I had higher expectations for this novel. I think what could have benefited this was another round of editing. It felt scattered and too long. There was so much explanation about what was being said, it was easy to get lost and forget what was happening plot wise. There is some great moments of exploration of the queer spectrum but it did feel repetitive after a certain point. While I do appreciate what this book does for queer literature, it did not land the way I had hoped for me.

jenny fran davis's novel, dykette presents a unique and thought-provoking narrative that delves into themes of identity, self-discovery, and acceptance. the story follows the protagonist as she navigates the complexities of her personal journey towards understanding her own sexuality and place in the world.
one of the standout aspects of the book is the way Davis captures the internal struggles and emotional nuances of the main character. readers are given a raw and honest glimpse into the protagonist's mind as she grapples with questions of identity and belonging. this introspective approach adds depth to the storytelling and allows for a more intimate connection with the character.
while dykette offers a compelling exploration of important themes, some readers may find the pacing to be slow at times. the narrative can meander, and certain plot points may feel underdeveloped or unresolved. additionally, the writing style, while engaging, may not appeal to all audiences.

I loved the variety of lesbian that were included in this book. We love an author who acknowledges and shows the fluidity and complexity of being queer.

I thought the main character was a little annoying, but it also really fit with the story so I think it had a purpose. I don't think I was supposed to like anyone in this book, and that was achieved. The choices characters made were strange, the coded conversations that would be flirty and suggestive and then cutting and degrading!!!, the mental calculations... truly reflect reality. I think this was all a bit exaggerated (and that feeling could very well be because of my lack of experiences similar to this) and that meant that sometimes I was rolling my eyes or just put off.

I think the description of this book makes it seem like the conflict of the livestream happens earlier into the book when it was actually wayyyy late into the book. It left me looking out for it and confused about why it wasn't happening only to then be confused as to why it happened so late. It made the ending feel rushed. And as far as the livestream goes, that was very disturbing lol. I really did not like it or understand the meaning of it (but at the same time, I often don't understand art like that).

Overall, I'm happy I read this even though I was frustrated with it and think there was some work to do with the structure of the book and character consistency, I appreciate its existence. I'd be interested in reading more from Davis. I think the stories they want to write are stories I want to read.

Funny, beautiful, and achingly human. I'm a sucker for a good queer novel, and this is one of the best! Queer romance and life are so unique, and we need more novels like this that explore the multi-faceted nature of these things. I'll be on the lookout for whatever Jenny Fran Davis writes next.

I found the language enjoyable, and this is a world that I know. Real queer writing. The fullness of it. "Gays hated overhead lighting" - lol! I enjoyed the lush writing & seeing characters I felt I already knew. Thanks for the ARC!

did not finish - gave it a chance but honestly just not my vibe and a review would not be a fair way to judge the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I bunch of women who are hornet and can’t stop having sex with each other. Did not see the point in finishing this book at half way through.

if a book is sapphic I will do every thing in my power it read it as soon as I can and I'm glad I did with this one

DNFd this one, it was just too weird and at first I was intrigued but it just never got better as I kept reading

I simply could not get into this book. first of all the character's names were too similar, I couldn't keep them straight. secondly it was a little nonsensical. not my cup of tea at all...

Thank you netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.!

This book had a very interesting literary voice. Strong and provocative.. and dressed as the grinch? Idk how I felt about it. I didn’t finish it, because I’m not sure it’s for me. I feel like people who like very outward, confident characters would love it though.

As always thank you to publishers and Netgalley for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am absolutely confused and bamboozled by this book.

Dykette is a raw, messy, and outright weird insight into the lives of three queer couples. Told from the perspective of our MC Sasha, we follow all of the couples dynamics and relationships between each other. That is the only base plot of this book that I even understood. I was going into this expecting lyrical prose and some classic queer comradery, and discussions of relationship dynamics in different types of queer relationships. What I got was characters that refused to communicate on even the most basic of needs and consent, prose that felt horrible to get through, and by the end i was literally thinking what the fu** Did I just read? Also seriously provide TW’s!! Overall to quote another lovely reviewer on here “if you've ever wanted to read a book where they eat each-others eye gunk, talk about forehead vaginas, and/or smoke a cigar out of their vagina…this may be the book for you.”

so weird. so real. so unbelievable. just great. smiled the whole time. don't pick this up if you haven't read the summary because it might not be for you, but boy was it for me. i love terrible freaks.

I liked this book. Definitely had some weird parts which I didn't totally grasp but overall I liked the characters and the way they all interacted with one another.

Dykette is a novel featuring three couples of varied queer identities (lesbian, bisexual, trans) and told from the perspective of Sasha. That’s almost all I can say with certainty about the book. I found the plot confusing, particularly since I didn’t understand a lot of the references made that the book relied on. I also usually like an unreliable protagonist and insight into people’s minds, but Sasha was repugnant to me. No other character was any better, and at times they were hard to distinguish, aside from Darcy (Sasha’s self-proclaimed enemy) and Jesse (Sasha’s partner).

The parts about Dykette I liked were the cover and the character of Vivienne, the pug. The only moment I empathized Sasha was when she was concerned about her dog and recognized the danger. I also, overall, found Sasha’s view of the green ribbon folktale interesting; I say “overall,” because the torturous sex scene between Darcy and Jesse ruined it at the end.

"Dykette" by Jenny Fran Davis is a novel that offers a fresh perspective on identity and self-discovery. While the book shined it some ways, it lagged in others.

First, the positives: Davis' writing style is engaging and unique. The narrative is filled with vivid descriptions and poetic language that paint a colorful picture. It's a thought-provoking exploration of these issues and invites readers to consider the fluidity of identity.

However, this story also has its drawbacks. The narrative can be somewhat disjointed and meandering at times, making it difficult to follow. I also lost some interest about halfway through the book, and struggled to get back into it.

Dykette is literary in a way that I found hard to connect with. The book is very slice-of-life and more character based. I wanted to like it more than I did.

i wanted to like this one so badly, but it just wasn't for me. but then again, i don't think i was the niche audience that this was written for. the discourse and narrative in this book was really interesting though.

I wanted to love this book and thought I was going to based on the description, but I just couldn’t connect to it. It felt like a slog to me and didn’t really live up to its description or potential, which was disappointing. It’s also one of those times that I wonder if I’m just not the right audience for the book though so I’m still giving it 3 stars because I don’t want to be unfair to the author.