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Publication
Dial Books (2019), 320 pages
Description
"Juliet, a self-identified queer, Bronx-born Puerto Rican-American, comes out to her family to disastrous results the night before flying to Portland to intern with her feminist author icon--whom Juliet soon realizes has a problematic definition of feminism that excludes women of color"--
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User reviews
LibraryThing member BrokenTune
4.5* - Not perfect, but I loved it.
"Feminism. I’m new to it. The word still sounds weird and wrong. Too white, too structured, too foreign: something I can’t claim. I wish there was another word for it. Maybe I need to make one up. My mom’s totally a feminist but she never uses that word. She
When I first looked into picking up Juliet Takes a Breath, I came across a review that described this book as the female version of The Catcher in the Rye. My immediate reaction was "Oh, good grief, noooooo!" and I instantly wanted to cancel the sample that had just been delivered to my kindle.
However, I read the first few pages and was kinda hooked by the voice of Juliet, a 19-year-old Latina, living in the Bronx. The book starts with Juliet writing a letter to the author of her favourite book, a book that she originally started reading as a joke, but that turned out to have such an impact on her that she started to question her view of life.
"I fall asleep with that book in my arms because words protect hearts and I’ve got this ache in my chest that won’t go away."
I guess, this is where the similarities with Holden Caulfield start. But, really, this is also where they end. Where Holden dismisses the believes of others over his own somewhat narrow-minded ideas, which are based on his misinterpretation of the Burns poem (which he never really bothers to find out more about), Juliet wants to learn more about the ideas in the book that she regards as her "Bible" and manages to arrange an internship with its author.
And so Juliet's huge road trip begins. She moves to Portland (OR) for the summer to help her author gather material for a new book, and by doing so learn more about herself, her family, her relationships with others, her place in the world, and as with all good coming-of-age stories, she learns that stories change depending on whose narrative is given a voice.
"Who were these women? I didn’t recognize any of their faces. How could I be 19 and not know any of them? I’d always done all of my homework, read all of the books assigned in school and yet, here was a world full of possibly iconic ladies I knew nothing about."
Unlike The Catcher in the Rye, which was a painful read because I mostly remember wanting to smack Holden with his own book, I could hardly wait to pick up Juliet Takes a Breath in my spare time. A couple of nights sleep may have suffered also, but it was such good fun reading this, that I really didn't mind.
I'm looking forward to more of Gabby Rivera's writing.
"It made me wonder about all the ways that we are able to love each other and how movies and TV make it seem like you have to discard people once they break your heart or once the love disappears. Maybe that was a horrible lie, a complete disservice to real love."
"Feminism. I’m new to it. The word still sounds weird and wrong. Too white, too structured, too foreign: something I can’t claim. I wish there was another word for it. Maybe I need to make one up. My mom’s totally a feminist but she never uses that word. She
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molds my little brother’s breakfast eggs into Ninja Turtles and pays all the bills in the house. She’s this lady that never sleeps because she’s working on a Master’s Degree while raising my little brother and me and pretty much balancing the rhythm of an entire family on her shoulders. That’s a feminist, right? But my mom still irons my Dad’s socks. So what do you call that woman? You know, besides Mom."When I first looked into picking up Juliet Takes a Breath, I came across a review that described this book as the female version of The Catcher in the Rye. My immediate reaction was "Oh, good grief, noooooo!" and I instantly wanted to cancel the sample that had just been delivered to my kindle.
However, I read the first few pages and was kinda hooked by the voice of Juliet, a 19-year-old Latina, living in the Bronx. The book starts with Juliet writing a letter to the author of her favourite book, a book that she originally started reading as a joke, but that turned out to have such an impact on her that she started to question her view of life.
"I fall asleep with that book in my arms because words protect hearts and I’ve got this ache in my chest that won’t go away."
I guess, this is where the similarities with Holden Caulfield start. But, really, this is also where they end. Where Holden dismisses the believes of others over his own somewhat narrow-minded ideas, which are based on his misinterpretation of the Burns poem (which he never really bothers to find out more about), Juliet wants to learn more about the ideas in the book that she regards as her "Bible" and manages to arrange an internship with its author.
And so Juliet's huge road trip begins. She moves to Portland (OR) for the summer to help her author gather material for a new book, and by doing so learn more about herself, her family, her relationships with others, her place in the world, and as with all good coming-of-age stories, she learns that stories change depending on whose narrative is given a voice.
"Who were these women? I didn’t recognize any of their faces. How could I be 19 and not know any of them? I’d always done all of my homework, read all of the books assigned in school and yet, here was a world full of possibly iconic ladies I knew nothing about."
Unlike The Catcher in the Rye, which was a painful read because I mostly remember wanting to smack Holden with his own book, I could hardly wait to pick up Juliet Takes a Breath in my spare time. A couple of nights sleep may have suffered also, but it was such good fun reading this, that I really didn't mind.
I'm looking forward to more of Gabby Rivera's writing.
"It made me wonder about all the ways that we are able to love each other and how movies and TV make it seem like you have to discard people once they break your heart or once the love disappears. Maybe that was a horrible lie, a complete disservice to real love."
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
I'm loving how diverse young adult fiction is getting! Although honestly this is more of a new adult book, as the protagonist is in college. Juliet has won the internship opportunity of a lifetime. She's going to work and live with the most esteemed feminist author, Harlowe Brisbane in Porttland
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for the summer. Juliet just came out to her Latina parents and it did not go well, so she is hoping that her summer with Harlowe will giver her the queer confidence boost she needs. Her summer will be filled with self exploration, romance, dance parties, sexy librarians, and questions of race and identity. We need more diverse books like this! Show Less
LibraryThing member elenaj
This book could have used a more thorough edit/fact-check, and it often feels unrooted in time. It's technically set in 2003, but wanders off to something more like 2013 on the regular.
On the other hand, this is an amazing story. It's vulnerable, thoughtful, and complicated, full of love and
On the other hand, this is an amazing story. It's vulnerable, thoughtful, and complicated, full of love and
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challenge. Juliet's voice is fresh and charming, and her story is moving and real. I especially like the thread of mysticism and spirituality that runs through the book - it's unusual to have a book that's not 'about' religion nevertheless acknowledge the genuine interference of the mystical and sacred in a character's life. Show Less
LibraryThing member banjo123
his one I read for my Lesbian book group. It is about a 19-year old Puerto-Rican lesbian from the Bronx, who comes out to her family, and then flies to Portland for the summer, to be the intern for the white, feminist author of her favorite book "Raging Flower: Empowering Your P*ss*."
I really
"No, I didn't know the words. No, I didn't know my preferred gender pronouns. All of the moments where I was made to feel like an outsider in a group that was supposed to have room for me added up and left me feeling so much shame."
Don't worry, Juliet gets past this, but it made me think about how easy it is to use words and phrases that people who are young and new to the community may find exclusionary.
I looked up the author on the internet, and found out that on the strength of this book, Marvel Comics reached out to Rivera to write a comic with a queer Latina super-hero, America Chavez. That's pretty awesome, I think.
I really
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enjoyed this book. It's not great literature, but Juliet is such a fun, bouncy baby-dyke, I couldn't help but love her. The book covers Juliet's coming out, and the conflicts she experiences being a young lesbian of color in mostly white Portland. Sometimes the book gets way to didactic about intersectional feminism, but at other times it is funny and insightful, as in the scene early in the book when Juliet is asked what are her preferred gender pronouns and how does she identify. Juliet doesn't understand what's being asked "I'm just Juliet.""No, I didn't know the words. No, I didn't know my preferred gender pronouns. All of the moments where I was made to feel like an outsider in a group that was supposed to have room for me added up and left me feeling so much shame."
Don't worry, Juliet gets past this, but it made me think about how easy it is to use words and phrases that people who are young and new to the community may find exclusionary.
I looked up the author on the internet, and found out that on the strength of this book, Marvel Comics reached out to Rivera to write a comic with a queer Latina super-hero, America Chavez. That's pretty awesome, I think.
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LibraryThing member knownever
Such a cute book for young adults. My favorite were the parts in Miami. I want to go to the a queer barbershop dance party! Also putting so much importance on meditation/self care was really lovely to see.
LibraryThing member emeraldreverie
Powerful and amazing. One of the best things I've ever read and exactly what I needed right now. Gabby's natural writing sang in my head and painted bold pictures full of tumultuous emotion - life, real life and love and pain and need so visceral and tangible.
LibraryThing member DrFuriosa
This was an engaging coming-of-age story about a queer woman of color. The characters are engaging, and Juliet has a rich, honest voice. The last half of the book feels a bit didactic, as if there was a checklist of points to hit, and the timeline is a bit messy and anachronistic. But this is great
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for learning more about intersectionality. Show Less
LibraryThing member holdenkillfield
As a queer Black woman from Brooklyn, this story was very touching and heartfelt, and I can recognize myself in the character of Juliet when I was a teenager and in my 20s. I knew these characters, and yet I was still surprised by the complexity of them. The characters were so dimensional, and the
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writing was witty, poignant, and soulful. I experienced the gambet of emotions while listening and am still thinking about sections of the story. I felt connected to all the characters and was immersed in the world immediately. I am thrilled I chose to listen to the Audible version read by the author, Gabby Rivera, because their delivery was beautiful and impactful. I highly recommend this story. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibrarianRyan
I enjoyed this as a graphic novel, where I do not think I would have enjoyed it as a novel. I loved the colors the artists used. It kept my attention when I thought the story was slow. Overall it was the artwork that drew me to the story instead of the story itself.
LibraryThing member oldandnewbooksmell
Juliet Takes A Breath is about a “new baby dyke” Juliet going from the Bronx, New York to Portland, Oregon to intern for her favorite author, Harlowe Brisbane. During this summer Juliet finds more out about feminism, women’s bodies, the gay community, and how she defines herself as a Puerto
I’m so thankful for the representation Juliet Takes A Breath has. It absolutely opened my eyes a lot wider about the struggles Women of Color still have in the LGBTQ community as well as things that I may very well be unintentionally doing. White people who consider themselves allies can still hurt and offend even if it’s not intentional. The biggest thing is to own up to it, apologize, and learn from it. Juliet struggles throughout the book as to how exactly to call out someone she cares about for saying problematic things.
The history of amazing women you learn through Juliet’s research is fascinating and like Juliet, I was shocked that I had never heard of them before.
The novel is beautifully written and talks about topics of racism, identity, awareness, and community. Gabby Rivera’s writing style is so personal that it allows you to be in Juliet’s shoes as Rivera writes the “partially auto-biographical’ time in life where everyone is trying to figure out who they are and what they want to be.
I strongly feel this is an important, diverse, coming of age novel about diverse characters from a diverse author that needs to be read by all.
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Rican lesbian.I’m so thankful for the representation Juliet Takes A Breath has. It absolutely opened my eyes a lot wider about the struggles Women of Color still have in the LGBTQ community as well as things that I may very well be unintentionally doing. White people who consider themselves allies can still hurt and offend even if it’s not intentional. The biggest thing is to own up to it, apologize, and learn from it. Juliet struggles throughout the book as to how exactly to call out someone she cares about for saying problematic things.
The history of amazing women you learn through Juliet’s research is fascinating and like Juliet, I was shocked that I had never heard of them before.
The novel is beautifully written and talks about topics of racism, identity, awareness, and community. Gabby Rivera’s writing style is so personal that it allows you to be in Juliet’s shoes as Rivera writes the “partially auto-biographical’ time in life where everyone is trying to figure out who they are and what they want to be.
I strongly feel this is an important, diverse, coming of age novel about diverse characters from a diverse author that needs to be read by all.
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LibraryThing member managedbybooks
"Juliet Milagros Palante is a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx. Only, she's not so closeted anymore. Not after coming out to her family the night before flying to Portland, Oregon, to intern with her favorite feminist writer--what's sure to be a life-changing
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experience." This little blurb is what first pulled me in. I loved almost the entire story. The only drawbacks were Harlowe's existence and the stream of consciousness narration. I hated Harlowe, and while I believe that was part of the point, because there's no way she's meant to be a likable character, it was almost too much. One scene that is still so vivid to me is when Juliet gets her period and is refused pain killers because Harlowe's methods are *obviously* better. I also had a hard time following along in some places because of the narration style. Show Less
LibraryThing member rosienotrose
Juliet comes out to her whole family the night before leaving to start a summer internship with legendary author Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women's bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff. Harlow is sure to help her figure out this whole "Puerto Rican lesbian" thing. Except
This is a YA novel which deals with queerness, gender, BIPOC issues, privilege and how Juliet is figuring it out with guidance from those around her.
This would be a great book for a young queer kid or adult. And also a great work from a queer BIPOC voice. I found it interesting to see how Juliet at nineteen navigated her evolving understanding or race, gender, sexuality and expression (the scene in the bookshop
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Harlowe's white. And from hippy Portland not the Bronx like Juliet. And she definitely doesn't have all the answers. Juliet realise she herself doesn’t know all the questions she needs to be asking.This is a YA novel which deals with queerness, gender, BIPOC issues, privilege and how Juliet is figuring it out with guidance from those around her.
This would be a great book for a young queer kid or adult. And also a great work from a queer BIPOC voice. I found it interesting to see how Juliet at nineteen navigated her evolving understanding or race, gender, sexuality and expression (the scene in the bookshop
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LibraryThing member caedocyon
Ha, of course Harlowe was based on Inga Muscio. OF COURSE.
ISBN
0593108175 / 9780593108178