We Contain Multitudes

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! :)