Mini Reviews: Georgia Peaches & Weird Girls

 
Book: Georgia Peaches and other Forbidden Fruit
Author: Jaye Robin Brown
Published: August 30, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Number of Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Tags: YA, LGBTQ+, Romance, Contemporary

 Goodreads/Amazon

Synopsis: Joanna Gordon has been out and proud for years, but when her popular radio evangelist father remarries and decides to move all three of them from Atlanta to the more conservative Rome, Georgia, he asks Jo to do the impossible: to lie low for the rest of her senior year. And Jo reluctantly agrees.

Although it is (mostly) much easier for Jo to fit in as a straight girl, things get complicated when she meets Mary Carlson, the oh-so-tempting sister of her new friend at school. But Jo couldn’t possibly think of breaking her promise to her dad. Even if she’s starting to fall for the girl. Even if there’s a chance Mary Carlson might be interested in her, too. Right?   

-MY REVIEW-

"I want to feel proud and happy about my selflessness. But what happens when being selfless takes away a big part of your self?"

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, are you ready for my review? Well, I'm not. So, this might turn out to be awful, but I'm going to try anyway! In Georgia Peaches and other Forbidden Fruit, we follow Jo, a teenager who is forced to move with her father to Rome, Georgia (where his new wife lives). So, she reluctantly packs up her bags, says goodbye to her friends, and moves into Rome. Slight problem, Jo is out and proud, and Rome? Isn't as accepting as she was hoping.

I thought that this was a super cute romance! I loved how relatable all of the characters were, and that really helped the story for me. It wasn't a cheesy romance, and I appreciate the fact that Brown made this a story that would happen in the real world. 

While I thought that the story lagged at times, the romance and characters were enough to keep me coming back to read more. That along with the interesting topics that this book discusses, mainly about keeping your faith, and being gay, or bisexual. Along with coming out to people who don't support you. This book was filled with important messages, and is an important read. 

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Book: Weird Girl and What's His Name

Author: Meagan Brothers
Published: October 13, 2015
Publisher: Three Rooms Press
Number of Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 Stars
Tags: YA, LGBTQ+, Contemporary, 5 Stars

Goodreads/Amazon

Synopsis: In the tiny podunk town of Hawthorne, North Carolina, seventeen-year-old geeks Lula and Rory share everything—sci-fi and fantasy fandom, Friday night binge-watching of old X-Files episodes, and that feeling that they don’t quite fit in. Lula knows she and Rory have no secrets from each other; after all, he came out to her years ago, and she’s shared with him her “sacred texts”—the acting books her mother left behind after she walked out of Lula’s life. But then Lula discovers that Rory—her Rory, who maybe she’s secretly had feelings for—has not only tried out for the Hawthorne football team without telling her, but has also been having an affair with his middle-aged divorcee boss. With their friendship disrupted, Lula begins to question her identity and her own sexual orientation, and she runs away in the middle of the night on a journey to find her mother, who she hopes will have all the answers. Meagan Brother’s piercing prose in this fresh LGBT YA novel speaks to anyone who has ever felt unwanted and alone, and who struggles to find their place in an isolating world.

-MY REVIEW-
 

"My personal theory as to why the other kids called Lula "Weird Girl" was that Lula didn't seem to mind not having any other friends besides me." 

I loved this book, but I didn't love it in the way that I usually love books. I'm used to reading books that rely on the mystery, or action, or even romance, but this one relied solely on the characters. So, to be honest, if you don't like the characters, then you probably won't like this one. Though, if you loved the characters like I did, this will be a real treat to read. 

In this book we follow Rory, who is sleeping with his boss, and Lula, who is trying to figure out who she is. The first half of the book is told from Rory's POV, and talks about what happens before Lula disappears, and the second part of the book is about what happens afterward, and how it changed everyone.

My favorite part of this book had to the the multiple discussions on topics like figuring out your sexuality, learning who you are, and a lot more. These topics made the book a lot more meaningful, and made up for interesting dialogues between the characters. I know that my very short synopsis in the former paragraph made this book sound sort of shallow, but it really isn't. I just don't want to spoil anything for you guys.

This was a very fast read, that kept me engaged throughout, and is definitely a book to add to the top of your TBR pile.