A review by pchb
Needlework by Julia Watts

5.0

Julia Watts is the most underappreciated queer YA writer working today. She was a trailblazer with "Finding H.F." (2001!) and remained relevant with "Quiver." "Needlework" might be my favorite of hers to date. Her writing about being queer in Appalachia and the rural South is so beautiful and nuanced. I loved Kody and his love of quilting and Dolly Parton. The exploration of his mother's opioid addiction wasn't glossed over but not demonized, either. Despite the somewhat-dreary subject matter, I walked away from "Needlework" hopeful, just like with Watts's other books and that is her special talent.