It’s the casual racism for me. Everything people wax poetic about this books is true. Beautifully captures a time post stonewall and pre aids crisis. Gay gatsby. But we have to hold space to honor the history of those before us while critically examining the things they got wrong. This is a white, privileged book just as much as it is a tale of gay melancholy. We can sympathize with the oppression of these gay men in Dancer and also reach for a more intersectional mindset. 
I’m glad I read it, but I would be reluctant to recommend it. And never without heavy warnings.

I struggled with this one. It is at time exceptionally insightful and there are passages that I found beautiful and moving. But overall it isn’t going to be one of my favorites. It is an embodiment of white queerness  and reflects (i think accurately)a lot of flaws that us white queers have. While the author tries to tackle a conversation in race, I didn’t find it helpful.

The main character curses someone, spends the whole book trying to help that person, and yet the focus of the story is only ever on the main characters growth. And while there is some growth, it was self centered and white centric and I did not like who the main character started or ended as

This book definitely put NKJ in the top five of my favorite authors. It is a stunning second book, and I thought it couldn’t get any better than Stone Sky.

I was enraptured from the start. I fell head over heels for these characters and this world and this book broke me. It punched me in the face and I said thank you. It is dark, so if you aren’t in a good headspace be very careful. 

This books is such a fun read. The rhythm of the words is engaging and the squids are fantastic. It’s one my child and I have read many times and always love it.

The colors? The feels? The gay? I loved this book. Space and restoration and finding yourself and uncovering histories. All told with breathtaking art. I wanna frame many of these pages.

The perfect amount of rage. I loved every page.