A lyrical meditation on growing up queer, brown, and Hindu.
Linked, illustrated vignettes, reissued in a 10th anniversary edition with a new cover and foreword by Cherie Dimaline, inspired by Shraya’s childhood spent learning to love her queer, brown, complex self.
This work of creative nonfiction begins with Shraya’s mother’s prayers for two sons. This binary, gender-based bargaining with Hindu gods is a stark contrast to the author’s fluid gender identity: although Shraya now identifies as transgender, she wrote this book before coming out and has kept the pronouns and male identifiers from the original. The book moves between India and Canada, and Shraya’s treatment of India is refreshingly nuanced and affectionate. In Canada, Shraya’s 5-year-old self is spanked for trying on lipstick without permission, but in India, his aunts eagerly wrap him in saris and bangles and praise his prettiness. Several stories capture Shraya’s changing relationship with his Hindu faith, from the disappointment of failing to convince the Hindu sage Sai Baba to take him on as a student to the ecstatic discovery of the half-man half-woman deity Ardhanaraeeshwara (“I am not invisible anymore”). Each vignette beautifully captures the tension Shraya’s younger self felt navigating the intersections of gender, race, and faith. The author’s stunningly honest voice is suffused with tenderness not only for her past self, but also for other young people currently coming to terms with multiple identities in families and societies that may not be accepting of their full selves.
A lyrical meditation on growing up queer, brown, and Hindu. (Short stories. 12-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-55152-813-7
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
