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Make Much Of Me
She cried, "Laura," up the garden,
"Did you miss me?
Come and kiss me.
Never mind my bruises,
Hug me, kiss me, suck my juices
Squeez’d from goblin fruits for you,
Goblin pulp and goblin dew.
Eat me, drink me, love me;
Laura, make much of me;
For your sake I have braved the glen
And had to do with goblin merchant men."
— from "Goblin Market" by Christina Rosetti
Irrepressible Lily O'Shaughnessy may have spent the majority of her childhood in bed with tuberculosis- but now that she's well enough to get up and walk around from time to time, she's determined to do twice as much living as anyone else. To that end, she runs away from home and enrolls in a music conservatory in glittering, jazzy, wild New York, where she makes fantastic new friends. But everyone seems to have secrets at the River School.
Tommie, a full-figured alto, has an incredible talent for terrible puns- but clams up whenever she's asked about her childhood.
Sardonic pianist Jo seems to have had an idyllic life — but her moneyed Southern family is falling apart, and the absurd last will of a cruel grandfather puts her carefully planned-out future in jeopardy.
And then there's Laura.
Impossibly talented, luminously beautiful, Laura is the gentlest, kindest person Lily's ever met. But an incomprehensible sadness lurks behind her eyes, a strange longing for the many joys of life she'll never taste...
As the distance between Laura and Lily closes, a strange new desire arises in them both — the desire for love! And when the horrors of Laura's sordid past rise up at last to claim her and drag her down, only Lily can save her from her tortured self.
A novel of twilight affection and courageous love... a fascinating reimagining of Christina Rosetti's "Goblin Market"...A lesbian pulp novel with a happy ending! Jazz! Poodles! An asexual woman in a queerplatonic relationship! Girls being friends! All in the book you never knew your heart needed...
84 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 29, 2018
This is an oddball little read that has some charm.
Though the book takes place in a real world setting, somewhere near New York City, the story has a fairy-tale tone to it. Characters are almost caricatures, the good triumphs evil and hardship, quick resolutions occur, everything works out. That kind of thing. If the book took itself seriously it would be a melodrama. Luckily it doesn't, not in that respect anyway, so it works.
"Make Much Of Me" is about four girls who meet in college and how they support each other through thick and thin despite how different they are from one another. Lily, a girl that's been sickly all her life but has a triumphant spirit, is the leader of the group that drives the story but each of the girls have their strengths. There is a f/f subplot thrown in and the story overall is really very sweet.
This is very much a girl power, women supporting women type tale.
For explicitness, there's no sex or cussing but addiction and sexual abuse elements arise. Also, the author did a great job of capturing a sadistic and controlling parent. I'd say that parent is the one part of the story where realism was depicted spot on.
What's strange about the book is that the time period is never fully locked down. The era feels like it's some time around the Prohibition (1920s-1930) but the legality of same sex relationships and sexual orientation and gender labels are from present day. The dialogue has the ring of old-time black and white movies when people said "dames", "doll", and "the bees knees".
As for diversity, when it comes to the lead four characters, two of them are lesbian, one is asexual, one has a disability, one is black, two are well to do and two aren't, and at least two are not considered attractive by conventional standards. There's also a minor character that's non-binary. Yeah, some of that, and a scenario here and there, felt forced but the fairy-tale aspect forgives it some.
At times the story is a little rough in its switching between points of view or it suddenly inserts the thoughts of another character which is jarring. That would be my main complaint.
I will say that I liked this author's "Graveyard Sparrow" more than this read. Bashe definitely has an interesting voice, though, and I'll continue to follow her work.
3.5 stars
Though the book takes place in a real world setting, somewhere near New York City, the story has a fairy-tale tone to it. Characters are almost caricatures, the good triumphs evil and hardship, quick resolutions occur, everything works out. That kind of thing. If the book took itself seriously it would be a melodrama. Luckily it doesn't, not in that respect anyway, so it works.
"Make Much Of Me" is about four girls who meet in college and how they support each other through thick and thin despite how different they are from one another. Lily, a girl that's been sickly all her life but has a triumphant spirit, is the leader of the group that drives the story but each of the girls have their strengths. There is a f/f subplot thrown in and the story overall is really very sweet.
This is very much a girl power, women supporting women type tale.
For explicitness, there's no sex or cussing but addiction and sexual abuse elements arise. Also, the author did a great job of capturing a sadistic and controlling parent. I'd say that parent is the one part of the story where realism was depicted spot on.
What's strange about the book is that the time period is never fully locked down. The era feels like it's some time around the Prohibition (1920s-1930) but the legality of same sex relationships and sexual orientation and gender labels are from present day. The dialogue has the ring of old-time black and white movies when people said "dames", "doll", and "the bees knees".
As for diversity, when it comes to the lead four characters, two of them are lesbian, one is asexual, one has a disability, one is black, two are well to do and two aren't, and at least two are not considered attractive by conventional standards. There's also a minor character that's non-binary. Yeah, some of that, and a scenario here and there, felt forced but the fairy-tale aspect forgives it some.
At times the story is a little rough in its switching between points of view or it suddenly inserts the thoughts of another character which is jarring. That would be my main complaint.
I will say that I liked this author's "Graveyard Sparrow" more than this read. Bashe definitely has an interesting voice, though, and I'll continue to follow her work.
3.5 stars
December 6, 2014
There are many wonderful, wonderful things about Make Much Of Me by Kayla Bashe. It has an innocence I haven't really seen in the fiction I've read very recently. And much of its charm comes from the story being set in an earlier time. While it doesn't flat out state it (unless I somehow missed something) the suggested era is the 1920s. Words like "jake" and "cloche hat" and the mannerisms and dress of the girls attending the school they go to suggest this.
Make Much About Me is only 84 pages, but it took longer to read because I so loved to linger over certain passages.
Delightfully unusual (it often reminds me of the Nancy Drew books, minus the mysteries) main character Lily has a plucky yet endearing spirit and the warm tenderness between her and her friend Laura permeates all around. And, best of all, there is no sex...it's all about emotion and connecting on other levels, while still being romantic and sweet.
Some of my favorite sections:
- "The woman I might marry someday. I was thinking of her." She propped her chin up on her fists. “Perhaps she lives only a few hours away in New York- or perhaps she lives right here, or in a tenement. I ought to send her my best wishes, in case she has no one to look out for her. That’s what I’m doing. I’m sending her my love.”
-How could one not listen to Stravinsky and not feel utterly wild afterwards, or not sit paralyzed in amazement and admiration after the final chord of a choral piece? The teachers who had heard her sing in her private assessment agreed that while her technique was shaky, the heart was there, and while the world might never weep to hear her sing, it would surely draw joy from her.
-Lily talked to Laura in bed, saying whatever came into her head while stroking her friend's sunbeam hair. Everything from, “I don't think there is any such thing as an unattractive woman. Tired women, and badly dressed women, and women who don't look after themselves or stand up straight or could use a bit of good advice on how to present themselves. But ugly? Never."
-Lily felt as if she knew Laura, and liked Laura, more than ever. She wanted to rescue Laura from any unhappiness, to look after her always, to see her smile like the sun coming out from behind a cloud at long last
-There was a girl in my life, Father, Laura thought, and she made me happy. And had I been worthy of her, I would have continued loving her until the day I died!
“No, Laura, that's not what I mean. The thing is...Every day before I met you, my soul spent it missing you. Laura, my dandelion fluff, my angel light. We were made to keep each other safe."
Make Much Of Me is definitely going to stay on my Kindle for re-reading. Its specialness (and deep sincerity) has nestled itself into my heart. I know how corny that may sound, but that's just how it is.:)
Make Much About Me is only 84 pages, but it took longer to read because I so loved to linger over certain passages.
Delightfully unusual (it often reminds me of the Nancy Drew books, minus the mysteries) main character Lily has a plucky yet endearing spirit and the warm tenderness between her and her friend Laura permeates all around. And, best of all, there is no sex...it's all about emotion and connecting on other levels, while still being romantic and sweet.
Some of my favorite sections:
- "The woman I might marry someday. I was thinking of her." She propped her chin up on her fists. “Perhaps she lives only a few hours away in New York- or perhaps she lives right here, or in a tenement. I ought to send her my best wishes, in case she has no one to look out for her. That’s what I’m doing. I’m sending her my love.”
-How could one not listen to Stravinsky and not feel utterly wild afterwards, or not sit paralyzed in amazement and admiration after the final chord of a choral piece? The teachers who had heard her sing in her private assessment agreed that while her technique was shaky, the heart was there, and while the world might never weep to hear her sing, it would surely draw joy from her.
-Lily talked to Laura in bed, saying whatever came into her head while stroking her friend's sunbeam hair. Everything from, “I don't think there is any such thing as an unattractive woman. Tired women, and badly dressed women, and women who don't look after themselves or stand up straight or could use a bit of good advice on how to present themselves. But ugly? Never."
-Lily felt as if she knew Laura, and liked Laura, more than ever. She wanted to rescue Laura from any unhappiness, to look after her always, to see her smile like the sun coming out from behind a cloud at long last
-There was a girl in my life, Father, Laura thought, and she made me happy. And had I been worthy of her, I would have continued loving her until the day I died!
“No, Laura, that's not what I mean. The thing is...Every day before I met you, my soul spent it missing you. Laura, my dandelion fluff, my angel light. We were made to keep each other safe."
Make Much Of Me is definitely going to stay on my Kindle for re-reading. Its specialness (and deep sincerity) has nestled itself into my heart. I know how corny that may sound, but that's just how it is.:)
January 4, 2015
I originally was planning on just reading this while taking a break from cleaning and I ended up getting nothing done! The book was charming and I had to finish it in one sitting. This is a short, warm book about friendship and love. It is very fairytale-esque. "Our heroine is kept captive by evil aunt tuberculosis and finally runs away to sing and find love." Enjoyable read.
November 13, 2014
This is an important book for a lot of reasons, and one that will stay close to my heart. Young Adult novels with queer and trans main characters are incredibly necessary for kids growing up not seeing themselves represented in the vast majority of stories, and characters with disabilities are just as important for the same reason. Make Much Of Me has all of this, along with a full cast of strong, kind, true-ringing girls readers will identify with.
I've read Kayla Bashe's writing before and loved it, so I was eager to help when she asked me to read over Make Much of Me and give feedback and advice - mostly from a chronic illness standpoint. In reading it (both for this purpose and enjoyment) I kept an eye open for things to suggest for her main-character spoonie. (A "Spoonie" being somebody with a chronic illness or pain who operates on a limited amount of energy or "spoons" - Google "spoon theory," it's a helpful metaphor!) But there wasn't much for me to do. The book was so well-written and spoonie-sensitive that I didn't have a single critique!
The story's main concept is a familiar one, a group of girls growing up together at a boarding school and navigating the perils of adolescence (and abusive situations), finding themselves and coming together to form strong bonds. I liked the classic story - and even better were the twists, in this case giving representation to girls who need so much more. There are asexual and aromantic characters as well as nonbinary and lesbian, and the diversity here is refreshing and just great to see.
The characters are distinctive and easy to grow very fond of - and it's a good thing the book is a pretty quick read, because I found it hard to stop reading, and ripped right through it in a day. If you like YA fiction but find it too heteronormative or repetitive, give Make Much of Me a try. It's heartfelt and real and ultimately uplifting and sweet, about overcoming abuse and disenfranchisement and finding something wonderful at the journey's end - and within oneself.
I've read Kayla Bashe's writing before and loved it, so I was eager to help when she asked me to read over Make Much of Me and give feedback and advice - mostly from a chronic illness standpoint. In reading it (both for this purpose and enjoyment) I kept an eye open for things to suggest for her main-character spoonie. (A "Spoonie" being somebody with a chronic illness or pain who operates on a limited amount of energy or "spoons" - Google "spoon theory," it's a helpful metaphor!) But there wasn't much for me to do. The book was so well-written and spoonie-sensitive that I didn't have a single critique!
The story's main concept is a familiar one, a group of girls growing up together at a boarding school and navigating the perils of adolescence (and abusive situations), finding themselves and coming together to form strong bonds. I liked the classic story - and even better were the twists, in this case giving representation to girls who need so much more. There are asexual and aromantic characters as well as nonbinary and lesbian, and the diversity here is refreshing and just great to see.
The characters are distinctive and easy to grow very fond of - and it's a good thing the book is a pretty quick read, because I found it hard to stop reading, and ripped right through it in a day. If you like YA fiction but find it too heteronormative or repetitive, give Make Much of Me a try. It's heartfelt and real and ultimately uplifting and sweet, about overcoming abuse and disenfranchisement and finding something wonderful at the journey's end - and within oneself.
November 18, 2014
Make Much of Me is a YA lesbian love story bursting with delightful characters. It tells the story of feisty dreamer Lily, a teenage girl who has long suffered from tuberculosis but is determined to run off to music school to make new friends and find the girl of her dreams (a premise that raises no eyebrows in this fictional 1920s universe!).
At the River School in New York City, Lily meets Laura, Tommie, and Jo, and the four girls embark on adventures across the city. They sneak out to jazz clubs and take day trips to mouthwatering German bakeries. They learn more about each other’s backgrounds and pasts while offering their loyalty and full support to each other.
The only girl who won’t speak of her past is guarded, beautiful Laura, who Lily is drawn to immediately. Laura wrestles with her dark past and fragile self-worth throughout the novel, and her only sunshine is to be found in the promise of the River School and in Lily’s irrepressible joy. You will be rooting for Lily and Laura to be together, but they’ll have to confront Laura’s twisted past first—and it’s surprisingly dark.
Did I mention the cast of characters includes girls of all backgrounds, races, temperaments, and sexualities? There are lesbians and an asexual character and a genderqueer character and all of them are embraced and respected without question! There is no emphasis on coming out - indeed, identifying as LGBT seems to be taken for granted in this story (in a good way).
In short, here are a few of the things Make Much of Me brings to our reading community:
awesome girls being friends with other awesome girls, girls going on adventures together, girls falling in love with each other
that perfect, magical boarding school feel
lesbians!
asexual characters!
genderqueer characters!
characters who care about each other beyond labels!
MMOM really is a delightful read. It has a different tone, pace, and aura than most other YA lesbian books I’ve read. And it’s quick.
At the River School in New York City, Lily meets Laura, Tommie, and Jo, and the four girls embark on adventures across the city. They sneak out to jazz clubs and take day trips to mouthwatering German bakeries. They learn more about each other’s backgrounds and pasts while offering their loyalty and full support to each other.
The only girl who won’t speak of her past is guarded, beautiful Laura, who Lily is drawn to immediately. Laura wrestles with her dark past and fragile self-worth throughout the novel, and her only sunshine is to be found in the promise of the River School and in Lily’s irrepressible joy. You will be rooting for Lily and Laura to be together, but they’ll have to confront Laura’s twisted past first—and it’s surprisingly dark.
Did I mention the cast of characters includes girls of all backgrounds, races, temperaments, and sexualities? There are lesbians and an asexual character and a genderqueer character and all of them are embraced and respected without question! There is no emphasis on coming out - indeed, identifying as LGBT seems to be taken for granted in this story (in a good way).
In short, here are a few of the things Make Much of Me brings to our reading community:
awesome girls being friends with other awesome girls, girls going on adventures together, girls falling in love with each other
that perfect, magical boarding school feel
lesbians!
asexual characters!
genderqueer characters!
characters who care about each other beyond labels!
MMOM really is a delightful read. It has a different tone, pace, and aura than most other YA lesbian books I’ve read. And it’s quick.
January 7, 2015
I loved the many kinds of queer representation in the book (more like a novella), and I appreciated the sort of pastiche of earnest girls' novels and romances from the Jazz Age that it actually captured fairly well. But it was definitely in need of better editing.
Characters' backstories changed without warning or explanation, it was missing both transitions and any kind of worldbuilding and, maybe as a result of trying to cram *all* the representation into one slender tale, it didn't entirely earn the ending it was going for, because each story was tied off with a check on a list more than with a real emotional connection.
Still, it's always good to see people trying to add more queer representation of all kinds into YA fiction, and I did enjoy the breezy, retro feel of it.
Characters' backstories changed without warning or explanation, it was missing both transitions and any kind of worldbuilding and, maybe as a result of trying to cram *all* the representation into one slender tale, it didn't entirely earn the ending it was going for, because each story was tied off with a check on a list more than with a real emotional connection.
Still, it's always good to see people trying to add more queer representation of all kinds into YA fiction, and I did enjoy the breezy, retro feel of it.
November 14, 2014
Make Much of Me has the distinctive hallmarks of Bashe’s work: a diverse cast, a lyrical turn of phrase, a strong focus on female friendship, and the belief that one individual, with kindness and determination, can change the lives of those around her for the better. Her past novels have ranged on diverse topics, but Make Much of Me, a novel inspired by the poem “Goblin Market” and set in the Jazz Age, reminds me strongly of the first novel I read by her, Bluebell Hall, with a similar sort of nostalgic, schoolgirl feel (an impressive feat since I have never actually gone to boarding school to be nostalgic over.) It centers around Lily, an exuberantly cheerful child of wealth who’s determined to live life to the fullest, and Laura, a quiet, mysterious, heart-breakingly beautiful young woman on the run from a dark past, as they attend a school of performing arts in New York City. Lily, typical of Bashe’s heroines, is not an effortlessly skilled genius, but a hard-worker and full of heart, pursuing what she loves and doing her best to make those around her happy (and I really enjoy that Bashe frequently uses her heroines to showcase the value of different kinds of intelligence and skills, without devaluing natural talent or an academically inclined intellect.) But, evocative of the poem it takes inspiration from, Laura is caught up in the sinister thrall of an addictive intoxicant, and the darker influence of the one who first offered it. Can Lily, and her tightly-knit group of friends, rescue her? Spoiler alert, of course they can, and then they’re going to kiss. Make Much of Me emphasizes the importance of a kind heart, a willingness to take responsibility for what’s wrong whether or not you caused it, and listening to what others want instead of assuming it’s the same as what you want. Bashe’s novels, though they may deal with dark themes, retain that upbeat and optimistic worldview, and always offer a happy ending that makes them a pleasure to read.
April 13, 2016
A fun little $2.99 read that I whipped through on my phone's Kindle app while flying back home from my in-laws yesterday. What is it? It's lesbian romance where an irrepressibly cheerful girl (Lily) forever physically weakened by tuberculosis and her beautiful classmate (Laura) who's carrying the burden of an incredibly fucked-up and abusive home life come together in the setting of a music academy.
It's full of positive energy, girls sticking together to help other girls, girls of various queernesses believing and supporting each other (there's a bi girl and an ace girl who wind up joined at the hip), and beautiful little moments like the one where Lily's troupe of friends go find some strapping young men willing to help carry her up the stairs so she can eat pastries from the shop on the top floor with everyone else.
I was a little jolted by the use of 21st century words like "alloromantic" in the dialogue of what I thought were supposed to be 1920's characters (unless I read that wrong in one of the author's ads), but that might be a generational thing, as I'm over ten years older than the author and would never presume to dictate style. I am definitely not suggesting that one shouldn't depict the concepts of alloromanticism and aromanticism, to use that as an example, in historical fiction. Representation of all types is important.
Laura's rescue and resurrection made me wish this was a movie, because I think this kind of story of healing needs to get told over and over again as long as people keep needing to heal.
It's full of positive energy, girls sticking together to help other girls, girls of various queernesses believing and supporting each other (there's a bi girl and an ace girl who wind up joined at the hip), and beautiful little moments like the one where Lily's troupe of friends go find some strapping young men willing to help carry her up the stairs so she can eat pastries from the shop on the top floor with everyone else.
I was a little jolted by the use of 21st century words like "alloromantic" in the dialogue of what I thought were supposed to be 1920's characters (unless I read that wrong in one of the author's ads), but that might be a generational thing, as I'm over ten years older than the author and would never presume to dictate style. I am definitely not suggesting that one shouldn't depict the concepts of alloromanticism and aromanticism, to use that as an example, in historical fiction. Representation of all types is important.
Laura's rescue and resurrection made me wish this was a movie, because I think this kind of story of healing needs to get told over and over again as long as people keep needing to heal.
June 30, 2016
2.5 stars to be exact. (Content warnings for abuse and drug use) This is a very cute little novella. The description it gives you is really very good at telling you what you are going to get. A VERY queer, very cute story about some teenage girls, all battling their own personal demons, but ultimately all who have very happy endings. Reading such a lighthearted queer story is always a breath of fresh air, and one that has a proud asexual character makes it taste that much sweeter.
However, I did have a few issues with this book. For me, setting and time periods are very important to my perception of the characters and plot lines. The story seems to imply a 1920's era New York, but the complete societal understanding and acceptance of all the queer identities presented, along with the language used to describe them (I.e. "Allosexual"), would constantly pull me out of the story. The lack of consistency when it came to time period truly kept me from connecting with the characters and story, and made reading the book a challenge for me. At just under 100 pages, I would certainly recommend this to friends, if only for the change of queer reading scenery, but if it had been any longer, I don't think I would have finished it.
However, I did have a few issues with this book. For me, setting and time periods are very important to my perception of the characters and plot lines. The story seems to imply a 1920's era New York, but the complete societal understanding and acceptance of all the queer identities presented, along with the language used to describe them (I.e. "Allosexual"), would constantly pull me out of the story. The lack of consistency when it came to time period truly kept me from connecting with the characters and story, and made reading the book a challenge for me. At just under 100 pages, I would certainly recommend this to friends, if only for the change of queer reading scenery, but if it had been any longer, I don't think I would have finished it.
February 21, 2015
What I like most about Kayla Bashe's books is that no matter how dark and messed up the situation or backstory of a character, it always ends well somehow. These books always have me end up with a feeling of hope and contentment. This book could have used some more editing to remove typos but it was a highly satisfying read. It's always nice to see stories with vast ranges of representation where and stories of finding healing in love of those around you no matter what kind of love it is.
December 24, 2014
A rather charming little offering. Content notes for drug use, abuse/assault. Almost every flavour of queer turned up in this novella, which was rather nice.
February 26, 2015
The story was brilliantly adorable. Loved it!
dnf_2016
September 10, 2019This is not good. The writing is meh, and the POV is all over the place. It seriously needed editing.
January 14, 2023
What a curious little story
June 16, 2017
"I promise on my ventricles there isn't any such thing as good girls and bad girls, pure girls and messy girls. We're all just girls."
Kayle has a beautiful writing style that always makes me feel warm no matter what I read from her.
Make Much of Me is a story of a group of girls supporting each other which is obviously everything I love. It was hard not to smile with how sweet the story was. It can feel a bit too much for some people with how it tried to fill every part of the LGBT+ spectrum in such a short read. But in the end, the overall message can be quite understood.
Lily and Laura are absolutely adorable as a couple and I finished this story wanting more about them.
TW: for abusive family, some minor violence and use of drugs.
Kayle has a beautiful writing style that always makes me feel warm no matter what I read from her.
Make Much of Me is a story of a group of girls supporting each other which is obviously everything I love. It was hard not to smile with how sweet the story was. It can feel a bit too much for some people with how it tried to fill every part of the LGBT+ spectrum in such a short read. But in the end, the overall message can be quite understood.
Lily and Laura are absolutely adorable as a couple and I finished this story wanting more about them.
TW: for abusive family, some minor violence and use of drugs.
June 11, 2015
Amazing!!
August 27, 2016
It was like reading a book written for 3 year olds. Very strange and bizarre
July 29, 2021
Cute little story with a mixture of 1920s and present day also New York and fantasyland that somehow comes together and works. Kayla Bashe is really becoming one of the leaders in the girls at a boarding school cute FF romances.
I enjoy Kayla's books and look forward to reading them with mu daughters. She is 11 and while age appropriate there if plenty of room for discussion on various topics
I enjoy Kayla's books and look forward to reading them with mu daughters. She is 11 and while age appropriate there if plenty of room for discussion on various topics
February 16, 2018
Refreshing and sweet
Such a sweet, heart-warming little novel! Although it is not as refined as the other books by Kayla Bashe that I have read, the main characters are still so likeable and the main story with Laura was both saddening and well-written.
Such a sweet, heart-warming little novel! Although it is not as refined as the other books by Kayla Bashe that I have read, the main characters are still so likeable and the main story with Laura was both saddening and well-written.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews