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nabiis's review against another edition
3.0
Pulp is a lesbian novel that takes place in 2017 and 1955, following the lives of Abby Zimet and Janet Jones.
Abby is currently in her senior year of high school, struggling to keep up with school work, college applications, family problems, and relationships. For her senior project she decides to read and research lesbian pulp fiction which was extremely popular in the 1950s-60s. During her research, she becomes obsessed with an author and the whole world of lesbian pulp. She starts to put one of these stories and her writing before everything else in her life, which is something that makes her relatable, for who hasn't allowed a book to completely overtake their thoughts and everyday activities?
Janet is a recently graduated teenager who is on her way to going to college. Her story takes place in the summer before university, where she works at the Soda Shoppe as a waitress. Her story begins sometime after she finds a lesbian pulp fiction story, which opens up her eyes to a whole new world of literature and life. Janet never knew that there were girls in the world who liked girls like she thought she did. Janet has a love for this one book, for it gives her a sense of comfort and shows her that she is not alone.
Throughout the novel, these two main characters learn more about love, relationships, and most importantly, themselves.
I loved the representation present within Abby's friend group and the novel itself. There are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and non-binary voices within Pulp.
One issue I had with Pulp was the use of racial slurs, especially since the author is white. I found it unneeded and a little uncalled for.
Trigger warnings for talk of suicide and racial slurs.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Abby is currently in her senior year of high school, struggling to keep up with school work, college applications, family problems, and relationships. For her senior project she decides to read and research lesbian pulp fiction which was extremely popular in the 1950s-60s. During her research, she becomes obsessed with an author and the whole world of lesbian pulp. She starts to put one of these stories and her writing before everything else in her life, which is something that makes her relatable, for who hasn't allowed a book to completely overtake their thoughts and everyday activities?
Janet is a recently graduated teenager who is on her way to going to college. Her story takes place in the summer before university, where she works at the Soda Shoppe as a waitress. Her story begins sometime after she finds a lesbian pulp fiction story, which opens up her eyes to a whole new world of literature and life. Janet never knew that there were girls in the world who liked girls like she thought she did. Janet has a love for this one book, for it gives her a sense of comfort and shows her that she is not alone.
Throughout the novel, these two main characters learn more about love, relationships, and most importantly, themselves.
I loved the representation present within Abby's friend group and the novel itself. There are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and non-binary voices within Pulp.
One issue I had with Pulp was the use of racial slurs, especially since the author is white. I found it unneeded and a little uncalled for.
Trigger warnings for talk of suicide and racial slurs.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
moreteawesley's review against another edition
3.0
2.5⭐️
I didn’t like this anywhere near as much as I wanted to - Janet’s half of the story was more interesting than Abby’s, but both felt very slow.
I didn’t like this anywhere near as much as I wanted to - Janet’s half of the story was more interesting than Abby’s, but both felt very slow.
bookish_smorgasbord's review
4.0
Few books make me feel as giddy as I felt when I learned that Robin Talley penned a young adult novel set in the world of lesbian pulp fiction. Washington D.C. High School senior Abby Zimet struggles with a shaky home life, a complicated relationship with her ex-girl friend, and a nebulous future. When she stumbles across a lesbian pulp novel by Marian Love during research for a creative writing project, her thoughts become increasingly consumed by it and with finding the elusive woman behind the story.
Tracking down an author, especially a writer of 1950s lesbian fiction, is a near impossible task. Abby learns this lesson quickly: not everything is available online, but human connections remain a powerful channel. If you were a queer female author, you cloaked your identity behind a pseudonym. You didn't want to be found. Pulp shares the impact of lesbian pulp novels within the context of their time. Queer people were hunted out of government jobs, blacklisted from future employment, and exiled from families they were born into. Authors like Ann Bannon, who later revealed her identity as a pulp writer, wrote their first novels from dens of crumbling heteronormative domesticity. Patricia Highsmith published The Price of Salt under the name "Claire Morgan", so as not to derail her nascent mainstream writing career.
Told in parallel narratives, Pulp traces Janet Jones’ pivotal year in 1955 as a teenager in D.C., and Abby’s present-day travails and literary sleuthing. As the story builds, readers see more than just a chasm of differences between the modern teen’s openness with her family and friends as a lesbian, and Janet's furtive attempts at secrecy. Readers discover threads that not only connect the characters through time, but also reflects the continuity of history and social activism in our own lives.
Robin Talley delivers an immersive and emotionally engaging novel that rewards repeat readers. Sprinkled throughout are Easter eggs for lesbian history enthusiasts and those eager to learn more about this period in our history. I believe that fiction can be a powerful draw in pulling readers of all ages into a deeper examination of historical events. Talley again creates a compelling story that intrigues and informs. I'll leave most of the trivia for you to discover when the book is released in November. Hint: Start with Abby Zimet's name.
Tracking down an author, especially a writer of 1950s lesbian fiction, is a near impossible task. Abby learns this lesson quickly: not everything is available online, but human connections remain a powerful channel. If you were a queer female author, you cloaked your identity behind a pseudonym. You didn't want to be found. Pulp shares the impact of lesbian pulp novels within the context of their time. Queer people were hunted out of government jobs, blacklisted from future employment, and exiled from families they were born into. Authors like Ann Bannon, who later revealed her identity as a pulp writer, wrote their first novels from dens of crumbling heteronormative domesticity. Patricia Highsmith published The Price of Salt under the name "Claire Morgan", so as not to derail her nascent mainstream writing career.
Told in parallel narratives, Pulp traces Janet Jones’ pivotal year in 1955 as a teenager in D.C., and Abby’s present-day travails and literary sleuthing. As the story builds, readers see more than just a chasm of differences between the modern teen’s openness with her family and friends as a lesbian, and Janet's furtive attempts at secrecy. Readers discover threads that not only connect the characters through time, but also reflects the continuity of history and social activism in our own lives.
Robin Talley delivers an immersive and emotionally engaging novel that rewards repeat readers. Sprinkled throughout are Easter eggs for lesbian history enthusiasts and those eager to learn more about this period in our history. I believe that fiction can be a powerful draw in pulling readers of all ages into a deeper examination of historical events. Talley again creates a compelling story that intrigues and informs. I'll leave most of the trivia for you to discover when the book is released in November. Hint: Start with Abby Zimet's name.
bellaob's review against another edition
slow-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
4.0
mcf's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot going on here -- three different timelines, one a novel-with-in-a-novel and the two others many decades apart -- but Talley manages them well. The characters are distinct without losing their crucial connections, and Talley does a nice job of throwing in a big twist just as things begin to feel predictable. My issues with the book could ultimately be simply a matter of taste, but it puts me off when writers throw in very 'now' references (to the Danica Roem campaign, for example) because they feel like shortcut attempts to Connect with the Kids of Today, and I really struggle to accept depictions of the world in which essentially everyone is queer (I would love to live in one, but the reality is that we don't). In addition, the main character is deeply unlikeable for much of the story, treating everyone around her incredibly unfairly and regularly disrespecting all of them. I suppose one could make a case for the fact that this is the way a kid struggling with major stressors might act, but the eventual shift from that state to what is essentially flawless self-awareness and insight is pretty unconvincing.
TL;DR An engaging read on a rarely explored topic, undermined by some frustrations.
Thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for the ARC.
TL;DR An engaging read on a rarely explored topic, undermined by some frustrations.
Thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for the ARC.
lisawreading's review against another edition
5.0
This remarkable book pulls off the tricky feat of making us care about characters in two separate narratives, with neither one feeling like filler or killing time before returning to the important part of the story.
In Pulp, we follow a contemporary storyline about a high school senior, Abby, who is out and proud and very matter-of-fact about how diverse and free her world is. Most of her friends fall somewhere within the queer rainbow, gay, bi, non-binary, and various permutations of all sorts. And it's all good. Abby is part of a close-knit group of friends who delight in being politically active, attending rallies, fighting for justice, and making demands for society to be better than it is.
Abby's life is not perfect, though. She still pines for her ex-girlfriend Linh, she's stuck on her senior project, and her parents are doing a lousy job of hiding their inability to tolerate one another. She chooses the topic of her senior project at the last possible second, deciding to study lesbian pulp fiction of the 1950s and write her own version of these novels, inverting the tropes that were mandatory in the genre.
In the historical timeline, we meet Janet Jones, also a high school senior, whose life is highly regimented by her overly protective and rigid parents and their world of country clubs and social correctness. Janet stumbles across a lesbian pulp paperback, reads it, and realizes that these unnamed feelings of hers are actually shared by other people. She becomes desperate to connect with the author of one of these books, and at the same time, realizes that her feelings toward her best friend Marie are much more than just friendship.
The two narratives intersect in fascinating and unpredictable ways. Janet's storyline is the more upsetting of the two for much of the book, largely because the world it shows is so hostile and repressive. Pulp does an excellent job of showing the terror of being gay at a time when there were no legal protections or rights for anyone who dared step outside the bounds of "normal". Set during the Lavender Scare, this novel shows good, decent, hard-working people being hounded out of their families and jobs, spied upon, and having their lives ruined, all because of who they love and how they identify. Being closeted was a necessity, and the danger of discovery drove countless people to deny their own identities out of a desperation for survival.
Through Abby's eyes, the awfulness of the 1950s for the LGBTQ community is especially vivid, as Abby's modern perspective is challenged by her research into what others' lives once were like. Seeing Abby come to realize the importance of the brave people who created new ways to live, form a community, and remain true to the themselves is quite beautiful.
I was less invested in the love story aspects of both Abby and Janet's arcs, but very much loved getting to know them as people, to appreciate their challenges and strengths, and how each struggled in different ways and at different times to find themselves and to find a way to lead an authentic life.
Pulp is both a great novel and a great lesson on 20th century history. Reading about this chapter in LGBTQ history is moving and upsetting. The world has come so far, and there's still a long way to go, but I think especially for the target YA audience, Pulp provides a fascinating and important perspective on social action, diversity, and identity.
In Pulp, we follow a contemporary storyline about a high school senior, Abby, who is out and proud and very matter-of-fact about how diverse and free her world is. Most of her friends fall somewhere within the queer rainbow, gay, bi, non-binary, and various permutations of all sorts. And it's all good. Abby is part of a close-knit group of friends who delight in being politically active, attending rallies, fighting for justice, and making demands for society to be better than it is.
Abby's life is not perfect, though. She still pines for her ex-girlfriend Linh, she's stuck on her senior project, and her parents are doing a lousy job of hiding their inability to tolerate one another. She chooses the topic of her senior project at the last possible second, deciding to study lesbian pulp fiction of the 1950s and write her own version of these novels, inverting the tropes that were mandatory in the genre.
In the historical timeline, we meet Janet Jones, also a high school senior, whose life is highly regimented by her overly protective and rigid parents and their world of country clubs and social correctness. Janet stumbles across a lesbian pulp paperback, reads it, and realizes that these unnamed feelings of hers are actually shared by other people. She becomes desperate to connect with the author of one of these books, and at the same time, realizes that her feelings toward her best friend Marie are much more than just friendship.
The two narratives intersect in fascinating and unpredictable ways. Janet's storyline is the more upsetting of the two for much of the book, largely because the world it shows is so hostile and repressive. Pulp does an excellent job of showing the terror of being gay at a time when there were no legal protections or rights for anyone who dared step outside the bounds of "normal". Set during the Lavender Scare, this novel shows good, decent, hard-working people being hounded out of their families and jobs, spied upon, and having their lives ruined, all because of who they love and how they identify. Being closeted was a necessity, and the danger of discovery drove countless people to deny their own identities out of a desperation for survival.
Through Abby's eyes, the awfulness of the 1950s for the LGBTQ community is especially vivid, as Abby's modern perspective is challenged by her research into what others' lives once were like. Seeing Abby come to realize the importance of the brave people who created new ways to live, form a community, and remain true to the themselves is quite beautiful.
I was less invested in the love story aspects of both Abby and Janet's arcs, but very much loved getting to know them as people, to appreciate their challenges and strengths, and how each struggled in different ways and at different times to find themselves and to find a way to lead an authentic life.
Pulp is both a great novel and a great lesson on 20th century history. Reading about this chapter in LGBTQ history is moving and upsetting. The world has come so far, and there's still a long way to go, but I think especially for the target YA audience, Pulp provides a fascinating and important perspective on social action, diversity, and identity.
karalyn_rae's review against another edition
3.0
I'm so glad young LGBTQ people have this book. I learned a lot about the Lavender Scare and I love the idea of connection through storytelling and literature. However, I found myself only really invested in the older woman's story and although I think a lot of teens will identify with the 2017 bits, it was predictable and s l o w for me.
katyrochelle's review against another edition
4.0
There's really only one reason I grabbed this from the shelf at my library and that is the cover and the word 'Pulp.' I kinda knew immediately this would gel into the pulp fiction genre, and reading the summary made me so excited that it would touch on the lesbian subgenre too. What I didn't know but what this review describes perfectly is that the books is very much 'Your Mileage May Vary.'
Pulp offers a little bit of everything - and maybe it's a little too much. The 2017 timeline is your 'typical' contemporary young lit with Abby juggling too many things at once - dysfunctional parent relationships, school, an ex that she doesn't know if they've officially broken up. The 1955 timeline is a big gateway into historical non-fiction and what was happening to the LGBTQ+ community during the McCarthy era - there's a lot of exposition to cull through and I'm sure is what makes the book a lot longer than it might've needed to be. There's also romance woven between Abby and Janet's relationships and mystery over the author Abby is searching for. I enjoyed the various genres coming together outside of the weak spots.
Talley makes sure to take her time with the dual narratives and not make the characters copies of each other but share similar arcs, emotions, and revelations. Both Abby and Janet feel like full fleshed characters, but it does take a while for the 'can't wait to read what happens next' to kick into high gear. My favorite part of the book was how Talley took the the tropes of tragic LGBTQ stories and turning them on upside down - I wanted to get to the end to make sure that Janet didn't share the same fate as most lesbians in pop culture and literature face - tragedy, death, etc. I was also grateful for the brief guide of who's who in the back of the book because it helped clear up the books and authors that Abby and Janet meet or read about along the way - which can become a little confusing. But similarly to the characters' own arcs and how much they felt seen and validated, this gave me a priceless sense of feeling represented that I haven't felt in a long time.
Overall - 3 to 4 stars in between liked and really liked.
Pulp offers a little bit of everything - and maybe it's a little too much. The 2017 timeline is your 'typical' contemporary young lit with Abby juggling too many things at once - dysfunctional parent relationships, school, an ex that she doesn't know if they've officially broken up. The 1955 timeline is a big gateway into historical non-fiction and what was happening to the LGBTQ+ community during the McCarthy era - there's a lot of exposition to cull through and I'm sure is what makes the book a lot longer than it might've needed to be. There's also romance woven between Abby and Janet's relationships and mystery over the author Abby is searching for. I enjoyed the various genres coming together outside of the weak spots.
Talley makes sure to take her time with the dual narratives and not make the characters copies of each other but share similar arcs, emotions, and revelations. Both Abby and Janet feel like full fleshed characters, but it does take a while for the 'can't wait to read what happens next' to kick into high gear. My favorite part of the book was how Talley took the the tropes of tragic LGBTQ stories and turning them on upside down - I wanted to get to the end to make sure that Janet didn't share the same fate as most lesbians in pop culture and literature face - tragedy, death, etc. I was also grateful for the brief guide of who's who in the back of the book because it helped clear up the books and authors that Abby and Janet meet or read about along the way - which can become a little confusing. But similarly to the characters' own arcs and how much they felt seen and validated, this gave me a priceless sense of feeling represented that I haven't felt in a long time.
Overall - 3 to 4 stars in between liked and really liked.
lesbrary's review against another edition
4.0
I'm so glad this lived up to my expectations. I collect lesbian pulp, and I'm fascinated with its history--plus, I love YA! So combining these into one? Swoon. I loved reading about a modern lesbian teenager discovering lesbian pulp, and the contrast between being a lesbian teenager now and then. I learned more about the Lavender Scare than I was aware of, and how it really affected people's everyday lives.
Aside from the pulp aspect, I also really sympathized so much with Abby, who is in this awful stasis in her life, miserable, but determined to keep anything from changing. I will have a full review at the Lesbrary shortly, but I highly recommend this!
Aside from the pulp aspect, I also really sympathized so much with Abby, who is in this awful stasis in her life, miserable, but determined to keep anything from changing. I will have a full review at the Lesbrary shortly, but I highly recommend this!
techierain's review
5.0
I really liked the duality of this story. It was a fun read.
It was also wonderful that so much of it was based on historical events.
It was also wonderful that so much of it was based on historical events.