Review of Ace and Proud

Ace and Proud: An Asexual Anthology. Edited by A.K. Andrews (2015)

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

you know yourself better than anyone else knows you, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. – An Asexual Teen by Kaya Brown

Lots of people say labels are a bad thing, but when you think you’re the only one feeling a certain way and you can fit a label to yourself, it means there are others like you. It means you’re not alone. - When I Grow Up by Shannon Brown

Reading Ace and Proud was for me a passion read, I identify as asexual but had never read many perspectives on it. But I found that so many of the stories were reflective of my own experience, or at least to a degree. What intrigued me was the role of Tumblr in the process, so many of the writers first found mention of asexuality on Tumblr.

The stories in Ace and Proud vary in style and length. Some are better than others. I found the ones by the more mature writers were a bit better articulated, but all will be valuable and speak to different people. Finding Grace (the gray-ace sex life of a Gen X-er) by Betty Badinbed and Copper Weddings by Martin Spangsbro-Pedersen were probably my favourites. The dedication to ace with a list negative feelings is beautiful and welcome, it very much set the tone of the book. But the pie analogy to describe asexuality is possibly one of the better things I’ve read in a while. Pie in place of sex it’s accurate. I think this is a great book for people just discovering asexuality either as a part of themselves or as a learning tool.

I want to make it clear this is the first anthology of asexual stories I have read but I can clearly see how they could become very samey. Another issue raised in reviews of Ace and Proud is a late twenty-something felt old reading it. I didn’t but I can see how they would feel this. Many of the stories in this anthology are from people under 30 to me that is a very good thing, young people need to know they are not alone, they are the members of our society that are potentially the most vulnerable. Certainly, during my formative years asexuality was never mentioned, and it is easy to see how one could feel broken when the sex is necessary, everyone wants it, needs it refrain is shoved at them. There are stories from others though, the oldest is possibly in their 40s, I’m not sure, age is fairly irrelevant in the context of the book. While asexual as a term was first recorded in the 1800s (as a biological term, "asexual," n.d.) it is still invisible in society, the rise of the internet has likely led to more people identifying as asexual, due to the increase in access to information.

If a library organisation truly wants to read and be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community providing books on asexuality, demi-sexuality, pansexuality (and their romantic equivalents) is necessary. It only needs to be one or two for each, but they do need to be included. Ace and Proud or another anthology of experiences is a good starting point and while all participants identify as asexual their romantic orientation differs as do their ages, medical backgrounds, races and geographic locations.

My reading experience in a gif:

 

Crossposted from Goodreads

References

Ace & Proud cover. (2015, August 13). Purple Cake Press. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://purplecakepress.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ace-proud-cover-tiny-cute-spade-lowered.jpg

Andrews, A. K. (Ed.). (2015). Ace and proud: An asexual anthology [Kindle]. Retrieved from: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B013TSTLH2/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

asexual. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/asexual?s=t

Bustle. (n.d.). Pride asexual flag. Giphy. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/bustle-lgbtqa-asexual-flag-BrNiAk3eXfD4Q

McPherson, C. (2018, May 11). Catherine McP's review of Ace and Proud: An Asexual Anthology. Goodreads. [Goodreads Review]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2388274252

octopussoir. (2013, March 20). Normal Sarah Polley. tumblr. [Image File]. Retrieved from http://octopussoir-.tumblr.com/post/45843938229

Review of Dear Martin

Dear Martin by Nic Stone (2017)

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

You can’t change how other people think and act, but you’re in full control of you. When it comes down to it, the only question that matters is this: If nothing in the world ever changes, what type of man are you gonna be? – Jarius “Doc” Dray

People often learn more from getting an undeserved pass than they would from being punished. – Julian Rivers

 In a phrase Dear Martin is thought provoking.

But it does feel a little simplistic and predictable. At 210 pages something had to miss out and in this case, author Nic Stone elected to skip a lot of the nitty-gritty detail. I specifically wanted to read a book aimed at young people looking at the current tension in the US (police, African-American communities, gun culture, that is an extreme oversimplification kind to none) that wasn’t The Hate U Give. I chose Dear Martin due to it receiving some acclaim.

The protagonist of Dear Martin is Justyce MacAllister a 17-year-old honours student raised in the bad part of town on the fast track to the Ivy league. Dear Martin starts with him getting arrested for try to help his on-again-off-again girlfriend Melo. After that is cleared up he starts writing letters to Martin Luther King Jr (hence the title) as a way to sort out where he is in his life, who he is, who he wants to be. Racism and drama ensue. Justyce is a gorgeous character, lovable and hard for me to fault. His mistakes are that of a young person trying to find their way. And his loyalty is terrifying.

The supporting cast were wonderful. SJ is sweet. Her personality is exactly what an ally needs to be. Doc is an inspiration, I would suspect that he is based on a real person. Justyce’s Mama felt real. She comes across as both wait, what and likeable. Circumstances make her brilliant. Most of the rest are multifaceted and human. Everyone is flawed and that is important.

The writing hooked me. Nic Stone does a fairly good job to my eyes of male voice (for example Justyce is unaware of the term for a makeup compact). The language is stereotypical of what I am aware of for African-American culture. Point of view is consistent, always with Justyce but the person alters sometimes. Letters (diaryish), articles, transcripts are added and mixed to create and tell the story. It makes it a bit quirky. Time is difficult, 210 pages is just over one year. But that is not often made clear. I didn’t feel drawn into Justyce’s world, which feels right as a white, Australian female.

As for the necessity of Dear Martin for Australian libraries. As a vocalisation of a modern issue, it may not be a must but it should certainly be on a want list, young men may relate better to Justyce than to The Hate U Give’s Starr. And modern youth, modern global citizens will be aware of this issue providing them access to it is something the library is able to do. As an additional point, it is worth comparing the stereotyping of African-American people and Aboriginal people, I’m not sold on the experience being that different these days. (no insult is intended to any party).

My reading experience in a gif:

Crossposted on Goodreads.

References

Cover for 9781101939499. (n.d.). Penguin Random House. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://images.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9781101939499

The Hate U Give. (n.d.). In Goodreads. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075671-the-hate-u-give

McPherson, C. (2018, May 11). Catherine McP's review of Dear Martin. Goodreads. [Goodreads Review]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2386410582

Stone, N. (2017). Dear Martin. United States: Crown.

wifflegif.com. (n.d.). Think Sesame Street. Giphy. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/sesame-street-fma-elmo-8acGIeFnqLA7S/links

A Millennial Perspective on Mass Shootings

our interconnectedness not only as a nation but also as a global community; the internet, social media and bullet holes are like the connected dots that make our generation beyond each others shores. - Eugene Lang says this about millennials (in Me & Mass Shootings)

The video this week largely speaks for itself. I will provide some context. Why are gun violence and mass shootings important to Australians? Australia has fewer guns then America, that is an undeniable fact because of this we have fewer shootings. But technology has allowed for global friendships to form. For Australians to connect with people in countries where gun violence is a major issue. That is what this video addresses.

Me & Mass Shootings was posted in June 2016, after what is now the 2nd deadliest shooting in American history, the shooting at Orlando nightclub Pulse ("Mass shootings in the United States," n.d.). So many more shootings have happened since then including the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida ("Stoneman Douglas High School shooting," n.d.) which changed the post-shooting refrain. The messages behind this video are now being spread in America by Gen Z lead by the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This is American but the prevalence of technology for Millennials and Gen Z mean that what impacts one impacts us all, we all feel each other’s pain.

This is my second video from Buzzfeed. This one demonstrates the difference between generations, the diversity between them. The first time I saw Me & Mass Shootings I was got so sad, then so angry. As a millennial I am in this generation, my life has been impacted by the violence and fear of war and terror. I was in early high school when September 11 happened, and we were shown that repeatedly. Over half the male from my graduating high school class joined the military. And this video spoke to me, despite living in a country without easy access to guns the fear was always there. How must it be for those younger than me who have never known a world without gun violence, war splashed across their screens, newsfeeds?. I need to share another quote for perspective.

As the adults argued politics we kids went through a massive tonal shift when it came to our perspective on our culture and our security. And that is when I became paranoid. Because our parents had wars and we had Columbine. – Eugene Yang in Me & Mass Shootings

I only share this as a way to promote another worldview. My world is global, my friends global and most of my generation is the same.

Like last weeks K-pop piece became personal. But sometimes allowing part of yourself onto the internet, into the world is the only way to make the point.

References

BuzzFeedVideo. (2016, June 23). Me and mass shootings. [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2wPCbazMjQ

Mass shootings in the United States. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States

Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 11, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_shooting

Review of Hey, Nobody's Perfect

Hey, Nobody's Perfect by Ann Herrick (2012)

My rating 3.5 of 5 stars

Unclench those teeth. Believe me, there’s a side of me that’d like to punch the guy. But I know that somewhere in the primitive part of Todd’s brain is this illogical fear that he’ll ‘catch’ what I ‘have.’ – Keeley Parrish

Nothing ‘happened.’ I was just born this way. I’m a person with a disability. Basically all that means is that I’m inconvenienced, and just have to do things a bit differently to get around it. - Keeley Parrish

Hey, Nobody’s Perfect is a good book for confronting your own prejudices. Keeley is a wonderful character, he’s not just surviving he’s living and he was born with his disability. I really liked the inclusion of wheelchair basketball as a sport, it’s something we don’t see often enough and as a sport it is ruthless. If you’ve never seen it, you need to. Silvia is a great choice as a protagonist her reactions are natural and human, her family pressures affect her correctly and just her teenagerness feels right. Her family while annoying also feel right, we see them through her eyes.

The plot is simple, it is more a slice of life than anything else but does include Keeley, a new student arriving in a town. The ensuing story is Silvia trying to disentangle her own emotions about her family situation (recently divorced parents, brother eating his emotions), the pressure to be perfect, and Keeley. In many ways, it is a classic teenage romance novel but the addition of Keeley’s wheelchair, his confidence and her response to it move away from that.

Hey, Nobody’s Perfect book walks a fine line between being a parody of reality and realistic. I don’t think a young woman would be nearly as accepting of the apology receives after the actions perpetrated by a character, the book is conscious of that. And his accident changes things. But I think that there are some very realistic actions in here too, mainly where they need to be, around Keeley.

I forget that many people aren’t exposed to wheelchairs at a young age, they don’t develop that awareness and empathy. For a short book, this is a great one to create thought and discussion. There may be others but it is difficult to find representation of wheelchairs in YA. This is a good one.

My reading experience in a gif:

Crossposted on Goodreads

References

Cover for Hey, Nobody's Perfect. (n.d.). Ann Herrick. [Image File]. Retrieved from http://annherrickauthor.com/images/books/bk_hey1.jpg

Herrick, A. (2012). Hey, nobody's perfect [Kindle]. Retrieved from: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07CJNHMD2/ref=docs-os-doi_0

McPherson, C. (2018, May 8). Catherine McP's review of Hey, Nobody's Perfect. Goodreads. [Goodreads Review]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2384442853

Thoughts. (n.d.). Giphy. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://media0.giphy.com/media/jx8ywQbNcgUhy/giphy.gif

Review of This is Where it Ends

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (2016)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This review does contain slight spoilers. Nothing dramatic, only character contextualisation (unless otherwise indicated as *spoiler*, spoiler sensitive version available on Goodreads)

We're more than our mistakes. We're more than what people expect of us. – Chris West

You can't always keep your loved ones with you. You can't always settle your life in one place. The world was made to change. But as long as you cherish the memories and make new ones along on the way, no matter where you are, you'll always be at home. – Fareed Al-Sahar

 This is Where it Ends tells the fictional story of a high school shooting in Opportunity, Alabama by senior Tyler Browne. Told through 4 perspectives over the period of less than an hour it doesn't pull punches it is an emotional and triggering book. The perspectives belong to Autumn, Tyler’s sister, Sylv, her girlfriend, Tomás, Sylv's twin brother and Claire Tyler’s ex-girlfriend. The writing reflects their ages, positions, cultures, and it is a diverse book with multiple ethnicities and sexualities mentioned. There are cut sections with blog posts, texts and twitter content that tell other perspectives of the story. Their inclusion feels key in the reality, especially the addition of trolls in the comments.

The plot is well developed, well researched. While the events are discussed from multiple angles each character has their own insight as to why Tyler is doing what he is doing they are mentioned. As are their plans for the future. The use of perspective allows for different parts of the environment to be explored at the same time. The chapters are well marked with time codes, each chapter is approximately 2 minutes in world. The epilogue is as beautiful as it is heart-wrenching something that was needed but painful to read.

I really like the characters. I found myself attached to them and by the end, I was involuntarily crying. Fareed is a wonderful character I have all the love for, the wordless communication between him and Tomás, his strength and his ending broke me. The twins Tomás and Sylv are amazing their story is a mesmerising subplot. Autumn is the character my heart goes out to, her brother is the shooter, she is condemned by association. *spoiler* Matt killed me. His death tipped me over the edge. And for Autumn and Claire to have to experience it like that I just couldn’t cope, from then on I was a mess. Even more so when I started realising the meaning of that moment for Claire. *spoiler*

As I did with The Sun is Also a Star (McPherson, 2018b) with its accelerated timeline I read this as fast as I could. It took me about 5 hours. That accelerated reading is damaging to my emotions and possibly means I missed details but when a book is set over 54 minutes and I have the time I am going to read it in less than a day.

It is worth noting the sort of shooting that is featured. It is a locked room, everyone is trapped, and the shooter has targets in mind. This isn’t a spray and hope to kill as many as possible. He is acting intelligently and rationally (as much as possible), it is thought out and planned. But This is Where it Ends isn’t about the act, it is about the human side. The immediate effect on people. The shooting has more in common with Virginia Tech than the more recent Parkland shooting, I make the comparison in relation to the personal nature and the locked doors, it is a stretch and I mean no disrespect.

This is Where it Ends is a way to develop empathy for survivors. No one wants to experience this event but we can't deny their existence. In a time of global citizenship and when so many young people talk to others online this is an important book. Allowing those in safe situations to see even a fraction, a glimpse of what survivors do, but nothing will ever compare to the event. I’m rating it 4.5 stars up to 5 because of a perspective issue *spoiler* I wish we’d had an added perspective after Tomás was killed, Fareed maybe. That loss of perspective was both fitting and off-putting. But I might of still taken issue with the addition of that new voice. That loss maybe suited the occasion. I don’t know. I don’t feel a straight 5 is right given that indecision *spoiler*. This is Where it Ends is a book that libraries should definitely have available for everyone but young people in particular.

My reading experience in a gif:

Crossposted from Goodreads

I want to add a TEDx Talk from Sue Klebold the mother of Columbine shooter Dylan Klebold because it’s just another perspective on school shootings. Mrs Klebold has become a voice in the discussion of school shootings as a mental health issue.

References

Cover for 9781492622468. (n.d.). Sourcebooks. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://shop.sourcebooks.com/images/thumbnails/0/500/9781492622468.jpg

McPherson, C. (2018a, May 8). Catherine McP's review of This is Where it Ends. Goodreads. [Goodreads Review]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2384410811

McPherson, C. (2018b, April 9). The Sun Is Also a Star Review. We're all in this together. [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://diverseya.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/the-sun-is-also-star-review.html

Nijkamp, M. (2016). This is where it ends. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Fire.

Sad brad. (2014, October 31). Reaction Gifs. [Image File]. Retrieved from http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/2sbp.gif

Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 7, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneman_Douglas_High_School_shooting

TEDMED. (2017, February 2). My son was a Columbine shooter: This is my story. [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xfyN-yBZ7c

Virginia Tech shooting. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 7, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Tech_shooting

Review of She is Not Invisible

She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick (2013)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

People think I have so much faith in myself, but I have none. I have no faith in myself, or in what I can do, and yet people think I can do anything I want. That's how I seem, but it's an illusion. It's an act, nothing more. – Laureth Peak

In a phrase is book is utterly unmemorable. Whether because I am the wrong demographic, the writing, the rushed ending, the plot, the speed of my reading or some other reason to me this book is unmemorable, not a bad way to spend a few hours, not a bad book but I won’t remember it in a month.

It is quite the opposite of a bad book. There are some good characters, representation is strong here. The protagonist is blind and one of the recurring characters is African-American. In a cast of about 6 that is very good, in my estimation. There is a scene between them a walk in my shoes scene that Michael does for Laureth where his eyes are covered and he listens to the world to understand it as she lives it.

The book has a designated message “One thing: when you learn what she deals with you might love the blind girl who knows that it’s never been her sight that she needs that it’s trust love and faith also.”. It is a message it delivers well. I like the presentation of the message, *spoiler* the first word of every chapter *spoiler*. I like Laureth, her name origin, her confidence, the way she was written and introduced. Her blindness is not her. It does not define her, the are clues in the opening chapters and it is revealed incidentally. The concept of coincidence is key to the story, it is a fascinating way to discuss the history of that phenomena. And the use of the number 354.

But the ending feels rushed almost unresolved. Not fitting the lead-up. Like an opportunity missed, or a total cop-out depending on your interpretation and generosity.

I’m giving She is not Invisible a generous 3 stars because at least some of that fault could lay with me. But it has good representation. If you could find another book with a blind protagonist try that.

My reading experience in a gif:

Crossposted from Goodreads

References

Cover for 9781780621340. (n.d.). Hachette Australia. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://d1j7sgg6ckvcvy.cloudfront.net/books/thumbnails/9781780621340.jpg?v=12&scale=both&width=440

McPherson, C. (2018, May 7). Catherine McP's review of She is not Invisible. Goodreads. [Goodreads Review]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2381538157

Sedgwick, M. (2013). She is not invisible. London, United Kingdom: Indigo.

TV One. (n.d.). Toni Braxton love. Giphy. [Image File]. Retrieved from https://media.giphy.com/media/ctNf9TOzcOSM7jaAM0/giphy.gif