GRL2GRL

Peters portrays a variety—but an inadequate one—of queer teenage girls. Though most of the protagonists are lesbians, some display other forms of queerness: a genderqueer girl, a female-to-male transitioning boi. Multiple lesbianisms are explored: In “Can’t Stop the Feeling”, Mariah wrestles with coming out; the anonymous heroine of “On the Floor,” unconcerned with closeting, relishes the earthy sensuality of basketball; and Scar_tissu, the instant messaging protagonist of “TIAD,” falls victim to a online emotional predator. The positive stories are emotional and sensual, with only tales of abuse offering any explicit sex. In a collection with myriad presentations of sexuality, the absence of bisexuality (except from one scornful comment) is glaring. Equally disturbing is the sole instance of asexuality, resulting from sexual abuse. After offering such a multitude of voices, this collection’s removal of bisexuality from the queer spectrum furthers the invisibility bisexual readers already experience in queer and straight communities. None of these stories is strong enough to stand alone; a collection whose raison d’être is ideological should be more inclusive. (Fiction. 13-15)