I’d like to start off this review by saying homophobia is a huge trigger warning within this book, as I’m sure you’d expect from that description but just in case, if that’s a sensitive topic for you please skip this one. If it’s not, please go pick this book up IMMEDIATELY. Okay, I guess I wouldn’t go that far, I do think I loved this book so strongly because of the emotionally personal attachment I had to the characters and their journeys. I’m sure if you’ve read more than one of my posts, or my ‘About Me’, you’ll know I identify as queer, more specifically I identify as pansexual. It definitely wasn’t easy for me to come to terms with that idea and I had quite a hard time understanding my feelings so I really searched for books that could help me figure things out. Unfortunately, I didn’t have this book when I was in high school but I’m SO happy it exists now and I truly hope more people start talking about this one.

This book is about two high-school aged girls who were born and raised in very religious households. They are assigned as each others pen-pals which is when their friendship truly begins to develop. The story is told through diary entries and letters, which I thought was a fun format. This book is full of beautiful quotes and I’m thinking I’ll have to re-read the physical copy I just purchased so I can tab it up. The budding romance between these two girls felt authentic and I totally believe the way they fell for each other because of the way they were written as friends for the majority of the novel. The friendship and support these two provided each other honestly brought me to tears. They saw past the bigotry and hate their family had towards people like them. They were true to themselves, even if it took one of the main characters awhile to get there, and I loved reading about it. I also appreciated that one of the main characters wasn’t always so accepting. She does speak about how when her brother came out to her she wanted to tell her mom and her church about it because she thought it was wrong and she was scared for him. I loved that that was touched on and I think it’s important. People’s views change and develop and as long as we realize our viewpoints were bigoted and wrong before, we can move on and become better people. But that’s a whole different tangent. The side characters in this story were well developed as well and I enjoyed the ways they continued to move the story forward. These side characters were used throughout the novel to help our main characters in one way or another and I loved reading about this found family.

I also really loved the political aspects of this story. This all takes place in the 70’s when Proposition 6 was being passed in many states, allowing schools to fire teachers for being gay. Harvey Milk is prominently featured throughout the story as most of it takes place in San Francisco and there were multiple moments where I felt empowered reading about the ways these high school girls found ways to help spread his message. This book is especially poignant right now with the current political climate and the way our administration seems to be trying to take steps back rather than steps forward. I think the author did a fantastic job of weaving the politics into the plot. It didn’t seem like it just took a back seat to the romance and at the same time, it didn’t feel like it was overdone.

This book is also about women finding their voices through music, which I absolutely love. I don’t listen to any 70’s punk but, the way the author described the experience completely put me in their shoes and made me want to listen to it. Music is a prominent topic in this story and it’s another thing that helps bond these characters. It’s also what helped them to develop from the passive, quiet women they start this story as to the angry, loud, confrontational women they become. I just think the development was so subtle until it really hits you in the face at the end and you can’t help but root for them both. It also doesn’t feel like it comes from left field because the author continues to develop this as a subplot for most of the book.

If you’ve ever questioned your identity, if you want to feel some hope in this current political climate, or if you just like reading contemporary fiction set in the past, I’d highly recommend this story. This one will stick with me for years to come and I’m so disappointed this book is flying under the radar. If you know any girls who are struggling with their sexuality, please recommend this book to them. It’s so important and I just wish I had a bigger platform so I could boost this book in the way it truly deserves. If you’re a librarian or if you can request books for your library to purchase, please request this one. It could truly change the world for a young girl who needs it.

This is my favorite Robin Talley book I've read so far. An excellent look at identity and sexuality, this reminded me of just how awesome the punk scene can really be. There's a lot of rampant homophobia, a lot of which is religion fueled, so if you have any triggers related to that, please keep it in mind, But over all, I found this very enjoyable.

Tammy Larson is a closeted lesbian surrounded by family and peers who want nothing more than to criminalize who she is and others like her. Sharon Hawkins isn’t really sure what it is she wants. When the two are placed together in a pen pal project during the summer of 1977 between two religious California high schools—one in Orange County and the other in San Francisco—
Tammy and Sharon develop an intense friendship as they both struggle to find their places in the world. Just when it seems like the world is collapsing around them, they find solace and strength in one another and their budding relationship.

Music from Another World is nearly impossible to set down once you start reading it. Told through a series of diary entries and letters, the reader gets a real sense for who Tammy and Sharon are as people rather than characters. I’m not sure that sticking to an entirely epistolary style throughout the novel was the most effective format, as I found myself being pulled out of the story at times when it seemed unlikely someone would write that way in their own diary, but Tammy and Sharon’s story is riveting enough that I didn’t even mind it when it happened. Besides telling the gripping story of two teenage girls, Talley also offers an intriguing look at this period in time and LGBTQ+ history. If you’re craving a story that combines queer characters, punk music, family, politics and religion, give Music from Another World a try.

Tammy and Sharon were set up as penpals through their Catholic schools in 1977. Tammy lived in Orange County with a very religious family, while Sharon lived in San Francisco with her mother and brother. Sharon’s brother and Tammy are gay. Sharon and her brother help the gay community in San Francisco by supporting Harvey Milk’s campaign. When Tammy gets in trouble at her school, she runs away to the only person she knows who will support her, Sharon.

This story was devastating at times. Tammy’s aunt and uncle, who ran the church in her community, were so extreme and closed minded. They constantly bashed gay people, which Tammy had to listen to. She also had to work against the gay community to promote her aunt and uncle’s beliefs. It was so upsetting to see her go against herself in these ways.

One good thing about this story, is that the world is much more welcoming today. It isn’t a perfect situation for queer people today, but I think Tammy and Sharon would have a more positive place to live today. There are still people like Tammy’s aunt around today, but there is more positivity for queer people.

This was a great story!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Music from Another World, Robin Talley's new book, is a poignant look at sexuality, identity, courage, and music, set against the struggle for gay rights in the 1970s.

“There’s no point worrying so hard you can’t breathe. Life’s short, and you’ve got to make sure there’s time to live it.”

Sharon and Tammy are paired up as pen pals for a program implemented at religious schools across the state of California. Sharon attends Catholic school in San Francisco; Tammy attends a Christian school in Orange County, where her aunt and uncle run a church that is very active in helping Anita Bryant try to legalize discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Tammy is a lesbian, a secret she has only confessed to her diary, in letters she writes to Harvey Milk, the only gay person she knows of. Sharon, too, has a secret: her brother Peter is gay, and is becoming more and more involved in the fight for gay rights.

Sharon and Tammy begin writing to one another, and little by little, they start depending on this one connection to someone outside of their constricting circle of life. They begin to trust one another with their secrets, their fears, and their wishes, which serve as comfort and in some ways, an added source of stress.

As Tammy deals with her family’s increased fervor to strip gays and lesbians of their rights, Sharon starts to get involved with a women’s bookstore outside the Castro, and begins exploring an interest in punk and new wave music.

When things come to a head in Tammy’s life, everything changes. Suddenly Sharon isn’t sure who she is or what she wants, and she knows she’s both tired of keeping secrets and yet scared of what revealing or accepting those secrets could do.

This is a powerful book that is very well-researched and authentic to the time in which it is set. It’s definitely well-written, moving, and emotional but I found the family melodrama a bit excessive, and Sharon’s constant indecisiveness wore me down after a while.

I’m grateful to have been part of the blog tour for this book. Inkyard Press and NetGalley provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

Music From Another World is Robin Talley’s latest historically-set, queer YA romance novel, perfect if you’re looking for something lighter with more than a little push towards political and/or community engagement.

The novel follows two high schoolers, Tammy and Sharon, through their diaries and letters over (and beyond) a pen-pal assignment. In 1977, the time of their first entries, Tammy can’t dare tell her religious family she’s gay and telling her pen-pal could have massive consequences. Sharon doesn’t know much about the queer community, but she’s recently become interested in the San Francisco punk scene and found some politically active friends as a way to support her gay brother.

In the months of Tammy and Sharon’s friendship, they explore the thrills and terrors of being true to themselves. In one entry, Tammy recounts, “It was a brand-new, mind-blowing idea: This is fucking BULLSHIT…I never knew I could be angry. I’ve always been too busy being scared.”

The characters work to support Harvey Milk’s election as Supervisor and to put an end to Proposition 6 still feels timely. “We just elected the city’s first gay supervisor, but now they’re trying to pass a law that says gay people aren’t allowed to teach in schools,” Sharon says defiantly in class to a teacher who brushes over current events with a particularly homophobic flare. Community attacks by local politicians, religious groups, and singer and Citrus Commission ambassador turned anti-gay rights activist Anita Bryant motivate the story’s narrators to fight back against hate. Of course, the more they interact with the queer community, the more questions and feelings arise. How can they be true to themselves? Is there a world where it could be safe to be authentic?

This journey has a classic quality to it and answers some crucial, coming of age questions the way only YA can. “Do lesbians put their arms around each other platonically sometimes?” What is it about Patti Smith that “makes me feel a little less strange?”

Though the epistolary style may inhibit some initial tension and momentum, Music From Another World manages to mix history, humor, punk rock, and blooming sexuality in a way that feels genuine and important. As always, Talley seamlessly incorporates historical facts and prominent figures into the narrative without becoming overly instructive. I would recommend this novel for any YA readers interested in LGBTQIA+ history, political activism, bisexual representation, romance, or punk rock.

Music From Another World is another interesting read from Robin Talley. I don't know who was Harvey Milk before I read the book, I had to Google search him and boom... things become clearer from my end. I had no idea he got a big name during this time and I think, I'm gonna thank him now for fighting what he knows was right. These days if he's still around I could say he's gonna be happy for the results.

Being a Catholic and having a strong belief, reading the book somehow made me question things before people get the idea of "open mindedness". While reading, I was like does this really happen before? but deep inside I knew these things happen until now that's why some people are so afraid to "out". Some treat them like a curse or worse. I'm not sure where and how did they get that idea. But, in my personal opinion, straight or gay, you're still human. You might be different from others but so what? People should value the humanity more. I think now is not the time to discriminate gays or bi. Acceptance is the answer to these issues. It may not be written in the holy book or any book before that gay exists because that term doesn't even exist before, right?

I think the book taught me a lot of things, I really had a great time reading it. It was intense on some parts, there were lots of what ifs in my head like; what if their parents found out? what if someone tells their secret to others? - I feel afraid for them, I feel afraid for people who's in a close minded family or environment, who knows what will happen to them? I like this phrase from the book and I one-hundred percent (100%) support it.

"You are who you are, and you don't care if other people don't like it."

One more thought before ending my review, maybe people experiment on lots of things because they don't feel accepted on who they really are. Some change because they feel neglected. Maybe, that's what we need to understand from here. I hope, as the days go by, people will accept more what kind of society we are in nowadays. To be honest, I'm happy that there's pride celebrations, but some countries doesn't accept that yet. I hope one day, they all do.

"I want to be proud of who I am, the way you are, but how? How do you make yourself feel something when everyone around you believes the exact opposite?"

Really liked this one! I'm always a bit afraid of reading LGBTQ books set in this time period because there's always the chance that something Really Bad is going to happen that I don't want to deal with as a reader, but I have enjoyed other books by Talley so I decided to give it a shot. This one reminded me a lot of 'Ziggy, Stardust and Me' both in terms of it being an LGBTQ YA book set in roughly the same time period but also because it deals with homophobia of the time in a way that makes it clear that the characters are facing struggles but in my opinion doesn't take it 'too far' into something that would be triggering and ruin the reader's experience of enjoying the book. I also liked how the book dealt with issues of race at the time and the different experience of gay men and lesbian women and bisexual people. Overall it was a really great book with a very cute ending. Would definitely recommend!

A beautiful and heart wrenching tale of coming of age and coming out set in the turbulent 1970’s.
I absolutely love the amazing way this story is written. The entire story is told from the perspective of two girls in the form of letters and journal entries. The way the story unfolds is perfect and I loved seeing how Tammy and Sharon grew throughout.
The historical events that this story is centered around are often forgotten by those who didn’t live through them and I loved the way Talley was able to bring these important conflicts to the forefront of the story and really bring to life the feel and atmosphere of the era.
Tammy and Sharon’s relationship is so sweet and lovable and I could not get enough of their story. This story is full of heart breaking events and struggles but the true shining heart of it all is Sharon and Tammy’s friendship and growing feelings.
Knowing some of the history of the time this story takes place I was immensely glad that the book ended where it did. Obviously to this day people are still fighting for equal rights so the end of the book doesn’t have everything fixed but it ends with hope and love which was very powerful and inspiring.
I loved all the characters so much. I couldn’t get enough of Tammy and Sharon especially, they both went through so much yet came out stronger.
There is also an amazing soundtrack to go along with the story. Punk music That really blended well with the angst of the era.
This was an all around amazing read. I loved it from start to finish.

I truly do not have the words to describe how utterly fantastic this book was. It just . . . wow. WOW. Wow a million times. I adored this book with my entire heart, and I want to go back and read it again from the start. I stayed up til three in the morning reading this, and had tears streaming down my face by the end. (good tears. despite the dark tone, this book is ultimately hopeful)

I don't even know where to start when it comes to reviewing this book. It was so rich with emotions, and so real, and so beautiful. It's not by any means a light or easy book to read: it deals very heavily with homophobia and religion. But the way it handles it is so, so thoughtful and powerful.

The writing was so compelling, I found myself sucked so completely into the story. I don't usually love epistolary novels, but it worked so well in this context, and it really gave the characters' voices a chance to shine through.

Speaking of the characters! They were absolutely wonderful. Each and every one of them was so fleshed out, and I just felt all the feels over them.

- Tammy: Tammy's character . . . holy fuck y'all. I loved seeing how she grew from this scared ashamed closeted gay kid to this really badass girl who was PROUD of her sexuality. It was such a hopeful storyline. And I absolutely loved how it showed her feeling so passionately that her identity wasn't wrong, but still being too scared to fight. It really showed the complexity of her character, and of the queer experience.

- Sharon: Sharon was . . . a complex character. I honestly really hated her at first, but as the book progressed I realized that was because I saw so much of myself in her. She was incredibly flawed, but her flaws were't overlooked. And she grew into such an incredible person. Her journey from a slightly homophobic brat who made it all about her to a very self-aware person to realizing she was bi was just . . . so well done. I saw so much of my own experiences in her, especially the way she was drawn to the queer community even before realizing she was queer.

- The side characters: the side characters were so wonderfully fleshed out! I especially loved Sharon's brother and the girls at the bookstore, but every single one of the side characters felt like a living breathing person, and it was masterful.

Overall? Read! this! book! It is such a gorgeous work of art, and I was absolutely entranced. Please do your eyeballs a favour and read it.

Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing me with an e-ARC of Music From Another World in exchange for an honest review!

In the early pages of Music From Another World, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt. I was not 100% into the writing style, and I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood for another book written in the form of letter and diary entries. Reader, by the time that I finished this book — I knew this was something I needed when I was a teenager/young adult.

Music From Another World tackles a difficult subject & that’s being a closeted teenager in the ’70s. This takes us into the world of gay rights & being constantly told that you’re going to Hell for falling in love with someone others don’t agree with. It dives into situations where homophobic friends bring you down and parents kick you out.

Music From Another World has scenes that may be difficult to digest & at times, you might end up seething with anger. I am thankful things have changed dramatically for the LGBTQ+ community since the ’70s, but unfortunately, there are still people that are not okay with same-sex love. And to be honest, we should be angry about this.

The punk music scene serves as the backdrop of this LGBTQ+ read. I love books that feature alternative music and loved the mentions of Patti Smith. I even queued up Smith’s Horses album to play while I read. Descriptions of the local shows and fashion choices were vivid; making it easy to visualize what was happening.

If you’re looking for a book centering around LGBTQ+ rights, especially one in a real-life setting, then definitely give Music From Another World a read.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and Inkyard Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Ahhh wow this book actually makes me cry. I was really into this book, literally staying up all night reading the letters between Sharon and Tammy, and their diary entries. I think that Talley did a great job with having the prose in the form of letters because I think it worked out way better for this book to have it told that way. I also really loved that Tammy also had her diary as letters to Harvey Milk because that helped her feel like she wasn’t alone in her feelings.


So clearly we know what kind of time period we are dealing with here. This is around the time where Anita Baker somehow was able to get Florida to repeal their discrimination against gay people law – which of course I wasn’t born at the time but I just can only imagine what was going on at this time. I thought it was so funny thought that everyone kept referring to her as the orange juice lady pretty much so clearly she wasn’t that cool beforehand, and ugh that jerk.

Anyway, so I mentioned that this book had diverse characters was because Tammy is gay and Sharon’s brother is also gay. They both had to hide that of course because during the time – and even in the current world come on now – they would have been disowned by their parents. Seriously, what the heck is wrong with parents? Ugh that kills me seriously.

But anyway…. yeah I really liked this book and I was so glad that Sharon and Tammy were able to become friends even though it started off as an assignment. They were basically assigned to be pen pals through their religious school (Tammy was in a Baptist school and Sharon was in a Catholic school) and they had to ask each other certain questions and then write a report. But the way that they were able to finally open up to one another and let them know what was truly going on and how they were truly feeling during this time was really great.

I liked this one.

I highly recommend everyone read this important, powerful, and inspiring read about how difficult it was to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community in the 1970’s. While in 2020 it is discouraging how far society still has to go for true equality for so many people but at least this book shows how some things have improved.

This book is told completely through diary and letter format and I think it was an interesting way to tell the story. It really helped for the reader to completely understand all the feelings and thoughts that Tammy and Sharon are experiencing. Since this is a YA book I am not the target audience and as much as I loved it as an adult I know that I would have loved it even more in high school.

One of the main themes of the book is about how narrow minded and harmful religion can be to anyone that they consider sinners when they themselves are not perfect. This resonated a lot with me because as a Christian I think the biggest problem with Christianity are the people who speak and act in hateful ways and try to use God as an excuse. It is shameful how many believers spend so much time worrying about how other people are living that they can’t (or won’t) recognize how out of touch with God they themselves are.

I also really loved the historical aspect of this book and I am embarrassed to admit how little I know of Harvey Milk considering I grew up in the Bay Area. I’m flabbergasted that the schools I went to never taught anything about him or the Gay Rights Movement. It obviously must have never been included in the curriculum and I hope that it has now and my kids will be learning about this important aspect of history.

The ending of this book was a little over the top but it was fun to picture all the drama and I think it wrapped everything up in a satisfying way. I also appreciate how Talley chose to leave the reader with feelings of hope and encouragement about the future.

Another beautifully-written YA historical fiction novel from Robin Talley! Music from Another World, like Talley's earlier novel, Pulp, follows multiple teen perspectives. This time around, both perspectives come from high school girls in California—Tammy, a closeted lesbian and atheist who attends a Christian school and an Evangelical church helmed by her ultra-conservative aunt and uncle in Orange County, and Sharon, an Irish Catholic San Francisco girl with a gay brother, who finds herself drawn to the Castro for reasons she can't quite figure out. The two have been matched in a school pen pal program—this is an epistolary novel, told through their letters, Tammy's unmailed missives to Harvey Milk, and Sharon's diary entries. Robin Talley is always stellar at teen character development, and this novel is no exception. This will be a great comp for readers who've enjoyed books by Ashley Herring Blake, Jaye Robin Brown, Julia Drake, or Jennifer Mathieu.

I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive an advanced copy of Music From Another World through Netgalley, so I could share my review with you! If I could give this book 6/5 stars I would!

The year is 1977, and two girls assigned to be pen pals are about to find a friendship unlike anything they could imagine. Tammy is so tired of pretending to be someone other than she is to please those around her. As a closeted lesbian, she lives in fear of discovery by her extremely conservative and religious family. Across the state, Sharon is also hiding a secret that could tear her family apart. Her older brother, Peter, is gay and wants to become more active in the world of politics and protest. What starts as an assignment to write letters to each other over the summer blooms into a friendship. A bond grows between them, and in spite of having never met face-to-face, the girls finally feel as though they have a true friend in a harsh world.

You can get your copy of Music From Another World on March 31st from Inkyard Press!

Robin Talley is one of my all time favorite authors, so it’s not a surprise that a I absolutely adored Music From Another world! Her books have helped me to embrace my own identity, and have some of the best written queer storylines in YA literature! I love the interwoven bits of LGBTQ history that are found throughout the plot, as I’ve yet to find a YA novel that includes Harvey Milk as a character! This story is told through the letters exchanged between the characters, as well as the journals they both keep, which was really fun to read!

My Recommendation-
If you’ve been on the hunt for some queer historical fiction, Music From Another World would be a great pick for your next read! I tore through this book in the very beginning of the quarantine, and it brought me a lot of joy in an uncertain time. All of Robin Talley’s books are excellent choices for people seeking unique stories featuring queer characters!

This was a beautiful and emotional coming-of-age story enriched with punk music and history from the LGBTQIA+ (although only gay, bisexual, and lesbian terms are used/acknowledged) movement of the 70's.

I loved the letter format and how it formed the relationship between Sharon and Tammy. I especially liked when there were older girls introduced that took the younger ones under their wing.

I wish there had been more development and depth between Sharon and Tammy. While they did get to know each other through the letters and slowly opened up, I feel like it still happened a bit too quickly. There was a bit of a disconnect that I can't quite put my finger on.

Sharon and Tammy also felt a lot younger and more ignorant than they should have for 15-16 year olds. Maybe that was just to showcase what their closed-minded upbringing had done to them, but I feel like it also could have been showcased in a different way.

There were also no real consequences for any of the character's actions which felt unrealistic, especially due to the time period this was set in.

The e-copy that I read had a bit of a formatting issue which took away some of my enjoyment as I had to figure out who some of the letters were from. Luckily, both Sharon and Tammy had very distinct voices so it wasn't hard to do.

Overall, this was a fantastic way to get LGBTQIA+ history (although only gay, bisexual, and lesbian terms were used/acknowledged) from the '70s into the hands of young readers who may have no idea of what went on during that time.

This delightful tale of the LGBTQ+ experience in the American 70’s is full of heart and passion.
During the summer of 1977, two high school students from opposite sides of California are tasked with a pen pal assignment. Each girl is keeping secrets as the world waits to see what will happen with homosexuals and their abilities to teach students. Tammy has been raised in very conservative Christian home and will be abused if she tells anyone she is a lesbian. Sharon is tasked with keeping the secret that her brother is gay while becoming exposed to the punk side of San Francisco.
The stories are told in diary and letter form. The diaries give you a chance to see the truth of the girl’s lives, things that are left out of the letters. But the letters grow in depth as each girl begins to trust each other. Their voices are district and each point of view adds beautifully to the narrative. Choosing a format somewhat different from a traditional novel is pretty perfect for a book about feeling different.
The ending was somewhat on the nose but Robin Talley gives a little twist which ended up making Sharon a more complex character. Also, this book only covers a short period of time, a time that echoes the girl’s life, not the civil rights movement. That is ok because the story is that of the two girls and how they find their way in that world. The ideological aspects never over take the characters.
I truly enjoyed this story. The author transports you to another time and pace and makes you feel for someone different than yourself.

Tammy Larson has kept her true self hidden: her Christian school, her extremely conservative church (run by her family), and her uber religious political campaigner aunt would all do anything – and everything – they could to turn this closeted lesbian straight if they were to find out. Tammy’s only safe space is her diary where she writes letters to gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk.

A class assignment, however, changes everything. Two schools on opposite sides of the country have teamed up for a pen pal project. With Sharon, Tammy can talk about things she has been sheltered from: punk music in particular, and while a fast friendship forms, Tammy remains uncertain of just how much she can trust Sharon. Sharon, on the other hand, has a secret of her own: her brother recently came out to her and she’s been helping him hide the truth from their mother. While she isn’t completely comfortable with his sexuality, she does love her brother, and soon finds her world view expanding as she’s introduced to the punk scene and begins volunteering at a feminist bookshop.

I was excited to read Music from Another World for one specific reason: I know zip about this era in history. Harvey Milk, Anita Bryant, the political climate of 1977, I couldn’t tell you the first thing about any of it and, being the history-loving bookworm I am, was eager to dive in and learn about this time period. Even better was that it was told through the eyes of two girls who were witnessing it first-hand.

The novel reads incredibly fast as it’s told entirely through diary entries and the letters the girls exchange. I nearly put the book down 20% of the way in, I just wasn’t invested in the story. Still, I stuck with it, given how quick the story read, and in the end…it was just an okay book.

My main issue was with the narration. Sometimes epistolary novels can work really well, other times the characters’ voices blend together and that was the case here. Half the time, I honestly could not tell which girl’s letter I was reading; I needed to look for context clues (okay, we’re in a church, it must be Tammy’s chapter). Both girls sounded so similar that they became the same character in my eyes. Also, they’re meant to be in high school, but sounded far younger. At one point one of them wrote “My birthday’s tomorrow. I’ll be sixteen year old, but I feel about nine.” Well they both sounded about nine.

Music from Another World was a very quick read that clued me in on a time period I know very little about. Unfortunately, it didn’t have much more going for it – but I know I’m in the clear minority here. This book will be sure to find a following. Sadly I found it hard to differentiate between the two main characters and every single person who was a practicing Christian was absurdly vile and hateful.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher! Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Music From Another World

Author: Robin Talley

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Publication Date: March 31, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 17+ (love, some language, forced outings TW, some abusive language)

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 304

Amazon Link

Synopsis: It’s summer 1977 and closeted lesbian Tammy Larson can’t be herself anywhere. Not at her strict Christian high school, not at her conservative Orange County church and certainly not at home, where her ultrareligious aunt relentlessly organizes antigay political campaigns. Tammy’s only outlet is writing secret letters in her diary to gay civil rights activist Harvey Milk…until she’s matched with a real-life pen pal who changes everything.

Sharon Hawkins bonds with Tammy over punk music and carefully shared secrets, and soon their letters become the one place she can be honest. The rest of her life in San Francisco is full of lies. The kind she tells for others—like helping her gay brother hide the truth from their mom—and the kind she tells herself. But as antigay fervor in America reaches a frightening new pitch, Sharon and Tammy must rely on their long-distance friendship to discover their deeply personal truths, what they’ll stand for…and who they’ll rise against.

A master of award-winning queer historical fiction, New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley once again brings to life with heart and vivid detail an emotionally captivating story about the lives of two teen girls living in an age when just being yourself was an incredible act of bravery.

Review: Overall, I thought this was a good book. I loved how the story was told and I thought all of the characters were compelling. The world building was divine and overall I really enjoyed it.

The only issue is that I felt like there were multiple occurrences of forced outings, which can be triggering, and the letters and diary entries did get a bit stale after a bit.

Verdict: It’s pretty good! Definitely recommend!

A lot of the thoughts and struggles of the young characters are likely something any teen could relate to. There’s a more specific subset whom I think would relate to their core which is incredibly important. That being said, I really like this book explored the struggles of teenagers in a way that, if I were still that age, would make me feel less alone.

I admired the strength of the young men and women in this book as well. It’s hard to not live up to your parent’s expectations so I can’t even imagine how hard it must be to not live up to the expectations of society. A really empowering and important read!