Juliet Takes a Breath

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 25 Jan 2016 | Archive Date 17 Dec 2017

Description

“Even if Holden Caulfield was born in the Bronx in the 1980s, he could never be this awesome.”

Inga Muscio, author of Cunt

Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff.

Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle?

With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.

“Even if Holden Caulfield was born in the Bronx in the 1980s, he could never be this awesome.”

Inga Muscio, author of Cunt

Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781626012509
PRICE $9.99 (USD)

Average rating from 209 members


Featured Reviews

Review to come at School Library Journal Adult Books 4 Teens.

Was this review helpful?

I love EVERYTHING about this book! I was hooked from the very first page. Juliet is such a glorious character. I can see how some feel this might be "preachy," but that didn't bother me at all. Most people need to hear what this book has to say, anyway. I laughed, I cried, I gave this book my heart. I want nothing but the best for Juliet!

Was this review helpful?

uliet Takes a Breath is a stunning debut novel by Gabby Rivera that follows Juliet Milagros Pilante as she navigates her way through the world of feminism, radical self-love, coming out, and racism within self-proclaimed "safe spaces." The novel starts off just before Juliet takes off to Portland, Oregon to intern for her favorite author-- a woman named Harlow Brisbane who literally wrote the book on vaginas and feminism. The night before her flight to Portland, she decides to come out to her conservative Puerto Rican family. Even in those few sentences, you can tell that this book has a LOT going on-- and it does, in the best way.

I wish I had this book when I was a freshman in college, discovering feminism and self-love. It would have been so incredible to have a narrative from a young woman navigating some of the worlds that I was experiencing for the first time. Moreso, I wish I had it when I was a freshman because it would remind me to acknowledge my white privilege within these spaces and be mindful of it as I navigated these spaces. Although I may be well-intentioned, not acting mindfully and with an intention of respect can have harmful effects on the movement as a whole and others' experiences.

The writing within this book was absolutely stunning-- the quotes I copied down took up 5 pages in my Moleskine! I had such writer's envy-- every word Gabby Rivera wrote was heartbreaking and inspiring and breathtaking all at the same time. How is that possible?

The only negative about the book was simply that there wasn't enough of it-- I wish that Juliet's summer experience was a bit more thoroughly worked through. There were a few minor storylines that weren't really wrapped up or were too neatly wrapped up.

We need more novels like this. We need more of Gabby Rivera's writing.

All I can say is wow.

4.5 STARS.

Was this review helpful?

Was this review helpful?

This book has everything: womanist theologians, hot motorcycling librarians, queer of color haircut/pool parties, Afrofuturist writing workshops, heartbreak, joy, self-discovery, and a protagonist you can't fail to love. Rivera's pitch-perfect satire of white cis feminism (honestly I'm still laughing at "Raging Flower by Harlowe Brisbane") clearly comes from a place of fondness, even as she doesn't shy away from portraying the ugliness of white racism and the necessity for queer of color communities. Yet the didactic elements are seamlessly woven in with the character and heart of the story: Juliet feels so real. Every confused queer, babydyke, and aspiring feminist should read this book.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 stars. I love this smart, engaging, diverse novel. This is a gorgeously-written, funny, charming coming-of-age novel. The path Juliet takes trying to figure out how she can fit into queer and feminist communities, as well as into her own family, is heart-breakingly, hilariously wonderful. Highly, highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Was this review helpful?

Juliet is a queer Puerto Rican booknerd from the Bronx that spends her summer in Portland interning for an older white feminist writer lady. It's a bit summer adventure/love story, a bit coming of age and a lot cool chick I wish I knew. Thinking back on it, it was almost like the wizard of oz but like super queer and brown and with a Selena/Dixie Chicks soundtrack. Maybe that's short changing it. It's better than that.

I will suggest this book to everyone I meet because it feels special. I loved reading it. Juliet is likable as hell. It was refreshing reading about a young woman that likes herself even at the beginning of the story. Juliet sometimes struggles with how she fits into the queer, poc, feminist world but there was never any question of loving herself. I can't wait to read whatever Gabby Rivera comes out with next.

Was this review helpful?

When I was looking through my ‘to read’ list and I noticed that this book has less than 200 pages, I thought that it would be a perfect quick read for Sunday. I was a perfect read, but not as quick as I expected. This book is very intense, so much wisdom about feminism and lives of people of colour is packed into this pages. I was challenged to read about matters that are completely unknown to me, and I loved it. This is definitely why I love to read, I can get to know a person that I might not met otherwise. I got a chance to gain a different perspective on matters of queer POC.

I love the language of the book, it's written with so much wit, but sometimes character's dialogs about serious matters looked like copied straight from some books, and did not fit them so well.

I really liked Juliet's little brother Lil' Melvin. What a character! All his comments were perfect. And we share love for Twix bars :)

And one of the quotes a really liked (there are many more, but this one I especially want to remember):

"My story, my truth, my live, my voice, all of that had to be protected and put out into world by me. No one else. No one could take that from me."

Was this review helpful?

Made me laugh and equally tugged on my heart-strings even though I have a blackheart that never feels.

This book had me from the very opening when Juliet writes a letter to an author of a feminist book. Hell of a letter. She's a 19 year old chubby, Puerto Rican, lesbian feminist who has only just started to question who she is, where she belongs, and the world around her. Her questions take her to Portland to live with a white feminist hippy in search of where she fits in the feminist movement and LGBTQ movement.

This was a great coming of age story that I think reads YA and Adult because a lot of these challenges have nothing to do with age.

And my favorite part of the book was Juliet, the complexity of her life, herself, and her openness to learning. Close second was her family.

Was this review helpful?

This book will be published on January 18th, and if you have not yet done so, I strongly urge you a pre-order it! It is life-changing, wonderful and truly a work of art. Giving a voice to budding lesbian Puerto-Rican budding feminist Juliet, Gabby Rivera adds an impactful NA novel to the sparse canon of non-white, non-straight feminist literature. It is a voice that needed to be written and a voice you need to listen to. I devoured the novel in an evening and was blown away. The narrative is beautiful, the characters quirky, the representation so diverse and important. I was questioning some of my own believes, as well as mentally discussing many issues this books raised. All the while, it is not a dry lecture, but a fun story about growing up and finding your identity, as well. One even I, as a white, straight woman could take lessons away from.

There were a few minor issues that I want to address in fairness, but which do not make me change my 5/5 star rating: first of all, my favorite pet peeve of not-explained, not-translated foreign words... Sigh. Moving on. Secondly, Juliet was confused by many words, such as "trans" or "preferred pronouns" or "xe". Yet instead of explaining these immediately, the explanation was pushed back many chapters and then only partially done. And last but not least in the tiny list of things that bothered me: the lack of diversity - yes, hear me out! Why was almost all of Portland and Miami queer? Why were there only two male characters, pushed far from the focus? What would have been wrong with including some genuinely caring, aware-of-their-privilege-and-wanting-to-do-something-about-it male and / or straight and / or white people?

And as I am writing this, I am again questioning exactly this demand of mine... am I still part of the problem? Did I not get the message? Am I still full of my own privilege? That is the sort of paradigm shift and thinking this book will make you go through. And that is good, and necessary! This is a novel to read over and over again, to gift to your sister, cousin, daughter, best friend; a novel whole chapters of which I would love to print out and hang on my walls. That sort of amazing novel.

Was this review helpful?

I don’t even understand yet how deeply this novel has empowered me. I didn’t know that I needed this wake-up call until I got it feel onto my lap, and now I’m standing at the end of this beautiful journey in awe of the power in the voice of Juliet.

The representation in this book is excellently portrayed and sorely needed. The main character, a WOC Latina that is finding out who she is within the LGBT community. A coming-of-age story where the MC from Bronx goes on an internship with a bestselling feminist in Portland. Self-discovery, insecurities, and finding your voice all get explored in this touching story.

In every story, if it exists, the thing that makes it shine brighter is strong female friendships. One that really stood out to me was the sisterhood between Juliet and her cousin Eva. All the time, I was like: “I wish Eva could be my sister.” What she did was she broke things down for Juliet, terms and pronouns and identities, etc. in the LGBT community. She continually supported and stood by Juliet, gave her some of the most helpful advice ever, and showed her the naked truth. Let it be known that I am a big admirer of the bold and empowed Eva.

Some of my favorite parts passages where about how the strong women around don’t give a fuck and love fiercely and are trying to be supportive. Seeing all of the life lessons that other people can give and the LGBT inclusive community (there was a specific party) made my eyes almost tear.

“It's about women of color owning their own space and their voices being treated with dignity and respect. It's about women of color not having to shout over voices to be heard. We are the dominant force almost all the time. White women are the stars of all the movies. White women are the lead speakers in feminist debates, and it's little white girls that send the nation into a frenzy when they've been kidnapped. ...check your privilege. We're the ones that need to give women of color space for their voices.”


This is the most powerful quote about feminism that I have read in such a long time. This stresses the importance of intersectional feminism and how we (white women) need to give the stage for the voices of WOC and be constantly checking our privilege. In my opinion, this is the most valuable lesson that I learned from this novel, and for that I will be forever grateful.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.**

Was this review helpful?

Juliet Takes A Breath is the kind of book that simultaneously kicks you into action and warms your heart. It is the story of a summer in which Juliet, a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx, discovers a lot about her own identity and others’, a coming of age tale that aggressively runs away from the straight white boy type story epitomised by Holden Caulfield and many after him. It is also a story about friendship, love, and the universe, about understanding the politics of your own self and of other people, and realising that the world may not be exactly as you see it.

From its summary, Juliet Takes A Breath promises the kind of novel where the main character’s questions are not always answered, a book where growing up isn’t learning the answers, but learning new questions. This is an accurate impression, as Gabby Rivera leaves Juliet full of possibility, ready to take steps to change or become more herself. As she learns more about the wider LGBT world, intersectional feminism, and racial politics, so can the reader, but the reader can also want to look further, just as Juliet does, as she discovers what relates most to her. A lot of different people contribute their suggestions to what Juliet should do, but she ultimately learns that she has ultimate control over that.

The side characters also help to make the novel a heartwarming and funny read, from Juliet’s sweet younger brother Lil’ Melvin to her cousin Ava who is always there to answer her questions about newfound ideas and terminology. This is the kind of book to share with people who you think might need it, whether to feel support and solidarity or to see more in the world.

Was this review helpful?

This is a really good novel.I think a lot of that is because of Juliet's voice. She's beautifully insightful in some moments of the book. She's nerdy and quite funny at times too.Juliet is just a great character and it's great to see how much she develops over the course of this novel in various areas of her life.

Juliet goes on a journey throughout the four parts of this book and I didn't really get into the story until further along her journey but all of it is wonderful. Juliet takes this internship and doesn't really know what she wants to get out of the experience. In the end, she got a lot more than she really thought she could. She has a place to move forward from.

This book starts out with Juliet in a stressful and relatable time. She's coming out to her family. Juliet decides to do it at a family dinner. I like how much this book dealt with family. Even with Juliet away from them for a majority of the book you could see how important family was. Just from conversations with her mom or cousin Ava over the phone. Sometimes just from Juliet contemplating the way they reacted to things or might react to something. She thinks about her family often and I liked the focus on the family bonds.

Juliet meets some amazing women of color in this book. I felt like I was learning from Maxine and Zaira through Juliet's encounters with them in the novel. This is a novel about feminism but more importantly intersectional feminism. Juliet is able to start figuring out where she stands in the feminism she sees on tv or reads in one of her favorite books. I absolutely loved the conversations Juliet has around this.

Sometimes as Juliet struggled I just wanted to jump in the book and answer things when she had questions she wasn't asking anyone out loud yet.It takes her a while to feel the confidence needed to do more than just contemplate the tings she didn't understand about queer terms or why Zaira made spaces specifically for women of color. I liked seeing Juliet learn and make mistakes while learning.Her exploration into all things queer and feminism. It was really well done.

Sidenote.There is a really odd character who is only in the story for a short time and never appears again and I didn't understand the point of his words toward Juliet and couldn't stop thinking what was the point there or if it was needed.Juliet never really thinks of him again after that section so it didn't feel like it mattered.

The most relatable moment in this book for me was a feeling. The feeling that Juliet has when she is in an all QPOC space for the first time. She's freer than she has been able to in a long time.No one is going to judge her or say the wrong thing. She won't have to deal with microaggressions or blatant racism there. She is able to make decisions about how she perceives herself.

For me, that was an impromptu caucus for queer people of color at The Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Ally College Conference. It was a room filled with QPOC and a space for us to talk about issues we face separate from all the other events of the conference.I didn't even know there was that many of us in the conference. It was a major moment for me. I was dealing with not being able to embrace all aspects of my identity depending on the situation I was in. I had some rough school years and I feel like that was one of the moments that got me through. It changed things for me.It gave me perspective, I really needed.You see how much Juliet's experience changes her on the final sections of the book.She's able to take on the world after having run away from her problems before that. It's great storytelling.

Was this review helpful?

Juliet leaped off the page as a character. She was completely herself and never once did she let you forget she was a big Puerto Rican lesbian out to explore herself and the world.

This book was like nothing I'd ever read before. BURSTING with diversity and social issues and acceptance and exploration. Topics that wove together throughout included: racism, feminism, LGBT, family, and I'm sure I'm leaving out some others.

One thing I really liked was that besides the Raging Flower book, everything else checked out as a real reference to a song or book or important woman in history when she's doing her intern work. I leave now knowing what Banana Republic means (yikes) and who Del Martin is (aw yeah).

I'm not sure I understood the point of Phen's character, one of the only males, other than to underline her unfamiliarity in a new city... he was a douche. But my only real complaint is that her internship ends rather suddenly in a wrap up of a few pages. I would have liked to see her and Harlowe's relationship evolve, and find out some more badass names for her project. Maybe I just got so sucked into this free, accepting, and loving world, I just wanted to stay a bit longer.

Was this review helpful?

I've never read a book that's this diverse in the most real, down-to-Earth, and casually intersectional kind of way. Juliet's honest and relatable approach to the social justice movement echoes the start of my own journey into activism, and my own personal discovery of what feminism means and how I, as a young nonbinary queer individual, fit into these movements. I was constantly blown backwards by the examinations of feminism, queerness, privilege, and intersectionality in the form of music and literature, as well as navigating safe spaces and figuring out what it means to be inclusive. I feel like I learned something new on every page and grew along with Juliet while reading. At less than 200 pages, Gabby managed to touch me right at the core of my being and leave me feeling like I just woke up inside of myself. I am awed and inspired and ready to give copies of this book out like Halloween candy so I can share this beautiful, life-changing book with the world.

Was this review helpful?

Bronx-born and bred Juliet is getting to grips with her summer internship in Portland, Oregon (where she'll be working for iconic feminist author Hawthorne Brisbane), all while figuring out how to come out to her family, what the hell a preferred gender pronoun is, why she's not getting the answers she wants from White Feminism. Oh, and how to breathe. Juliet Takes A Breath was the queer, Latinx, intersectional feminist coming-of-age novel of my dreams: moving, political, angry, funny, and damn wonderful. Read it!

Was this review helpful?

Was this review helpful?

Gabby Rivera has managed to do something incredible for someone who is just now publishing their first full-length book; her book did not feel like a debut at all. It was a very fresh read, but it was also well-structured, with fully developed, three-dimentional characters, a goal even veterans of the publishing world are still trying to achieve.

Rivera's debut novel, "Juliet takes a breath" focuses on Juliet Milagros Palante, a Puerto Rican lesbian, who's just come out to her family and is heading towards Portland, leaving Bronx and her family behind, for a summer internship with the author of her favourite book, Harlowe Brisbane. Without giving too much away, things do not turn out exactly the way Juliet had planned them to, and she finds herself dealing with situations and people she could never possibly imagine meeting.

"Juliet takes a breath", is - without a doubt- a book that should not go unnoticed. Juliet's journey isn't just one from Bronx to Portland; it is also a journey of self-discovery and discovering intersectional feminism. (Now, I've called bullshit on the term before, because, for me, feminism is -by definition- intersectional; if it's not intersectional, it's not feminism at all. ) Through Juliet's eyes we get to see her first "contact" with terms such as polyamory, preferred gender pronouns, trans. It is a very interesting and very relatable journey for every feminist, who have found themselves as lost as Juliet, at some point in their lives. Rivera's novel has a brown, thick, lesbian protagonist and it leaves room for learning, growing as a person and familiarizing one's self with 21st-century feminism.

One of the things I loved most about the book was its calling out of white feminism. White privilege, acts of racism and microaggressions, poc-safe-spaces, are all topics that are explored in the course of the book. White feminism is a topic that is often unmentioned, mostly because most YA characters that call themselves a feminist are 90% white. In Juliet's case she learns to recognize this kind of behavior for exactly what it is - an act of racism coming from a place of privilege.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, not just because of its plot and fast pace, but mostly because of its diverse cast of characters and its portrayal and depiction of modern-day, intersectional feminism.

Was this review helpful?

<i>I don't mean any disrespect, but if you can question the patriarchy, then I can question you.</i>

This was an incredible piece of something different. Like, I don't even think I can describe what the heck this book is about. It's magical and powerful. A journey from Feminism 101 to exploring the layers and nuances that come with intersecting identities. Our main character, Juliet, is a young, Puerto Rican, very recently out lesbian who wants to believe there is room in this world for her. The prose gets bogged down with these explanations sometimes, but the whole picture is refreshing

<i>How could anything as huge as feminism be universal?</i>

The book has a lot of slurs and a few mentions of past assault with some on-the-page microaggressions, so heads up there.

Was this review helpful?
Not set

"Can a badass white lady like you make room for me? Should I stand next to you and take that space? Or do I need to just push you out of the way? Claim it myself now so that one day we'll be able to share this earth, this block, these deep breaths?"

Juliet Takes a Breath is a wonderful story of a Puerto Rican lesbian. A 19 yo girl who's learning about feminism through her mistakes and other people's mistakes. Juliet is flawed, real, and a little naive to the world.

I loved every bit of this. It had been a while a book hadn't touched me like this, finding my fears and aspirations deep inside my soul and opening me up to make me breath again. This is a story we all need. A story that many latinxs will relate to. We grow up sorrounded by all these gringxs telling us how to be, how to speak, how to learn. It's nice to see a latina girl finding her own place and her own voice.

This book explores a lot how POC space should be for POC only. And how we white people need to step outside of this sometimes. A wonderful read that will make everyone learn something new about themselves and about other women.

"Maybe America just swallowed all of us, including our histories, and spat out whatever it wanted us to remember in the form of something flashy, cinematic, and full of catchy songs. And the rest of us, without that firsthand knowledge of civil unrest and political acts of disobedience, just inhaled what they gave us."

Not set
Was this review helpful?
Not set

“Read everything you can push into your skull. Read your mother’s diary. Read Assata. Read everything Gloria Steinem and bell hooks write. Read books about your body written by people who have bodies like yours. Read everything that supports your growth as a vibrant, rebel girl human. Read because you’re tired of secrets.”

I can’t even bring myself to name all of the reasons why I love this book. If I did, I would probably have to write an entire essay, which, honestly, I wouldn’t have minded doing a year ago while working on my Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor. That’s because this book is an incredibly diverse and feminist YA novel, about a girl who struggles to find where she belongs. The novel unapologetically tackles many topics, from the importance of intersectionality to the underlying racism of white feminism, making it an absolute standout novel in YA that should be on everyone’s required reading list.

Here are just some of the reasons that make Juliet Takes a Breath phenomenal:


It’s intersectional!
The main positive of this novel is how incredibly diverse it is from page one, written by a queer woman of color, for queer women of color. Its protagonist, Juliet, is a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx who is also gay, and reading the story through her perspective is like a breath of fresh air. The novel is so rich with Puerto Rican culture, from the way Juliet describes her neighborhood and her life back home to the way she interacts with her family to the Spanish words embedded throughout.

The story isn’t just intersectional in this way, though. Juliet ends up writing to the author of a popular feminist book, expressing how she wants to belong in feminism but often feeling like feminism is mostly just for white women. In response, the author–the illustrious Harlowe Brisbane–offers her an internship in Portland, Oregon, where Juliet learns more about intersectionality and feminism than she could ever imagine, and how the two correspond with her identity as a queer WOC. This book is such a good education on feminism and intersectionality, and weaves the two together so well throughout the story, showing how reliant each is on the other.

On being a good white ally…
With this, the driving theme of the novel focuses on the problematics and underlying racism of White Feminism. The novel frequently addresses the demand for POC women to have their own space, one where white allies don’t speak up over POC, and teaches others how to be a good white ally in general… and how not to be.

One of the prime examples of this is in Harlowe herself, who is a typical hippy feminist white lady and who, like many white feminists, praises feminism and women-loving yet misses the mark on sitting back to let women of color speak about their distinct oppressions. This comes up throughout the novel, but her biggest blunder comes when, during a reading, she uses Juliet as an example for why she’s not racist, basically using the ol’ “I’m not racist, I have a Puerto Rican friend” card. She then went on to paint Juliet as a poor Puerto Rican who managed to escape the terrible, crime-ridden, violent neighborhood in the Bronx to be taken in under Harlow’s wing, even though Juliet didn’t really tell Harlowe anything about her life back home. Needless to say, Juliet learns to find her voice and tell Harlowe that this was in no way okay for Harlowe to do to her. This perfectly highlights to feminists how to not use POC as a token to make themselves and their feminism look better

It addresses “Mansplaining” and why it’s extremely obnoxious.
Okay, so there’s this super nauseating male character in the book named Phen, who acts extremely know-it-all and superior over Juliet the second he meets her, completely going out of his way to patronize her and let her know that she doesn’t truly belong. Seriously, I hated him like nothing else. He is the most venomous, toxic male “ally” that all feminists should avoid at all costs.

When they first meet, Phen is naked in Harlow’s house (for some reason??), and when Juliet is noticeably uncomfortable at first, Phen acts offended and scoffs, Oh I’m sorry, does my naked body BOTHER YOU? (**Um, yes, you asshole. You’re a male and, having that privilege, can’t even understand the connotations of a dominating male body invading the personal space of a woman. Literally, shut up.) Following this, Phen only continues to exert his dominance by throwing out feminist terms that Juliet isn’t yet familiar with, almost taunting her with them and using them as a weapon to show how much he knows more than her. At one point, he even questions whether she belongs in Portland and whether she’s truly gay. People like Phen are exactly what can go wrong with male allies, who make it more about themselves than about actually supporting women, and the book highlights this problematic behavior really well. And with that…

…it conveys the message that it’s okay to not know everything there is to know about feminism, and that this doesn’t make you any less of a feminist.
This is such an important aspect of the book. Going from the Bronx to Portland, it feels like a completely different world to Juliet, and there’s so much she feels she has to learn. But rather than scoff at her and make her feel bad when Juliet asks questions, Harlowe and many others encourage Juliet to continually learn, to question, and to figure out what feminism means to her. And this is what feminism should be about. It can often feel daunting coming fresh into feminism, especially depending on where you live in the world and what you identify as. There’s so much to learn and take in. Along with this, feminism means different things to different people. There’s no one way to be a feminist. And so I really commend the author for showing readers this through Juliet’s own personal journey.

Some other things I liked about this book…

It paints a realistic coming out experience, where the parents are neither completely accepting at first nor completely unloving. Just before leaving Portland, Juliet spontaneously decides to come out to her family. While most everyone else is okay with it, her mother takes it harder. While Juliet does her internship in Portland, she misses her mother yet simultaneously feels that her mom doesn’t truly understand her. Each time they speak over phone, they both feel a disconnect, that the other isn’t really hearing the other’s point of view. But over the course of this novel, Juliet and her mom gradually begin to open up to each other, showing that their relationship is stronger than anything.

I think with coming out stories, we’re so used to vilifying the parents who don’t always accept or understand their child’s sexuality right off. But it’s important to be aware that there are other coming out experiences that are more complicated and full of grey areas… and more importantly, this doesn’t always make these kinds of parents “bad parents.” When we vilify parents and coming out stories like these, it takes all of the learning and growth and underlying love out of the parents’ relationship with their child, something this book brings to light and works to develop really well. I love how in the end Juliet’s mom admits she’s still not all the way there yet, but that she’s trying, which just shows how much she really loves her daughter and wants their relationship to be okay. 💜

It centers around learning to navigate the cultural differences when traveling somewhere new, while always feeling like a part of you is still back home. I thought this was a really compelling theme in the novel. The story begins with Juliet dreaming of leaving the Bronx, certain that things must be better beyond it. But as soon as she’s in Portland, Juliet feels like she’s plunged into a completely different world, one where there aren’t as many people that look like her, which makes her miss her home back in the Bronx. As the story progresses, Juliet realizes that, despite being in Portland, there’s a certain amount of racism there, too, even in her mentor, which really challenges her worldview and what she thought she knew. I thought this was a really eye-opening turning point, as it just shows how racism is everywhere. We can pretend that it’s better in some places, but we also can’t be blind to the ways that racism still exists, even when disguised in various shapes and forms. Along with this, I liked how being in Portland just made Juliet that much more appreciative of where she came from.

There’s a point later on in the story when Juliet’s on her own and a bit turned around in the city. She takes a bus, only to find that it’s full of people like her—people of color, from Black to Puerto Rican. She’s so happy in this moment to finally be among other people who look and sound like her, to feel transported back to the Bronx, that she decides to stay in it for as long as long as she can, taking the bus all the way to the last stop and back again. I thought this was such a nice little silver lining for Juliet that served as a moment of peace and comfort for her, to remind her that no matter where she is, home is never too far away.

* * *

Like I said, there were so many things I loved about this book and so many important takeaways that I thought the author integrated so well; if I were to discuss every one of them, I might as well write an essay. (Can I? Please??) This novel blew me away, and I’m so thankful for it and for the author to have written such a vibrant character like Juliet Palante. If anything, I hope this novel inspires all of the Juliets of the world. I hope it encourages them to go out into the world, to explore and discover who they are, and to make their voices heard, at the top of their lungs.

Not set
Was this review helpful?

From the second page I was completely hooked. So far "Juliet Takes a Breath" is definitely my favourite book this year and it will be a tough one to beat. It deals with the nuances and intersectionality of Queer culture in a straightforward yet interesting way and is filled with a variety of wonderful moment varying from humorous through to touching and thought-provoking.
I connected with the characters in ways that i didn't expect but loved wholeheartedly. "Juliet Takes a Breath" is not afraid to question the world and the people in it, it is unapologetic and demands that the rest of the world rise to its level rather than sinking down to theirs. It is a book that has turned out to mean much more to me than I ever anticipated, and I look forward to reading Gabby Rivera's further fictional works.

Was this review helpful?

Great book for teens struggling with self love and conflicting feelings of acceptance with friends, family and themselves. Empowerment is a strong heady feeling which should be shared by all

Was this review helpful?

From page one I knew that this book and I would become friends. I can't describe it better than that it feels like a warm hug!

This story follows Juliet Milagros Palante, a Latina asthmatic lesbian with anxiety problems. There's a special place in my heart for characters who are allowed to exist with more than one label. Because sometimes us disabled lesbians need to be able to read stories about other people like us, instead of having to choose a disabled or a lesbian character.

On top of being entertaining and moving, Juliet Takes A Breath is a highly informative novel. It is definitely going to widen many readers’ minds, and educate them on queerness, religion, race, gender, intersectionality, polyamory, and the importance of proper communication in relationships.

Was this review helpful?

Already looking forward to Gabby Rivera's next book. The main character Juliet Milagros Palante takes readers on a journey from her home in the Bronx, where she just came out to her family, to an internship with a hippy author of a Pussy Power book in Portland, OR. Juliet is a great character and takes a lot in, meeting new people and learning new things (What respecting one another means in intercultural relationships, being lesbian/queer, what polyamory is, and what it means to feel at home and affirmed.) There is a lot of she learns about the world and communities (Intersectionality specifically regarding race/ethnicity and LGBTQ) and about herself as it is happening. Not only is she kick ass, but the other characters is the book grapple with their relationships and the challenges they experience without blowing up and cutting others off. There is a lot of respect, which gives this book a feel-good tone, even if you suspect in real life people wouldn't have been so civil.

Was this review helpful?
Not set

https://bibliophilefeminist.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/juliet-takes-a-breath-review/

Not set
Was this review helpful?

This book was simply amazing. I wasn't sure, after reading the description, if it would fall a bit flat, given that it is set in 2002, or if it would seem a bit preachy. It was neither. Juliet is a well-crafted character, full of life, wonder, curiosity, and hope. She popped off the page, asking all of the questions I had as a young queer woman just a few years before her. Her quest to find the intersection of feminism, gender, sexuality, and race was realistic, heart-wrenching, and emotionally fulfilling. The characters, situations, and dialogue never seemed forced; even the unexpected-but-once-it-happened-totally-expected "twist" didn't seem out of place, rushed, shoe-horned in, or otherwise "written" - this was a text that will feel real and authentic to the students who encounter it, and it is one that I will recommend wholeheartedly. I look forward to more from this brilliant author!

Was this review helpful?

REPRESENTATION MATTERS

The coming-of-age genre can be monotonous, after awhile. First it was mostly boys in heartwarming narratives that left them indelible in American iconography. Then some novelists and scriptwriters created a spin on the same stories, only this time with girls. Sometimes these stories were injected with some authenticity of the femme experience and sometimes they forgot to change perspectives, like a bad gender-bending copy-and-paste. Then there are stories from diverse groups that broke up the monotony with the very fact that coming-of-age as a non-white person is different than the prevailing picture. The coming-out genre suffered a bit of the same problems, though their very nature was a departure from the mainstream.
These stories matter, the genre matters. We all tend to read/view these stories and immediately draw contrasts and parallels to our existence. It soothes, comforts, and even validates us in some ways to know we are not so different, but sometimes the absence of us in stories alienates us even further…invalidates us. Where was my young, lesbian, brown, weirdo self? Did she really exist? Did anyone know or care? What would my future look like if my present was so taboo?

SAFE SPACES

No one is expected to have all the answers and artfully spin it into an all encompassing, inclusive, and intersectional tale. Sometimes young queers don’t need generic answers to their very unique set of questions, but rather diverse examples of ways to be. To quote Frida Kahlo, “I think that little by little, I’ll be able to solve my problems and survive.”
In comes Juliet Takes a Breath. Juliet Milagros Palante is not out to be your “model minority.” She’s just daring to figure out who she is and be herself. I wish I had this book back when I was 15, living in the Bible Belt, listening to Ani DiFranco and Meshell Ndegeocello, wondering if it ever truly would get better. I’m glad the youth have it now, actually, I’m glad I have it now. LGBTQ+, feminism, intersectionality, theodicy, QWOC, …what does it all mean and where do I fit? Juliet journeys to answer these questions for herself . She meets some gentle humans that are willing to help her find the answers, and she also meets some who judge her lack of term awareness and conclude she’s not really all that down. Safe spaces are found in the strangest places.

“[This book] should be for everybody I think everybody should read this book, BUT . . . [awkward, frizzy-haired, chubby, brown girl] out of all the shit in this world that is not made for you, this is the thing that is made for you and it comes with love and it comes with me honoring you just as you are…”- Gabby Rivera for GayWrites

Was this review helpful?

I loved Juliet, her experiences, her relationships, her growth. The characters were excellent all around. One thing that took away from the story a bit was that sometimes the messages were so overt it felt a bit like sitting in a lecture. I think they could have been woven into the story a bit more. Still, a very enjoyable read.

Was this review helpful?

"Feminism. I’m new to it. The word still sounds weird and wrong. Too white, too structured, too foreign: something I can’t claim."

Though this is the opening of the book, it sets a tone that defines the rest of the novel. It is a rare book that from the very beginning I can feel it sinking into my bones, but that is exactly what this felt like. And despite the fact that I kept worrying maybe that feeling would go away, I was entranced from beginning to end, and sobbed through the epilogue. This is a book that has power. And a book that will stay with me.

Juliet is a 19-year-old Puerto Rican lesbian from the Bronx who goes to be an intern for a hippy white feminist in Portland, and who also happens to have written Juliet's favorite book. It is a book about pussy power. But fear not, those worrying (as I did) about the cissexist nature of that book: it is called out frequently in the latter half of the novel! Just as so many other things are. In Portland, Juliet is part of an incredibly queer community. The number of queer women around at all times in this novel was impossible to ignore and it made my heart sing. Queer women of color, specifically, were essential in Juliet coming to understand the terminology she needed to define her own identity and to help offer new definitions of feminism and queer identity that can feel more inclusive to her.

It feels rare to experience such visibly queer spaces in books. Not just queer spaces that happen in one scene, but a constantly queer environment that is full of support but also critique and questioning of white feminist structures. Beyond the presence of queer spaces, there is also so much emphasis on POC-only spaces and the importance that they have. Over and over again, the bullshit complaints of white feminists are shot down and intersectionality is emphasized, explained, and made the most important part of the feminism Juliet is trying to learn. A feminism that includes her, in all her Puerto Rican lesbian glory.

Not to continue gushing, but some of my other favorite moments include: an entire chapter dedicated to making the period a celebrated experience, the strained but intensely loving relationship between Juliet and her mother, the entire chapter entitled "Ain't No Party Like an Octavia Butler Writer's Workshop", girls flirting, close family relationships, mini history lessons about amazing forgotten women of color, and about a hundred other things.

OH OH OH and I almost forgot: the almost embarrassing amount of realism that queer women become completely useless in the presence of other beautiful lady-identified individuals. Every time Juliet saw a fabulous queer lady and lost the ability to speak or spit out coherent sentences I was on another planet of joy.

This is the coming of age story of a fierce, funny, nerdy, chubby, intelligent Latina. It was breathtaking and sharp, full of so much goodness I know I'll be able to find new things again and again. It acts as an intro for those who don't know queer and feminist terminology, but also serves as a critique of the whiteness of those structures if you already do. It is ownvoices and vibrant and incredible. I'm begging you to read it.

Was this review helpful?

This book was seriously laugh out loud funny. I want to be friends with Juliet, her voice was so funny, poignant and compelling.

Our protagonist is a young Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx who travels to Portland to intern for a crunchy, white hippie who wrote a Cunt-esque, pussy-power manifesta, and it is through this mentor's fairly limited but ultimately "well-meaning" perspective that Juliet begins to identify with and define her own feminism.

The limitations of privileged, white feminism are portrayed really well through the novel, not just through Juliet's mentor but through Juliet's own experiences in an exceedingly white city. When Juliet is introduced to spaces carved out purely for people of color she is allowed to flourish and experience herself more freely without being blinded by whiteness.

This was a quick read, and a really fun one. I really want to continue to follow Juliet and experience her growing into herself as described by the author's vibrant and critical language. We need so many more Juliets in our books.

Was this review helpful?

This book was "bad azz" (and I mean that in the best way possible)!!! Funny, so real, and chock full of real emotions. I really enjoyed reading this book and I couldn't put it down until I finished. I want more from Gabby Rivera!

Was this review helpful?

Let’s get the negatives out of the way first: this book is fairly plotless. Despite Juliet Takes' A Breath's short length, I found myself bored for most of the first half.

However, my disapointment at the plot was outshined by my love for pretty much everything else.

The character work here is sublime. Juliet is a funny but believable protagonist. Her emotional journey was easy to connect with, and I’m sure it will be for anyone who feels disenfranchised in society. This is Juliet's specific journey as a lesbian woman of color, and the author makes that very clear. It’s amazing that Rivera managed to make this journey so specific yet so universal.

The side characters shined here too. All were complex and developed, even in very little pagetime. I feel like I know these women. I feel like Gabby Rivera knows these women. I was just incredibly impressed by the amount I connected to this story.

The integration of social issues here was also amazing. I’ve never read a book that represented so many issues so well! There’s a focus on lgbt issues, on women’s issues, on how women’s issues and trans issues need to be connected, and on racism issues. It’s revolutionary that this book got published by an agency. Juliet would be proud.

I almost wish Juliet’s brave women heroes had been integrated more into the latter half of the book. It seemed like an amazing concept that almost got abandoned. I understand why it happened, though; there was a lot to resolve in the latter half. Again, the pacing needed a little editing.

This book definitely comes highly recommended, and thanks again to the publisher for sending me this arc!

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely breath-taking and captivating, Juliet Takes a Breath is poignant and powerful. It is a book that stays with its reader long after the initial read.

Was this review helpful?
Not set

4.5 stars.

The prologue alone was enough to make this entire book worthwhile.

The MC was feisty and charismatic. She was fierce in one moment and vulnerable in the next. The author cleverly allowed her to feel ALL the feelings of a late teenager just starting school. She 'knows' everything and 'knows' nothing. She's so sure of herself and deeply needs the love and acceptance of her family, some of whom need some time to get to know this new (and newly out) Juliet.

The prose was masterful, especially in the beginning.

The only downside was the inclusion of all the Lesbian/Queer 101 information that slows the tempo of the book. And for something that starts to whippy, snappy, clever, and fast, this change is noticable.

Then again, this is a question of who the book is meant for. For someone like me, who has lived through it and reads lots of coming out/coming of age novels, it's old hat (though to look at Juliet's hat is refreshing). For allies who haven't been through it, it could be helpful. For a kid coming out, this could be life-saving.

I wish I didn't mean that literally.

Really, truly -- I highly recommend this one and will very likely read it again.

Not set
Was this review helpful?

This book started kind of slow but became very good once the story started. It is an important book to read for every young woman to better understand what feminism is why it is so important. The author drew such a great picture with the characters and made them each very personable.
However, I think my favorite part of the book was how "love" was portrait. It didn't just describe romantic love but also friendship and family love. Gabby Rivera has a special way to talk about love and what it means to the characters.
I would definitely recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (and boy am I glad they let me have this book). It did not take me long to get through it but I wanted there to be so much more.

“All the moments where I was made to feel like an outsider in a group that was supposed to have room for me added up and left me feeling so much shame.”

Juliet Takes a Breath is an unapologetic, beautiful book about a young Puerto Rican queer woman from the Bronx who spends a summer in Portland, Oregon interning for a hippy queer white lady who wrote her favorite book all about “the power of the pussy”. But fear not, there is some major calling out later in the book about cissexist thinking. So anyone worried about that, it turns out good.

I’d also like to just get it out there that while I am a queer lady I am a queer white lady so just keep that in mind with my review of a very PoC centric book.

First of all, I’ve never felt so represented as a queer lady who is completely useless when I see a pretty girl. Just to get that out of the way. When I see a pretty lady I can’t articulate or really talk at all and Juliet is just like that. I love her.

This book really emphasizes the importance of PoC only spaces, especially within the queer community. Juliet is super new to the queer scene, and it really comes through in the writing. There are a couple points in the book where she gets overwhelmed with all the new information being thrown at her and she feels like she shouldn’t be asking what terms mean because all the people around her are “fluent in queer” (the words of a good friend of mine, not the book).

I also really loved how the book was written. Stylistically, it sounds a lot like how people talk and I really dig that. Although I could have done with less “yo’s” at the end of sentences, yo.

Some of my favorite moments in this book included “sacred period ritual kits,” an entire chapter titled “Ain’t No Party Like an Octavia Butler Writer’s Workshop,” all the wonderful girl flirting, and really at this point I’m going to list the entire book so I’ll just leave you with a few of my favorite quotes to tide you over while you go get your copy of this book.

“Reading would make me beautiful, but writing would make me infinite.”

“Always ask first and then kiss the way stars burn in the sky.”

Was this review helpful?

Was this review helpful?

This book has been on my TBR for months. I loved it. It is so intersectional it makes my little heart so happy. Juliet is Puerto Rican, brown, chubby, lesbian, and writer. She is beautiful and if you want to read about someone figuring out what it means to be who she is, then this is for you.

Juliet grew up in the Bronx with her Puerto Rican mother, father, brother, and assortment of aunts. Juliet feels her life change when she reads Raging Flower by Harlowe Brisbane, a feminist extraordinaire that encourages women to explore themselves (physically, emotionally, and socially), just what Juliet needs to encourage her to come out to her family and make public her relationship with Lainie. Now Juliet has landed in Portland, a place full of white hippies that worship Harlowe, the women who offered her an internship for the summer. Juliet hopes this summer will magically help her find herself. It just doesn’t happen as she expects.



Diversity: +21
Race/Ethnicity: +1 (Author), +3 (PoC main characters)
Culture: +3 (Puerto Rican)
Gender: +1 (Author), +3 (Women and feminism), +1 (Discusses Trans and Cis)
Physical Disabilities: +1 (Glasses)
LGTQ+: +5 (obviously)
Socioeconomic status: +3


What I liked:
-Juliet is Puerto Rican. She’s Latina. Even though we’re different kinds of Latinas, so much of her family dynamic reminded me of my own. The food, the family, what a beautiful brown, Latina life. I loved how she found her roots and not once felt bad about her heritage. I loved how she tried to balance the values she grew up with and who she is. Her relationship with her mother made me want to call my own mother. Beautiful.
-The intersectionality. Seriously, I found myself cheering out loud every time someone got called out for their insensitivity. I love how Juliet learns about feminism, and white feminism, and queer people of color, and how it’s not the same kind of movement. She is learning how she fits within her family, her (small liberal arts) college life, white-hippie-Portland, and empowered-Miami-cousin. Juliet isn’t perfect, she’s learning which makes this that much more poignant.
-Descriptions of positive, healthy, relationships of all shapes and sizes without shying away from negative aspects. There are monogamous relationships and polyamorous relationships. Lesbians and bisexuals. Trans people with proper pronoun usage. Unabashedly sex positive. First loves and crushes and kisses under the stars.
-Body positivity. So many different bodies and all beautiful.


-One day, we’ll read books about PoC and queer characters that don’t spend time explaining terminology because we’ll all know it. One day, we’ll just get stories where they exist and thrive. I’m excited for that day.

Was this review helpful?

FINALLY- A book with likeable characters, great person of colour representation, queerness, feminism...and it's brilliantly written with a super heartwarming story that'll suck you in so you can't put it down. Brilliant!

Juliet Takes a Breath is the coming-of-age story of Juliet Palante, a Puerto Rican teenager who lives in the Bronx with her madcap family. She discovers feminism through the book 'Raging Flower: Empowering Your Pussy By Empowering Your Mind' by Harper Brisbane (which she reads to freak people out on the subway) and, after writing to the author to tell her how much she enjoyed it (despite not really recognising herself in the text) lands an internship to help Harper research her next book. Moving to Portland, Oregon gives Juliet a total culture shock and living with Harper exposes her to a completely different way of life. She uses the opportunity to learn about being gay, being a person of colour, being female and being a feminist, all whilst trying to figure out who she is and trying to get her family to accept her. Nothing major then.

I really loved reading this book. There's such great, positive representation and a brilliantly written story which taught me so much about other cultures, history, oppression, feminism, my own body... I could go on. It's really well written, interesting, funny and sweet without being overly saccharine or having a happily ever after ending that ends up in so much current YA literature.

I loved the main character Juliet, who was bold and strong but also scared and vulnerable at times. She felt very 'real' to me and despite our many differences I identified with her as a chubby, queer nerd girl who finds safety in the confines of a library. Her family members were all amazing, especially her brother cousin and aunt and I loved reading about how close they all were and supported each other no matter what.

I initially really liked Harper, the hippy writer who acted as a kind of queer feminist Yoda to aid Juliet in her voyage of discovery, but my opinion of her changed as the book went on. I loved the way that the two characters were so different and the way that Harper exposed Juliet to so many new experiences, but I hated the way that she made so many assumptions about Juliet and in the end I thought she was actually quite self centered.

Through Juliet's journey (literally and figuratively) the reader gets to learn so much about topics that you were afraid to ask about - from periods to polygamous relationships to white privilege. Every topic is handled sensitively and the writing is never preachy, only informative.

There is an awful lot in the book about racism and the differences between being a white feminist lesbian and a person of colour feminist lesbian which I hadn't really considered before. I'm not sure if this is my white privilege or because I'm British but I'm not used to people talking about their race all the time or referring to themselves expressly by their heritage. Some of the ideas discussed made me a little uncomfortable, like a racist slur said about Juliet's white girlfriend and a POC only party but through the character of Juliet the ideas are often questioned and both the positives and negatives are discussed.

Because the main character is Latino it was really interesting to view feminism and lesbianism through her eyes - how it fitted in with her religion, her traditional family, her views on men, her experience of privilege, her sense of self etc. This was a viewpoint that I hadn't read from before and I thought it was executed brilliantly.

My only criticisms of the novel would be that I think it's a little unrealistic for almost every character that Juliet encounters or knows to be gay and that perhaps a few straight people would have added another dynamic. I also felt that the negative way in which every white person was portrayed was a little unfair - although heaven knows there's enough books out there where the only black character is a villain/token gesture/non-existent so maybe the author was just trying to redress the balance.

Overall I loved reading this book and would recommend it to anyone looking to explore feminism and queerness from a different perspective, or just anyone looking for some great intersectional YA.

Was this review helpful?

I LOVED this book. It started off as a love letter to the white lesbian feminist scene of the early aughts: Ani DiFranco, the thinly veiled novel celebrating genitalia, mix CD's. From there, the book truly blossoms into a coming of age novel which examines who your heroes are, Whiteness and language, who your allies are, how you deserve to be treated, Puerto Rican identity, and who you are. This is a book I wish was around when I was younger. I highly recommend any feminist or activist to read it.

Was this review helpful?

I read this book more than a month ago so unfortunately, I can’t really remember all the details, I hope I’m not going to forget anything!

Juliet is a Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx during the 2000s. She’s a closeted lesbian and doesn’t know anything about the LGBTQIA+ community and she discovered feminism because of a book, Raging Flower, written by Harlowe Brisbane. In very little time, this book took a huge place in her life, so she decided to write a letter to the author, asking her for an internship during summer so she could learn more about feminism and what it really means. For her biggest surprise, Harlowe accepts and so Juliet leaves the Bronx to go to Portland. But before her departure she has to do one last thing: she decides to come out to her family.

What I really loved about this book is that it’s not a romance story. Yes there’s some romance but this isn’t the main subject. I think this more a story about family and how it can be important.

I really loved Juliet, I think it’s great to have a Puerto Rican main character. I love that she has curves and is proud of that. She loves her body, her breasts, the way she looks. She wants to understand what it means to be a lesbian, she wants her mother to accept her, to be proud of her. She’s also trying really hard to understand, to be part of a community she doesn’t feel belonging to. She’s also asthmatic and it’s always great to have this kind of representation. I feel like asthmatic people in books are always the nerdy or weak people but Juliet is a strong woman and having troubles breathing is absolutely not the main subject, it’s part of her life but doesn’t dictate it. This summer is one of the most decisive of her life and I’m not going to explain more because I don’t want to spoil anything but I love the way the story is told, the way she thinks when she sees her girlfriend, the questions she asks herself about her future, the doubts she has about her family, her life.

The reason I loved this book so much is because of all the subjects the author is talking about and there’s so many that I’m actually going to make a list:
– Harlowe Brisbane is in a polyamorous relationship.
– This book is calling out white feminism.
– It’s also calling out racism, and how it can comes in any forms. Just because you’re a white woman fighting for feminism doesn’t mean you can’t say racists things, even though you didn’t realized it at the moment.
– There’s a whole chapter about periods. This may disturb some of you but periods are kinda taboo in literature so I’m always loving it when periods are mentioned. Girls have it once a month and yet nobody feel like talking about it, so can you imagine a whole chapter?
– Since Juliet knows nothing about the LGBTQIA+ community, her cousin explains to her some of the words and also talks about genders and the pronouns. (Let me share with you an important quote: « Whatever pronouns a person chooses, if they choose any at all, are their right. Not a fucking preference. »)

I may forget some things and I’m really sorry because I feel like I can talk for hours about this book. I loved how it made me feel good but also laugh so hard at some parts and since summer is coming soon, I think this read is perfect. It’s a light read but with heavy and important subjects.

Was this review helpful?

The one word that kept going through my mind as I read Juliet Takes a Breath and later tried to compose my thoughts on it is "authentic." Juliet Takes a Breath is one of the most authentic books I have ever read, and that authenticity is what makes it truly fantastic. I'm guessing that the author drew heavily from her own experience, and it shows in a very good way; Juliet's voice is incredibly clear and incredibly real. At the core of it, she's just a young person trying to figure things out, and that is something that so many other young people can relate to.

Readers who share experiences and/or identities with Juliet (being latinx, queer, working class, growing up in the Bronx, etc) will find that her story resonates even more. As a young queer woman, I found myself tearing up several times because Rivera captures so perfectly that experience. It took me a while to get hooked into the book because the beginning part when Juliet comes out to her family evoked so many emotions about when I came out to my own family, and it was a little overwhelming, but in a good way. The characters, too, were incredibly relatable. I have met people who are a lot like Harlowe, like Lainie, like Maxine, even like Phen, bit player that he is. I felt a connection with the characters and the situations in a way that I don't with most realistic fiction; even though it was fiction, these kinds of people do exist, and these kinds of things do happen, and furthermore, people like Juliet really do grow and deepen their connection to their own identity and to others. For young queer folks who haven't gotten to that point yet, this book could be very inspiring, even hopeful.

But even if readers do not share the same experiences as Juliet, this book is still incredibly valuable, as it tackles issues like race and sexuality in a very honest way, introducing concepts that some people may not be familiar with and tackling tricky situations (the role of race in an interracial relationship, for example) using the characters as a proxy. The characters teach us about a range of different things-gender pronouns, what the word "queer" means, how polyamory can work-but it never feels like the characters are just spouting off a lecture at us because Rivera weaves it in seamlessly in a way that makes sense.

When I first began the book, I was a little apprehensive because Harlowe's brand of feminism that caters to white cis lesbians was a bit off putting to me; I've seen it in my own life, and I even used to subscribe to it until I realized how exclusionary that kind of feminism is to women of color and trans women and basically anyone who isn't a white cis woman. But rather than espousing Harlowe's feminism, Rivera tackles it head on, and uses Harlowe as a way to point out the dangers of white feminism and the pitfalls that white allies can fall into. Impressively, I find that she also strikes an impressive balance; the characters who make mistakes are not immediately forgiven or pardoned, but neither are they uniformly vilified. People are complex and relationships are complex and the interplay of personal relationships with race and gender and sexuality is complex, and Rivera portrays that with care and honesty.

As a side note, I was very impressed at how well Rivera wrote about the (view spoiler) I'm also impressed at the breadth that Rivera covered in a relatively short book. She took us from Juliet's home in the Bronx to the queer community of Portland to Ava's world in Miami (and the chapter about the party that Ava takes Juliet too is really one of the highlights of the novel for me). Juliet's relationship with her family-particularly Ava and Lil' Melvin-was also absolutely fantastic.

I only have two very minor gripes with the book, and they're really not full-on gripes as much as they are things that I was confused about. The first is that I'm still confused (view spoiler) The second is that I think that at times, Harlowe is written as such an extreme hippie that she borders on being a caricature. However, I do think that there are probably people like Harlowe out there, and my feeling on this is mostly a product of the fact that I live in an area very different than Portland where I don't meet many Harlowes.

On the whole, I think that Gabby Rivera has really written a fantastic novel; the cast is diverse in the way that the real world is diverse, and the way she draws on her own experience as a queer latina makes the novel shine. Many LGBTQ+ books tend to showcase one particular narrative; in particular, a white, usually middle class narrative. Alternatively, they are written by people who are not a part of the community that their characters are, and they fall into stereotyping and/or fetishizing (white authors oversimplifying the experience of LGBT people of color, or straight white women writing fetishizing fiction about two cis white gay men). But with Juliet Takes a Breath, Rivera has given voice to a different narrative that is just as valuable and just as authentic, if not more so. When people say that we need diverse books by diverse authors, this is exactly the kind of book that they mean.

Was this review helpful?

This book is very refreshing since it takes the experiences of a queer latina woman to the forefront of the story it’s particularly important because even though I enjoy reading (and in general consuming media) that reflects on other type of experiences seeing a lot of what I live or feel being talked about and shed a positive light is rare and priceless especially because there are not many stories exploring the intersectionalism between queerness and being a latinx.

The beginning is amazing because we start with Juliet writing a letter to to author Harlowe Brisbane — a famous feminist and lesbian — as part of an internship application. Harlowe’s book is named Raging Flower: Empowering Your Pussy by Empowering Your Mind. So that should show you the tone of the coming pages and just a beautiful way to show you how Juliet sees and relates to the world.

“But now I’m writing to you because this book of yours, this magical labia manifesto, has become my Bible. It’s definitely a reading from the book of white lady feminism and yet, there are moments where I see my round, brown ass in your words. I wanted more of that, Harlowe, more representation, more acknowledgement, more room to breathe the same air as you. “We are all women. We are all of the womb. It is in that essence of the moon that we share sisterhood” — that’s you. You wrote that and I highlighted it, wondering if that was true. If you don’t know my life and my struggles, can we be sisters?”

So when Juliet finally comes out to her family just before going into her internship to Portland, to a big city to meet her hero and be herself (10/10 can relate to this because even though I moved to my country’s capital to be myself and not to meet my hero) she is shocked by the cultural changes and the feel of the city.

I don’t want spoil more but it’s important to note this is a wonderful read exploring feminism in an intersectional lense more than the usual white feminism that’s been going around in media, and it’s not preachy if you’re fearing that, it’s just natural and reflective.

Was this review helpful?

Rivera's novel follows Juliet, a 19 year old latina from the Bronx, as she deals with a growing awareness of feminism, racism and queer culture. The characterisation is a real highlight for me, with every character having fully-rounded thoughts, feelings and conflicts that they struggle to reconcile with themselves and each other. The format allows Juliet to come up against contemporary ideas in queer theory and intersectional feminism so the reader can follow various arguments without feeling preached at.

The only downside was that the characters themselves can be deeply irritating. The first two thirds of the novel are devoted to interactions with Harlowe Brisbane, a white hippy feminist whose ideas are grating. While this is of course the point, it did make it hard for me to push through to the end!

Ultimately, Rivera does an excellent job of portraying the ideological juggling we must all do in order to come to some sense of who we are and what we want to stand for.

Was this review helpful?

This book hooked me since the first page: Juliet's voice is so refreshing and I loved discovering more about her, her family and friends, and her relationship with feminism, queerness and race. A solid five-star read for me.

Was this review helpful?

I have already posted my review on Amazon. And I plan to post my review on my blog (lifeofaliteraryner.wordpress.com) and twitter (twitter.com/ahyperboliclife) Monday afternoon on June 5th.
-----
This books was a ride for me. I could not stand Harlowe Brisbane or her damn book so I almost DNF’d this after chapter 2, but I am glad my sister pushed me to keep going because I really loved it. Juliet Takes a Breath is a moving and powerful story of self-discovery, growth, expectations, and feminism. Juliet’s story felt so honest and raw, it truly captivates you as she learns to love herself.

Things I Liked :
Juliet’s journey is beautiful and powerful. I loved seeing her discover feminism, what it means to her, and where she fits into this larger movement. I also really loved that she learns from her family and she has a support system around her, ready to uplift and encourage her.

The feminist and queer ideologies are very accessible for every reader. Juliet learns and absorbs so much - about non-white revolutionists, polyamorous and other non-heteronormative relationships, safe spaces, trans rights, allies. Juliet’s eyes are opened to a world she didn’t know existed and she craves knowledge and understanding. Everything is explained very clearly and respectfully, so those new to feminism can easy understand the topics and grow in knowledge like Juliet.

I also loved how Juliet’s relationship with her mom developed. We see their relationship go through so much and in the end, her mom helps propel her forward, and encourages her to reinvent her own world and not rely on others to do so.

I LOVED that they called out the white feminism EVERY TIME. The characters in the story were openly critical of the exclusionary and dismissive white feminist nonsense and actively challenged that white feminism was universal. It was just so great to see.

Things I Didn’t Like :
You already now I hated Harlowe. Everytime she was in a scene I just got angry - and don’t even get me started on her dumbass book. First of all, it reminded me so much of the book Rachel reads in Friends-Be Your Own Windkeeper. I felt like they were basically interchangeable. On a more critical note, Raging Flower reeked of privilege. Highlighting women’s divine essence and power and their cosmic sisterhood, while not confronting any of the systemic or political oppression women - especially non-white women - face was infuriating. Yes camaraderie and self empowerment are important, but I HATED how Juliet upheld her book as a bastion of feminist literature and Harlowe was iconicized for her mediocrity. It was not unrealistic though, and Harlowe/her book was called out several times so I really appreciated that. I also HATED her half assed apology to Juliet after the incident at the book reading. She literally said she didn’t think she said anything wrong or mean about Juliet and I couldn’t believe it.

I felt Juliet was very naive. I understand that this is the story of her journey to discover more about feminism and where she fit in, but it didn’t feel like she was in college to me. She says she met Lainie in a Women’s Studies class, but she still new virtually nothing about feminism, or the fallacies of the US government, at all. It was a little unbelievable to me. I also didn’t like her thoughts about the Native American genocide being an accident, and how Harlowe and Maxine’s poly relationship meant her crushes on Kira and Maxine, while still loving Lainie, was okay - it felt like she was trying to justify emotionally cheating to me, while not being open with all parties. It was also hard for me to believe that Juliet’s only resource on feminist literature was Raging Flower - even in Harlowe’s book she says to read books and resources from a wide range of people, so I could believe that Juliet hadn’t taken that advice to heart.

This was a tough reading experience for me, but I am really happy I finished the book. Juliet’s story is honest and gripping and unapologetically queer. Juliet celebrates the queerness in her own life and in the community she discovers. I loved going on this journey with Juliet and seeing her come into her own and learn to love who she is.

Was this review helpful?

This book was magical and mystical and all things fucking amazing. I am older than the character in the book, but when I was 19 I wish there had been more books like this one. It was so nice to read an affirming book about queer, POC, nerds who had no idea what it meant to be a lesbian or feminist. I was that way when I first came out and I felt utterly clueless. Juliet's story is important because it lets me know that there are other people like me out there. It brings back fond memories of being the only person in my family to leave the "hood" and try something new and different and not knowing how that would look or feel. This book is important because it lets little brown girls out there know that they have a voice and there is someone writing their stories. It really gave me all of the feels and was made even better by getting to meet Gabby Rivera at BookCon in NYC this past weekend. I will read everything she writes and I hope there are more YA-ish books about girls of color and their experiences navigating the queer community. I thought the character of Harlow was so well written in all of her flaws and the rest of the characters fit really well into the book. Overall great first book and I am glad I happened upon it.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book. I cried, I laughed in public, and I'm really grateful to have read it at this moment. It made me absolutely giddy and primed me perfectly for Pride. It made me want to rally up all my queer friends for talks and marches and meditations and protests... And also just to take time to fortify each other.

Juliet Takes a Breath is about a young college Puerto Rican from the Bronx who scores an internship with a feminist icon in Portland, OR. (Although my favorite bit is actually a brief stint in Miami.) It's a coming-of-age story and can function as a bit of a 101/intro to feminist and queer circles, but it also worked for me as a pure celebration of all those things. I believe it's a semi-autobiographical story for Gabby Rivera, and her voice is necessary, needed, wanted, and requested.

Fans of the POC lovefest in The Sun Is Also a Star, the empowerment/community stories of The Hate U Give and The Color Purple, and the Latino jubilation in Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao should check this one out.

Thanks to NetGalley for access to an e-copy! Almost halfway through reading I decided I had to run to my local LGBT Center library to purchase my own hardcopy. :D

Was this review helpful?

Juliet is a chubby lesbian Puerto Rican girl who just came out to her family and is about to spend her summer with Harlowe, the author of a book that has helped her to discover feminism. During this summer she will learn a lot of things about herself, about feminism, racism and white privilege, and the queer community; she'll get to question everything and everyone; and she'll understand that Harlowe doesn't have all the answers.

I firmly believe we need more books like this one. Books that talk freely about feminism (including polyamory, menstruation, or masturbation), books with a main character who needs to ask lots of questions because is still learning and is facing many issues that are new to her. Because it's ok not to know all the terminology, to have doubts, and to ask (politely and respectfully) when you need any clarification. And that doesn't mean that other people are better than you.

Also, we need more books with so many queer and PoC spaces, books that talk about how important is to find people you identify with and make you feel that you belong, books that question white allocishet privilege.

Was this review helpful?

Gabby Rivera has a witty writing that you grab you from the beggining. I'm going to review this on my youtube channel.

Was this review helpful?

if it’s a phase, so what? if it’s your whole life, who cares? you’re destined to evolve and understand yourself in new ways you never imagined before.


LANGUAGE WARNING FOR THIS REVIEW

From the very moment Juliet Milagros Palante referred to herself as a ferocious cunt I knew I'd like this book.

First of all, because teenagers swearing is realistic and I want it more in books. Second of all, because I just think there's something entirely glorious about referring to yourself as a ferocious cunt.

This book is one of those books I worry people won't read or will dnf because it's not got that much plot. It's a coming of age story, and I get why people say it's boring but this book is so entirely well written, well addressed, well researched and well presented it's a massive fucking shame if people walk past it. Even though it's not a typical fast moving plot, I still felt myself constantly reaching for this because it was endlessly interesting in other ways then plot.

Juliet Takes a Breath follows Puerto Rican lesbian girl Juliet Palante who's recently been introduced to feminism and "Pussy Power" by Portland writer Harlowe Brisbane. Juliet takes up a summer intern with Harlowe, and the story basically followers her as she navigates her internship.

The truly beautiful and unique thing about this book is the incredible visibility of queer spaces, and especially queer spaces for women of colour. This book debunks and challenges aspects of feminism and womanhood that are exclusionary, cissexist or racist and promotes intersectionality. Juliet must confront and explore how her sexuality, gender and ethnicity intersect and that exploration is something so rarely seen in YA.

What I liked about this is it kinda feels like you take Juliet's hand and learn as she does. This forced me to address and acknowledge some of my own white privilege and cissexism and I really liked that about it. If you're willing to go into it open minded you will genuinely learn alot about modern feminism, lgbt+ communities, QPOC spaces and intersectional feminism.

Gabby Rivera feels in control and educated on every subject that comes up - this is own voices, but still a part of me was worried the exclusionary aspects of Harlowe's feminism would never be addressed. Shame on me for having no faith, Rivera masterfully writers and crafts her story.

Aside from the larger themes, this book has such cute romance elements. There's a cute librarian girl who rides a motorbike and goes stargazing !! And an interracial couple with no white people !! (Kira is biracial Korean and White) There is also a poly relationship. And aaah it's so cute !! And Juliet is soo tongue tied over the cute girls and it was just sweet and not sexualised or anything but was just soft and realistic and I LOVED IT.

Genuinely, I think this is such an important and well written book. I think it's important book that offers so much visible spaces for lgbt+ youth and especially queer women of colour. This book is filled to the brim with strong, outspoken and beautiful queer, poc women and it truly made my heart sing. The representation matters so much to me, and I imagine it matters even more to brown girls.

This book feels so rare, like I don't know if I'll read anything which forefronts queer spaces this much again. I will never be over it. I genuinely want everyone to read this - whether you're gay, white, female or not.

I feel so incredibly gushy about this book - like, you don't understand how validated and good this makes me feel and it isn't even for me. I am so happy Juliet got to find and experience spaces that included her, and a brand of feminism she could claim. Juliet's story is incredibly important, she's a chubby, latina queer women who finds her voice, her discovers and claims her own sexuality and spaces. The sharpness and poignancy of this book will not be forgotten by me, it's a terribly important story, a true look into how queer women of colour are struggling and it's a great intro book to inclusionary feminism which also serves as a critique and reminder to white feminist.

I am literally willing to beg people to read this, it's that important.

Was this review helpful?

First, I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher and Gabby Rivera for this copy in exchange for my review!

When I went into Juliet Takes a Breath, I thought that this was going to be a nice lesbian romance and coming out/coming of age story.
What I got was probably the best book I've read in 2017 and a novel I think everyone should read.
I loved every part of this novel, it's one that everyone can leave with something new that they didn't know or didn't understand.

The feminism, body positivity, LGBTQIA+ and POC rep blew me away. The plot itself was fully based around our MC, Juliet's, growth and discovery of herself and it was executed perfectly.
That being said, so was the character development in this book.

It touches base on accepting yourself, the patriarchy, the importance of the LGBTQIA+ and POC community within the feminist movement, and how important it is to know your history.

I honestly can't recommend this book enough, it's a powerful book and it left a huge impression on me. I'll be picking up my own physical copy soon.

Was this review helpful?

Honestly, this book is just incredible. Both for being a lgbt story and for being a Hispanic lgbt story.
The main character had a sensational voice that I loved reading. She was a magnetic character that I connected with instantly. Her perspective made everything about the book enjoyable: the plot, the setting, the other characters.
I especially recommend this book to anyone who can relate to being Hispanic, lgbt, or a woman. I also recommend this book to people who just like good books.

Was this review helpful?

Overall I real loved this book, it is really divers and it touch upon subjects not every writer dares to touch upon. We need more books and writers like this and I would love to read more books like this. This is also a story about self-discovery, Juliet learns a lot about her background and who she is and what she stands for. She goes on a journey to find out what it means to be queer, a feminist and a black feminist.
I think this is a book everyone should and can read, I definitely recommend it. Everyone can take something from this book and it is divers. I think almost everyone can find someone to identify with when it comes to Juliet.

Was this review helpful?

Juliet Takes a Breath is like a love letter to your (younger) queer self. Written by “round, brown loverboi” Gabby Rivera, JTAB is the coming of age story of young Puerto Rican Juliet Palante who leaves the Bronx to start an internship with infamous feminist writer Harlowe Brisbane in an effort to discover her Queer, Feminist, Puerto Rican self.

“Feminism. I’m new to it. The word still sounds weird and wrong. Too white, too structured, too foreign: something I can’t claim… Can a badass white lady like you make room for me? Should I stand next to you and take that space? Or do I need to just push you out of the way? Claim it myself now so that one day we’ll be able to share this earth, this block, these deep breaths?”

As Juliet learns, loves, and grows throughout her time in the Bronx, Portland and Miami, so do we. And boy, what a journey we go on with Juliet as she bounces from coming out to her family before leaving for Portland; to meeting the author of ‘Raging Flower: Empowering Your Pussy by Empowering Your Mind’ Harlowe; being (badly) introduced to “PGP’s” (preferred gendered pronouns), polyamory, WoC only spaces and the power of (cis) women’s bodies; and finding herself knee deep in intersectional tensions within the queer and feminist communities. JTAB provides an immersive and grounding introduction to feminism, queerness and intersectionality through the innocent eyes of Juliet as she struggles to come to grips with this new found language that she has found herself in. This book is not only of massive importance in terms of offering a kick ass representation of a young, fat, nerdy, queer Puerto Rican girl but also for the thought-provoking discussions that Rivera’s astute observations give rise to.


Rivera beautifully, articulately and intelligently captures the reality of the queer and feminist communities in all of their technicolored nuances with, at times, disconcerting clarity. As someone who was raised as female and came out as bisexual in 2008/2009, and then again as trans in 2010, I have experienced my fair share of both of these communities and have become increasingly exasperated, infuriated, and alienated with the increasingly dominating attitude which Rivera so expertly depicts in JTAB. Through the characters of Phen, Harlowe and Maxine we see Juliet’s ongoing struggle to get to grips with a community which constantly makes her feel like an outcast – as someone who is stupid for not being better versed in the ever growing complexity of Queer terminology and concepts which many younger queers, fresh out of the closet, would most likely not have been exposed to before.

Phen rolled his eyes. “Oh c’mon, do you identify as queer? As a dyke? Are you trans?” he asked, spitting phrases at me, amused by my ignorance. “And PGPs are so important even though I think we should drop preferred and call them mandatory gender pronouns. So, are you she, he, ze, they?”

“As a queer person, I have this opportunity to deconstruct and potentially abolish heteronormative relationship structures and create relationship models that work for me, that work for my needs and that don’t rely on mimicking straight codes of conduct. Codes that often adhere to strict and archaic gender roles, imbalances of power, and that one-half of the relationship is in charge of the other.” (Maxine on polyamory)

Time and time again such language and attitudes only exist to further confuse and alienate Juliet who continually feels as though this community is not for her. Whether talking about pronouns, polyamory, sexual orientation, periods, or race, the Portland characters never break it down for Juliet in a way that she can understand and this is exactly what the queer community is really like. I have seen this attitude intensify over the past 5 years, in which anyone who doesn’t “look queer” or who seems ignorant about particular issues is looked down upon rather than initiated into a community that welcomes them. I feel that Rivera really summarises the alienation caused by this attitude when Juliet remarks “All of it swirled in my head and I didn’t know what to do with it. Didn’t know how much I care about it. None of it was about Puerto Rican chicks from the Bronx. All of it seemed black and white and rich and poor and queer and weird.”

And that’s even before we get onto the subject of Harlowe who lives and breathes a hippie, white lady ‘Pussy Power’ form of feminism. As a trans person, I always side eye any brand of feminism that can’t seem to talk about women’s bodies without being obsessed with pussy’s and spits out remarks such as these:

“We are born with the power of the moon and the flow of the waves within us. It’s only after being commodified for our femaleness that we lose that power. The first step in gaining it back is walking face first into the crashing seas and daring the patriarchy to follow.”

“You must walk in this world with the spirit of your ferocious cunt. Express your emotions. Believe that the universe came from your flesh. Own your power, own your connection to Mother Earth. Howl at the moon, bare your teeth, and be a goddamn wolf”.

Harlowe, whilst a great character for engendering a far-reaching discussion about intersectionality and white feminism, is an awful, awful person. Not only does she continually thrust mountains of emotional and physical labour onto Juliet, but she is also racist. I won’t reveal too much about what happens in the book but it’s basically everything you would expect a woman like Harlowe to do.

The reality that Rivera captures in JTAB, I feel, is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it makes it such a ground-breakingly important book in a format which can be read and accessed by a diverse readership, but also a curse in that it can (at times) make it incredibly hard to get through. There are points in the book where the characters, particularly Harlowe, can be so stereotypical that it becomes really grating. At one point I put the book down and didn’t pick it up again for another 2 months. However, that being said, I do recognise that much of my issue with this lies in my own experiences with these communities and, as a result of Rivera’s insightful writing, I found it hard to have to live through it all again.

One other issue I had with the book is my absolute frustration with the way that the book ended. I had forged on through everything, even during the times when I really wanted to give up with JTAB, the hopes that Rivera would finally allow Juliet the revelation that Harlowe is not a good person and have her discover the QTIPOC community. It does happen, which made me cheer with happiness because I was rooting for this for the entire book and the section where she connects with said community is one of the most enjoyable parts of the book. However, Rivera makes the decision to have Juliet later rejoin Harlowe, complete her internship, and seemingly find peace with everything that happened. For me, this created a little bit of a flat ending and I really, really wish that Rivera had just cut the third section of the book, ending instead with her being welcomed into the QTIPOC community. I also feel like that the book maybe drags on for a little too long and at times the book can be very YA, as we are living the world through the naive eyes of Juliet, but those are very picky little things I could also live with.

Overall, despite some of my frustrations with the book JTAB is clearly a very important book and I would highly recommend it to everyone. It can be a little bit hard-going for those well-versed in the queer community but I think that Juliet’s identity and character mostly offset this. There are some beautifully heart-warming moments in the book, particularly as Juliet’s mother comes to terms with her queerness, and Rivera’s intelligent reflections on the queer and feminist communities certainly leave a lot of food for thought. Whilst I did only rate JTAB 3.5 stars on Goodreads, part of this is due to my own identity impacting upon my enjoyment of the book as an older queer, as someone who is white, as a transmasc person. However, this book is not for me and so whilst there were elements which I struggled with, I think this book is amazing for existing.

Was this review helpful?

The video review of this book will be published on the blog (www.psilovethatbook.com) as well as on my youtube channel on 29th of June.

Was this review helpful?

There is something about this book that reminded me of being a baby dyke during the 1990s. This stream-of-consciousness coming-of-age novel is reminiscent of the kind of fiction I would have bought when I was in college. While I wonder if younger readers find it relevant, I hope they find it as entertaining as I did.

Juliet, born of Puerto Rican parents living in the Bronx, is working up the courage to come out to her parents on the eve of her departure to Portland. She has snagged a coveted internship with Harlowe, the author of her favorite book. Throughout the course of the book she will continue to learn about herself and the lesbian community that surrounds her, navigate the family drama that resulted from her coming out, and find new allies in unexpected places. This stream-of-consciousness coming-of-age novel is reminiscent of the kind of fiction I would have bought when I was in college. While I wonder if younger readers find it relevant, I hope they find it as entertaining as I did.

Was this review helpful?

This book… Wow… This book…
I can’t even begin to describe the plot… I mean it wasn’t at all what I expected but it was pretty damn awesome nonetheless…

Ok... I'll still try... So Juliet is a 18/19 puerto rican girl from the Bronx and she’s gay. She’s read a feminist book by Harlowe Brisbane and decides to email her. The book starts the day before Juliet leaves for Portland to be Harlowe’s intern for the summer…

Honestly, I thought this would be a F/F romance of some kind. I hadn’t read the summary but I thought that was what this was.
This wasn’t. It was a story of self discovery and so much more. I didn’t agree with everything, I found some parts to be pretty slow and the writing seemed bizarre to me at times but still, I think it’s a must-read.

Was this review helpful?

I strongly believe that everybody should read this book. You don’t have to be a woman to like it, nor a woman who loves other women; you don’t have to be white, asian, latino, black … you just have to be you to like this book as much as I did.

I don’t even know where to start. There are so many things I want to say and I’m afraid I won’t be able to do this book justice. Because this book represents everything I’m looking for in a Contemporary. Everything.

The main character, Juliet, just came out to her entire family before leaving for Portland for the entire summer. She goes there to be the Pussy Lady’s intern, a very well loved white feminist lady who wrote Juliet’s favourite book, Raging Flower.
And I loved Juliet, I loved how clueless she is about the LGBTQ community, about feminism, about herself, because we discover all these things with her. We experience her doubts, her sadness, her happiness, her pain, and it was freaking beautiful.
Juliet goes through a lot, she meets new people, open her mind to a world she didn’t know existed, she finds herself, or at least she begins to understand who she wants to be.

Me. Because I’m a messy, over-emotional, book nerd, weirdo, chubby brown human and I needed to learn how to love myself, even the shameful bits.

This book deals a lot with feminism and how different feminism can be for a lot of people. I admit, I was extremely afraid at the beginning of this book, because I felt like the feminism that was described was only meant for white cis women, and I didn’t want to find this kind of bullshit in this book. But turned out the book condemns strongly this ‘kind’ of feminism.

I couldn’t understand why it mattered so much. Like, what was so bad about Raging Flower? Ava said it was because Harlowe didn’t make queer and or trans women of color a priority in her work; that Harlowe assumed that we could all connect through sisterhood, as if sisterhood looked the same for everyone. As if all women had vaginas.
“Um, Ava, don’t all women have vaginas?” I asked, staring at her.
“Fuck no. We just talked about this,” she replied, “This is why I can’t fuck with Harlowe. All Harlowe does is equate being a woman to bleeding and having certain body parts. Like, I’m so not with that. For me, womanhood is radical enough for anyone who dares to claim it.”

Also guys, there was an ENTIRE chapter on polyamory relationships and on MENSTRUATIONS. CAN YOU BELIVE THAT ?! In our society, periods are still really taboo even though they're the most natural thing ever. People need to talk about periods in books more often, because young ladies need to understand they have nothing to feel ashamed of.

Know your period as you know yourself. Touch the wobbling blobs of blood and tissue that escape and land intact on your favorite period panties. Note the shades of brown and purple and volcanic reds that gush, spill, and squirt out announcing themselves. Slide fingers deep inside your cunt and learn what your period feels like before it’s out of your body. Masturbate to ease cramps and meditate to soothe the spirit. Connect to your blood cycle. Build sacred rituals around your body during this time of renewal.

I wish I could do this book justice, I truly do, but I’m a terrible mess right now. I needed to read this book, because as a biracial bisexual woman I needed to feel like somebody had my back, and this book totally offered to watch it for me.

All of the women in my life were telling me the same thing. My story, my truth, my life, my voice, all of that had to be protected and put out into the world by me. No one else. No one could take that from me. I had to let go of my fear. I didn’t know what I was afraid of.

Was this review helpful?

I really loved Juliet Takes a Breath. A really refreshing voice in the world of YA fiction. In this book Juliet grapples with the many facets of her identity: her sexuality, her gender, her race. She navigates her intersectionality in an open and honest way that I think a lot of people would benefit from reading and navigating along with her. Go read this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was this review helpful?

I freaking adore this book! This book made me smile, laugh and nearly made me cry!
When Juliet told her family she way gay and her mum just walked away from her, this broke my heart. This here is the reason why I am so scared to talk people I'm bisexual. I am just so happy that Juliet and her mum talked it through! I am happy that her mum will love her no matter what.
Normally when I am loving a book and it's short, I will say I wish it was longer. That is not the case here. The length of the book was just perfect! I think if it was longer, it wouldn't have worked.

I loved the characters, writing, plot!! Everything!! I would love to read more by Gabby Rivera one day!!

Was this review helpful?

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera – 4/ 5 stars
An intersectional debut novel about a queer Puerto Rican woman living in the Bronx who travels to Portland for an internship with a white Lesbian author for the summer. This book is part coming of age story and part navigating intersectionality and part coping with life. It covers difficult and challenging topics with a light touch, making them a part of everyday conversation. It is this light and gentle touch that makes this book so powerful and why everyone needs to read it right now.

Juliet reads a book by a white Lesbian feminist which feels as though it lacks intersectionality. The book is a bit #solidarityisforwhitewomen. So Juliet writes a letter to the author and asks for an internship to address this gap. She is offered the internship, so Juliet comes out to her family, then immediately boards a plane, and leaves the Bronx for Portland. Thus starts the novel, Juliet Takes a Breath. This book has a bit of it all from the very beginning.

Juliet is confronted with challenging topics from page one. From how to make feminism more inclusive to safe spaces for people of color and the queer community to traditional family values to Latina and specifically Puerto Rican history to letting others speak for you, this book moves fluidly from one issue to another, never diving too deep into one nor proclaiming to know all the answers. This is the genius of Juliet Takes a Breath. Most books are too heavy handed when addressing these topics and thus shut down the discussion and/ or reflection before it can happen. But instead, all the characters are flawed in some way and need others around them to have open, honest, and vulnerable conversations about these flaws. It is these conversations that allow the reader to honestly reflect on themselves and see whether any of these topics ring true for them. I know they did for me.

This is the type of coming of age story everyone needs, not just queer Latinas, because it addresses so many various topics while also being accessible to people of all different backgrounds. The concepts are discussed and defined for readers who may be less familiar with the vocabulary. Then relevant and current issues are discussed in ways which do not shame but instead allow for honest reflection on not only the role of others but also our role. It is more and more challenging to navigate the world as there is more awareness around diversity and many of us do not know how to negotiate these conversations or situations. We need more stories like this to help us start those challenging conversations and move closer to an inclusive society. We all need a Juliet in our lives.

This was one of the hardest books I have reviewed because it was so different from anything else I have come across. Over and over, I was finding moments I could relate to – very vulnerable moments, some of which I have not fully healed from. I needed this book, even now, as a grown woman who does not feel like she is coming of age. So, I want to do it justice. I need to do it justice. But I simply do not know how to do it justice. I do not have the language nor other works of fiction I can point to. This book is brilliantly unique and it is that because it is an #ownvoices story. Yet, there is absolutely something relatable in this story, even if you do not feel you fit into any of the categories – queer, Latina, etc. – and it is absolutely accessible, and a quick, easy read, so it needs to move to the top of your to-be-read list now!

While the story was fantastic, I would have liked to see stronger editing as the copy I received had some grammatical errors and was sometimes too vocab heavy. I also would have liked to see a bit more literary depth, though it is more challenging for first person narratives to be more descriptive and literary over direct. I also would have liked just a bit more discussion on some of these topics. Most of them are not discussed in quite enough detail to provide meaningful growth for the reader, but there is a delicate balance between saying too much and not enough. Overall, this is an excellent novel and I am excited to see what Gabby Rivera writes next!

*I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Juliet Takes a Breath was just magical, it had such a power, I believe it will stay with me forever. I loved it because of the environment which is present from the first to last page. All the feminism, veganism, “rage against the motherfucking machine” philosophy was just me. It is a book about girl/woman power, however it is not a book only dedicated to girls and women, it’s a book for everyone.

Juliet is 19-year-old, Puerto Rican, lesbian and lives in the Bronx. She goes to Portland to be an intern for the writer of her favourite book. She is a fierce, funny, nerdy, chubby, intelligent girl and this book was the story of her coming of age. In the beginning of the book Juliet is having trouble understanding what is the terminology she needed to define her own identity and the queer women of colour around her end up being the biggest help she can get.
One of the quotes that I’ll never forget is: “Love your breast, hips, and wide-ass if do you have them and if you don’t, love the body you have or create for yourself.”
This book brings up a lot of important topics, topics that are not mentioned enough in other books.
This was 4.5/5 stars.

(the review will be in my blog in a few days it is sceduled to July 22, 2017, but I'll leave the link for the post)

Was this review helpful?
Not set

Love, love, loved this book! Juliet is an amazing, and naive, character who is learning and growing in her identity as a Latinx individual and as a lesbian. Throughout the novel she giants and garners the knowledge to improve herself into the best person she can : herself. Heartfelt, funny, charming, and eyeopening, I devoured this novel and loved every single moment of it. I've already recommended it to several people and will continue to recommend as long as possible.

Not set
Was this review helpful?

I did like it and I managed to finish it in a day (helped by how it was so short) but I think I would have liked it a lot more if I was a teenager reading this for my very first book about a LGBTQ+ character.

I really liked Juliet, I found her struggle to find her place in a community very relatable and I love her relationships with all the different women around her, both platonic and romantic, helped her accept herself as who she was. There was no one person that helped Juliet accept herself, they all had something do with it (including Harlowe). I really loved how Juliet learned to criticise and question what people say to her and not to just take things as a given, especially with white feminism. I loved the variety of women who helped her, of all ages, sexuality and races. There was no one right POV because they were all right in some way.

Now onto the things I didn't like. I didn't like the chapter about periods particularly. Yes, it is supposed to be empowering, reclaiming a bodily function that people are so ingrained to think as shameful, but I really don't particularly care about the obsession with periods. Yes, Harlowe's view on periods was addressed later and I'm really glad it was (about how having a period makes you a woman which it does not), but I didn't need to read about Juliet meditating her cramps away. I am interested to see if that salt and water trick works though.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of my review, if this had been my first book ever with an LGBTQ+ character, then maybe being lectured over and over about different terms and definitions would be helpful but it just left me feeling a little irritated. I felt like Juliet was intentionally made more naive than she had to be, all so we could be told about the different definitions of some of the new words she heard.

I also wish Kira had been developed more as a character because she seemed to show up, be exactly who Juliet needed her to be and then disappeared again. She sounded interesting from what we saw of her, but she didn't seem to be her own person, more like Juliet's love interest?

So, I did like this book and it was a quick read for me and I loved the cover.

Was this review helpful?

“You gonna get a cut?” Blue Lips asked. “I’m afraid of looking like a dyke,” I said. “Are you a dyke?” “I think so.” “Then no matter what you do with your hair, you’re gonna look like a dyke,” Blue Lips said.

This book was not written for me. Juliet, our main character is an asthmatic, gay, Puerto Rican Feminist who lives in the Bronx. I am a white ~mostly~ straight woman who hasn't quite worked out what I'm into yet. So I don't have a lot in common with Juliet, but enough that I can till identify with her, especially with her curiosity. I was not the main target audience for this book but damn did I still identify with Juliet.

Juliet is in college when she reads that one book that changes her whole outlook on everything. Most of us readers have been there. You read the last page, put down the book and you feel you've been changed forever. Juliet's was Raging Flower by Harlowe Brisbane, a white feminist living in hippy Portland. Juliet reaches out and gains a summer internship where she gets to help the woman she admires so much. Before leaving she also decides the come out to her parents which doesn't go to plan, and then rushes off to a different city with a heavy weight on her chest.

I'm gonna really begin with the writing style because it. was. just. so. good.
I love first person books where the internal narrative is written how the character speaks. Juliet's narration felt so very real and raw to me because it never felt filtered or that she was trying to sound as in intelligent as possible. I am thankful for that because too often people who use slang are seen as unintelligent. And Juliet was so damn smart and switched on she doesn't need all those heavy words to weight her message down. You don't need to have a vast vocabulary and exclude all slang to be smart. More often than not doing that can polarize people. You can't reach as many people because they don't want to have to look up a new word every couple of pages. This is coming from someone who loves to find new words, but I am also realistic and so I understand that seeing too many words you don't understand can make you feel stupid and disheartened.
Juliet Takes a Breath not only doesn't try to shove as many pretentious words down your throat as possible, it's also very good at explaining words and meaning as well. In the feminist community, especially intersectional feminism, we use a lot of words and terms that aren't really used outside of our group. Gabby Rivera recognizes this and was smart in having Juliet still be kind of new to the whole feminist thing so the reader can learn these things alongside her.
I could gush about the writing in the book for ages to be honest but I also want to mention that this book also has a lyrical flow at times as well and it's just so beautiful to read even if you took out all the important messages woven throughout. This book could have been about anything and I probably still would have enjoyed it because of the writing style alone.

“Juliet, I am a racist fucking moron and any white person living in this damn country, if any of us tell you otherwise, is a liar and not to be trusted. You can be white and poor and racist as hell and wear your confederate flags and there’s rich, white people who hide their racism behind homeowner’s associations and luxury condo income requirements. And then there are hippie gentrifying, well-intentioned white morons like me and none of us are better than the other.”

This book focuses a lot on intersectional feminism. With a WOC main character staying with a white feminist, Juliet Takes a Breath showed how everything is linked and how race and sexual orientation can also play a huge role in feminism and just how complicated and difficult it can all be to navigate. It showed that intention can account for nothing if what you say or do hurts someone. You can have the most pure intentions at heart but if you hurt someone, that doesn't matter and you can't just sweep it under the rug and leave it unacknowledged without apologies and you should always, always learn from it.

"You’ll meet people that you love who fuck up constantly. You’ll learn how to weed out the assholes from the warriors. You’ll know what groups of people to stay away from because they’re not safe spaces for your heart. You’ll learn when to forgive human error and when to eradicate the unworthy from your spirit."

I loved that this book is just filled with so many women. It's a sea of women and I am here for it. The most present male figure was Melvin, Juliet's little brother, and I loved him. The dynamic between him and Juliet was just so good and full of love. The next most present male lasted I think a couple of chapters and did my head in, he's every male feminist you meet who doesn't quite get what it actually means to be one, I don't even remember his name. I spent the whole time hoping he would disappear as soon as possible or at least would learn something, anything.
Harlowe was just a complex character. She's the most common and well known type of feminist, the feminist that I try really hard not to be. Harlowe is a white woman who's feminism is rooted in womanliness being tightly entwined with having a vagina and uterus which is really transphobic. She also fell guilty of using Juliet as a poster of "look I can't be racist because I pulled a WOC out of a rough neighborhood and am teaching her a better way to live". Although she has the best intentions, and really does try and learn from her mistakes, she is still very privileged and for a long time doesn't quite get it. I loved Harlowe, flaws and all because I loved that she tries to be better and always learn and that's a trait to admire. But I'm glad that I'm aware enough that I could instantly recognize when she had messed up and waited for her to apologize and try and make things right.
"If it’s a phase, so what? If it’s your whole life, who cares? You’re destined to evolve and understand yourself in ways you never imagined before. And you’ve got our blood running through your beautiful veins, so no matter what, you’ve been blessed with the spirit of women who know how to love."

Ava, Juliet's cousin was this strong, straight talking WOC who held nothing back but also was always willing to teach and help Juliet when she was a bit clueless. Ava's feminism is the kind I am constantly working towards. It's intersectional and unapologetic but also patient and loving. I was able to identify with Ava as a fellow woman who's in no rush to try and figure out her sexual orientation and is just open to seeing how things go and choosing not to limit her opportunities for happiness. I loved Ava and I would love (am kinda begging for) a book with her at the helm. Also shout out to Ava's mother, Titi Penny who was just a bamf and I loved how casual she was about her past relationships and sexual orientation as well.
My mom was the gravitational pull that kept me stuck to this Earth.

I loved the relationship Juliet had with her mother because although her mum struggled to understand her daughter she still tried to and there was still a lot of love there and you could feel it. The relationship between the two very much reminded me of myself and my mother. For those who are lucky, your mother can be an anchor, someone you are forever linked to, and if you're really lucky they're like breathing in air after getting nothing but smoke.
Maxine and Zaira were both two strong and passionate women of colour who were the sanity Juliet needed in Harlowe's world. They were kind and patient; they're feminism being quite similar to Ava's. When they weren't afraid to call those around them out, even the ones closest to them, when they stepped out of line. They were happy to answer all of Juliet's questions without ever being condescending and they believed in her. They were supportive and loving and just a joy to read about.
There were so many great women and Rivera was so good at showing the complexity of relationships, especially the ones between women. She showed all kinds of sexual and romantic orientations. The dynamic of a relationship between a WOC and a white woman. She talked about Polyamory, gender identity. For such a short book, Rivera managed to tackle so many things without it ever feeling like it's too much and like she's force feeding her brand of feminism down your throat. Everyone can learn something from this book, I sure as hell learnt a lot.

“No one held you back from standing up and telling that room of people at Powell’s who you really were and what your story really was,” she said. “No one. You chose to walk away, This isn’t a judgement on that choice. This is me pointing it out. You did that. You let Harlowe’s narrative be the air people breathe about you. This isn’t about Harlow or her whiteness, this is about choice. What choice with you make next time when someone says something like that about you? Will you walk away? Or demand your voice be heard? Will you your truth, Juliet? I mean, why did you even come here?”

I thought I knew what I was going to get out of this book when I jumped in, I got everything I expected but also so much more, and exactly what I needed at the time. The thing that hit me the hardest was Rivera's lesson about standing up for yourself, not letting someone else write your narrative for you, holding people accountable when they hurt you and that human's are complicated creatures that are capable of such love and hurt all at the same time and that someone is capable of loving you so much, and then hurting you like a knife in the stomach in the same breath and it's up to you to work out what relationships, which people are worth it and that even if they're worth it you still need to pull them up on their shit when they've done the wrong thing. This a running theme in my life and time and time again when I think it's finally been drilled into my head a situation comes along to remind me that I still haven't quite gotten the hand of it and that I still have work to do. It was a painful remind because I was still in the thick of it, but I was so very thankful for it regardless.

This book was not written for me, but I am so very thankful for it regardless and hope that so many others find it and read it and learn even just one of the many lessons hidden in it's pages.

Was this review helpful?
Not set

Gabby Rivera's Juliet Takes A Breath surprised me in how unique and funny Juliet's story was, even though there was so much drama going on at the same time. While a serious "coming-out" conversation is happening at the beginning of the book, and maybe a bit before, Juliet is thinking of what the definition of a ferocious cunt is and I would find myself laughing even though I know what the implications of ferocious cunt is supposed to be. The book also discusses important yet sensitive topics--racism, feminism, equality, acceptance, family, culture, etc.--important to people in society today. Because of this, it is hard to find a book like this one--especially a young adult book--that incorporates the significant messages it sends to its readers. This bildungsroman also discusses the importance of who, when, and how to love. Having a diversity of relationships, sexual identifications, and a bit of humor present helped with the understanding of this. The story being told, overall, was brilliant. One thing that I thought was underdeveloped was Juliet's relationship with Lainie. I felt like I didn't know their relationship well enough to be understand Juliet's heartache when they broke up. I also feel like there are some things that happened in the book that were funny but didn't correlate with the story and its characters. An example would be Phen, the male nudist. I would imagine a female nudist at Harlow's house but a man surprised me because of the amount of times we had been told before about Harlow's opinion of men.

Not set
Was this review helpful?

Soooo good. Filled with purposeful, powerful topics. Need more books like this. Should be required reading

Was this review helpful?

I requested Juliet Takes a Breath, by Gabby Rivera, for review from Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books was kind enough to send it to me and Andy.
Juliet Takes a Breath captured me the minute I saw the cover. A brown girl with an undercut is not someone you see everyday even as a side character – let alone leading the story. I was not disappointed. Through the story, we follow Juliet, a Puerto-rican girl from the Bronx, in her summer internship with the white feminist guru, Harlowe. Juliet is brown, Juliet is queer, Juliet is a woman, Juliet is a feminist, and she is still quite learning what everything means.
My favorite thing in the book was how it tackles the matters of white feminism and white privilege. How microagressions can hurt someone deeply and how it doesn’t matter if the person didn’t mean – they can still be racist.
It’s also great that Juliet doesn’t know everything. She’s not incredibly educated in matters of gender, sexuality and race, but she’s open and willing to learn. Through the book, you follow her as she grows into someone who’s sure of herself and her identity. Also her voice is incredibly unique.
And the characters. They were amazing. Some deeply flawed, of course, but human. And all of them were women. Queer women, and almost all of them POC women. There were maybe two male characters through the book, and they’re not there for long. It was refreshing and incredible.
My only real complain and that some of the plot points just seemed a bit too convenient.
I have to say, I was a bit skeptical when I started. There is a lot of hippie things that made me kind of “hm, okay”, and Harlowe’s language in her book hinted at a white (and a little trans-exclusionary, let’s be honest) that was making me twist up my nose, but Rivera handled it perfectly and soon it became clear that it was a story about intersectional feminism.

Was this review helpful?

This book is part coming-out story, part coming-of-age story, and part Intersectional Feminism 101. It's funny, insightful, and unabashedly honest about all the ways we can be different, and how important it is to love yourself and embrace all the things that make you different from how the world wants you to be.

Juliet was such a fun, fierce, lovable narrator. She's a newly formed feminist and refers to herself as a "baby dyke." She has an intense thirst for knowledge and throws herself head first into finding out everything she can about the communities she belongs to and her place within them. Her journey through the book isn't just about her summer in Portland--it's mostly about Juliet spending time with many different women and learning all the varied ways to be a feminist, to be queer, to be a woman, to be a person of color, to be a member of the Palante family.

I really appreciated that Juliet's romance(s) were treated as part of her exploration of her self rather than part of the typical coming-out storyline: girl finds herself and then finds love and everything is great the end. Juliet does have some sweet romantic moments with a few people, but it isn't at the crux of the story and I loved that. Instead, the focus was Juliet finding out who Juliet is--yes, with the help of other people--but not because of or for someone else.

Some of the writing/editing was a little sloppy and I wish some of the secondary characters had been more developed, but overall this was an enjoyable, informative, important book and I'm so glad it exists, especially in the young adult genre.

Was this review helpful?

5/5 stars
This book manages within its pages to cover so much ground and provide so much education on so many topics, all while still engaging you in a great story rather than making you feel like you're reading a textbook; not an easy task!
Gabby Rivera has created such a rich and in depth look at the life of Juliet and all the things that come her way, from the colour of her skin to her family dynamics to exploring sexuality and labels; this book managed to do what so many books fail to and that is to explore a character who does not understand initially many of the ways someone can identify both sexuality and gender-wise and how feminism isn't a one size fits all kind of deal; but as Juliet learns and discovers and explores these topics, the reader is educated as well.
I think this book is important for everyone to read, whether you can relate to any of the things Juliet goes through or none at all; it's important that we are all more aware of the differences in experience and this book gives a brilliant insight into a few. Thoroughly enjoyed reading!

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adored this wonderful book! My review is linked and I thank you so much for letting me read it! I posted the review to my blog, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and noble

Was this review helpful?

This book was amazing and everything I could have wanted from a book. This book covers ALL the issues, seriously ALL of them, but you barely notice them getting ticked off because it’s so funny. And hot! The heroine is so alive and hilarious. Juliet, a Nuyorican baby dyke travels to Portland to stay with an author who has been, uhh, inspiration to her. As you’d imagine she clashes with white, hippy feminism in some ways and needs a getaway to her cousin in Miami to help figure out where she fits in.

Pretty much character was “I know that person” or “I wish I knew this person”. To some extent people have to be types (e.g. the White Feminist) to cover the range of issues Gabby covers in this book but they are all real, both Juliet’s family and all the queer family she meets in Portland and Miami. The writing is stellar and this the THE queer POC coming of age story you have been waiting for. I want a movie! I want a sequel all about Lil’ Melvin! I want to read it again!

Was this review helpful?

First let me say, I am LOVING how diverse and colorful the 2017's debuts are, from "Juilet Takes a Breath" to Angie Thomas, "The Hate U Give". It is clear, our literary world is opening up and I am so excited for where these authors are going to take us.

Juilet is a Puerto Rican queer goddess who finally got the nerve to come out to her family, then leaves the next day from the Bronx to take up an internship in Portland with her favorite Author, Harlowe- the authority of everything feminist and pussy power. Juliet is about to venture into the unknown, and is hoping Harlowe is able to guide her, but things of course doesn't turn out how we all think it will.

They say you should judge a book by its cover but as soon as I saw this cover I had really high expectations, I was SOLD! I wish the plot and characters lived up to my expectations. While I enjoyed Juliet's journey, the plot felt a lot like feminism/queer 101. There was a lot of explaining and dumbing down, at times I wanted to scream at Juilet, "HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW THIS?!!!! HOW NAIVE CAN ONE PERSON BE?!!!!" Yes, I know this is a coming of age novel but I felt the character Juilet could have been a bit more prepared/educated.

While there are some shortcomings, it doesn't negate that this is a solid debut novel and great step in the right direction. I am looking forward to reading more of Gabby Rivera's works!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Wow! Wow! WOW!!!! Y'all this book is SO GOOD!!!! Juliet Takes a Breath reeled me right in and didn't let me go. The representation is excellent: Juliet is a chubby Puerto Rican lesbian and the entire book is chock full of non-white characters and lgbtqia+ characters--often intersecting. We get to see a lot of different dynamics at play, which is really cool.

I'm white and don't want to take up a ton of space with a review when there are plenty of ownvoices reviews that y'all should look at instead, so I'll just say a few things that came up for me when I was reading it.

I try to be intersectional, but the callout against White Feminism was a good reminder for me to work harder to be more inclusive and to actively fight for folx who might not be within my specific demographic. I love how casually polyamory was discussed and how it was normalized within the story. I love how much Juliet loves her body and how much she talks about loving her body.

Juliet Takes a Breath is a tremendous read that I would absolutely recommend to everyone out there. It's well-written with great characters, and is super easy to get through!

Was this review helpful?

Perhaps it's because I personally made many of the same intellectual missteps as Juliet, but man did I love this book. I would've killed for this to have been around a decade ago and reading it nowadays made me feel proud of my own journey. This is a story that rarely is treated by our own voices and is often just buried in academese not made into an accessible narrative. This is an integral book for latina feminists-navigating the pitfalls of white feminism, staying true to your roots, and being your own woman, strong and fierce. Sure, at times there was a whiff of "after school" special but nevertheless, the rarity of this viewpoint in print elevates this to a necessity.

Was this review helpful?

A fantastic book about a girl who has just come out to herself and her family. She goes to Portland to learn more about feminism, intersectionality, and herself. The book doesn't just deal with feminism and LGBTQ issues but also being a PoC, gender identity, and just starting out in a world that's new to her but "old news" to other people.

Her interactions with Phan were frustrating to see, but so important to read. Not everyone has the same experience, not everyone is at the same level. If people don't help mentor newcomers to a cause, how will people ever learn?

I was waiting for the shoe to drop on Harlowe and when it did, I'm glad Julie not only had a place to go, but Harlowe learned something significant about herself.

A fantastic book that I have to highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

A brilliant, punchy, feminist must-read. A short but important read.

Was this review helpful?

I classify the books that I read in various categories, one of them being the educational/life-changing category. These are books that have helped me learn a TON and pretty much changed my life. Juliet Takes a Breath deserves a spot on that list. If you haven't read it, get ready to read one of the most empowering and feminist books you'll ever encounter.

I've honestly never read a book that has made me feel so sure about myself. There was literally a whole chapter talking about periods. PERIODS. How it was completely okay to bleed through your clothes, and to be proud of your vagina. How white feminists should use their platforms and spaces to help WOC get a voice. How a lot of people just didn't care about queer folks and people of color, just their white privilege. It was enlightnening to read about and it made me feel better about my body and beliefs.

New terminology was added to my vocabulary and it definitely made me understand the world better. How we shouldn't assume what was best or what queer people and of color went through on a daily basis. We are not them.

Juliet showed that it was okay not to know. After all, we can't just know everything and anyting, we slowly teach ourselves. Her feeling confused resonated with me, as I'm constantly learning about diversity and transforming myself into a better human. Not only did she represent me, she was such a cool character. She was never afraid to ask questions and be honest, and I appreciated that, as someone who always want to tell the truth.

Her relationship with her family was the most beautiful thing. How everyone leaned and supported each other, how her mother, even though she was frazzled, still made an effort. It'd be really nice to see more of that in real life. Harlowe. What to say? She definitely fucked up. Multiple times. She was a white feminist who assumed everyone related. There may be the occasional POC or queer person relating, but she was the true example of why we need diversity in literature. She was funny, sure. But besides that, she represented the stereotypes that people use on marginalized communities. How they are doing a great job being an ally, when in fact, the original beliefs are still there.

The diversity is truly stunning, as one might expect. The main character is an asthmatic lesbian PuertoRican who suffers of anxiety. And the amount of queer women is uncountable, though refreshing. And queer women of color. And non-binary people. And just, ALL THE PUERTORICANS. Again, so refreshing.

The romance broke my heart and then put it back together. This was my first book with a main, not a side, female/female romance, and honestly, give me all the f/f romance. It was so good. It made me swoon like crazy. Juliet and Kira were all kinds of cute, and the fact that Juleit called Kira in her head the hot librarian, made me melt. Just beautiful. Breathtaking. Showstopping. Incredible.

The reason why I took away that .5 from my rating is because I expected to see Juliet just have this whole two-page paragraph about her PuertoRican pride. It made me a bit sad, but since PuertoRicans are so hard to find on literature lately, I'll take it. Also, maybe it won't happen when I re-read it, but for some reason, I was having trouble imagining the characaters and scenarios. Maybe it's because I juust gopt out of a book hangover, who knows. It didn't affect my enjoyment for sure.

I'm honestly afraid that this review won't do Juliet Takes a Breath justice. I just have so many feelings, but they're all jumbled up in my brain, and this is the only way that they can come out.

It is such a phenomenal read about feminism, women empowerment, and Latinx pride. There are not enough words to describe how much I loved this book, and why everyone should read it. Forever grateful to Cece, from ProblemsofaBookNerd on YouTube, for featuring this book on her channel, and maybe watch her March 2017 Wrap-Up if you want coherent and organized thoughts as opposed to mine.

Honestly, just read Juliet Takes a Breath. It'll change your life.

Thank you to Riverdale Avenue Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Rivera gives readers a beautiful, well-written and emotional story. I look forward to more stories by this talented writer.

Was this review helpful?

I talk about Juliet Takes A Breath in my #ARCAugust Wrap-Up starting from 5:31 and ending at 6:56

https://youtu.be/03DiFs4EzQw?t=5m31s

Was this review helpful?

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Juliet Takes A Breath is about Juliet, a 19 year old Puerto Rican lesbian who, inspired by her favourite book Raging Flower, moves to Portland to become the intern to the author.
This book is incredible. It talks honestly about feminism and sexuality. It doesn’t hide away from calling out white feminism. JTAB explains how diverse, complicated, personal and yet also universal feminism is, how it is okay to make mistakes as long as you acknowledge them and make up for them.
From the outset I loved Juliet as a main character. She’s not all knowledgeable especially in terms of feminism, gender and sexuality; the book is her journey into this world she’s only just starting to discover. Juliet is flawed, naïve and she makes mistakes and that just makes her more of a compelling main character. She learns through the book and the reader learns with her. This is what I loved. She isn’t belittled or patronised when she asks about something she doesn’t know.
The discussions of sexuality in this book are so open and welcoming. This needs to be in more books. How sexuality is treated with respect and understanding. Through discussions and experiences with Maxine, Harlowe and Ava, Juliet discovers all about sexuality and the fluidity of it. How it is okay that Juliet is ignorant of these things but the other characters don’t give her clean cut complete answers, they say what their experiences are and then encourage her to find her own answers and experience things for herself.
A main theme throughout this book is ‘pussy power’, there is a lot of discussion about vaginas and pussy which is fantastic. There’s even a whole chapter about the celebration of getting a period. However it isn’t until the second half of the book where the character of Ava explains that not all women have vaginas.
This book should be a must-read for everyone. Even if it isn’t your usual read, it will open your mind and make you think.

Was this review helpful?

I really loved this novel. The writing style captured my interest from the very beginning, and I've been in love with it ever since. Juliet was such an interesting, well-developed character, and I feel like she represented a realistic LGBT+ character very well.
The commentary on casual racism and feminism from an intersectional perspective also interested me - we don't get much fiction writing from the perspective of a black girl, and the inclusion of feminism as a central theme, especially a person of colour going up against classic straight white girl feminism was amazing to read about.

Was this review helpful?

As a lesbian latinx woman from the Bronx, Juliet thinks she has a reasonable understanding of womanhood, queerness, and her identity as a woman of color. She arrives in Portland, Oregon for a summer internship with Harlow Brisbane—the author of one of her favorite books, and resident feminist icon—believing that working with her idol will help her to figure out her life, whatever that means. Once she arrives, though, Juliet realizes that neither Harlowe, Portland, or herself are quite what she imagined.

That was a purposefully vague summary, because this is a very hard book to describe. It’s largely plotless, which is something that often annoys me, but it worked perfectly in this case. It’s a very character-based coming-of-age story about a girl learning to understand her own identity, and how she fits into the larger world. This is an internal book, one that focuses on personal experiences and challenging one’s own preconceptions. Rivera’s characters are flawed. They are problematic sometimes. They fuck up, they say offensive shit, but most importantly their words are challenged and they learn to know and be better.

The entire book is super, super diverse—the MC is lesbian and Puerto Rican, and literally almost every single other character is queer, poc, and/or female !!!! (This is also ownvoices rep, as the author herself is a queer latina woman. In an author’s note, she states that much of Juliet’s story was inspired by people or events in her own life.) There’s also a Korean-American romantic interest, a poly relationship, queer female friendships, and multiple f/f romantic relationships (although the focus of this book is never really romance).

There are multiple sections that include rather long explanations about sexuality, gender identity, feminism, and racial discrimination/microaggressions—just to name a few of the issues this book tackles—so it may come across as a little overexplanatory if you’re already v familiar with these topics. I think they’re all incorporated quite well into the story, though, and could potentially be super helpful for any readers who are just starting to understand these subjects.

There were a few plot and character threads that seemed to pop up and disappear, like Juliet’s projecting researching inspiring female figures, but overall I really don’t have any major complaints about this. It was absolutely fantastic, and all I want is to run around gifting beautiful copies of it to every single person I know!!!

Was this review helpful?

I feel like I should start this review by saying: this book was not for me. It was funny and entertaining, enlightening and educational, and while I found a lot of value in it, there are so many others who would really have their worlds rocked by it. Which is probably my favorite aspect of Juliet Takes a Breath. It is so important.

While I was reading this, I didn't see a younger me in it so much, but rather saw the girls that I coach. Rivera created an incredible balance here with Juliet and her learning all about herself and the world around her. Queerness, racism, transphobia, white feminism, and stereotypes are all covered here. Juliet herself is the perfect narrator for others who are just coming into their own social and political consciousness. She learns about preferred gender pronouns, the importance of spaces for people of color, the difficulties maintaining relationships with allies, and so many other truly important lessons in this quite small contemporary.

"Trans? Ze? PGPs? Those words weren't a part of my vocabulary. No one in the Bronx or even in college asked me if I was a Ze or a trans. Was that even how they fit into sentences? I felt small, constricted, and stupid, very stupid."

Throughout she maintains an open mind, going with the flow, learning from others, and figuring out how to incorporate - or not - those beliefs into her own ideology. She gets knocked down and picks herself up again and damn if you don't feel your heartstrings being tugged right along with her.

"Maybe America just swallowed all of us, including our histories, and spat out whatever it wanted us to remember in the form of something flashy, cinematic, and full of catchy songs. And the rest of us, without that firsthand knowledge of civil unrest and political acts of disobedience, just inhaled what they gave us."

Some have knocked this book for lacking in plot, but I didn't feel its absence. For me, this book was really about exploration and acceptance. Juliet is one of the most endearing characters I've read about in a while and I am certain many young adult readers will feel how powerful her message is.

Was this review helpful?

Feminist books (really feminist books or books that just like to pretend they are feminist) are a very popular part of literature right now, in YA literature, novels or non-fiction. It's less frequent, though, to read a book in which the hero is feminist, part of the LGBT+ community AND a person of color. If you're looking for a book written by someone who's these three things at the same time, well, good luck.

Juliet Takes a Breath is part of these really rare books, though. The author, Gabby Riviera, is a queer, feminist person of color, and she lives in the Bronx. Moreover, she works with Marvel which, even if it's not really relevant with this book, is always a good point in my books. All in all, then, she knows what she's talking about.

And you can quite clearly see that. We are (finally!) reading a book that dares point out the negative aspects of the feminism as seen by most white women, who tend to forget that women of color actually do exist. Harlow Brisbane, author of the book that is so important to Juliet, is first seen as the perfect feminist, at least until Juliet talks to other women of color, who get her to understand that Harlow, after all, is not that perfect. I kind of recognized myself in Juliet's way to discovery (that not only talks about feminism, but also about racism and LGBT+), with terms that I didn't know about a few months back, difficulties and negative aspects of this ''privileged'' feminism that I couldn't see.

Not only does this book make us understand and discover things, it also makes us laugh! Juliet is really funny, and her thoughts are hilarious. What she thinks about life in Portland compared to the life in the Bronx she's used to made me burst out laughing pretty often.

A smart and funny book, what else could we ask for? Well, the reasons for my ''only four stars'' are actually pretty easy to explain. The first one is that I felt the author wanted to talk about everything important to her, which led to a story that kinds of lost me at some points. The second reason is the result of the first one: there's a lack of plot in this story, which looks more like a big thought and a development of the main character. It's not really a problem, but I expected something different when I first read the summary.

To conclude, I'd say that this book is great for people interested in feminism and in the less glamorous and talked about sides of feminism, and also great for people who like books with a queer hero. Even if you don't feel like you're part of these people, I'd still recommend the book, only because it's so funny and talks about matters that are so important!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this.
I had worried it might be a little slow paced for me which happens sometimes with coming of age stories. However this kept my attention the whole time.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been looking forward to this one for some time. The idea of a coming-of-age story for a Puerto Rican babydyke going on a quest to discover herself is pretty amazing. It’s also something that seems like a no-brainer, given how many coming out stories exist. But what sets Juliet Takes a Breath apart from a lot of those stories is that JTaB doesn’t follow the general beats of that story. It isn’t focused on Juliet finding her true love (although she does get to have some romance on the side of her exploration). It’s about her finding how to be herself and about finding her community.

Folded in with this search for community is the complication of whiteness within a marginalized community. Juliet sets out to find herself by becoming an intern for Harlowe Brisbane, author of Raging Flower (a book that comes off as the lovechild of Inga Muscio’s famous genitalia-titled book and lesbian separatist texts of the 70s). Juliet’s feelings are in upheaval because while she looks up to Harlowe and is learning from her, Harlowe’s whiteness and self-centeredness are a stumbling block that hurt Juliet so deeply that they threaten to really damage her sense of self and her future as an amazing writer.

Since the book is set in 2003, the reader is in for the beautiful but bizarre world of the early 2000s. Juliet treats us to some wonderful descriptions of her first encounters with the people in Portland. I took a pause as this part was developing, because it seemed a bit over the top, but when she moves into the feminist/LGBT communities, everything seems to click and feel real.

Granted, much of this is only speculation for me, but I remember what it was like in the early 2000s with the menstrual life force, fairies, sisterhood type of second wave feminism resonates. There was a lot of development of third wave feminism in the 90s, and Juliet encounters much of this through queer people of color, but I feel like some of the popular texts coming out at the time totally ignored this and focused on a more visceral violence against women and their experiences with their genitals.

Honestly, it was a weird time, and Juliet reacts exactly as she should. It’s relatable how she feels like an outsider, and everything feels like a test to see if she’s gay enough, has enough gay cred. Her growth is the narrative core, and I think that it’s significant that much of her greatest development comes through interaction with other women of color. Harlowe’s relationship with her is important, but Harlowe is very flawed, and Juliet really has to decide whether to keep that connection or not.

Rivera’s style feels familiar and occasionally poetic. Juliet is a keen observer of her world, but not one that describes things endlessly. Her words in prose drive us along, even though she isn’t always able to speak her mind. A few gems:

"Libraries are safe but also exciting. Libraries ae where nerds like me go to refuel.
I could practically feel Harlowe doing a dance of menstrual joy.
Maybe America just swallowed all of us, including our histories, and spat out whatever it wanted us to remember in the form of something flashy, cinematic, and full of catchy songs. And the rest of us, without that firsthand knowledge of civil unrest and political acts of disobedience, just inhaled what they gave us."

I will say that I felt the first few chapters were a little slow compared to the rest. The story isn’t uninteresting at all; it just takes a bit of time to get into Juliet’s headspace, and that might well be me as a reader. Partially because I’m white, and partially because I’m not a fan of first person in general. But I literally read the latter half in the course of one night. Could not sleep until I’d finished it. JTaB hooks you that hard once you’ve gotten into it.

I would recommend this book all around. If you are a fan of contemporary YA lit, then you will enjoy it, even though the romance is minimal and Juliet is technically in college. If you liked The Hate U Give, you should like this book. If you are in the LGBT community and a young woman of color, this book is so important. If you’re just a flawed white woman, you still need to read this book and experience Juliet’s story.

The worst part of the book honestly is that it ends, dammit. And there’s not another by Gabby Rivera yet, although I’ve followed her on Goodreads, and apparently we may get some sci fi from her. (Bonus: the way Octavia Butler is dropped in so lovingly.) She also writes the new Marvel title for America Chavez, meaning that when I clear my to-read pile a bit, I have more reading from Rivera.

Was this review helpful?

I shouldn’t have read the other reviews (on GR) because most of them are so good, and now I’m blocked. I feel like I should have more to say because I loved this story so much—hanging onto Juliet’s coattails as she negotiates some pretty scary steps to adulthood, but an adulthood on her own terms.

This is Juliet’s story, Gabby Rivera’s #ownvoice. There’s also a universality to Juliet’s story (I was thinking about Rita Mae Brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle when I first started it.) Coming out and rites of passage, coming of age, finding a mentor and discovering your hero has feet of clay…then the joy of finding your tribe and returning home triumphant.

I’m a well-read, straight, white, older lady living in rural New England—so just had to get that out of the way, because I love to read diverse books (not just gay romance lol). There’s so much meat on this story’s bones, and the prose is phenomenal. Gabby Rivera has a sharp, clear lens, and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.
10 stars if I could!

Was this review helpful?

Juliet Takes A Breath has become one of my go-to recommendations for YA! This book is full of everything that I could possibly want in a book - LGBTQ+ representation, feminism and great friendships! I immediately fell in love with Juliet and her honesty in what she sees and experiences, really made me as a reader connect with her on an extra level. This book is written so beautifully and Gabby Rivera does such an excellent job in portraying what Juliet experiences and the friendships she builds throughout the novel. This is such a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone, whether you're interested in the YA genre or not, because it's such a fantastic read, highlighting diverse voices and important issues such as racism, feminism and LGBTQ+. I love it!

Was this review helpful?

The book is good and funny and tackle a lot of subjects I was interested in reading about. Thank you!

Was this review helpful?

Juliet is a curvy, brown woman who as she says in her letter to Harlowe wants more representation, more acknowledgement and more room to breathe the same air as white women. She doesn’t really understand what feminism is about and she doesn’t understand a lot of terms about sexuality like trans, and sexual identification and she goes to Harlowe to learn more about who she is as a lesbian woman.

I remember opening it and on the first page seeing the word “pussy” twice and also “labia” once. I was like “😮” and immediately glanced around to make sure no one saw what I was reading😂😂😂😂

Juliet was an amazing character and I liked that although she didn’t know a lot, she was willing to learn more. She had embraced her sexuality and she remained true to it and never wished or tried to be straight.

I also liked how this book explained what it’s like to be a minority woman and how many white women never seem to realise how privileged they are. The author did her best to explain what it’s like to be a woman of colour in a world largely ruled by Whites.

A quote says:

“It’s about women of color owning their own space and their voices and being treated with dignity and respect. It’s about women of color not having to shout over white voices to be heard.”

The disturbing, hidden facts about corporate America were also brought into the light like this one about Banana Republic

” ‘Banana Republic’ actually meant something, you know. It’s a tongue-in-cheek fuck-you to countries that have been exploited for their natural resources”

This is the name of a company millions of people patronise everyday. It’s a slap to the face of people whose native countries have been used and abandoned by the US and very few people know about facts like the one in the quote above because they are clinging to the “American dream” and the knowledge of the suffering of their ancestors is forgotten in the futile search of an “Elysium”. Many of these people end up pushed to the side if they don’t identify as “true Americans” and if they are different in any way from the accepted cis, white, rich, educated man.

The author also showed the strength of women in times of trouble and disaster like when it was mentioned that Titi Wepa, Julie’s aunt had been a first responder after 9/11.

Also, the relationship between Juliet and her mum was beautiful. Although Juliet’s mum refused to accept her child’s sexuality at first, she still loved her wholly and without anger; just a bit of confusion.

In many novels where parents don’t accept their children’s sexuality, these parents are shown as monsters; hateful people who begrudge their children a chance at their happiness. I do know that many parents like these exist but I still like that the other side of the coin was shown – confused parents who will fight to remain with their children and will do everything in their power to stand by them and understand them. Juliet’s mum remained supportive and motherly.

Here are a few things she said to Juliet that made me cry

“But nothing, let go of whatever expectations you had of this woman and her book and write your own. You must write. You will write. You are Juliet Milagros Palante. This world is yours to reinvent.”

“Juliet, my love for you is deeper than anything that happened between us. My love for you is the sun, the sky, and the moon. It’s the air I breathe. It lives in everything I do. It’s better than good. It’s everlasting.”

So beautiful😭😭😭

Also, the sex was very little thankfully. I hate novels that have too much sex. It’s one of the things I have against ACOTAR. Juliet was so cute with her blushing and stuttering and brain freeze around girls she liked. There was this librarian, Kari that Juliet had a crush on and they were soo cute😍😍😍. They were such a lovely interracial couple (Kira is half-Korean)

I also loved Lil’ Melvin. He was a supportive little brother and the fact that he was “100% pyrokinetic and about 78% gay” made him so much more adorable.

There was this cringey chapter where Juliet got her period and Harlowe said it was a blessing and then they were talking about a lot of stuff and my face was a disgusted mask throughout. I’m female and I like to think I’m a feminist but I believe there should be a limit to it.

Apart from that, this book is very lovely and I encourage everyone to read it.

Was this review helpful?

This book does what is so often impossible: Gabby Rivera manages to make the main character, Juliet, emotionally raw and stinging, all the while keeping the tone hilarious and light. Juliet is a unique voice, especially for YA fiction, and helps bring a sense of maturity to YA that is not often seen. This is a book for all people (but especially those that identify as women) that find themselves questioning their place in the the feminism movement, queer spaces, and how queer and feminism identities fit into more traditional roles in life: family, friendship, and being young. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, this is a book about being a person of color existing in spaces that are structured for those that are white. Watching Juliet navigate how feminism and lesbianism are for her as a queer person of color is an interesting and exciting journey that has not been told enough.

Was this review helpful?

I. Loved. This. Book. So much :) One of the best contemporaries I've ever read, being totally honest here 😍 I loved the characters especially. Juliet's voice was so relatable. All her thoughts, fears, doubts, etc. So glad it was in 1st person POV. Despite this novel being fairly plotless, it gripped me and I. Could. Not. Stop. Reading. Such an inspiring, amusing at many times, and amazing book. Its fairly short and easy to read (just under 300 pages) but I still loved it. My queer loving heart is satisfied.

Was this review helpful?

<b>“It's about women of color owning their own space and their voices being treated with dignity and respect. It's about women of color not having to shout over voices to be heard. We are the dominant force almost all the time. White women are the stars of all the movies. White women are the lead speakers in feminist debates, and it's little white girls that send the nation into a frenzy when they've been kidnapped. ...check your privilege. We're the ones that need to give women of color space for their voices.” </b>

<i>Thank you to Netgallery for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest Review</i>

<b>// LIKES</b>
• <b>There was a lot of feminism</b>. I loved the focus on that and especially on intersectionality. I love reading books that feature strong women and feminism. I've got no idea why I didn't realize that this was a feminist book because I couldn't remember much about the synopsis. It made me all the more surprised - in a good way.

• <b>I loved following Juliet's journey</b>. It was about her coming to terms with her identity and expanding her horizon. It was the first time she truly was away from home all alone after just having come out. Her favorite author has offered her an internship to work with her. Things are supposed to be great, but Juliet's mom still does not accept her sexuality. The story in general is very diverse. Juliet is a Puerto Rican Lesbian and also has asthma/anxiety.

• <b>I loved the strong focus on family</b>. Juliet's family is everything for her and we get to see so much about her interactions with them. It was truly heartbreaking to see her struggle when it came to her mother, who at first did not want to acknowledge that she was a lesbian. However, many family members were supportive right from the beginning. Especially Juliet's little brother was an absolute sweetheart and a huge bookworm/nerd.

• <b>The writing was beautiful</b>. I have to hand it to Gabby Rivera, her writing is absolutely stunning and just plain beautiful. There are no other words to describe it. The way she writes completely fascinated me. I really wish I could write like her. She kept the perfect balance of description without it being over the top.

<b>// DISLIKES</b>
• <b>The pacing was off & the story very slow</b>. I felt like there truly was not a lot of plot, which made it hard for me to keep my interest. I didn't really feel entertained at times and felt like the story dragged a bit. There were of course parts that kept my interest, but at times I felt a bit bored to be honest. The pacing really did not completely work out for me.

• <b>Sometimes I was so confused</b>. Especially in the beginning, when we meet Harlowe, because her hippie stuff with auras and everything confused me so so much. I didn't get what she was on about and it really put me off a bit. Then there was also the Phen, who was a nudist and … I just was a bit weirded out by it. The entire idea of this internship was great, but didn't transform well, because like I said Harlowe herself was weird.

• <b>The side characters felt a bit shallow</b>. I couldn't really connect with them, because for me there was a bit of depth missing. It's always very unfortunate if I cannot connect to the characters, when that certain spark is missing, as it did impact my enjoyment of the book.

<b>IN CONCLUSION</b>: <i>Juliet Takes a Breath</i> was a <b>great book about feminism, intersectionality and diverse characters</b>. It really had many great passages that were eye opening and made me think. However, I didn't like the pacing of the plot at all, which made it hard to get through the book as it felt very slow to me.

Was this review helpful?

I don't know how to start talking about this book because for some reason when I love something is more difficult than when I didn't really like it sometimes.

This book is for feminists. This book is for girls. This book is for queer girls. This book is also for all those who are not white. I'm white myself so I can't 100% relate but I'm so glad to see representation, especially for young adult. This book takes you through the journey of self-discovery that Juliet takes when she receives an invitation of her favourite writer to work as her assistant. Juliet is kinda new to feminism and learns a lot, but the best thing is that people also learn from her.

The world is not perfect, but we can make it a lot better.

Was this review helpful?

Juliet Takes A Breath is a girl on the cusp of woman - searching and questioning. Experiencing Juliet's life through her lenses: Puerto Rican, lesbian and New Yorker are quite delightful. And seeing how Juliet finds her voice and identity is quite a treat. This is a great book and should be recommended reading for all young adult girls struggling to identify who they are.

Was this review helpful?

If you’re looking for an enthralling, diverse YA contemporary that deals with meeting your heroes (and finding out they’re not exactly as you thought), finding yourself, and intersectional feminism, you might want to read Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera.

Goodreads synopsis: Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff.

Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle?

With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.

My rating: 4,5 stars.

Review

When I started Juliet Takes a Breath, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Juliet goes to Portland for a summer internship with her feminist hero, Harlowe Brisbane – who seemed to be a prime example of a white feminist. If the main character had been white, I would have stopped reading right away. But since this is an ownvoices book about a Puerto Rican lesbian, I hoped the flaws in Harlowe’s feminism would be challenged. Which, luckily, they were. In the best way. It made me feel bad for ever doubting where this book was going!

It was wonderful to read Juliet’s journey throughout this novel. She starts out uncertain, but willing and wanting to learn. And learn she does, though not always from the people she expected. This is the perfect summer read – which is, of course, why I’m posting this in February. It’s summer in the Southern hemisphere! (But if you live in the cold North like I do and you’re longing for summer, you might also want to read this now.)

Was this review helpful?

“Feminism. I’m new to it. The word still sounds weird and wrong. Too white, too structured, too foreign: something I can’t claim.”

Juliet Takes A Breath is a must read, not just for women, but for everyone. I will admit that it might be more relatable for women, and in particular women of colour. But, I think this book and the character of Juliet is what makes the book so special. She learns so much in this book and I think that is the point. She makes the story relatable for some readers and she makes it a slap in the face for others.

This story handles feminism and what it means to be a woman. Juliet goes through every feeling under the bus in this book and learns so much throughout her short journey in the novel. She learns some really helpful tips and tricks on how to make your period easier to handle, which I’ll be honest I had never heard before but, will definitely be trying out in the future.

“You control the energy in your body. Never forget that, Juliet.”

This book is fantastic and I think everyone should read it. Juliet is a really interesting character and I think there is definitely something to learn from her and her experiences, no matter who you are. What I loved most about this book was that it took me for a total learning curve. I have very little in common with Juliet. I am white, straight and share pretty much none of her experiences, I also don’t live in the US.

“None of the clothes were made to fit me. None of the people shopping in there look like me.”

On that note, what I learnt from this book was something particularly interesting about the store Banana Republic. I have never really heard of the store so learning about its history was quite interesting and very disturbing. It’s actually kind of horrible that I had never heard about their history but, I guess that is the kind of world we live in now.

Juliet Takes A Breath also goes into the education system and how we are often not taught about our own histories. We are rarely ever taught about the “bad side” of the history of our own countries and that often leads to ignorance. I personally related to this because I know that Australia’s past is certainly not squeaky clean, but we really don’t learn about it at all in school.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t recommend it enough. if you’re looking for a short and bingeable modern contemporary to put on your tbr, this is perfect!

Was this review helpful?

Juliet Milagros Palante has scored an internship with Harlowe Brisbane, the author of her favorite book. It's in Portland, Oregon, but Juliet has never left the Bronx. To top it off, she just came out to her family. Not sure if many will ever speak to her again, she escapes to Harlowe's feminist sanctuary for a summer of research and finding herself.
I've been wanting to read this one for a while, and it was a treat! I love Rivera's voice, and her characters are refreshing and fun. I couldn't wait to see what happened, and I will definitely be re-reading to catch some of the things I missed the first go-round, and also just to read Juliet's words again.

Was this review helpful?

This book was such a positive surprise. I don't know exactly what I expected from it, but it wasn't this strong story, which left me open-mouthed at its freshness, its exploration of feminism and intersectionalism, its nonchalant gayness. I'm so here for it.

Juliet Takes a Breath is the story of Juliet, a girl from the Bronx who has just come out to her family just hours before leaving to Portland for an internship with the very famous author Harlowe Brisbane. Now she doesn't know where she stands with her mom, and if she still accepts her. Also her girlfriend isn't picking up her calls, and feminism is a big question mark.

This book was such a nice read - it raises questions that we need to think about if we want to become good feminists. What is being a white ally? Who are the women that history forgot? Why is it important to have a community of people just like you? This book made me nod, smile and pay close attention to it. There are lots of bits of wisdom on it:

“I understood 'microaggressions' to mean 'little bullshit acts of racism.”

I also loved that there is quite a lot about writing, about being a black woman writer, about the importance of them in the literary world and for their community. I simply had to add Kindred by Octavia E. Butler to my TBR after this!

“Reading would make me brilliant, but writing would make me infinite.”

I highly recommend this book! I wish the plot had been a little less rushed, it felt to me that Juliet grew as a character a bit too fast. But it was still a fantastic read!

Was this review helpful?

This is one of my favourite queer books. It gives some awesome representation and addresses a lot of difficult and controversial topics within the LGTBQIA and feminist community (racism, transphobia, etc.)

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: