An impressive commentary on how technology continues to change the way people connect, which isn’t as niche as its subject...
An examination of the geosocial networking app Grindr and the impact it and similar technologies are having on queer culture.
As smartphones have become ubiquitous, so have software applications that take full advantage of Internet connectivity to bridge the gap between actual and virtual space. Popular among these apps is Grindr, an online program geared toward gay, bisexual and sexually inquisitive men. Using mobile devices’ GPS capabilities, the app helps its millions of users discover other users who happen to be nearby. Though Grindr has developed a reputation primarily as a facilitator of random hookups, its heavily moderated interface also caters to a user base of men not just looking for casual sex. Woo gives a crash course in Grindr etiquette, along with addressing privacy and personal safety concerns, while also considering the gamelike atmosphere it promotes (perhaps unintentionally) in an online community where physical gratification is often more accessible than emotional connection. With a charming sense of humor that doesn’t mind digressing, Woo’s book has a refreshingly sex-positive stance with a casual tone even when discussing dry statistics. Also included are numerous infographics, and though black and white, each is visually pleasant and consistently well-designed. Though clearly a fan of the application, Woo shows little bias, critiquing the service while comparing it with other services to better illustrate what the titular program does and doesn’t do. The book’s greatest strength—its thrift—can also be an occasional weakness, as it touches only briefly on some of the interesting questions it raises about consent and entitlement in online-based relationships. Additionally, citation is poor, at times making the information presented feel overly anecdotal, and Woo seems almost hesitant to make concrete statements about topics like social acceptability. Nonetheless, it’s hard to imagine a better introduction to Grindr or a more straightforward look at how technology is changing courtship, cruising culture and everything in between for queer men and everyone.
An impressive commentary on how technology continues to change the way people connect, which isn’t as niche as its subject matter might seem.Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0991870202
Page Count: 134
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.
A fifth-grade New Orleans girl discovers a mysterious chrysalis containing an unexpected creature in this middle-grade novel.
Jacquelyn Marie Johnson, called Jackie, is a 10-year-old African-American girl, the second oldest and the only girl of six siblings. She’s responsible, smart, and enjoys being in charge; she likes “paper dolls and long division and imagining things she had never seen.” Normally, Jackie has no trouble obeying her strict but loving parents. But when her potted snapdragon acquires a peculiar egg or maybe a chrysalis (she dubs it a chrysalegg), Jackie’s strong desire to protect it runs up against her mother’s rule against plants in the house. Jackie doesn’t exactly mean to lie, but she tells her mother she needs to keep the snapdragon in her room for a science project and gets permission. Jackie draws the chrysalegg daily, waiting for something to happen as it gets larger. When the amazing creature inside breaks free, Jackie is more determined than ever to protect it, but this leads her further into secrets and lies. The results when her parents find out are painful, and resolving the problem will take courage, honesty, and trust. Dumas (Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest: Episode 5, 2017, etc.) presents a very likable character in Jackie. At 10, she’s young enough to enjoy playing with paper dolls but has a maturity that even older kids can lack. She’s resourceful, as when she wants to measure a red spot on the chrysalegg; lacking calipers, she fashions one from her hairpin. Jackie’s inward struggle about what to obey—her dearest wishes or the parents she loves—is one many readers will understand. The book complicates this question by making Jackie’s parents, especially her mother, strict (as one might expect to keep order in a large family) but undeniably loving and protective as well—it’s not just a question of outwitting clueless adults. Jackie’s feelings about the creature (tender and responsible but also more than a little obsessive) are similarly shaded rather than black-and-white. The ending suggests that an intriguing sequel is to come.
In more ways than one, a tale about young creatures testing their wings; a moving, entertaining winner.Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943169-32-0
Page Count: 212
Publisher: Plum Street Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.
In the ninth book in the Bluford young-adult series, a young Latino man walks away from violence—but at great personal cost.
In a large Southern California city, 16-year-old Martin Luna hangs out on the fringes of gang life. He’s disaffected, fatherless and increasingly drawn into the orbit of the older, rougher Frankie. When a stray bullet kills Martin’s adored 8-year-old brother, Huero, Martin seems to be heading into a life of crime. But Martin’s mother, determined not to lose another son, moves him to another neighborhood—the fictional town of Bluford, where he attends the racially diverse Bluford High. At his new school, the still-grieving Martin quickly makes enemies and gets into trouble. But he also makes friends with a kind English teacher and catches the eye of Vicky, a smart, pretty and outgoing Bluford student. Martin’s first-person narration supplies much of the book’s power. His dialogue is plain, but realistic and believable, and the authors wisely avoid the temptation to lard his speech with dated and potentially embarrassing slang. The author draws a vivid and affecting picture of Martin’s pain and confusion, bringing a tight-lipped teenager to life. In fact, Martin’s character is so well drawn that when he realizes the truth about his friend Frankie, readers won’t feel as if they are watching an after-school special, but as though they are observing the natural progression of Martin’s personal growth. This short novel appears to be aimed at urban teens who don’t often see their neighborhoods portrayed in young-adult fiction, but its sophisticated characters and affecting story will likely have much wider appeal.
A YA novel that treats its subject and its readers with respect while delivering an engaging story.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 978-1591940173
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Townsend Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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