Reviews and Comments

I enjoyed the premise and context - intergenerational authors and advocates joining their voices to the creation of Bear Ears National Monument Park. It's nice to see Native voices included, though it still feels lacking given it was a Tribal Coalition-led endeavor. At times, particularly with the older authors, it's too liberal white-gazey for me to give it more than 3 stars. The few phenomenal pieces peppered in between, and the historical nature of the context make this worth a casual read.

The writing is good and engaging, especially if you have Latinx roots. On that note though, if you're queer, Latinx, or both, then the narrator can be pretty unlikeable and plenty of the things she says hit a bit too close to home. Spoiler alerts for familial physical abuse and homophobia

Incredible gift from Alice Wong to the world, and especially to those in the disability and other advocacy communities who look to her example. Phenomenal insight into her life, mind, and incredible example at setting boundaries on the abled gaze

Partner and I started reading this to each other before bed but some of the stories were too stressful for my partner to read at night. Fantastic collection, incredible pieces. There were a few that were a bit hit or miss for me (in the 3 star range) due to either pacing or writing style, but most of the stories were both heart wrenchingly beautiful and incredibly insightful.

Unfortunately, the only thing that rescues this book is Franzen's skill with language. That the pacing is off and choice of an ending strange is the least of its issues. It's like he got bored with his commission gig and rushed the end. The book includes everything from misogyny to neolib white saviorism, ableism, fetishization of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx cultures, and insinuations of incest and pedophilia. If I remember "Freedom" correctly, Franzen loves his suburban family tragedies. Even if you do too, this one is NOT worth your time.

Jimenez does a phenomenal job at using an unusual mixed narration style (1st person plural, 2nd person singular, 3rd person limited) to draw the reader into a pan-Asian high fantasy depicting the fall of an empire tied to a queer romance and a family's legacy. Beautiful and immersive descriptions, easy to read, and captivating from beginning to end. Content warnings for depictions/descriptions of ableism, violence, gore, and incest.

Winman has a knack for vivid and sweeping descriptions. Nostalgic and beautiful if sometimes bordering on pastiche, the narration can be a bit self-indulgent in that "upper middle class American tourist in Europe" way. The main characters are easy to fall in love with though, and the prevalence and normalcy of queer relationships is refreshing. Content warnings for depictions/descriptions of war.