***I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a free review. Thank you NetGalley and Tor!***

This was a fun little novella and certainly a lot better than the one I reviewed from Sarah Gailey last month, River of Teeth. The biggest issue is that it was just so short. The hardcover is 176 pages and it came out to 99 pages on my Nook. There was almost no world or character building as a result. I liked the characters and I liked the premise but it had zero depth.

This dystopian world is one that is intolerant of lesbian or non-binary women. Some of these women choose to work as “Librarians” and deliver “approved” media materials for the masses. And they occasionally lead insurgencies and smuggle people to safer areas. But because of the lack of world building I have no idea why the world is this way. Is it just non-straight women that society objects to? What about gay men? What about transgender individuals? Are there racial issues there too? Usually intolerance is not limited to just one thing. Because we don’t touch on anything except that one aspect at all and since they haven’t explained the world to me then I can’t even make an educated guess.

Esther was a good character and I found her to be very sympathetic. Though it was a bit undermining to my sympathies that within a few months of watching her first love hang for the crime of having unapproved materials Esther is making starry eyes at the Assistant Librarian Cye. I felt a lot of deep emotion for Esther and her story initially. But then we immediately start mooning over Cye and I felt that sympathy fading because apparently she had gotten over it, so why shouldn’t I?

This was a good little story but I really wish it had been given more time and more pages. It would have been less tropey and been able to explore this world in a lot more depth. That would have only improved it for me.

Described as "queer librarian spies on horseback" I really don't need to add much. This little novella sees Esther stowaway in a librarian wagon after her lover is hanged for 'deviance'. Not wanting to conform Esther tries her luck with the librarians and finds a posse of lgbt possibilities. Colleagues,friends, lovers and assassins?

This is a future set western where women are to be controlled by the state, librarians deliver state approved material and no-one questions how the most observant stowaway in the world knows bookbinding.

It's a nice little story,with enough potential to be something bigger. Although the story is all tied up by the end it would be good to see a sequel or longer version.

Sarah Gailey has really carved out a niche for herself in the pulp western sub-genre. First, with the American Hippo duology (also published by Tor.com), and now with Upright Women Wanted. I’d been looking forward to this since it was announced, and I’m happy to report that I enjoyed it very much.

This novel includes a number of classic Western tropes — the journey across barren and inhospitable terrain, bandits, supply runs, wanted posters, gun-fights… And yet, it never felt recycled. In part, that’s because of Gailey’s world-building and characters, both of which are superb. All of the characters feels quickly fully-realized, and the plot moves along at a good clip. The author never gives us too much information, and much is left to the reader to fill in some gaps through inference. I thought the Librarians and the way they operated was pretty cool, and I would certainly be interested in reading more in this setting with these characters.

Upright Women Wanted has a noticeable improvement in style, prose and storytelling, too — not that Gailey’s previous work wasn’t good by any stretch of the imagination; I just found this one easier to fall into the story and get to know the characters. There are also plenty of great turns of phrase sprinkled throughout the book. From longer exchanges between characters, to descriptions, to mere asides, I found myself highlighting a number of snippets that I wanted to remember.

Overall, then, this was another enjoyable short novel by Gailey. If you’re a fan of the author’s previous work, then I have no doubt that you’ll find much to enjoy here. Recommended.

Wonderful novella! Action-packed western starring women and non-binary characters. Men need not apply; well... unless for the role of typical bad guy (lol). While there is a lot that is cliche western in Sarah Gailey's Upright Women Wanted; for every cliche there is an idea that I guarantee you've never read in a western story (novella in this case, 176 pages) before. Unless you're a Firefly fan, in which case read this immediately because you'll feel nostalgic for Mal and crew!

Characters
These are no Annie Oakley ladies. While they carry firearms and are transporting 'items' between towns; these ladies are also sharing intimate moments together, kissing and more. Something I can't imagine Oakley engaging with. Each character in our crew of five primary travelers holds a piece of the John Wayne/Clint Eastwood archetype for a western fighter; yet they are also so much more. The gem here though is really Cye. A non-binary character to fall in love with.

They/Them
I adored Cye sooo much. Gailey does a fabulous job from the first moment we meet Cye; it's clear that no he/him or she/her gender specificity applies. The narrative always uses they/them and it really quickly stuck in my head and felt so natural. Unlike other characters I've read in the past, Cye doesn't swap between male and female identity. Instead they exist outside of these gender norms and (for me) it's a breath of fresh air. Gailey describes Cye and their actions so well that I didn't even try to place Cye as 'more' feminine or masculine. They just are themselves.
Now, I hope I didn't use any wrong words here or misrepresent; please feel free to correct me in the comments if I did.

Constantly Learning
It may seem weird for a member of the LGBTQ+ community, like myself (bisexual) to not fully understand all the different options in sexuality, gender, etc. that we now know exist. But when I was a teen I only understand the concepts of: heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual (and trans but they were put into homosexual category at the time). And so pan sexuality is still something I'm learning about. Cye is one of the first characters I've read where I clearly adore them and would definitively change my own description to pansexual if that means Cye and I can get together.
This is a pretty big deal to me. To date I've told my husband and others that I can't drop the moniker of bisexual because I've never met a non-binary person and don't know how I would react. Assuming Cye is a good representation of non-binary then I'm happy to say that, for me, gender doesn't make a difference; be it male, female or non-binary! This is a really cool realization to have and not at all something I expected to get from Upright Women Wanted.

Overall
If you're thinking to yourself 'um Mel this is supposed to be a book review and not about you' right now; all I can respond with is that for me this book was refreshing, fun, and uplifting. It shows that people will find ways to be themselves no matter what constraints are placed on them. We may think the 'typical' western doesn't have room for anyone other than a cis-male but Gailey makes it clear in Upright Women Wanted that this is not true.
I highly recommend this book to pretty much everyone. There is a lot of action and fun packed into 176 pages; but also a lot of social commentary and learning to be had here. You're perhaps unlikely to have an epiphany, like I did, but (I believe) you'll likely enjoy your time in this world. I'm really hoping Gailey plans to revisit these characters and their adventures in the near future.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Loved this title. A lesbian cowboy/librarian/spies spreading knowledge and social justice. Fantastic!

I really enjoyed this, and read the whole thing on one sitting. I loved the world-building of it, and became quite attached to the characters.

This is a short story that packs a punch. Gailey introduces us into this western world that is in a near-future America. The librarians operate to bring Approved Materials to different outposts, but they have other goals.

This story follows the subversive, queer, antifascists librarians as they pick up a "package" to drop off elsewhere. Esther stows away in the librarians' cart with the hope of becoming a librarian. She had run away from an arranged marriage, after her lover had been hanged for possession of Unapproved Materials. She finds out the librarians are queer, like her, and that there's many more people across the country that are like them.

I would've loved to dive more into the story and these characters, but Gailey does a great job at giving us enough to get us hooked into the story. There's so much more that could be done with this amazing premise and I want it to keep going pls.

(Additional enjoyment of this book came from the fact that I'm currently a librarian-in-training as I'm doing my MLIS, so yeah, I'm feelin pretty badass about my career choice)

I did not have the chance to read this ARC prior to its release, but I am so grateful to have it during our quarantine!.I love, love, love these librarians!

A fantastic novella set in a dystopian American west where librarians are secretly undercover rebels. I look forward to reading more set in this universe.

Thematically this has all the right elements to be a fantastic tale. But that’s where it ends; the rest of the story falls into lackluster language, and tired tropes. As a novella, there wasn’t enough time to create fully redemptive story lines or define the characters into memorable heroes. It came off as campy and cliché in the most unremarkable ways.

Absolutely delightful premise, and a great world that would be fun to sink into for longer than the length of a novella. The characterization and development felt thin, however, and I would have liked to see more emotional response or follow-through for the main character related to the inciting incident in the book. 2.5/5 stars

This book was shockingly relaxing considering the subject matter, but it was a fun and reassuring read set in an engaging setting with characters I really cared about!! This is a gorgeous little novella that everyone should read!

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

In true Tor fashion, this book is... SO GOOD. This is the queer western book of all of our dreams.

Esther Augustuss watched her best friend and (secret) love of her life hang for having and reading "unapproved materials," which turns out is resistance propaganda. After this event, Esther finds out that her father is planning to marry her off to her late best friend's fiance. Esther can't stomach this, so she makes her escape via the Librarians' wagon who travel from town to town, who are a group of "upright" or upstanding women, passing out approved reading materials that hold up the patriarchy. But that's not all they're doing. Soon Esther is confronted by truths she didn't know existed in her universe as she gets to know the gang of Librarians who aren't all that they seem from the first appearance. As the group travels across the West, Esther redefines what she was always told was good versus bad. And Esther slowly starts to see that she can be exactly who she is with this group of Librarians, and beyond. She can fight back.

This is the kind of book that makes you want to rise up. It makes you want to stand up and clap. Sarah Gailey wrote the hell out of this book, and I hope that anyone reading this review decides to pick it up. It's a classic western tale with intelligent, complex, modern commentary that we need in the world.

Also, we NEED another book in the series that showcases more of the relationships built in this book because they are simply swoon-worthy. Esther and Cye especially!

Highly recommend this novella!

I'm really sorry I didn't get this one read until after release date, but this format of ARC did not allow me to increase the type size; I had my teenager try and he couldn't even do it. Anyway, thanks for the ARC and I did enjoy the book very much! Sarah Gailey is on my fave author list and this was fun.

I've been hearing good things about Sarah Gailey's works for years, but this is the first time I've read anything from her. I'm glad I finally gave her a chance!

Esther is running away from an arranged marriage to the man who was originally meant to marry her best friend and lover Beatriz - before Beatriz was killed for possession of "Unapproved Materials" that didn't meet state propaganda standards. She thinks a chaste life with the Librarians, a group of nomadic women who distribute "Approved Materials" across the State is the only possible solution. But when she gets there and discovers the Librarians aren't quite what she's always believed, she's even more desperate to prove herself worthy of the title Librarian.

So: queer librarians in a post-apocalyptic western controlled state. A lot going on there. But I liked it! It was fun, fast-paced, and feminist. It did stay very superficial given the length, so I almost would have rather read it as a full novel or even watched it as a movie or show. There's some character development, though I would have liked to see more; sometimes the pace was almost too fast.

As with everything Sarah Gailey writes, this novella is a delight. The world they created in so few pages was wholly immersive, in large part due to the way they are able to get to the core of their characters so efficiently—a turn of phrase here, a significant look there, a gesture, and suddenly the character seems full and real in front of you. The actual premise was as fun as I expected, but Gailey also did the thing they always do in their writing that makes me feel and fear and think and love, harder than before,

I really love dystopian novels and this was no expectation. It is set in an alternative future where we have gone back to the Wild West and cars are reserved for the government. It felt vaguely like Fahrenheit 451 where information is very much regulated. In this case those materials are distributed by a group of badass librarians. This book was a beauty. I love the inclusion of a non-binary character but found it difficult to identify when they was being used for the collective and they for the non-binary character.

Sarah Gailey's stories are usually set in the wild weird American West and her stories punch way above their weight in terms of being moving and thought-provoking narratives that are an entertaining mix of violent action and well developed characters. Her latest, Upright Women Wanted is a little gem of a story that is possibly the shiniest gem in her Tiara. Still set in the weird Wild West of a Futura-South West Americana, where there is always a war going on, men are constantly being conscripted and the patriarchal society is steeped in strict fascist homophobic rules and propaganda. Women, on the other hand, are still being treated as furniture, pressed into marriage against their wishes.

Our story follows stowaway Esther who is running away from her oppressive household. She's running away from her father who wants her to marry her best-friend Beatriz's ex-beau. Beatriz was sentenced to hanging ( in the name of having possessed illegal propaganda material. but in reality, for perhaps having been bold enough to flout the homophobic rules against queers in the society.) Esther longs to be "Librarian" - a sort of nomadic, rebellious, road revolutionary spreading the good government's word and blessings. But reality, as Esther soon finds out, couldn't have been farther from that. These traveling librarians are a set of two ( sort of like the whole Jedi Master and Apprentice set up!) - the older matrons Betta and Leti are a lesbian couple, very much in love with each other. Cye, the apprentice is something of a bi-gender and is a hard taskmaster, who resents that she has to babysit the stowaway. But Esther is fascinated by 'them' (Cye mostly!) and soon, endears herself to the group with her earnestness to learn. The myth of librarians are further blown to smithereens as the group stops to pick up 'cargo' - in terms of more 'free-thinking' women and help them move around, in the pretext of loading and unloading government propaganda books and pamphlets. But the 'cargo' they picked up soon invites trouble, as the group finds out with a bunch of bandits, unruly lawmakers hot on their trial. Esther, unwittingly gets pulled into the thick of this soup-curry of a conspiracy as bullets fly and the buzzards start gathering in the dry, arid desert canyons that surround their paths.

Written in the classic western mold, six-shooters, dusty blue skies and the thrilling chase-sequences on horseback - all of these form the backdrop to Esther's intimate story of self-discovery. She's writhing in a pool of guilt for having had 'feelings' for her best friend Beatriz which she strongly suspects might have led to her being falsely implicated. But she's soon realizing that it is actually a free country. There's Cye with that gruff behaviour but a heart of gold, whom she's falling hard for. Not to mention the unspeakable just got real with the Librarians themselves being a lovely couple, who are so in love with each other and are defying the laws by helping out other women, just like themselves get away from their yokes. And then there's Amity - one of the brightest sparks in the story, she's a revelation. A rebel-yell, a middle-finger to the patriarchal society with a wicked smile ready at the drop of a hat, Amity's badass attitude lends Esther courage to find herself. Buried beneath those unyielding blankets of guilt and a strict upbringing.

It's a lovely tale, a delight of feminist outcry and joyous rebellion against age-old stigmas and patriarchal lawlessness - couched in the garb of a Neo-western with smart authentic characters and deft cinematic action sequences, written in Sarah's inimitable prose.

Upright Women Wanted is a tale that we need today.

Oppressive goverment men beware, these ladies have your number.

Gailey knocks it out of the park again, this time with Upright Women Wanted. Queer, gun wielding, horseback riding librarians, in a dystopian future, risking life and limb to deliver 'packages' on behalf of an underground resistance?? Oh hell yaaaaaas!