This is a delightful book. It's funny and charming and yet hard-hitting in places. It's about how society fails its most vulnerable members, about judging people because they are different, about the transforming power of love.
Linus Baker, the protagonist, is a case-worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, effectively in a dead-end job, ground down by routine and a home life centred on his cat and his love of music. Everything changes when he is sent to Marcyus Orphanage to report on it. Initially scared of the children there - one in particular - he comes to see them as individuals and as CHILDREN, rather than people to be afraid of. His life is turned upside down in more ways than one. The children are weird and wonderful, but totally believable, and Linus and the other adult characters, good and bad - particularly Arthur, the master of the orphanage - are beautifully drawn too. Recommended.

Whilst I enjoyed this book immensely, I felt it didn't quite live up to the hype, hence the only 4 stars. I found the beginning a little slow, and would have liked to see more of Addie's life before she met Henry - the episodes we saw never seemed quite enough. Having said that, I liked Addie, and loved Henry, and felt sorry for both of them and enjoyed their romance, which had an ethereal quality about it becasue you knew as the reader that it couldn't possibly last. recommended, with slight reservations.

Disclaimer: I'm a straight cis woman who knows nothing about queer theory.
I found this confusing. Starting with the title - this isn't history, it's theory, academic theory. Presumably treated quite superficially - it covers a lot of ground and is a quick read - and lightened by the pictures, which were fun and interesting. Four days after reading it, I'm not sure how much I took in or how much I understood, and knowing nothing of queer theory, I don't know enough about it to know if it was "good" or "sound" or not. It was thought-provoking, and gave me some things to think about I had never considered before.

Fascinating collection of photos of gay rights protests in New York in the 1960s and 1970s.

This is a YA novel, definitely written at teen level - which is not a criticism. The teenagers in it are well portrayed, with the emphasis on impressing each other and keeping in with the crowd is a Really Big Deal. I enjoyed the inclusion of song lyrics and lists giving an insight into Nala's thoughts. The old people in the retirement home where her grandma lived were brilliant. I would have liked more insight into Nala's backstory and into the point of view of her cousin-sister Imani, but this was an enjoyable read.

Until about halfway through, I definitely disliked this book. But the last couple of chapters, particularly the wrap up at the end, redeemed it for me. There is no denying that Ryan Stradal is a very clever author; I enjoyed the short story structure of the book, and the way you had to look for the connections between the characters. The lack of happy easy endings was realistic, but I also found that frustrating - so many of the chapters left me thinking, "Yes, but what HAPPENED?" There was also rather too much of the seedy side of real life in this book for my taste, and several positively unlikeable characters. Interesting, but not really my cup of tea.

I read this book for my Open university course and found it very hard going. Not just because the subject matter was difficult and new to me, but simply because of the way the author writes. Never use ten simple words if thirty hard ones will do; have subheadings with little to do with what is under them; tell us that it is important to distinguish between x and y and then don't explain the difference clearly.
Even my tutor admitted this book was hard going!