Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Immy, come on—no one thinks you’re a queerphobe.” She shakes her head at me, smiling. “And yes, I know I’m queer. I’m valid. All of that. I guess it’s just me seeing the way—I don’t know. They have their shit together, you know?” I hug Puppy the unicorn close to my chest. “So it’s just...I’m bisexual? And we used to date, but we’re friends now. And other than that—” it was lili handing imogen the label. saying: try this on for size. let me know how it fits. look how you don’t have to change, even if the way others see you “changes.” Smith’s genre-bending companion novel to the beloved Hearts Unbroken is a deliciously spooky adventure teen audiences will devour. Hughie Wolfe (Mvskoke) is volunteering at a new spooky show and Halloween attraction called Harvest House. But after he learns that it features a character described as the vengeful spirit of an “Indian maiden,” he becomes unsettled by the organizer’s stereotypical and offensive choices and tries to figure out when to speak up. All the while, strange things are happening near Harvest House, and Hughie and friends decide to investigate whether a haunting is truly taking place.
A little personal – I am someone who came out over 20 years ago *coughs* (shhhh, I know). I came out as lesbian when I was 16, and non-binary 17 years after that. This stuff isn’t linear. But above both beds, it’s just photos—rows of prints, sloping subtly downward because Lili’s never met a straight line in her life. The ones above my bed are mostly from this year— group selfies and sunny snapshots of her friends in various combinations. But the ones above Lili’s bed are from home. I promise I’m not. I’m just saying, you have a right to be kind of unsettled by this. I don’t even mind if you blow my cover. I mean, I mind. But if you want to set the record straight, we totally can. I get it.” Despite that, this was still a very good story. Discovery and understanding of self can be exciting if done in the right context, with the right people surrounding you. This book was full of support, even if one very un-supportive person seemed to take the spotlight most of the time. Imogen worked through a lot, and I feel like it reflected a lot of my own struggle with who I am, and who I want to be. It was enchanting, and entertaining, and full of love for finding a base in your own life to follow. last but not least, let it be known that I am saying all of this as a queer person myself, and had I been a character in this book then surely me writing this review would have been seen as even more "proof" of my queerness. I mean, writing a bitter book review? that's sooooo queer!It’s not that.” Lili frowns. “Not exactly? I just feel like such a baby queer sometimes. I’d only been out for three months when I got here.” Edith lets out a startled laugh. "This is wild. I don't think I've ever seen you just, like, completely lose your shit like this." And again, while it's obvious that this is coming from a personal place with Gretchen, there's just something so grating and irritating about the way she does this that it makes it hard to see her side in any way and she comes across as bitter that Imogen is getting close to the girl that Gretchen has had an incredibly random crush on throughout the book. Aside from an emotional but beautiful self discovery story, this also has amazing friendships though, and a romance that's literally. To. Die. For. The heavier moments were almost effortlessly balanced out by so many cute, wholesome, and really funny moments. If I had to comp this book to anything, it would be YA One Last Stop, based on the humour and the friendship. Which is funny, because Imogen is a huge One Last Stop fan (as she should be). Realist, genuine, unique approach about a girl’s searching for her true identity without being described by other people’s opinions make you easily resonate with the main character.
In case you haven’t been hearing the hordes of queer bookstagrammers screaming about this book, Imogen, Obviously follows our certified heterosexual and biggest ally™️. When Imogen visits her friend Lili at the college she’ll be attending next year, she gets roped into pretending to be Lili’s ex-girlfriend… which means acting like she’s bi and lying in front of Lili’s friends (including the extremely hot Tessa). But she’s not actually queer, right? This isn’t a crush… obviously. there’s something beautiful there—a hand holding yours as you figure it out. knowing that when you’re ready to say the words, someone is there. I received an ARC from HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: She’s told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.I’d say the most direct reference to my own experience happens around the middle of the story, during a conversation about an actress who came out after years of criticism and scrutiny. Unfortunately, I had many recent real-world examples to draw from here. Imogen reflects upon a few of them—I don’t reference them by name, but I think a lot of people will recognize some of these particular moments and controversies. It felt important to recognize the broad impact of this scrutiny. Imogen has no personal connection to this fictional actress, but she’s deeply affected by this discourse—just like my own listeners were affected by the discourse about me.
Ex-girlfriend. We amicably broke up last summer. I’m so sorry. Ugh. It’s so shitty and creepy, I know.”
Harriet and her historian father have transformed the old plantation in Louisiana where they live into an enslaved people’s museum, and the pair run tours together. While the loss of Harriet’s mother is still fresh, it’s the arrival of another mother that throws her world into chaos — that is, a mother-daughter duo with big plans for the property next door, including turning it into a wedding venue. And when her school announces it will be the new location for prom, Harriet is ready to use any power she can to cancel it. McWilliams is an expert at character building, and Harriet is a wonderful and welcome addition to YA.
Great Deal 
New Comment