We Contain Multitudes

This is such a sweet book that will also slowly break you as you yell, “Don't fucking do it!” at these characters. However, there are a few issues that I couldn't overlook.

The entire book is written in epistolary format (the letters are written between the two main characters) which isn't going to be for everyone. When I first opened it, I was a little disappointed at that and didn't think I'd be able to finish it. However, I started to really like the character voice(s), even with the total unrealistic writing “of” 16 and 18 year old high school boys. Looking past the prose and sweetness between them, their voices started to become one-in-the-same which the author tries to explain away by saying how much Kurt as grown/matured which seemed like a cheap cop-out. That's why one author writing a book solely from the inner-voices of two very different characters - one is a soft and out and one is a sort-of-ex-meathead and questioning - is really hard to execute and Henstra was no exception. No amount of bluegrass and poetry is going to give this sort of voice to a 16 year old boy.
Also, I've lived in the same city as these characters for the last 5 years and there were some odd choices. Looking up the author, she's from Canada and I didn't see that she at any time lived in Minneapolis. Why she chose to place the book here is beyond me. A major location in the book, The Ace (Club), was a real place that would have worked perfectly with what the author wrote it as - if it hadn't closed in the mid-90s and was now called The Dubliner. There was no mention of The Current or Prairie Home Companion/Live from Here that Jo and Lyle would have certainly listened to, there was no mention of The Turf Club, The Cedar, or even First Ave (despite the Paisley Palace being entered by the characters TWICE?? by some sort of Facebook magic) which are all currently still open and classic music venues, and would have worked just as well as The Ace. It just seemed that the author didn't speak to someone who actually lives here or research it beyond what they may know from being a fan of Prince. I ended up having to think of this as some sort of alternate-Minneapolis or a completely fictional city.
The drug addiction and prostitution leading to the death of their mother when Jo and Shayla were kids was also a major plot point that wasn't actually well-executed and never really had the impact I think that the author wanted, it just gave Shayla a complex that made her more and more unlikeable as it developed over the year this book takes place. It just seemed like some side commentary about the opioid crisis, especially since we're really only getting one side of the story. I just felt really bad for Lyle who seemed like he really was doing the best he could as a single, widowed dad and Shayla just comes across as an out-and-out piece of shit child that doesn't deserve a dad like that.

Despite these issues, I actually really did enjoy this book and would read a “the college years” sequel.

Epistolary novels are difficult to pull off, but Henstra does a wonderful job here.

Twenty-two years ago, I complied an annotated bibliography of YA novels about homosexuality for a college class. It was hard to find enough books on the theme to complete the assignment; there were only a few which had a main character who was struggling with their sexuality and none who were “out”. If I were doing it now, I would have a wealth of choice and I would put this tale right at the top of the list. The characters are great, the pacing solid and the story engaging.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Quite talented writer, book marred by serious flaws that I imagine I'll elaborate upon at some point.

Okay, on 4/3/20, I'm elaborating. It's day whatever of my captivity, and I imagine yours as well, so might as well make a respectable Goodreads showing.

For whatever ridiculous reason, YA books with gay boys corresponding is my jam. How is this a thing? Oh, right – thank you, Simon. ;)

My issue with this book is the author got to have her cake and eat it too to a bonkers degree. If you decide to have the book be epistolary ... told solely through letters ... you have to take the limitations. That means the reader can't always be present, and you figure out how to credibly fill in some of the gaps this creates, and then allow some gaps to remain.

To have these boys recite minute details back to one another of events they both witnessed is jarring, artificial, and unacceptable to me. These flaws inherent in not excepting the limitation mars a book that should have been able to be listed with the best of the best of not just this sub-genre, but also YA.

I can wave away both characters having the seasoned writing skills of professional novelists. Mostly. But the “cake-eating” just got more jarring and absurd.

I think the author is really terrific, though. My fault is not with her, but with the people who should have fixed or made her fix this devastating error. She could have self-pubbed if she weren't going to have guidance.

And I would totally read another book by this author.

Mild Spoilers Ahead:

So much good here, like the handling of the repercussions of abuse. I personally appreciated the discussion of how someone can technically be an adult, a physically strong adult, and still allow abuse by parental figures. As someone who experienced this, I carried shame for along time, and making clear that the psychological power people wield due to their position in your life can then allow them to wield physical power as well, even as the abused are no longer minors.

Also, Prince and Minnesota, so that's all good! :)