LGBTQ Book Review #1: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown
Two things that may well convince you to read this book before you even read the rest of this review:
- This book features three main characters who are lesbians.
- They all get happy endings, and none of them die.
Interested? So was I. Published in 2016, Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit was a hotly anticipated LGBTQ YA novel with a delightful cover and a delightfully fluffy blurb (featured here on HarperCollins).
The first half of this book was immensely frustrating, albeit still a refreshing departure from the tropes employed in other LGBTQ YA– fortunately, most of these issues are dealt with beautifully in the book’s second half.
Jo is the daughter of a newly remarried reverend, uprooted from her old “out” life and now far from her best friend, Dana. Jo acquiesces to her father’s “stay closeted” request unrealistically easily, and her initial, frequent comments about “enjoying” the closeted life in her new town and school were grating.
The first half of the book is redeemed by an interesting cast of characters, including B.T. B., a developmentally disabled guy in her school and church. I was pleasantly surprised with how B.T. B. was treated throughout the story, since it’s more common for disabled characters to be treated as mere plot devices rather than three-dimensional characters.
Dana, Jo’s longtime best friend and fellow lesbian, was a great character. Although irritating in her visceral hatred of Jo’s commitment to faith, this fact itself is something that makes Dana more realistic. Although I was initially off-put by the vilification of Dana’s described “eff-the-patriarchy” attitude (she had a buzzcut and wears Docs. It was pretty overdone.) this is resolved well later on. Plus, there’s a major point in Dana’s favor: she and Jo are both openly lesbian and very close, but aren’t in a relationship. It was refreshing to see a portrayal of close friendship between openly gay women that wasn’t inherently romantic.
The same goes for Jo’s new friends, most of whom are stereotypically popular and heterosexual: presented as stereotypes, and then fleshed out over time. If you can get past these stereotypes, you may come to appreciate the tension they cause as they are later subverted.
And then there’s Mary Carlson, undoubtedly my favorite character. Jo’s and Mary’s romance is built perfectly; I could tell that the author took great care to play with the tension, nerves, and excitement that new love can bring. As the book moved to its second half, these aspects are amped up– get ready to have your heart broken, mended, broken again, and ultimately mended once more as you walk alongside Jo and Mary.
Finally, there’s the intersection of sexuality, family, and faith– something rarely addressed in LGBTQ novels. Jo remains dedicated to her Christianity throughout the novel, despite questioning much of its antiquated dogma. Her father, though initially misguided, is profoundly supportive of Jo, as Jo also comes to love and support her father and his new wife. This book could be extremely affirming to LGBTQ youth struggling to reconcile their orientation with their faith.
I have only a few criticisms of this novel. First off, there were a handful (as in, less than five– so really not many) cis-normative comments, mainly relating to sexuality and genitalia. On the same vein, there were some cringey exchanges about “frigidity”/“hos”/other derogatory terms toward women and womens’ sexuality. These were sometimes called out as slut shaming within the novel, sometimes not.
Lastly, some of the narrative/dialogue language utilized was rather on the immature side. Perhaps this is more personal opinion and less relevant to the book itself– because I’m 18 and have aged out of YA’s target demographic– but I just thought I’d mention it. This book would probably have the best impact on folks aged 12-16, especially those who are struggling to come to terms with their sexuality.
Overall, I’d easily give this book 4/5 stars. I’d recommend it to fans of Sarah Dessen’s fluffy, romantic novels, who are looking for a LGBTQ equivalent. Happy Reading!
[Let me know if you liked this review– if so, I'd love to do more reviews of LGBTQ books.]
