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lee_noel's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
dreaming_ace's review against another edition
5.0
Another super interesting story by Sarah Gailey. I love their "western" style stories from their previous Hippo ones to this one where queer libraries save the world. If you want a quick but highly enjoyable read, read anything by Sarah Gailey.
sklus's review against another edition
5.0
My only complaint is that this book isn't long enough. And that's not because it skipped too many details or ended in a bad place, it's just because I could read at least a thousand pages about queer women (and non-binary people) riding horses and being against fascism.
Now to list some of my favorite things about the books:
1) They talked about horses. Enough said.
2) Cye is a non-binary character and I think they're given a well-rounded and fleshed out personality, which is grumpy sweetheart (my personal favorite).
3) The main character Ester is the level of clueless that I am. They really repped the book-smart without a lick of common sense girls, and for that I am thankful.
4) The whole premise of the book was mildly absurd in the best way possible. Upright Women Wanted is a serious book, with a decent amount of violence and heavy subject matters for only 200 pages. But the premise of a group of women called "Librarians" who ride from town to town on horses to deliver books, movies, and other forms of entertainment was funny compared to the image most commonly associated with librarian.
5) Probably the most important reason this book was amazing was the representation of LGBT+ and POC characters. During Pride Month, reading a book that says not being straight and cisgendered is okay serves as a reminder of how far we've come and how far we have to go. And I will always support a book that prominently features non-white characters, because everyone deserves representation (with the exception of people who are racist, homophobic, transphobic, and/or misogynistic because they deserve zero representation). Black lives matter.
Now to list some of my favorite things about the books:
1) They talked about horses. Enough said.
2) Cye is a non-binary character and I think they're given a well-rounded and fleshed out personality, which is grumpy sweetheart (my personal favorite).
3) The main character Ester is the level of clueless that I am. They really repped the book-smart without a lick of common sense girls, and for that I am thankful.
4) The whole premise of the book was mildly absurd in the best way possible. Upright Women Wanted is a serious book, with a decent amount of violence and heavy subject matters for only 200 pages. But the premise of a group of women called "Librarians"
Spoiler
who are mostly queer and all part of a resistance against a fascist regime5) Probably the most important reason this book was amazing was the representation of LGBT+ and POC characters. During Pride Month, reading a book that says not being straight and cisgendered is okay serves as a reminder of how far we've come and how far we have to go. And I will always support a book that prominently features non-white characters, because everyone deserves representation (with the exception of people who are racist, homophobic, transphobic, and/or misogynistic because they deserve zero representation). Black lives matter.
lifesarosch's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I wish it was longer. The concept was so good (librarians battling fascists in an alternate US southwest) that I just wanted it to keep going and going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexism
hollyn_middle's review
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
bc288's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
iamthecampion's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very cool book with an interesting concept. It was pretty short, so it’s good for getting out of a reading slump, but I would have liked another 100 pages or so to just flesh out some more of the world.
bookshelfmonkey's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
outcolder's review against another edition
4.0
I must have had something in my eye every time Esther made a mental leap towards self-acceptance. Gailey had me at “Librarians” but it’s the queer romances that really drive this cowgirl story. All I can say is “yee-haw!”