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rikerandom's review
5.0
Loved, loved, loved this! This cute novella just got more and more captivating with every page and I loved this look at growing up as a lesbian in the post-WWII US.
intrepidheroine's review
3.0
This was a cute snapshot of a relationship, but I really wanted more story. For example, the book chose to concentrate on Harriet's crush on a straight girl over her career at NASA. I picked this up because NASA, rockets, and friends to lovers, and I really only got one of those. I would have loved if the author had decided to develop Harriet's career in addition to the highlight reel of her relationship, maybe expanding this into a full length book.
rainbowbookworm's review
5.0
I was looking over the list of NetGalley books I had not reviewed and saw this one. I picked it up not knowing that it was a scant fifty-pages long and devoured it in one sitting. The story takes our protagonists from childhood to the winter of their lives and it is incredibly sweet and cute. This is the book I have been craving since I finished Leah on the Offbeat. I see that the author mostly writes lesbian erotica, which I may check out in the future, but any other love story she publishes will be purchased and read immediately.
broomesbooks's review
3.0
I don’t know what to think about Tom Boy by Janelle Reston. I read this last night and I’m still not sure what to think. It was meant to be short and sweet. I could see shades of that in this but it felt too much like fanfiction to me. It was like I was supposed to know who Harriet and Jackie were already but I didn’t. And there wasn’t enough happening that I knew anything about either of them. There is so much potential for this story. I just felt like I was given a teaser of the scenes that would make up a larger novel.
remusreads's review
5.0
A wonderful quick read about gender stereotypes, sexuality and finding out that love has been in front of your face the whole time... It’s a really sweet, light, quick read which will definitely warm your heart. Though extremely short, it definitely packs a punch and covers some really important, vital topics in a wonderful way. I found this insightful, interesting, diverse and interesting to read. Though short, I didn’t find it lacking in substance. I often find that with shorter reads I feel a little bit lost in the story because there isn’t much happening or not much has been built on, but the author gets it spot on for this one - the back story is built as it develops and the characters develop quickly also; the dialogue isn’t excessive and it’s just enough to feel like a story with a strong substance. The subject matter is intrinsic, and I think that definitely enhanced the story. Such a well thought out, developed, strong and interesting story is woven in the small space - don’t be put off by its length! It’s definitely got enough in there to draw you in and to leave you clawing for more!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.
jaironside's review
4.0
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Sidebar but on twitter the other day, I saw a post begging for a light rom-com type story featuring lesbians. The original tweet made the point that minorities get books about issues, whereas everyone else gets exciting fantasy and sci-fi, historical and contempory stories. (They definitely have a point. Not all stories featuring LGBTQIA+ characters should be about the struggle for identity and equality. Sometimes they should just be stories that happen to feature queer characters. Fiction is definitely a good place to start redressing the balance on what is normal. By always making those books about ‘issues’, you always equate a minority character with their minority.)
I think the original author of that post would probably like and approve of this book.
This is a really sweet coming of age novella set in a post WWII McCarthy era America. We are told the story from Harriet’s POV from the moment she meets Jackie, aged eight, throughout their lives together. While it definitely touches on discovering what you really want out of life and love, this is not a coming out story. It also touches on gender stereotyping, sexism, inequality and family dynamics, not to mention PTSD, but this isn’t a book about any of those issues either. This is a light romance that doesn’t ignore the world it is set in but also doesn’t go deep because that’s not what the story is about. Take it on those terms and you’ll be fine. I love the fact that lesbian stereotypes are explored and largely debunked here. I also really enjoyed the gradual build of the main relationship. No instalove here but a dawning understanding on Harriet’s part. It’s a short book – I read it in an hour - but the historical detail and characterisation make it a satisfying read.
I notice another reviewer has called it out for having a ‘Nazi-sympathiser’ as the MC’s father. This is utterly untrue. I just want to make that clear – I don’t think that reviewer can have read the book properly. Harriet’s father fought in WWII and feels bad that he was required to kill anyone (Not all the Germans were Nazis or Nazi sympathisers either). It’s more a passing reference to the fact that he feels all life has value, which is very inkeeping for someone who is revealed to be a very broad minded character. Jackie’s father was killed in action in WWII but she makes the point at least twice that the Germans didn’t kill her father, evil did. I genuinely don’t know where accusations of a Nazi sympathiser character can have come from. The other thing I would refute is that there is a sneering denigration towards anything feminine here. It’s patently untrue. It’s merely that in 1950s dress codes for school were a lot more conservative, especially for girls. (To be honest girls regularly being allowed to wear trousers at school didn’t change here in the UK until the mid to late 90s, so a normal amount of perspective on this would be appreciated.) Harriet is never sneering at traditionally feminine stuff and quite often she really likes seeing it on other women, it’s just not something she personally wants to wear. Her interests lean more towards maths, science and engineering – the point being that these things are not gendered unless you decide they are and then it’s you narrowing the field!
My one niggle with this novella is that it is very much all told rather than shown. It’s a period drama fairytale with a Sapphic love story. I really enjoyed it but I can see that those who’d prefer more lyrical prose or exploration of issues, more ‘show’ might find it irritating. That said I highly recommend it for those wanting a F/F romance.
Sidebar but on twitter the other day, I saw a post begging for a light rom-com type story featuring lesbians. The original tweet made the point that minorities get books about issues, whereas everyone else gets exciting fantasy and sci-fi, historical and contempory stories. (They definitely have a point. Not all stories featuring LGBTQIA+ characters should be about the struggle for identity and equality. Sometimes they should just be stories that happen to feature queer characters. Fiction is definitely a good place to start redressing the balance on what is normal. By always making those books about ‘issues’, you always equate a minority character with their minority.)
I think the original author of that post would probably like and approve of this book.
This is a really sweet coming of age novella set in a post WWII McCarthy era America. We are told the story from Harriet’s POV from the moment she meets Jackie, aged eight, throughout their lives together. While it definitely touches on discovering what you really want out of life and love, this is not a coming out story. It also touches on gender stereotyping, sexism, inequality and family dynamics, not to mention PTSD, but this isn’t a book about any of those issues either. This is a light romance that doesn’t ignore the world it is set in but also doesn’t go deep because that’s not what the story is about. Take it on those terms and you’ll be fine. I love the fact that lesbian stereotypes are explored and largely debunked here. I also really enjoyed the gradual build of the main relationship. No instalove here but a dawning understanding on Harriet’s part. It’s a short book – I read it in an hour - but the historical detail and characterisation make it a satisfying read.
I notice another reviewer has called it out for having a ‘Nazi-sympathiser’ as the MC’s father. This is utterly untrue. I just want to make that clear – I don’t think that reviewer can have read the book properly. Harriet’s father fought in WWII and feels bad that he was required to kill anyone (Not all the Germans were Nazis or Nazi sympathisers either). It’s more a passing reference to the fact that he feels all life has value, which is very inkeeping for someone who is revealed to be a very broad minded character. Jackie’s father was killed in action in WWII but she makes the point at least twice that the Germans didn’t kill her father, evil did. I genuinely don’t know where accusations of a Nazi sympathiser character can have come from. The other thing I would refute is that there is a sneering denigration towards anything feminine here. It’s patently untrue. It’s merely that in 1950s dress codes for school were a lot more conservative, especially for girls. (To be honest girls regularly being allowed to wear trousers at school didn’t change here in the UK until the mid to late 90s, so a normal amount of perspective on this would be appreciated.) Harriet is never sneering at traditionally feminine stuff and quite often she really likes seeing it on other women, it’s just not something she personally wants to wear. Her interests lean more towards maths, science and engineering – the point being that these things are not gendered unless you decide they are and then it’s you narrowing the field!
My one niggle with this novella is that it is very much all told rather than shown. It’s a period drama fairytale with a Sapphic love story. I really enjoyed it but I can see that those who’d prefer more lyrical prose or exploration of issues, more ‘show’ might find it irritating. That said I highly recommend it for those wanting a F/F romance.
ruthsic's review
4.0
This is a cute f/f romance story set in the Cold War era, and is between Harriet who is interested in STEM fields grow up from childhood to adulthood, and Jackie who dresses up like a ‘tomboy’, as in, not the feminine norms of the era. Their relationship is shown progressing from childhood, to adolescence when Harriet is crushing on another girl who is she is seeing secretly, to her realizing she liked Jackie all along, and them growing up and growing old together, and while it is short, it develops their relationship very well. The story provides wlw representation, obviously, but also challenges conformity and the whole butch-femme thing that is stereotypical of what is perceived as lesbian culture. Jackie dresses up in whatever clothes she feels comfortable which can be pants or dresses, according to her mood, and Harriet goes on to become a (human) computer for NASA. Also, there is no homophobia? Like, even Harriet’s family is totally cool about it and there is a moment with her dad where he accepts her without any questions or reservations - that was nice because it is a break from the expected homophobia in historical fiction.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from NineStar Press, via Netgalley.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from NineStar Press, via Netgalley.
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