I’m beyond excited to be part of the TBR and Beyond Tours book tour and share my review & favorite quotes from THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL with y’all today! This book has been one of my favorite reads of the year–and one of my favorite YA contemporaries in a while. So, if you love YA, if you’ve experienced gay panic, or if you’ve experienced catholic guilt–especially if all three are true for you–you don’t want to miss this book!
Seventeen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers drawing attention for her killer eyeliner, not for being the new kid at a mostly white, very rich, Catholic school. But at least here no one knows she’s gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way. After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend, she could use a fresh start. At Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: make her mom proud, keep her brother out of trouble, and most importantly, don’t fall in love. Granted, she’s never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami. The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. Either way, Yami isn’t going to make the same mistake again. If word got back to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do?
My Review & Favorite Quotes
WOW did I love this book! It’s been a couple of months since I read it, but it’s still one of my favorite reads so far this year (definitely a five star read), and I can’t wait to get a physical copy in my hands–can we take a moment to talk about how GORGEOUS this cover is?!?! I know we’re not supposed to judge books by their covers, but the beauty of this one would be a fair prediction of just how good this book was.
YA contemporaries–especially queer ones–have a way of making me cry like a baby because of all the emotions, and this book was definitely NOT an exception. THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL was such a beautiful and loving portrayal of a queer Latina girl navigating sexuality, coming out, and growing up; I was rooting for Yami every step of the way, through all of the drama, mishaps, and good moments.
“It’s such bullshit that there’s stigma around being closeted. We get shit for ‘living a lie’ just because we want to survive.”
This was a favorite quote of mine just because I want the people in the back to hear it!
Beyond even Yami’s main focus on straight-passing (WWSGD, lol) and fighting her budding feelings for Bo, I was so invested and appreciative of the deeper storylines relating to her family and friendships. It felt like all types of relationships and bonds–platonic or romantic–were given space to develop and time to shine within this novel, and I really appreciated it. Yami’s relationship to, and issues with, both her mother and father felt very real and vulnerable, and I loved how the book didn’t flinch from how complicated these relationships with our family can be, especially when you add in queerness and generational differences.
“Definitely gay panicking.”
Nope, you will get no context for this quote–but also, do you need it–and I will say nothing about the where or when; it’s just that this quintessential moment of the Gay Experience brought a smile to my face so it’s one of my faves. (the girls who get it, get it)
I also need to take a moment to appreciate Cesar, and Cesar and Yami’s relationship! I don’t want to say too much and be spoiler-y, but their sibling relationship warmed my heart and is such an important part of Yami’s life and story. Their relationship also brought out deeper threads of this story; conversations about mental illness and also the intersection of queerness and religion, and how that can be a struggle all on its own.
“You’re the one who said it. In lak’ech. I know you know what it means. ‘Tu eres mi otro yo.’ I love you, so I love myself. I love myself! And I know you love me, too.”
This quotes hits a lot different after having read the book, but all you really need to know is once again, I love Yami and Cesar’s relationship so much, and this quote made me need like an entire box of kleenex.
There’s not much more I can say about this book without turning into a spoiler-y and/or emotional pile of slush, so just go out and there, grab a copy, and read this fantastic debut that will break–and heal–your heart. ASAP.
Get Your Copy of THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL!
Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes is the author of the forthcoming contemporary young adult novel: THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL. They write fiction full of queer and Latinx characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories. Sonora is also the creator and host of the Twitter chat #QPOCChat, a monthly community-building chat for queer writers of color. Sonora currently lives in Arizona in a multi-generational family home with a small pack of dogs who run the place. Outside of writing, Sonora loves dancing, singing karaoke, and playing with their baby nephew.
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