This made my heart burst and I want to hand it to ten people, both those who want to know more about the genderqueer experience and those who just love joyful coming of age stories, musicals, and Mariah Carey.

I have complicated feelings about this book. In general, I feel like the writing quality does not live up to the hype I've been seeing for this book. Particularly, I had problems with the pacing; there was a point about 50% of the way in that it felt like I was reaching the climax. I personally have no experience with questioning my gender/gender dysphoria/etc., but I feel like that part of the book at least was represented truthfully and empathetically. However, there were no other non-cis characters, and the lack of discussion of trans issues/trans community felt very odd. Additionally, I did not like how much queer pain there was; it honestly felt overwhelming for a book that's been marketed as pretty upbeat/uplifting with romance. Huge CW for suicidal ideation (great therapy sessions in the book, though, I did appreciate that). But there is a happy ending, I found myself nostalgic for theater while reading the audition/rehearsal scenes, and I can see how it could be a valuable read.

I got an ARC of this book.

I am not genderqueer, but I am a binary trans man. That means that some of this makes so much sense it hurts and some of it doesn’t at all. The pronouns being such a big part of Carey’s life hit so hard on my heart that I wanted to beat up every single person that even thought of misgendering Carey. The switching pronouns made a bit less sense, but Carey should be respected if I fully understand or not. For the sake of the review and in an attempt to be respectful, I will cycle through the pronouns that Carey used as they are not able to be consulted about the best pronoun for today.

I had some issues with this book. The romance felt a bit forced. There was no interactions really before they started kissing and dating. Then the needless drama of not talking things through just got to me. I really didn’t want them together. I wanted them both to move on and realize they were being obnoxious. I, of course, did not get my wish as that is not how YA books go. The other characters were also really extreme in every way. There was never a moment that felt like real people interacting. Everyone was larger than life.

I loved being able to see a AMAB genderqueer character exist. So much of the gender stuff seems to be binary trans women and AFAB everything. I am glad others are being able to be seen. I am glad Carey got a story and that she exists. I loved that he had a supportive mother. I loved that they were in therapy and the therapist wasn’t completely awful. There were so many important parts of this book, but there was so much I didn’t like as well.

For all that it is worth, this read like the YA version of the middle grade book George. The same general plot of non-cis kid wants to be in the school plat in a role others think they shouldn’t have and all that goes into that. It was much better done than George. Though it still relies heavily on homophobia and transphobia being the main driving force of the plot. This had a bit more substance, but it still felt like it was a SUPER basic queer story. Of course, the queer kid gets bullied. Give me something new. Give me something more exciting. It is still three stars, because I never felt like I was being taught about gender or sexuality. It always felt like that was just an aspect of things.

To start with, CW for transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, suicidal ideations, family death, assault within the book. There's probably several things I'm forgetting so double check because this book does deal with trauma and a lot of heavy topics!

I really enjoyed it, I cried several times, and I really can't say enough how happy I am that kids today will have books with genderqueer main characters standing up for themselves to grow up with. I hope we get lots more! The characters feel very much their age, the good and the bad, and Steven Salvatore did a great job in taking us through all of Carey's ups and downs and many emotions. Sometimes the plot was very... Glee-like and I do think at times it tried to fit too much in too little pages and feels overwhelming and not completely satisfying. That said, I'm completely here for over the top grandiose endings and victories that might not happen in real life. And honestly, yeah, I'm more than okay with a little Glee like, formulaic YA if it means getting young queer kids stories they can see themselves coming out victorious in

Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🙌🏻 Carey, who is genderqueer, dreams of singing like their diva hero, Mariah Carey. When they are cast in the lead of the school musical though, homophobic events by classmates and a teacher threaten to unravel it. With the support of a new love interest, best friends, and new allies, Carey refuses to be silenced. This should be an essential title in every collection serving students in grades 8+. There is quite a bit of language and a couple mature sexual comments, but I’ll be adding this to my collection because the story and representation is SO important. Recommended for grades 8+.

Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore was one of my most anticipated 2021 releases. A genderqueer diva using the power of song for self exploration and affirmation? Yeah, that’s my brand. Plus, I’m always on the lookout for books with genderqueer and genderfluid representation since it’s still one of those identities rare to see discussed and explored within the LGBTQIA2S+ umbrella. However, I ended up with really complicated feelings about this novel that I will do my best to outline below.

First, let’s start with the good, since there were absolutely awesome things about Can’t Take That Away. The genderqueer representation was one of my favourite things about this novel. Each chapter opens up with the set of pronouns the MC Carey uses for the period of time discussed in the chapter, and there are tons of introspective and thoughtful interrogations by Carey of their gender. The fact that their friends are, by and large, accepting and affirming of their gender is really sweet and cool to see. Carey definitely exists outside the binary authentically, and that was wonderful for me to see, as I’m sure it will be for others.

Queer characters being allowed to be messy and flawed is another favourite of mine, and we got to see so much of that in Can’t Take That Away. The romance, while I’d maybe dispute the ‘swoonworthy’ adjective on the cover copy, definitely felt raw and vulnerable. Neither Carey nor Cris had to perform or hide parts of themselves, for better or for worse, and when so many stories involving queer romance rely on those sorts of interactions, it was good to see the realism. Therapy is incredibly normalized in this book to help support Carey through their struggles, and we do love to see that. Frankly, I’d love to see it in so many more contemporary YA novels, particularly ones where marginalized voices of all sorts can be supported and affirmed in a professional sense. There’s also lots of found family and strength of community in this novel.

However, there can be such a thing as an overwhelming amount of trauma. I want to make it clear that I fully support queer and marginalized voices writing about their lived experiences of trauma. For so long, BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ creators (and especially those who are both) haven’t been given the space to tell those stories, whether they are painful or joyful or everything in between, and I try to cultivate mindfulness of that reality.

That being said, the ratio of queer joy to queer pain in Can’t Take That Away is… a lot. I’m a trans, non-binary adult with years of therapy under their belt at this point, and this novel was a tough read for me—let alone a young adult in the intended audience looking for an empowering queer story. There are definitely moments of validation, joy, empowerment, and triumph, but the amount of trauma the reader is asked to endure to get them feels wildly unbalanced. The novel starts with an instance of bullying and misgendering on page two, and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the story. Homophobia, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, hate crimes, and gender dysphoria predominate, along with a side plot revolving around familial illness and grief. Is this “realistic” for the world we live in? Unfortunately, yes. Do I think those are important subjects to explore and do authors have the right to do so? Absolutely. But when I think of a young, questioning genderqueer teen picking this up looking for affirmation and empowerment, my heart breaks at how much they would have to go through to get to what is, in my opinion, not nearly a big enough payoff.

Another thing that really made me uncomfortable is how much onus was put on two women of colour for the #LetCareySing movement. Without the driving action of the side characters Phoebe, a talented Black pansexual actress, and Blanca, a Latinx lesbian journalist, the movement centering Carey wouldn’t have happened. Though Carey did take some action on their part as well, the bulk of the labour felt like it was done by Phoebe for most of the novel, and later Blanca. It mirrors the real life issue of white members of the queer community receiving and/or taking and/or stealing credit for labour done by BIPOC of the queer community, often without compensation of any kind. I loved Phoebe and Blanca, especially Phoebe since she got more screen time, but I really wished they hadn’t felt like accessories to “Carey’s” movement despite doing so, so much work for it.

The last topic I want to discuss may be more of personal issue, but it bothered me while I was reading so I’m going to include it. I’ll preface this by saying labels are by and large a tool for individuals; I support using whatever labels make you feel safe, affirmed, and comfortable. But I thought it was incredibly strange and a little uncomfortable that Carey, a genderqueer protagonist who introspects at length about gender identity concerns, uses he/she/they pronouns, and exists loudly outside the binary, never identifies as trans on page at any point during the novel. (Again, I realize not all non-binary/genderqueer/genderfluid individuals identify as trans and their reasons are their own). Not only that, but all of their friends are cisgender (to my knowledge). In a novel so full of gender-related discussion and violence, and especially in a novel where queer activism is a key feature, I found it jarring to see such a stark distance from the trans community—or even any other non-binary or genderfluid or genderqueer character—in its pages. In my own journey, it is through seeing the lived experiences of trans folks that I have gained a sense of community and helped affirm my path, and I would have loved to see that for Carey since I think they could have used that kind of support.

These are my personal reflections and not an absolute judgment of whether or not this book is Good or Bad (if such a thing exists at all). Overall, I feel this book will be impactful and mean so much a lot to many people. Carey’s identity is explored beautifully on its pages, there are lots of meaningful and affirming interactions between the community that builds around Carey, and it is great to see activism among queer teens being shown to have a real world, positive effect. There is value to be found and I hope for those who decide to give this one a shot, they find the affirmation and catharsis they need. I’ll be keeping my eye on what Steven Salvatore writes next for sure.

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

There is so much to love about this book! I am overjoyed to see a genderqueer person as the main character. Carey has such a great support system, from their loving mother and the incredible twins Monroe and Joey - their chosen family, to their other fierce friends and their inspirational teacher, Mr Kelly. Having all of this support unfortunately doesn't stop Carey from being bullied, not only by their peers but also by a teacher who should be protecting them instead of causing harm. However, Carey's friends step up and fight back against the oppressive system that allows bigoted teachers to be so openly hateful towards marginalised students. I love Carey and their friends, and I was intrigued by the "will they, won't they" situation between Carey and Cris as they tried to figure out their relationship between misunderstandings and lack of communication. Seeing Carey step on to the stage and own who they are was a magical feeling and this story is like no other as we watched them grow into themself and find their voice while being silenced as a genderqueer person. This is such a beautiful story and I hope to read more from this author.

Can't Take That Away is such a beautiful and important book! There is so much to love. For one, Carey's support system is lovely to see. They have a loving mother, an inspiring grandmother, a supportive teacher, and a small cohort of fiercely loyal friends. The scenes between Carey and their therapist are well done and informative. I love Carey's admiration for Mariah Carey and how they use her life and her songs as inspiration in their own life. Pop divas are such a vital part of queer culture, and I appreciate how the author drew a direct connection between Mariah Carey and Carey Parker's love and talent for singing.

Of course, Carey also faces some conflict, which stems from a variety of sources, not least of which is internal. But a school bully and a bigoted teacher spur some external conflict, which leads to my favorite aspect of the story. Without giving too much away, the book features a good amount of community organizing and protesting. I love this positive portrayal of young people standing up for their rights in the name of inclusion and acceptance.

I do have some minor gripes, but I can easily overlook them for the value this book will provide to young queer people and allies. The clear and respectful communication between Carey and their friends and the message of the overall story are so powerful, this book will surely change lives, if not save lives. I'm so grateful to Steven Salvatore for bringing Carey to the world!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for an advanced copy of this book to review! While this book was tough to read at times, given what Carey has to go through as a genderqueer teen, I still think it’s an important story to add to the YA genre. Plus, reading about music and musicals is always an added bonus.

Let me start by saving Salvatore's writing is fantastic. They suck you in with Carey's story and the voice throughout the book is phenomenal. Carey (he/she/them, I use they/them for the purpose of this review) feels so realistic and almost leaps off the page. Carey's friends are also well-rounded, giving the reader a full cast of diverse characters. This was probably my favorite aspect of the book overall.

However, while Cris and Carey's relationship felt mostly realistic, it does get a little tiring by the end. It's messy and back and forth, which totally fits a teen relationship. But the miscommunication, I felt, went on a little too long for the book. Mostly, the pacing for that aspect of the plot felt a little off to me. The rest of the plot, however, does feel right pacing wise.

Going in, readers should also be warned that there is a lot of queer trauma in this book. There are also mentions of suicide and suicide ideation. The main antagonist, Mr. Jackson, is one still seen too often in schools and the ending in relation to him felt a little too convenient. And maybe not quite realistic? It just didn't quite fit with the rest of the story.

All in all, if you're someone that reads for voice and character, I absolutely recommend this book for that. And the musical references! There's a playlist at the end of the book I really appreciated, too. Can't wait to see what else Salvatore comes up with!

I want to start my review by thanking @bloomsbury! They were very generous enough and they granted my wish to access an E-ARC of this amazing book. I was so excited about Can't Take That Away and I tried to get an E-ARC the moment I saw it. Thus, I was over the moon to receive this copy. Thank you so much @bloomsbury and @stevensalvatore

TW: Alzheimer, suicidal thoughts, queerphobia, bullying

Can’t Take That Away is Steven Salvatore’s debut novel. Let’s be honest, even some of the most famous writers lacked flavor in their debut novels but this was honestly just amazing. It was so beautifully written and the author portrayed everything so beautifully. I can’t wait for their other works because if their debut novel is this good I can only assume their new works will be even better. When it comes to the pros and cons of the book, there are so many cons and I haven’t found a con but I’ll admit, if you hate getting your heart a bit broken, that might be the con for you.

First of all, can we take a moment to appreciate this gorgeous cover, please? It looks so good. And from what I understood from Steven Salvatore's Q and A they specifically wanted the cover to be done by a non-binary artist, which is just amazing. This cover is honestly giving me serotonin and life.

“As it is, on days I feel more masculine energy, I think I’m not boy enough, and on days I feel more feminine energy, I think I’m not girl enough. Every day, I worry I’m not genderqueer enough.’’

So, characters. Carey is a genderqueer teenager who has a massive love and admire for the queen, Mariah Carey and they use they/he/she pronouns, with the default being ‘they/them/their’ and their pronouns being dependent on how they feel that day. We see Carey's pronouns for each chapter at the beginning, each chapter has their pronouns for that specific moment/day/chapter.

I read books about people who identify as non-binary but Can't Take That Away was the first book I read with a main character who identifies as genderqueer. This is an own-voices book, therefore the representation is of course amazing. It enables you to understand what it means to be genderqueer through a genderqueer person's perspective. Many labels can mean and represent different things to different people but I personally felt close to Carey's experience as a person who recently came out as non-binary. I believe that all of the characters were portrayed very much realistically. None of them were flawless and perfect because they are teenagers. Even though they are mature, they still have flaws so, an amazing portrayal of teenagers and teenage relationships. And their friendships were so cute.

The story tackles important issues such as queerphobia in schools and bullying. There were so many times I laughed out loud, I think Steven Salvatore has an amazing sense of humor. You are going to laugh so many times and also cry a little bit from time to time. These funny parts made me think that this book could be considered as a rom-com too but I think it's so much more than that. This is the kind of book that makes you want to read non-stop until you are finished so that you can see what happens in the end and also so that you can see what happens to the characters. It was so close to my heart, definitely touched something inside me. It is strong enough to make you want to get up and fight with bigots...it is a powerful book. It's so good oh my god. It also has musical elements if that's your jam.

Aside from genderqueer representation, there is also bisexual, lesbian, and pansexual representation which is amazing because who doesn't love a good representation?

You should be pre-ordering this now. Believe me, you wouldn't want to miss out. It comes out on March 9th.

p.s: Warning... you might be a big Mariah Carey fan after this book.

Trigger Warning: Assault, Misgendering, Homophobia, Transphobia, Car Accident, Family Death
Respect My Existence or Expect My Resistance

Carey Parker dreams of being a diva. They have the talent. They have the voice. But they're scared—of rejection, of homophobic and transphobic assholes—and they are dealing with a lot at home, with their grandmother's worsening dementia. Then they meet Cris, and their world opens. Inspired to try out for the lead role in Wicked, Carey auditions and nails the role of Elphaba. But instead of cheers, they are met with a homophobic teacher and a corps of conservative parents unwilling to accept a genderqueer teen in a "girl" role. But Carey and their friends refuse to be silenced.

This was incredible.

Despite those incredibly heavy trigger warnings, this was entirely wholesome and heavenly and I was 100% crying tears of joy through most of it. However, definitely don't step into this one lightly.

Carey was a fantastic main character, filled with courage and hope and fears and scars and everything else (in addition to the holy hell that is high school). After a really awful prom experience and locker room attack by their tormentor, Carey is struggling with the aftereffects of their coming out—and the way their former best friend Joey doesn't want to hang out anymore.

I did love the support structure, although in the beginning my eyes were narrowed at Mr. Kelly, the ever-so-supportive English teacher (and also newspaper and musical person), because usually this sets up a really not-so-fantastic interaction of predatory behavior. BUT I am happy to note (and hopefully relieve any fears) that Mr. Kelly is absolutely perfect and supportive and crosses no boundaries, despite some initial periods that felt like grooming to me (they were not at all that, my mind just...goes there, for reasons).

While I was lukewarm towards Cris, who felt like more of a poster cut-out of hormones instead of a real, live boy, I was happy for the bi rep, but I really, really wanted more page time of Joey and Monroe, and also Phoebe Wright and Blanca! More, more, more! And especially more of Joey, who weirdly felt more real to me than anyone else in the book, despite having not so much page time.
Less discrimination is not acceptable. There needs to be zero discrimination.

I liked how the book handled activism and doing what's right. It was a really, really realistic portrayal of organizing a protest and a movement (and damn these kids are phenomenal—but also realistic, because after the Parkland shooting those kids did something similar on a much larger scale), and how to do a peaceful movement (and acknowledge the privilege of having police be on your side instead of tear-gassing you for protesting while Black).

While the principal's reaction was really, really skeezy, it was...honestly pretty typical. And disappointing, and revealing in her own privilege in being able to think that just a little discrimination is acceptable, when it is not.

Because as Carey noted, one Max or one Mr. Jackson can ruin a teenager's life.

Because while it can take an entire community to help build someone up and support them, it only takes one committed asshole to bring that crashing down.

Anywho, I really enjoyed this, and I loved the chapters, which were titled by pronouns so the reader did not accidentally misgender Carey.

Wait—I just realized I forgot to mention Carey is genderqueer (as is the author). This is an ownvoices book, and it is fantastic!

Also, you learn a lot about Mariah Carey, because Mariah is Carey's idol and coping mechanism.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

This book is about Carey who is genderqueer, an incredible singer, and a Mariah Carey fan to the extreme. They are auditioning for the part of Elphaba in the school musical, despite the prejudices of some of the faculty. Along the way they have to deal with relationships, bullies, and mental health.

First and foremost, this book is one of the first I’ve ever read as far as addressing gender fluidity and being genderqueer. As someone who identifies as genderfluid, I’ve taken so much away from this book and even adapted some of the strategies that Carey uses into my daily life, such as the pronoun bracelets. This is the first time I have ever read about someone who is secure in their genderfluidity, despite being insecure about other aspects of their life. This is reason enough for me to recommend this book to absolutely everyone. This aspect of the book was so well written and I’m glad so many people will get to see their experience represented.

The story itself was just incredibly heartwarming as we see Carey make steps towards accepting their own self worth. I don’t want to give too much away, but the plot totally gripped me from the beginning, even though it is slow paced. I will be recommending this book often as I believe there is something in it for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little worried about reading this one so soon after I read Felix Ever After because I didn't want to compare the two the whole time. But the stories and tones are very different, and though they are both struggling with their gender identity and how the world around them reacts, Felix and Carey are very different individuals.

Carey has a wonderful group of supporters (their mom, their therapist, their best friends, an awesome teacher), but they still struggle with daily bullying and microaggressions while at school. When things get out of hand, Carey and their friends have to decide if it's better to just ride things out or make some noise.

I admit that I wasn't thrilled at first with the activist route the story took (I guess I was just hoping for some sweet LGBTQ romance), but I appreciate the fact that Salvatore shows just how much work it takes to enact change--and even then it might not always be exactly what you were hoping for. The characters here are too good to be disappointed by the plot for very long, though.

DNF 20%
I just couldn’t keep reading this book, every page left me cringing so hard. After the MC started singing in public and literally had a “and they all clapped” moment, I had to stop. And from what I read, it felt incredibly unrealistic. As a trans person, the bullying felt very fake and one-dimensional compared to what I got in high school. This is meant to be YA, but feels more like middle school, the writing and characters were very immature. And there were way to many pop culture references, I know nothing about Mariah Carey and was left horribly confused and annoyed at how often this book referenced her. I’m always on the look out for own voices trans books, and I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this one

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I literally just got done reading this, and I couldn't get to my computer fast enough to write a review.

Carey Parker is a genderqueer teenager with the soul of a Diva. They dream of being their true self, able to sing their heart out and feel comfortable with their identity. Unfortunately, there are people in the world who like to pick the wings from butterflies, and that's who Carey has to deal with. After they score a traditionally female-presenting role in their school musical, those people come out in protest. With their wings plucked and a feeling of being pinned down, Carey has to decide if it's worth it to be themself. To stand up and use their voice for what they believe in. Together with their friends and with a boy who makes Carey's heart sing, they try to do just that.

This story is so emotional and heartfelt and raw. I'm not genderqueer and I'm not a teen, and the way this book spoke to me is incredible. We've seen books where the lead has to fight to be who they are, but the thing that separates Salvatore's book from the rest is the realness they brought to Carey's character. They deal with depression and suicidal ideation, they get so wrapped up in their own head that they forget about what's important outside of it, they feel alone and scared and broken and I love them so, so much. I wanted to wrap Carey in a blanket and let them sing to me.

I really appreciate the way this book shows all aspects of the queer journey. It's absolutely uplifting. It gives a voice to the queer kids in the book. It tells us that even when the stage is dark, there's always a light we can step into, whether that's finding a queer space for yourself or wearing something that's true to your identity or a pair of sparkly red shoes. But it doesn't shy away from the hard stuff. It doesn't shy away from the absolute loneliness that can come with questioning. Really amazing job here, bringing the two together into a powerful narrative that both educates and uplifts.

I'm not a Mariah superfan, but I do love music and I've always let music express how I'm feeling. This book showed what that's like. Sometimes you can't find words, but you can find music. The music, of course, was not the main point of this story. The music was a tool for us to be able to get a deeper understanding of Carey's characterization, to let us know how deeply artistry can affect us. But the music deserves mentioning, because sometimes when we don't have anything else, we still have the music. Carey always had Mariah, and I think that's something a lot of people can relate to.

The writing in this book is gorgeous, and I can't wait to see what this author does with the NA book they've been teasing. Small things like the description of a bird with a berry, taking it to its nest, and Carey wondering if it has a family to protect -- and then later Carey seeing their grandmother as a bird. Powerful imagery and wonderful prose. I'm a sucker for bits like this, and Steven really sold me on them in this book.

The surrounding characters were all fantastic and I felt connected to all of them. Even Carey's grandmother who we don't see that much in the book made me weepy just in the way Carey loved her so fiercely, and how we got to know her through their memories. Cris was adorable as a love interest and I had faith in him the entire time. Carey's best friends were funny and charming and ride or die, which is always what I'm here for. Their mother is an angel, and I don't know their singing coach that well but he seems hot so he's okay by me. :)

Overall, job incredibly well done. I can't wait to read what Steven has for us next!

Can’t Take That Away is the debut book by author Steven Salvatore. They are not only an author but teach and facilitate creative writing workshops. Salvatore is a great writer. I loved the style and flow of this book.

First of all, please read any content warnings that are available for this novel. There is a lot going on in this book and a lot of it will be difficult for some people to read. When I first read about this novel, it was pitched as a “feel-good, inspirational” book, but I’m not sure that’s entirely accurate. I’ll explain more about that later in my review.

This book centers on Carey Parker. They are a gender queen student who dreams of becoming a true diva like their idol: Mariah Carey. Carey is encouraged by family and friends to try out for the school musical even though they haven’t been singing as much. A lot has happened in Carey’s life and one of the choices they made was to give up singing. Salvatore did a wonderful job of capturing the strange counterbalance of singing bringing the main character unending joy but also making them very vulnerable at the same time.

Carey’s audition goes well, and they are cast in the lead role which is traditionally sung by a female. This brings some people joy…and others become very concerned about an “agenda” being pushed.

Once Carey’s role in the musical becomes contentious things begin to get even more complicated in the story. There is a bully, a queerphobic teacher, mentions of suicide ideation, hate crimes and physical assault. For me, there was a great deal of trauma in this book; possibly a little too much. Please don’t take that the wrong way. Queer trauma is real and certainly needs to be addressed. I just feel as though there is so much trauma in this book that it won’t be a good fit for a lot of readers. Again, I would encourage people to read content warnings and make their decision based on those.

Ultimately, Carey has a great deal of support and members of their chosen family begin to work together to make their school a better environment for everyone. There is some great information about how to plan a protest and what it actually entails. I usually find that this type of situation is glossed over in books, so I was very pleased that Salvatore went into such detail about the hard work that goes into making change!

While all of the musical drama is going on, Carey is also struggling with a relationship. They have begun seeing Cris but it’s not all smooth sailing. Cris and Carey are young and they both make mistakes. There’s a rawness and vulnerability to both of these characters that felt very authentic.

One of the things I loved about this book was the way that Salvatore has written about Carey being genderqueer. Throughout the novel, Carey sees a counsellor and those sessions reveal a lot about how being genderqueer has affected Carey. They talk openly during their sessions and it allows the reader to really get a sense of what is going on in their head. Carey also wears bracelets they are given by a teacher that are colour coded to help people understand what pronouns they would prefer on a given day. Finally, the author also has titled each chapter with Carey’s pronouns. All of these combined techniques are a truly unique and marvelous way of communicating the way Carey expresses their gender over time. I really enjoyed it and found it to be so fluid (pardon the pun!)

The supporting cast of characters is diverse, and a lot of the dialogue is funny. For me the trauma outweighed the funny though and I found this to be a heavy read. That’s not a criticism, it just was.

I probably wouldn’t recommend this book for young teens, because I feel as though there are so many issues/challenges that it could be a bit overwhelming. That being said, stories that center on genderqueer characters are needed, valid and important. This is a well-written book with great characters that covers some extremely important issues.

Review from my 12-year-old daughter:
Before I begin my review, I would like to say that I can't speak on the accuracy of this representation and am basing my review solely on the writing. I would also like to say that the main character uses he/she/they pronouns, but uses they/them pronouns most often, which is what I will be using in my review.

I absolutely loved this book, and although I have a few critiques, overall there was hardly anything I disliked about it! It wonderfully balances the depressing parts with the uplifting parts, and provides much needed representation.

This book follows Carey, a genderqueer teen who is obsessed with Mariah Carey and musicals. They audition for the role of Elphaba in their school's production of 'Wicked,' and when this sets off a reaction of hatred and homophobia throughout the school, they and their friends do everything they can to fight back.

There were a few things that I disliked about this book, but most of those are small. First of all, Carey's grandmother has Alzheimer's, and this isn't as talked about as one would expect from the given summary. Second, the main character goes to therapy in the beginning of the book, and we're shown multiple scenes of them interacting with their therapist. But then, about halfway through, we just suddenly stop seeing them going to therapy, and it's hardly even mentioned. But my biggest problem with this book was the love interest, Cris. First of all, Cris basically asked Carey out for no reason. They had never really talked before, and then one day Cris is randomly like 'Do you wanna go out?' and Carey's like 'Sure.' And then their first date is super unrealistic, because I don't know anyone who would talk about their mother's death on a first date with someone who they hardly know. And then once they were in and then out and then in a relationship, both Cris and Carey were terrible at communicating their feelings to one another. Every time Cris tried to bring up the issues in their relationship, Carey would just kind of refuse to talk about it, and every time Carey tried to bring up the issues, Cris would just get mad at them and act like he wasn't to blame. So overall, I hated the romance and thought that they would be better as friends.

But if we ignore Cris, I loved the rest of this book! I really liked Carey as a main character, and thought that they had enough flaws to still seem realistic while being interesting enough to follow. I'm glad for the representation, and also that they went to therapy, since they really seemed to need it (speaking from an unprofessional standpoint). I'm also glad that both the mom and the English teacher were supportive people, so that Carey had someone to trust and who would also defend them both at home and at school. I also really loved how activism played a big role in this story, and how the protests/petitions were carefully planned and thought out. But my favorite part of this story was probably the friend group (minus Cris). There were six people in the group (Carey, Cris, Joey, Monroe, Blanca, and Phoebe), and they each brought something different to the story. I really liked Blanca, but I don't have any in depth thoughts about her since she mainly came in at the end. Phoebe was probably my favorite, for she was super logical and in every scene she was always the one who would support Carey when no one else would. And when all seemed lost, she was the one who convinced them to continue on with the fight. I also really liked Monroe, mainly because of her passion and how much energy she brought into every scene she was in. Joey was an interesting character, because although I didn't like her at first, she did begin to grow on me once we saw her side of the story and the entirety of her past relationship with Carey.

Overall, I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it to anyone who likes music or young adult books!

The fact that this book was a mix of coming of age/identity and a glorious love letter to musical theater and Mariah Carey/Diva Culture was so much fun. The way that Salvatore writes about music and theater, and the ways in which all people are deeper than the assumptions you make about them I liked a lot. I also appreciate that the novel begins with an explanation of Carey's pronouns and reinforces those pronouns throughout the story, with each chapter opening to their identity. I also enjoyed that throughout the novel you, there is a development of each character that is in Carey's circle as the story grows to include them.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It's a little messy, but messy in a good way, in the way that real-world events often are. The good is mixed up with the bad, and although things definitely happened in a plotted manner, it doesn't feel forced. It is somewhat predictable in terms of the beats of the story, but I think that has more to do with the fact that I'm older than the target audience and can see certain tropes coming.

My main critique of this novel is that it does feel like a debut. The heart, the emotion, the passion are there, but some of the technicality is lost in the writing. The novel is uplifting and romantic and makes you feel SO MUCH, but it also occasionally struggles with pacing and with trying to do more than it maybe should focus on. A lot happens in the story, meaning that the emotional peaks come wave after wave without ceasing, which can be a little emotionally draining. But at the same time, all of the emotion does feel genuine and heartfelt, so I can't faul the genuine feelings here.

I don't know that I'll necessarily return to the novel again, but it's something that I know I'll recommend to students and friends. It's fun, it's uplifting, it has a happy ending (and really made me want to break out into song). Plus, we definitely need more LGBTQ+ literature written by actual members of the LGBTQ+ community, so that kids can actually SEE themselves in the world. 3.5/5 stars (raised to 4 stars for the review and to boost a debut!)

CWs: suicidal ideation, depression, assault, transphobia, misgendering, homophobia/queerphobia, bullying

What starts as an overly-syrupy, seemingly predictable high school romance becomes something much more profound in Steven Salvatore's timely and evocative CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY. Reminiscent of the recent Broadway hits THE PROM and DEAR EVEN HANSEN, Salvatore taps into the viral social justice that seems to pervade the lives of young people today. As a lifelong theatre kid, I'm particularly supportive of Salvatore's assertion that finding the confidence to get up and sing in front of an audience requires the same brand of gumption as leading a revolution.

What I would have given to have studied at Salvatore's Sunnyside High School, where they've somehow scored the performance rights to WICKED, the girl's basketball team in the centerpiece of the athletic department and there's an English teacher like Mr. Kelly. There is potency in these aspirational details when they are met with the very real roadblocks Salvatore sets up.

Carey, the novel's impossibly likable protagonist, finds their voice so believably when facing this adversity. Don't be fooled by the way things just seem to conveniently work out in the first act, Salvatore writes with real pain and specificity. Characters like Max and Mr. Jackson are of course, all too familiar in queer-fict narratives, but the inclusion of Principal McCauley, who's failure lies in her complacency rather than outward bigotry speaks to the nuanced approach Salvatore takes to Carey's adversity.

Despite the central conflict, Carey is surrounded by an eternally delightful group of friends and mentors, a mother and grandmother that just get it, and even finds tender sweetness with a boy. It's really lovely. And would make an absolutely fabulous musical, so I'll look forward to that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA!

I can't wait to share this with some of my students who have been deprived of representation in young adult novels. Not only is this a coming of age novel, but it sheds light on the internal struggle of being genderqueer while also dealing with being a teen.