his public coming-out.  He, Kyle, and Nelson decide to drive to California to have a last adventure before Kyle goes away to Princeton.  The boys get on each others' nerves and learn more about themselves, as you do on a road trip.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): When I read the premise of the book, all I could think of was the SVH book Perfect Summer, one of my favorites, in which the key SVH characters go on bicycle trip, and Jessica meets a hot guy named Robbie October (seriously), somehow a rich girl gets stuck riding with them and she and Lila fight, and the guest nerdy guy (someone's nephew?) saves the group from a forest fire and a bear attack! Road trips in books are SO much more fun real-life road trips!

Rainbow High--"Sweet Valley Rainbow High"

Title: Rainbow High   (Not to be confused with the Evita song that I've been singing all day)

Author: Alex Sanchez


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Jason, Kyle, and Nelson are back in this sequel to Rainbow Boys.  Jason is still struggling to accept his sexuality and is also working to earn a basketball scholarship.  Kyle is in love with Jason and unsure if he wants to leave him to go to Princeton.  Nelson is scared he is HIV-positive and trying to win the love of Jeremy, an HIV-positive boy.

What I think (in 250 words or fewer): Sanchez creates some wonderful, multi-dimensional, believable characters. A review that likens this trilogy to Sweet Valley High explains exactly what I think.  I devoured SVH books as a kid and loved them, even when they veered off into stereotype-world. Rainbow High is a fun and important story in spite of my issues with it.

Two Boys Kissing--"We resent you. You astonish us."

Title: Two Boys Kissing

Author: David Levithan


What it’s about (in 75 words or fewer): Craig and Harry want to set the world's record for the longest kiss.  Peter and Neil are a couple who are going through normal ups and downs in their relationship.  Avery and Ryan have just met, and Cooper is alone and depressed. Snapshots of the lives of each boy are described.


What I think (in 250 words or fewer): First of all, this book was one of the most challenged books of 2016, and a lot of the hype was caused by its cover, which is a picture of . . . two boys kissing.  Duh. What else should be on the cover? Oh my goodness, teenagers will discover that gay people exist by looking at the cover even if they don't read the book!!!!

I'm clutching my pearls, guys, for real.