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The Inside of Out
When her best friend Hannah comes out the day before junior year, Daisy is so ready to let her ally flag fly that even a second, way more blindsiding confession can't derail her smiling determination to fight for gay rights.
Before you can spell LGBTQIA, Daisy's leading the charge to end their school’s antiquated ban on same-sex dates at dances—starting with homecoming. And if people assume Daisy herself is gay? Meh, so what. It's all for the cause.
What Daisy doesn't expect is for "the cause” to blow up—starting with Adam, the cute college journalist whose interview with Daisy for his university paper goes viral, catching fire in the national media. #Holy #cats.
With the story spinning out of control, protesters gathering, Hannah left in the dust of Daisy’s good intentions, and Daisy's mad attraction to Adam feeling like an inconvenient truth, Daisy finds herself caught between her bold plans, her bad decisions, and her big fat mouth.
Before you can spell LGBTQIA, Daisy's leading the charge to end their school’s antiquated ban on same-sex dates at dances—starting with homecoming. And if people assume Daisy herself is gay? Meh, so what. It's all for the cause.
What Daisy doesn't expect is for "the cause” to blow up—starting with Adam, the cute college journalist whose interview with Daisy for his university paper goes viral, catching fire in the national media. #Holy #cats.
With the story spinning out of control, protesters gathering, Hannah left in the dust of Daisy’s good intentions, and Daisy's mad attraction to Adam feeling like an inconvenient truth, Daisy finds herself caught between her bold plans, her bad decisions, and her big fat mouth.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2016
17 people are currently reading
3896 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Marie Thorne
16 books1,106 followersJennifer Thorne is the author of Lute and Diavola (a USA Today bestseller), published by Tor/Nightfire. With Lee Kelly, she is co-author of The Antiquity Affair (2023) and The Starlets (2024), published by HarperMuse. As Jenn Marie Thorne, she is the author of the YA novels The Wrong Side of Right, The Inside of Out, and Night Music, and her short fiction appeared in the YA anthology Battle of the Bands. She is also the author of the picture book Construction Zoo. She received her BFA in Drama at NYU, and currently lives in Gloucestershire, England with her husband and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
October 16, 2015
Everything that happened in this book was EXACTLY what I wanted to have happen. Crazy, right?! Five stars.
July 27, 2016
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I feel like most readers will dislike this book for two reasons—an unlikable heroine and an understated romance—which makes me achingly sad. Thorne’s debut, The Wrong Side of Right, was a perfectly constructed contemporary romance. It featured a protagonist we were familiar with—shy, submissive, and eager-to-please—which made it easy to root for her, support her, and grow alongside her as she found her backbone and stood up for herself. But Daisy, the heroine of The Inside of Out has got her life quite a bit more figured out.
Daisy is headstrong and throws herself into her passions. Whether it be the imaginary pirate world she created as a young child or the opera she convinced herself she could write in middle school, Daisy is used to spending her time alone. Her childhood best friend, Natalie, abandoned her after a summer traveling the world and after two years of taunts and bullying, Daisy finally finds a friend in Hannah, the new girl who moves from Austria. So, when Hannah finally comes out as a lesbian, Daisy is determined to do everything she can to support her best friend. Even if that means joining the LGBTQIA Club at their high school (despite the fact that she’s straight and they clearly don’t want straight allies). Even if that means petitioning the school board for the right for students to bring same-sex dates to the homecoming and prom when Hannah convinces her to drop the subject. Because Hannah has a girlfriend—Natalie—and Daisy will do anything to get her best friend back. Even if it means going viral and faking her sexuality.
It doesn’t take long for Daisy and Hannah’s friendship to fracture in the wake of Hannah’s announcement. It isn’t so much that Hannah is a lesbian as much as it is that Hannah is dating Natalie. Like Daisy, I felt betrayed and hurt that Hannah would so easily forgive Daisy’s long-time bully and the fact that Hannah doesn’t join the LGBTQIA Club or support Daisy’s efforts to rally for same-sex rights made me grit my teeth. Before long, Daisy gets caught up in a political fight that’s far bigger than her and her devotion to Hannah, though. She gets interviewed by a college freshman, Adam, and his article alerts the national news that Daisy not only brought up the rule that same-sex dates were not permitted at any school dances, but that in the response of the school to consequently cancel the homecoming dance Daisy promised to hold one of her own for students of all sexual orientations.
I really enjoy the political nature of Thorne’s novels. I’ll admit, though, that this novel is messy. Daisy becomes the spokesperson for the LGBTQIA Club at her high school and the media wrongly assumes that Daisy is a lesbian and is dating Hannah. The club members vote to keep the lie active since Daisy being a member of the LGBTQIA community is garnering national support—help that they actively need to pull off this homecoming on their own. Daisy, too, in an effort to become a member of the LGBTQIA Club calls herself “asexual” which—believe me, I know—is entirely appropriative. BUT, what I would like to point out is that Daisy is spiraling. For her, her entire life has been a series of bullies and taunts and now that she’s about to lose her only best friend, she wants to make a new niche for herself and have Hannah notice her again.
I think what I love most about this novel is the fine balance it walks between friendship and love. A lot of female friendships are intense and can be mistaken for romance and at times, Daisy abandonment issues manifest themselves as a pining for an ex. But, let me tell you, girl best friends are everything to each other and you can feel that energy palpably through Daisy. Another aspect I really, off-the-charts adored about this book was its honest portrayal and conversation of LGBTQIAP+ struggles. There’s a conversation in here about privilege—about what it means that Daisy can go on national television and pretend to be gay for an amazing cause but also not have to deal with the other ramifications of being gay. That she is white and wealthy and cis and straight—ALL of these are privileges and I think it’s really important that today’s high schoolers learn about privilege before going to college. It isn’t an easy discussion, but it’s an important one.
Moreover, there are ALL kinds of representation in this novel. We have queer students, students of color, students of mixed race, popular students who don’t feel as if they fit in, gay students who are religious, etc. Thorne even talks about the intersectionality of these labels—being queer and a person of color but also being wealthy, for instance. These conversations are on-going and oh-so-important and I feel as if Thorne has discussed them in a really thoughtful, careful manner that I haven’t found in a lot of other LGBTQIA YA that has blown up this year.
But, all this careful talk about politics and sexuality has not erased some of the most basic components of a novel from The Inside of Out. Daisy’s mother is a treat, ever-supportive and always curious as to what Daisy’s life is really like. Her father is a genius video-game designer and spends much of his time inside, but as Daisy later remarks, at least he’s there unlike Hannah’s father who is still in Austria. Natalie’s parents, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge the fact that she is lesbian so, on the parental unit, we have a wide range of personalities and difficult situations to navigate. Thorne excels in creating these relationships—realistic but almost to a fault—and I love that friendship and parental relationships take precedence in Thorne’s novels.
Now, that’s not to say that her romances are not swoony-af. Adam is adorable, cute, and often amazed by Daisy. I love that their friendship is supposed to remain “professional” but I also love that they totally understand one another and support each other. Thorne’s romances are understated, like I said, but they’re still fantastic. And, like I mentioned, Daisy isn’t the most likable heroine. She doesn’t always follow through on her promises—like creating a mural for a group that she volunteered with over the summer—and she often thinks only of herself, not realizing how difficult it is for Hannah to come out as a lesbian and throw herself into LGBTQIA rights. This book is messy and difficult, it’s intense and lovely, so it’s not an easy read but it’s one I recommend whole-heartedly. Thorne has a way of making you care about her characters and become invested in her stories and, what’s best, is that you leave them learning about the world, its political machinations, and growing alongside her heroines. It speaks to her skill that she is able to write two such different protagonists but both with equal aplomb. While I don’t think this will be nearly as much of a hit as her debut (though I hope it will be!!), I will be sticking around to read anything—and everything—she writes. A new favorite of 2016, guaranteed.
I feel like most readers will dislike this book for two reasons—an unlikable heroine and an understated romance—which makes me achingly sad. Thorne’s debut, The Wrong Side of Right, was a perfectly constructed contemporary romance. It featured a protagonist we were familiar with—shy, submissive, and eager-to-please—which made it easy to root for her, support her, and grow alongside her as she found her backbone and stood up for herself. But Daisy, the heroine of The Inside of Out has got her life quite a bit more figured out.
Daisy is headstrong and throws herself into her passions. Whether it be the imaginary pirate world she created as a young child or the opera she convinced herself she could write in middle school, Daisy is used to spending her time alone. Her childhood best friend, Natalie, abandoned her after a summer traveling the world and after two years of taunts and bullying, Daisy finally finds a friend in Hannah, the new girl who moves from Austria. So, when Hannah finally comes out as a lesbian, Daisy is determined to do everything she can to support her best friend. Even if that means joining the LGBTQIA Club at their high school (despite the fact that she’s straight and they clearly don’t want straight allies). Even if that means petitioning the school board for the right for students to bring same-sex dates to the homecoming and prom when Hannah convinces her to drop the subject. Because Hannah has a girlfriend—Natalie—and Daisy will do anything to get her best friend back. Even if it means going viral and faking her sexuality.
It doesn’t take long for Daisy and Hannah’s friendship to fracture in the wake of Hannah’s announcement. It isn’t so much that Hannah is a lesbian as much as it is that Hannah is dating Natalie. Like Daisy, I felt betrayed and hurt that Hannah would so easily forgive Daisy’s long-time bully and the fact that Hannah doesn’t join the LGBTQIA Club or support Daisy’s efforts to rally for same-sex rights made me grit my teeth. Before long, Daisy gets caught up in a political fight that’s far bigger than her and her devotion to Hannah, though. She gets interviewed by a college freshman, Adam, and his article alerts the national news that Daisy not only brought up the rule that same-sex dates were not permitted at any school dances, but that in the response of the school to consequently cancel the homecoming dance Daisy promised to hold one of her own for students of all sexual orientations.
I really enjoy the political nature of Thorne’s novels. I’ll admit, though, that this novel is messy. Daisy becomes the spokesperson for the LGBTQIA Club at her high school and the media wrongly assumes that Daisy is a lesbian and is dating Hannah. The club members vote to keep the lie active since Daisy being a member of the LGBTQIA community is garnering national support—help that they actively need to pull off this homecoming on their own. Daisy, too, in an effort to become a member of the LGBTQIA Club calls herself “asexual” which—believe me, I know—is entirely appropriative. BUT, what I would like to point out is that Daisy is spiraling. For her, her entire life has been a series of bullies and taunts and now that she’s about to lose her only best friend, she wants to make a new niche for herself and have Hannah notice her again.
I think what I love most about this novel is the fine balance it walks between friendship and love. A lot of female friendships are intense and can be mistaken for romance and at times, Daisy abandonment issues manifest themselves as a pining for an ex. But, let me tell you, girl best friends are everything to each other and you can feel that energy palpably through Daisy. Another aspect I really, off-the-charts adored about this book was its honest portrayal and conversation of LGBTQIAP+ struggles. There’s a conversation in here about privilege—about what it means that Daisy can go on national television and pretend to be gay for an amazing cause but also not have to deal with the other ramifications of being gay. That she is white and wealthy and cis and straight—ALL of these are privileges and I think it’s really important that today’s high schoolers learn about privilege before going to college. It isn’t an easy discussion, but it’s an important one.
Moreover, there are ALL kinds of representation in this novel. We have queer students, students of color, students of mixed race, popular students who don’t feel as if they fit in, gay students who are religious, etc. Thorne even talks about the intersectionality of these labels—being queer and a person of color but also being wealthy, for instance. These conversations are on-going and oh-so-important and I feel as if Thorne has discussed them in a really thoughtful, careful manner that I haven’t found in a lot of other LGBTQIA YA that has blown up this year.
But, all this careful talk about politics and sexuality has not erased some of the most basic components of a novel from The Inside of Out. Daisy’s mother is a treat, ever-supportive and always curious as to what Daisy’s life is really like. Her father is a genius video-game designer and spends much of his time inside, but as Daisy later remarks, at least he’s there unlike Hannah’s father who is still in Austria. Natalie’s parents, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge the fact that she is lesbian so, on the parental unit, we have a wide range of personalities and difficult situations to navigate. Thorne excels in creating these relationships—realistic but almost to a fault—and I love that friendship and parental relationships take precedence in Thorne’s novels.
Now, that’s not to say that her romances are not swoony-af. Adam is adorable, cute, and often amazed by Daisy. I love that their friendship is supposed to remain “professional” but I also love that they totally understand one another and support each other. Thorne’s romances are understated, like I said, but they’re still fantastic. And, like I mentioned, Daisy isn’t the most likable heroine. She doesn’t always follow through on her promises—like creating a mural for a group that she volunteered with over the summer—and she often thinks only of herself, not realizing how difficult it is for Hannah to come out as a lesbian and throw herself into LGBTQIA rights. This book is messy and difficult, it’s intense and lovely, so it’s not an easy read but it’s one I recommend whole-heartedly. Thorne has a way of making you care about her characters and become invested in her stories and, what’s best, is that you leave them learning about the world, its political machinations, and growing alongside her heroines. It speaks to her skill that she is able to write two such different protagonists but both with equal aplomb. While I don’t think this will be nearly as much of a hit as her debut (though I hope it will be!!), I will be sticking around to read anything—and everything—she writes. A new favorite of 2016, guaranteed.
July 1, 2022
I know I've mentioned that I cry at literally everything but nothing has ever made me get angry-teary. Until now. All the spoiler warnings on this one, let's sort through this trash.
I was so excited about the Inside of Out. A book about queer rights from the perspective of a straight protagonist geared towards straight readers to get them involved in the movement and excited to be allies? I was stoked. I hate this book with every fiber of my being.
I had to resist the urge to chuck this book at a wall. I likely would have if I didn't read it in ebook form but I came close to destroying a 200 dollar electronic over this and it still might happen. That's how awful this book was.
I was so excited about the Inside of Out. A book about queer rights from the perspective of a straight protagonist geared towards straight readers to get them involved in the movement and excited to be allies? I was stoked. I hate this book with every fiber of my being.
I had to resist the urge to chuck this book at a wall. I likely would have if I didn't read it in ebook form but I came close to destroying a 200 dollar electronic over this and it still might happen. That's how awful this book was.
October 27, 2016
Overall, this book was a well-intentioned read that raised interesting topics, but my dislike of Daisy and her portrayal of asexuality made it hard for me to really enjoy it.
I really can't get over the portrayal of asexuality in this story. This is a very personal problem as I myself am asexual and am crazy about awareness; as such, I expect that most others wouldn't notice that anything was at fault and would enjoy the book nonetheless. However, a very 2D portrayal of asexuality was made, and the main character at some points pretends to be asexual. At another point, she admits that she is crushing on a boy and apologises to asexual community for appropriating their title. This is a complete misportrayal. She was claiming to be /asexual/ not /aromantic./ Contrary to popular belief, it's entirely possible for asexuals to be heteroromantic (or homoromantic or panromantic or anything) and her complete dismissal and her complete lack of desire to even learn about what the identity meant just really angered me. She uses the label for her own good without even thinking about the challenges that asexuals might face or what it would mean to be ace. I'm sure this is unintentional and maybe the author is unaware of the extent of the asexual spectrum, but I detest the information this could spread and wish that she had taken a few paragraphs to clear it up.
Other than that, the author did a good job of having Daisy clear up most of the appropriation she did. I really appreciated that there was a bit of talk about privilege and how even without realising it, people may have privileges they're unaware of or take for granted. I also adored Daisy's dad, and the theme of not having to be the hero of a story. I loved Daisy's friends and the members of the Alliance at her school--from a wannabe lawyer to a sweet girl who has trouble expressing anger, they were a bundle of delight to read about. I wanted to hear more about Adam, his experiences moving from New York to down south, and why the hell he was hanging around a high school junior and not out socialising with his new college friends.
I mainly didn't like Daisy. At all. She irked me entirely for many reasons. She has commitment issues and is horrible at following through, which just makes me antsy. She's assumptive and kind of imposes her visions of people onto them. And she doesn't stop to ask others what they think. Maybe without these traits there wouldn't have been a story; however, by the end I was ready to punch her.
I also felt like the plot, especially the ending, was really hard to buy into. This is set in South Carolina, which is one of many states known for being more conservative, so I doubt the whole entire country would get really enthused about one alternate homecoming when it's something very common across the country. The ending--well, I won't spoil it, but I don't buy it.
The topic dealt with was a very important one--a lot of people struggle with how to act as an ally and even if they're completely okay with someone belong to the "quiltbag" as Daisy's friends put it they want to express that they're okay with it and really prove it. I also found Hannah to be a really believable character in that she just wanted to be normal, something that resonated to past personal experiences.
There was a lot of high school drama in this book and I think if you're willing to put aside political correctness and suspend your disbelief, this could be an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really can't get over the portrayal of asexuality in this story. This is a very personal problem as I myself am asexual and am crazy about awareness; as such, I expect that most others wouldn't notice that anything was at fault and would enjoy the book nonetheless. However, a very 2D portrayal of asexuality was made, and the main character at some points pretends to be asexual. At another point, she admits that she is crushing on a boy and apologises to asexual community for appropriating their title. This is a complete misportrayal. She was claiming to be /asexual/ not /aromantic./ Contrary to popular belief, it's entirely possible for asexuals to be heteroromantic (or homoromantic or panromantic or anything) and her complete dismissal and her complete lack of desire to even learn about what the identity meant just really angered me. She uses the label for her own good without even thinking about the challenges that asexuals might face or what it would mean to be ace. I'm sure this is unintentional and maybe the author is unaware of the extent of the asexual spectrum, but I detest the information this could spread and wish that she had taken a few paragraphs to clear it up.
Other than that, the author did a good job of having Daisy clear up most of the appropriation she did. I really appreciated that there was a bit of talk about privilege and how even without realising it, people may have privileges they're unaware of or take for granted. I also adored Daisy's dad, and the theme of not having to be the hero of a story. I loved Daisy's friends and the members of the Alliance at her school--from a wannabe lawyer to a sweet girl who has trouble expressing anger, they were a bundle of delight to read about. I wanted to hear more about Adam, his experiences moving from New York to down south, and why the hell he was hanging around a high school junior and not out socialising with his new college friends.
I mainly didn't like Daisy. At all. She irked me entirely for many reasons. She has commitment issues and is horrible at following through, which just makes me antsy. She's assumptive and kind of imposes her visions of people onto them. And she doesn't stop to ask others what they think. Maybe without these traits there wouldn't have been a story; however, by the end I was ready to punch her.
I also felt like the plot, especially the ending, was really hard to buy into. This is set in South Carolina, which is one of many states known for being more conservative, so I doubt the whole entire country would get really enthused about one alternate homecoming when it's something very common across the country. The ending--well, I won't spoil it, but I don't buy it.
The topic dealt with was a very important one--a lot of people struggle with how to act as an ally and even if they're completely okay with someone belong to the "quiltbag" as Daisy's friends put it they want to express that they're okay with it and really prove it. I also found Hannah to be a really believable character in that she just wanted to be normal, something that resonated to past personal experiences.
There was a lot of high school drama in this book and I think if you're willing to put aside political correctness and suspend your disbelief, this could be an enjoyable read.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 9, 2016
I had a lot of mixed feelings while reading this book but I ended up really liking it.
I really love the overall concept of this book, I really do, but I think the message of this book was sidelined a few times.
Daisy is a really cool character and I liked her character development but I was frustrated with her a lot. I understood why she did the things she did but I also wanted to jump into the book and tell her to just chill for second. But I was very frustrated with Hannah as well. This whole book was pretty much just me being frustrated with the characters but also understanding why they did what they did.
Overall, I think this is a really great book. It has a really cool perspective and tackled a lot of issues in, what I felt, was a realistic way. I loved the character development a lot and I really appreciated the story.
I really love the overall concept of this book, I really do, but I think the message of this book was sidelined a few times.
Daisy is a really cool character and I liked her character development but I was frustrated with her a lot. I understood why she did the things she did but I also wanted to jump into the book and tell her to just chill for second. But I was very frustrated with Hannah as well. This whole book was pretty much just me being frustrated with the characters but also understanding why they did what they did.
Overall, I think this is a really great book. It has a really cool perspective and tackled a lot of issues in, what I felt, was a realistic way. I loved the character development a lot and I really appreciated the story.
July 17, 2016
I had a lot of problems with this book. Sure, it's great to have a book with a lot of diversity sexuality-wise. But I just hated how the MC kept appropriating several different sexual orientation (and I'm pretty sure the author did little to no research at all about asexuality. I hated the portrayal of it). Many of the other characters felt sort of stereotypical and I just wasn't the biggest fan of it. I did appreciate that privilege was discussed, but overall the book unfortunately left more of a bitter taste in my mouth.
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March 22, 2016I should not have read this book so early because now ALL I WANNA DO is talk about it and have a thousand book clubs with it. Every now and again I come across a book where I feel like regardless of how you feel about the content, it's a really important and worthwhile read for the discussions it spawns, and this is absolutely, 1000% one of those books. Eventually I hope to have more coherent stuff to say on it, but right now, that's where I'm at.
July 24, 2016
The one thing I really gotta hand it to this is that it's very feel-good for LGBTQ+ individuals, even though the main character is straight. And - yes, this is an example of why straight allies should probably stay in their lane, but for a novel so focused on the issues that LGBTQ+ teens face there were some real glaring issues. What stood out most to me (as a queer ace) is the portrayal of asexuality. I felt like it was used as a joke throughout the entire novel, about how Daisy kept pretending to be ace and/or gay. And maybe I'm just touchy because there's been a lot of hostility surrounding asexuality (on the shithole that is Tumblr.com) lately, but it didn't ring well with me. Us aces don't have much representation in the first place, and to turn an entire sexuality into a joke - that really brought the book down for me. And yeah, Daisy does apologize to the ace community, but that doesn't excuse the author's choice to portray asexuality in such a manner. If Daisy had been a straight ace, that would have been fine with me, because then she would be, you know, LGBTQIA, but no, she's straight. Full stop.
I did like the variety of LGB characters (where's the T?) and their experiences, though. They were different; no one was really stereotyped. Bisexuality isn't talked about nearly enough and when it is it's hardly talked about well. I think this book did a decent job of portraying bi experiences. I have to say, this is the year that the portrayal of bisexuality is really turning around, especially in YA lit, and that makes me happy. There was just one point where a bi character was referred to as gay, which. Um. No. Also speaking as a queer Christian, I also liked that Christianity wasn't demonized and that there's a queer Christian character who can be involved both in his faith and sexuality. The talk about privilege was good too. This book was very politically focused, so sorry for having two entire paragraphs.
Onto character: Daisy had a good voice, but it frustrated me; she reads young and immature. Daisy herself acts very immature and selfish and it's pointed out several times throughout the novel. It can get annoying at points and she's on her way to being better, but just reading about how she fucked so much stuff up made me want to scream and tear myself apart. I was cringing for a lot of the book. I know Daisy is supposed to be unlikable to a point, but it was so, so, frustrating. All the other characters were fine, though.
I did find the plot a bit unrealistic because I'm not sure if things can really blow up that quickly, but suspension of disbelief and all.
I did like the variety of LGB characters (where's the T?) and their experiences, though. They were different; no one was really stereotyped. Bisexuality isn't talked about nearly enough and when it is it's hardly talked about well. I think this book did a decent job of portraying bi experiences. I have to say, this is the year that the portrayal of bisexuality is really turning around, especially in YA lit, and that makes me happy. There was just one point where a bi character was referred to as gay, which. Um. No. Also speaking as a queer Christian, I also liked that Christianity wasn't demonized and that there's a queer Christian character who can be involved both in his faith and sexuality. The talk about privilege was good too. This book was very politically focused, so sorry for having two entire paragraphs.
Onto character: Daisy had a good voice, but it frustrated me; she reads young and immature. Daisy herself acts very immature and selfish and it's pointed out several times throughout the novel. It can get annoying at points and she's on her way to being better, but just reading about how she fucked so much stuff up made me want to scream and tear myself apart. I was cringing for a lot of the book. I know Daisy is supposed to be unlikable to a point, but it was so, so, frustrating. All the other characters were fine, though.
I did find the plot a bit unrealistic because I'm not sure if things can really blow up that quickly, but suspension of disbelief and all.
May 3, 2018
TW: acemisia, outing
I first read this as a baby queer desperate for queer Asian rep and in retrospect it was a trash fire and is not for queer ppl at all. notably, the main character lies and claims she's asexual as a way of legitimizing her participation in her school's queer org, which just reinforces the incredibly harmful but pervasive myth that ace ppl are nonqueer ppl faking queerness to access queer spaces. she also treats her queer Asian best friend pretty horribly as an ally and as a person and iirc, outs her best friend's girlfriend publicly, so it's just Yikes all around
I first read this as a baby queer desperate for queer Asian rep and in retrospect it was a trash fire and is not for queer ppl at all. notably, the main character lies and claims she's asexual as a way of legitimizing her participation in her school's queer org, which just reinforces the incredibly harmful but pervasive myth that ace ppl are nonqueer ppl faking queerness to access queer spaces. she also treats her queer Asian best friend pretty horribly as an ally and as a person and iirc, outs her best friend's girlfriend publicly, so it's just Yikes all around
November 24, 2016
i can't even express how fucking much i hate this book.
i expected a nice friendship story, about acceptance, but i got a whiny, straight privileged girl who made LITERALLY EVERYTHING about herself. It wasn't HER idea to play gay, but surely she has a fucking conscience? Daisy is so entitled, irritating and self obsessed. She reminds me EXACTLY of a friend i had who i thankfully cut ties with- and if i were Hannah, i'd cut ties from Daisy, too. She never apologizes for her stupid thoughtless actions, but everyone apologizes to HER, when they did nothing wrong. as a queer girl, i'm so fucking mad at this book, and anyone who enjoyed it.
i expected a nice friendship story, about acceptance, but i got a whiny, straight privileged girl who made LITERALLY EVERYTHING about herself. It wasn't HER idea to play gay, but surely she has a fucking conscience? Daisy is so entitled, irritating and self obsessed. She reminds me EXACTLY of a friend i had who i thankfully cut ties with- and if i were Hannah, i'd cut ties from Daisy, too. She never apologizes for her stupid thoughtless actions, but everyone apologizes to HER, when they did nothing wrong. as a queer girl, i'm so fucking mad at this book, and anyone who enjoyed it.
March 4, 2016
Well, now this was just plain silly. Early on I was highly tempted to move on to greener pastures but, stubborn burro that I am, I continued reading. I didn't really expect the novel to get better (I was right) but I felt since I had already invested time in reading some of it, I might as well read the rest and add a tally to my Goodreads count. (Petty much?) Anyway, the not terribly likable protagonist and highly improbable story line combined with a whack you over the head message of tolerance and acceptance was not to my liking (as you may have already inferred.) This one has got Disney Channel television movie script written all over it. (I'll be reading something else rather than tuning in to catch that one.)
June 1, 2016
While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the author’s debut novel, The Wrong Side of Right, I loved her writing and saw immense potential it. I’m happy I picked up The Inside of Out because it tackles important themes of LGBTQ issues, friendship, family, love and growing up.
WHAT I LIKED
– My favorite element in The Inside of Out was the discussion of the LGBTQ themes, from the perspective of a straight, white teenager. I honestly thought it was a refreshing take because Daisy wants to 100% help raise awareness on the rights that individuals in the community has, but she also often times doesn’t realize how privileged she is. This book opened my eyes when it came to topics of privilege, being an ally and LGBTQ rights, which I appreciate 100%.
– Daisy herself was a protagonist that I connected with on many levels. She’s a bright girl, passionate about her ideas and desires, but she’s also someone who is incredibly flawed. What made Daisy’s story realistic to me was the mistakes she made and trust me, she made some serious ones. For instance, she pretends to be gay in the media so that her words have more grounds as a spokesperson for an LGBTQ club at school. This leads to her lying frequently throughout the book. While no doubt that part of her can be construed as frustrating to readers, rest assured that she grew tremendously throughout the book. Thanks to her new friends, her better perception of what it means to be a queer teenager in this day and age, she begins to see the flaws in her thinking and attempts to fix the shitstorm that she brought about. All in all, Jenn Marie Thorne did a fabulous job with fleshing out Daisy’s character.
– The friendship between Daisy and her newly out friend, Hannah, was yet another part of The Inside of Out that was beautifully portrayed. Friendship is hard, especially at that age, and Jenn Marie Thorne did a terrific job at showing the complications and the good that often comes with it. Daisy is thrown off when she discovers that Hannah’s girlfriend is, in fact, an ex-friend of hers who made her life in school miserable. She is rightfully torn as to how to handle having the girl who caused her years of misery be a daily part of her life. Because of this and Daisy’s involvement with the LGBTQ club and her rising popularity through the media, their friendship suffers. It was interesting to watch how the two overcame their obstacles. By the end, I believed in the strength of their friendship more than anything.
– Daisy’s family was also fantastic. Her mom, especially, was so supportive of her. I loved how quirky she was and how much she loved and cheered on Daisy. I also loved that even though Daisy’s dad was mostly holed up in his room because he’s a game designer, they had a good relationship and she never resented her dad for spending so much time working. They had conversations and their relationship grew throughout the book. More positive depictions of families in books please!
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH
– Daisy has a romance in The Inside of Out, but I felt like it got very much side-lined by the other aspects in her life. This is very much of a personal complaint, so it might not be much of an issue for others, but as a romance reader, I was disappointed and wanted to see more of it. Especially because I adored Adam, the adorable college journalism major who helped Daisy’s story propel into the mainstream media by publishing an article on her and her cause. He was a sweetheart, awkwardly charming and smart. How could I not have loved him? He and Daisy’s interactions were sweet too, so you can probably understand why as a romance lover, I wanted so much more from them.
– Sometimes, The Inside of Out felt like it was dragging. For a YA contemporary book, it was quite long at 400 pages and I definitely felt like some of the scenes could have been edited out. For instance, there’s a character who everyone calls QB, who constantly made fun of Daisy and who suddenly became interested in talking to her, who didn’t add much to the story, in my opinion. He could have been entirely eliminated from the book and the story still would have remained as great as it was. Again, this is an issue of my personal preference, because I don’t like reading contemporary books longer than 350 pages, so it might not bother others.
In the end, I enjoyed the journey that Daisy went through in The Inside of Out in helping make the homecoming dance with same-sex dates being accepted, a reality and helping to bring attention to the cause. It’s not an easy journey by any means, but by the end of the book she was a much better version of herself thanks to all the ups and downs. For me, Jenn Marie Thorne’s sophomore novel was a hit!
June 10, 2016
Here's the thing about Jenn Marie Thorne's writing, not only is it good, it's really NOW. The topics she addresses are so beautifully illustrated, and so tremendously relevant to, well, today. So with her first book we've got a presidential election, and this one we've got privilege and the savior complex. All that aside, her writing is just beautiful and spot on.
I loved her first book and her second is no different. The characters are real and fleshed out, and the plot just extremely enjoyable. Thorne is a tremendous talent.
I loved her first book and her second is no different. The characters are real and fleshed out, and the plot just extremely enjoyable. Thorne is a tremendous talent.
Want to read
March 19, 2017A YA book addressing privilege written by one of my favorite debut authors of the year - I know this is going to be all kinds of wonderful!
February 6, 2017
Review originally posted on Mostly YA Lit:
The Inside of Out will make you uncomfortable, will help you question your privilege, and will make you a better ally.
Daisy is a deeply flawed main character whose best friend comes out to her as a lesbian. Wanting to show her support for Hannah, Daisy jumps in with both feet, signing them up to be part of the school's LGBTQ Alliance (which is definitely NOT a gay-straight alliance). To prove her worth to the students, Daisy decides to take on the school board's ban of same-sex couples at dances. What happens there spawns a national movement, public interest, and a lot of questions about who Daisy is and what she's about.
I was uncomfortable throughout the reading of this book, because Daisy's main characteristic is taking things too far and making things too big. Her best friend, Hannah, is her only friend, and instead of asking her what she wants, Daisy immediately co-opts her gayness and turns it into her own issue.
It's fascinating to see how author Jenn Marie Thorne navigates this without overstepping - making Daisy so unlikeable, but also understandable. There are sub themes of bullying and privilege that make this book intersectional and realistic. That is, this isn't an issue book or even a one- theme book. Everything is tied to context, making the characters rounded and real.
That said, Daisy's motivation for becoming a spokesperson for LGBTQ was so muddled and silly that it took me a long time to believe her. I never fully related to her because she was such an unusual character, a person who acts very differently from me - who inspires big change but falls flat on her face because of it. I think she will be hard to relate to for teens.
Weirdly, the characters you will feel for the most are all secondary characters. The Alliance characters are especially relatable - from bullied, shy Sophie to legal brained Raina, from gay musical lead Sean to young freshman Kyle. They were so different from one another - divided in opinions and how to handle their own orientation. I liked that Daisy became their de facto spokesperson, but they also recognized just how wrong that was while not being willing to take the heat themselves. It's scary to be out there on your own.
I liked that Hannah and her girlfriend didn't want to participate, and that honestly? Hannah and her girlfriend are both pretty horrible at times. Everyone is deeply flawed in this book, and they're all just trying to navigate as best they can.
It's hard for me to know how to rate this book. On the one hand, it's trying so hard - and doing a good job showing how being an ally can go wrong. On the other hand, it's so hard to deal with Daisy sometimes and there were stretches in the middle where I wanted to put the book down because I was so frustrated. But I think that was the author's intention, so I can't fault that.
I will say that there is no other book like this on the YA market right now - that tackles appropriation, privilege and unlikeable characters like this. It's an impressive and important read, even if I didn't love reading it. But sometime we read to get uncomfortable, to push ourselves out of our safety zones. The Inside of Out will help you do that. Thorne takes these issues to the extreme to make this happen, and the payoff is worth it.
Oh, and in case you didn't think there's any fun at all...I promise there is! There's lightness in the super slow burn romance, and the planning for a homecoming dance. It's a hard read, but one that earns its ending. A solid sophomore novel by a smart contemporary writer.
The Inside of Out will make you uncomfortable, will help you question your privilege, and will make you a better ally.
Daisy is a deeply flawed main character whose best friend comes out to her as a lesbian. Wanting to show her support for Hannah, Daisy jumps in with both feet, signing them up to be part of the school's LGBTQ Alliance (which is definitely NOT a gay-straight alliance). To prove her worth to the students, Daisy decides to take on the school board's ban of same-sex couples at dances. What happens there spawns a national movement, public interest, and a lot of questions about who Daisy is and what she's about.
I was uncomfortable throughout the reading of this book, because Daisy's main characteristic is taking things too far and making things too big. Her best friend, Hannah, is her only friend, and instead of asking her what she wants, Daisy immediately co-opts her gayness and turns it into her own issue.
It's fascinating to see how author Jenn Marie Thorne navigates this without overstepping - making Daisy so unlikeable, but also understandable. There are sub themes of bullying and privilege that make this book intersectional and realistic. That is, this isn't an issue book or even a one- theme book. Everything is tied to context, making the characters rounded and real.
That said, Daisy's motivation for becoming a spokesperson for LGBTQ was so muddled and silly that it took me a long time to believe her. I never fully related to her because she was such an unusual character, a person who acts very differently from me - who inspires big change but falls flat on her face because of it. I think she will be hard to relate to for teens.
Weirdly, the characters you will feel for the most are all secondary characters. The Alliance characters are especially relatable - from bullied, shy Sophie to legal brained Raina, from gay musical lead Sean to young freshman Kyle. They were so different from one another - divided in opinions and how to handle their own orientation. I liked that Daisy became their de facto spokesperson, but they also recognized just how wrong that was while not being willing to take the heat themselves. It's scary to be out there on your own.
I liked that Hannah and her girlfriend didn't want to participate, and that honestly? Hannah and her girlfriend are both pretty horrible at times. Everyone is deeply flawed in this book, and they're all just trying to navigate as best they can.
It's hard for me to know how to rate this book. On the one hand, it's trying so hard - and doing a good job showing how being an ally can go wrong. On the other hand, it's so hard to deal with Daisy sometimes and there were stretches in the middle where I wanted to put the book down because I was so frustrated. But I think that was the author's intention, so I can't fault that.
I will say that there is no other book like this on the YA market right now - that tackles appropriation, privilege and unlikeable characters like this. It's an impressive and important read, even if I didn't love reading it. But sometime we read to get uncomfortable, to push ourselves out of our safety zones. The Inside of Out will help you do that. Thorne takes these issues to the extreme to make this happen, and the payoff is worth it.
Oh, and in case you didn't think there's any fun at all...I promise there is! There's lightness in the super slow burn romance, and the planning for a homecoming dance. It's a hard read, but one that earns its ending. A solid sophomore novel by a smart contemporary writer.
July 2, 2022
DNF'd @ 45%
I was so irritated by The Inside of Out by Jenn Marie Thorne. It wasn't too bad at first - I mean, the MC could be grating - but overall it seemed to have good intentions. Then, came the asexual "rep" and that put me right off. What the heck, Ms. Thorne. Not cool!
I was so irritated by The Inside of Out by Jenn Marie Thorne. It wasn't too bad at first - I mean, the MC could be grating - but overall it seemed to have good intentions. Then, came the asexual "rep" and that put me right off. What the heck, Ms. Thorne. Not cool!
November 3, 2016
Let's talk covers for a minute. Have a look at this one. What do you see? (Aside from the fabulous wall, that is.) Because here's what I see: I see a group of friends, all a little on the quirky/hipster side. The girl in the middle is, without question, the ringleader, the one others gravitate towards. The coolest.
But what's interesting to me about the cover in the context of the rest of the book is that...it doesn't work that way. Visually, each character alone on the front cover matches his or her description in the book well, so hurray for that. But together...together this cover is what Daisy, our blonde-with-blue-tips heroine in the middle there, thinks her life is like. She imagines herself cruising through life, sidekick and mutual crush by her side. The reality is much more complicated.
I have a mad respect for the author's ability to paint a character who misses such major points—is so busy mounting a crusade for her best friend's rights that she doesn't notice how unhappy her friend is about said crusade—in a way that lets the reader know that the author is in on it. But good lord, Daisy is exhausting. She's the sort to throw herself into a project, any project, and go at it full-tilt until the next thing comes along, whereupon she'll leave the original project half finished in the dust. Her intentions are good, but she's sometimes so blindsided by her enthusiasm that she doesn't realise that she doesn't need to be—shouldn't be—front and centre all the time.
Hannah's harder to get a read on. Although she's Daisy's best friend, Hannah beats a pretty hasty retreat when Daisy becomes determined to turn Hannah into the poster child for gayness...and that's early on in the book, so we don't see as much of her. But for a friendship that's supposed to be rock-solid, there are some red flags: that Hannah does largely ditch Daisy for her new girlfriend; that neither of them can articulate the problems they're having within the friendship.
Daisy gets off pretty easy here—ridiculously easy, really. Everybody makes up at the end; she comes away with new friends and a fledgling relationship; she's forgiven pretty much across the board for having pretended to be gay (shades of Rachel Dolezal?)...and for outing multiple people in very public ways. It's that last one that gets me—it's pretty significant, but since she helps good things happen between then and the end of the book, it's pretty much a forgive-and-forget sort of thing, and it's the one thing for which I really wish she'd been held more accountable.
Points for complexity, but I want that rainbow wall much more than I want to get to know Daisy better. I don't have that kind of energy!
But what's interesting to me about the cover in the context of the rest of the book is that...it doesn't work that way. Visually, each character alone on the front cover matches his or her description in the book well, so hurray for that. But together...together this cover is what Daisy, our blonde-with-blue-tips heroine in the middle there, thinks her life is like. She imagines herself cruising through life, sidekick and mutual crush by her side. The reality is much more complicated.
I have a mad respect for the author's ability to paint a character who misses such major points—is so busy mounting a crusade for her best friend's rights that she doesn't notice how unhappy her friend is about said crusade—in a way that lets the reader know that the author is in on it. But good lord, Daisy is exhausting. She's the sort to throw herself into a project, any project, and go at it full-tilt until the next thing comes along, whereupon she'll leave the original project half finished in the dust. Her intentions are good, but she's sometimes so blindsided by her enthusiasm that she doesn't realise that she doesn't need to be—shouldn't be—front and centre all the time.
Hannah's harder to get a read on. Although she's Daisy's best friend, Hannah beats a pretty hasty retreat when Daisy becomes determined to turn Hannah into the poster child for gayness...and that's early on in the book, so we don't see as much of her. But for a friendship that's supposed to be rock-solid, there are some red flags: that Hannah does largely ditch Daisy for her new girlfriend; that neither of them can articulate the problems they're having within the friendship.
Daisy gets off pretty easy here—ridiculously easy, really. Everybody makes up at the end; she comes away with new friends and a fledgling relationship; she's forgiven pretty much across the board for having pretended to be gay (shades of Rachel Dolezal?)...and for outing multiple people in very public ways. It's that last one that gets me—it's pretty significant, but since she helps good things happen between then and the end of the book, it's pretty much a forgive-and-forget sort of thing, and it's the one thing for which I really wish she'd been held more accountable.
Points for complexity, but I want that rainbow wall much more than I want to get to know Daisy better. I don't have that kind of energy!
August 24, 2016
I cant believe i stayed up all night to readthia book. I dont reget it but i promised myself hours before to focus on studying.
Read
June 1, 2016DNF at about 32%. This is just not working for me, I'm afraid. This is my first DNF in a while. I adored The Wrong Side of Right. It was one of my favorite books of last year, and like that book, the writing in this book is super strong and right up my alley. It's the MC that is not working for me here. She says things that are incredibly selfish and borderline offensive and it's starting to irk me. You can't just claim you are asexual to fit into the QUILTBAG label so you can stay in the Alliance. That's diminishing the struggle of asexual people. Look, I know her intentions were good, but the way her behavior comes off...it's problematic. I am definitely positive her character ARC will develop and she will start to learn, and there is a diverse range of gay and lesbian people in the Alliance (which I loved), but I did not like the MC. And I can't push past my disdain for her and her treatment of her best friend Hannah and her girlfriend Natalie. I know that Natalie bullied Daisy in middle school and I could totally relate to that and it's super tough, but she pushes it too far, claiming that maybe Natalie is dating Hannah to steal her away. It's pretty gross. So I quit.
I will definitely read this author's next book because I really connect with her writing and voice, but this just wasn't the book for me.
I will definitely read this author's next book because I really connect with her writing and voice, but this just wasn't the book for me.
November 1, 2018
You don’t get it. You’re never going to get it. Because this is the problem with privilege. It’s a blindfold with a pretty picture of the world painted on the inside. You think it’s the truth. But it’s just your truth. You think homecoming is something you can play with, be reckless about, never mind the consequences—because there have never been consequences for you.
— Ahhhh I love this. An awesome take on privilege and about realizing that you can't/shouldn't always be the hero in every story + the book tackles LGBTQIA issues. 5 out of 5 mozzarella sticks!!
June 7, 2016
Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
The first thing that captured my attention with this book was the cover. It's really pretty - especially the rainbow colored boards that the three kids are sitting on. It's also nifty how the characters on the cover look almost exactly like the characters are described in the book - that never happens, so I thought that was pretty neat, and wanted to point that out.
Anyway, when I read the synopsis for this book, I did find myself going "Huh?" and reading it a few times until I finally got what it was about - a girl who tells a pretty big lie to help get the same-sex date ban on the dances at her school lifted. See, this is one of those cases where there is just way too much going on in a book (like side-plots) to all fit into one neat little paragraph on a book jacket. The Inside of Out is full of love, friendship, and doing the right thing.
The book starts off with Daisy, our main character, going through college brochures with her best friend Hannah. They have been best friends for years, and they always tell each other everything. When Hannah comes out to Daisy that afternoon, Daisy is perfectly accepting and happy that Hannah trusted her enough to be open with her. She even tries to get Hannah to join the LBGTQIA alliance at their school when they are looking for clubs to join. Deciding to join it to support her friend, when Hannah doesn't show up for the meeting, Daisy is confused and a little hurt.
She is even more hurt when Hannah introduces Daisy to her new girlfriend - Natalie Beck.
Daisy and Natalie used to be very good friends, but a random falling out when they were small caused a whole bunch of grief for Daisy for the rest of her school days - being ridiculed for stuttering, and even being called "Crazy Daisy." Natalie got some new friends, and Daisy was alone. Until she met Hannah. However, Natalie never talked much to Daisy after that, and when she did, it was usually a snarky remark or something similar. So when Hannah starts dating Natalie, Daisy isn't very pleased. But since Daisy loves her best friend, she tries her hardest - even going so far as to attend a school board meeting to attempt to get them to allow same-sex couples to attend the homecoming dance and prom.
When that fails, and the school board decides to cancel the homecoming dance altogether instead of just allowing same-sex dates to attend, Daisy declares that it doesn't matter, because the LBGTQIA alliance will be hosting their own homecoming - and EVERYONE is invited!
As Daisy and the alliance tries to figure out how they are going to pull this off - they run into a lot of twists - one including Natalie's mother being on the school board, and the main reason that the dance was canceled to start with. As Daisy goes from being pretty much unknown to an internet sensation (all over the country) almost overnight, she faces a lot of difficult decisions - such as lying and saying that she is gay so that she can continue to be a great spokesperson for the alliance and get this project to take off.
The characters in this book are so full of personality and make the book such a great read. We get to know a lot of characters - Daisy, Hannah, Natalie, Natalie's ex-boyfriend Chris (or QB as everyone calls him), all the members of the LBGTQIA alliance , and Adam - the reporter who works with Daisy. While you have to wonder a lot if things are going to happen between Daisy and Adam, it's so nice that there isn't any insta-love in this book. At first I thought that there might be, but nope, there isn't, and I couldn't have been happier about it.
While Daisy's character is a bit self-centered at times, she's clearly taking charge to stand up for her best friend's rights, and that's admirable. Hannah, on the other hand, seems focused on Natalie and Natalie alone, and sometimes it seemed like she thought Daisy was beneath her now. It was a bit irritating, but both characters undergo a lot of development from the beginning of this book to the end, and they really do change as people as they begin to realize what's really important.
There is even a lot of involvement of the parents of the high school kids in this book, which is refreshing. I really loved Daisy's parents - they were warm and welcoming, and such great parents to her.
Also, this book is a bit long compared to a lot of other YA contemporary novels I've read lately, and at first I assumed that it was probably going to be a bit slow as far as pacing goes, but I was wrong - the pacing was kind of perfect and made sense...and I honestly didn't come across a single boring part of this book. I enjoyed it from the first page through the last (and I was kind of sad when it was over).
In fact, while there is romance (and a few different couples) in this book, it definitely takes the backseat, because that just isn't the main theme of it. Instead, we have some self-discovery, the importance of friendship, and the reminder to always do what's right and stand up for what you believe in.
The Inside of Out is a powerful novel that I really feel I have to recommend to everyone, no matter your gender or sexual orientation, because it delivers a strong message that definitely should not be missed!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The first thing that captured my attention with this book was the cover. It's really pretty - especially the rainbow colored boards that the three kids are sitting on. It's also nifty how the characters on the cover look almost exactly like the characters are described in the book - that never happens, so I thought that was pretty neat, and wanted to point that out.
Anyway, when I read the synopsis for this book, I did find myself going "Huh?" and reading it a few times until I finally got what it was about - a girl who tells a pretty big lie to help get the same-sex date ban on the dances at her school lifted. See, this is one of those cases where there is just way too much going on in a book (like side-plots) to all fit into one neat little paragraph on a book jacket. The Inside of Out is full of love, friendship, and doing the right thing.
The book starts off with Daisy, our main character, going through college brochures with her best friend Hannah. They have been best friends for years, and they always tell each other everything. When Hannah comes out to Daisy that afternoon, Daisy is perfectly accepting and happy that Hannah trusted her enough to be open with her. She even tries to get Hannah to join the LBGTQIA alliance at their school when they are looking for clubs to join. Deciding to join it to support her friend, when Hannah doesn't show up for the meeting, Daisy is confused and a little hurt.
She is even more hurt when Hannah introduces Daisy to her new girlfriend - Natalie Beck.
Daisy and Natalie used to be very good friends, but a random falling out when they were small caused a whole bunch of grief for Daisy for the rest of her school days - being ridiculed for stuttering, and even being called "Crazy Daisy." Natalie got some new friends, and Daisy was alone. Until she met Hannah. However, Natalie never talked much to Daisy after that, and when she did, it was usually a snarky remark or something similar. So when Hannah starts dating Natalie, Daisy isn't very pleased. But since Daisy loves her best friend, she tries her hardest - even going so far as to attend a school board meeting to attempt to get them to allow same-sex couples to attend the homecoming dance and prom.
When that fails, and the school board decides to cancel the homecoming dance altogether instead of just allowing same-sex dates to attend, Daisy declares that it doesn't matter, because the LBGTQIA alliance will be hosting their own homecoming - and EVERYONE is invited!
As Daisy and the alliance tries to figure out how they are going to pull this off - they run into a lot of twists - one including Natalie's mother being on the school board, and the main reason that the dance was canceled to start with. As Daisy goes from being pretty much unknown to an internet sensation (all over the country) almost overnight, she faces a lot of difficult decisions - such as lying and saying that she is gay so that she can continue to be a great spokesperson for the alliance and get this project to take off.
The characters in this book are so full of personality and make the book such a great read. We get to know a lot of characters - Daisy, Hannah, Natalie, Natalie's ex-boyfriend Chris (or QB as everyone calls him), all the members of the LBGTQIA alliance , and Adam - the reporter who works with Daisy. While you have to wonder a lot if things are going to happen between Daisy and Adam, it's so nice that there isn't any insta-love in this book. At first I thought that there might be, but nope, there isn't, and I couldn't have been happier about it.
While Daisy's character is a bit self-centered at times, she's clearly taking charge to stand up for her best friend's rights, and that's admirable. Hannah, on the other hand, seems focused on Natalie and Natalie alone, and sometimes it seemed like she thought Daisy was beneath her now. It was a bit irritating, but both characters undergo a lot of development from the beginning of this book to the end, and they really do change as people as they begin to realize what's really important.
There is even a lot of involvement of the parents of the high school kids in this book, which is refreshing. I really loved Daisy's parents - they were warm and welcoming, and such great parents to her.
Also, this book is a bit long compared to a lot of other YA contemporary novels I've read lately, and at first I assumed that it was probably going to be a bit slow as far as pacing goes, but I was wrong - the pacing was kind of perfect and made sense...and I honestly didn't come across a single boring part of this book. I enjoyed it from the first page through the last (and I was kind of sad when it was over).
In fact, while there is romance (and a few different couples) in this book, it definitely takes the backseat, because that just isn't the main theme of it. Instead, we have some self-discovery, the importance of friendship, and the reminder to always do what's right and stand up for what you believe in.
The Inside of Out is a powerful novel that I really feel I have to recommend to everyone, no matter your gender or sexual orientation, because it delivers a strong message that definitely should not be missed!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2018
I have a lot of issues with this book. Like I said before, it would've been better from literally anyone else's pov: alliance members, Hannah, Nathalie, ... Daisy is such an unlikable character. She's a pathological liar for one. My biggest issues was with how she appropriated the asexual label, and not a single person said anything about it. That was not okay. This book frustrated me a lot. The ending did improve a bit. I thought Hanna and Nathalie were cute, really liked the alliance characters. Just wish the book had focused more on them than Daisy.
May 27, 2017
This was cute! And I really liked daisy - the main character - she was funny.
And it was an interesting angle to take - how to be an ally, and how to be aware of your privilege.
Other than Daisy, the other characters didn't really come to life for me, wasn't even that interested in the love interest, but did enjoy a bit of QB.
And it was an interesting angle to take - how to be an ally, and how to be aware of your privilege.
Other than Daisy, the other characters didn't really come to life for me, wasn't even that interested in the love interest, but did enjoy a bit of QB.
August 4, 2016
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC! I've been looking forward to this one since I read Thorne's first book last year.
Books like these are why I read YA. Issues (with a capital I) out on the table, but dealt with in a way that doesn't feel like an after school special. Realism is something I take seriously in YA, mostly because I spent my days with teenagers, so anything that seems like it couldn't happen in my school with my students loses me immediately. I can certainly see this happening, if not in my school, in any school in my state (which is a red state), but I can also see my kids fighting back.
This book is a different look at LGBTQI (or QUILTBAG, I love that) issues because it's told from the perspective of someone who is none of the above. As someone who is, like Daisy, a white straight cisgender female, I understand people's (read: Raina's) reaction to her privilege in dealing with issues she's not a part of. On the other hand, I also understand her desire to be an ally, to promote love and diversity at all costs (except the part where she lies to a bunch of people, that's not really OK, although I understand her intentions). Daisy's best friendship with Hannah and her former best friendship with Natalie are what drive her need to help people understand the need for equality. I love the ups and downs between Daisy and Hannah. They felt real and not like stupid teenage drama.
There's a good amount of swoon for many of the characters, which is always a plus for me. Adam is adorable and is obviously a 2016 journalistic version of Seth Cohen (aren't all nerdy boys Seth Cohen?).
Final thoughts: A+ diversity. Ridiculous teenage characters, in a good way. Well-paced. Excellent writing. I will totally keep reading Thorne's books as long as she keeps writing them.
Books like these are why I read YA. Issues (with a capital I) out on the table, but dealt with in a way that doesn't feel like an after school special. Realism is something I take seriously in YA, mostly because I spent my days with teenagers, so anything that seems like it couldn't happen in my school with my students loses me immediately. I can certainly see this happening, if not in my school, in any school in my state (which is a red state), but I can also see my kids fighting back.
This book is a different look at LGBTQI (or QUILTBAG, I love that) issues because it's told from the perspective of someone who is none of the above. As someone who is, like Daisy, a white straight cisgender female, I understand people's (read: Raina's) reaction to her privilege in dealing with issues she's not a part of. On the other hand, I also understand her desire to be an ally, to promote love and diversity at all costs (except the part where she lies to a bunch of people, that's not really OK, although I understand her intentions). Daisy's best friendship with Hannah and her former best friendship with Natalie are what drive her need to help people understand the need for equality. I love the ups and downs between Daisy and Hannah. They felt real and not like stupid teenage drama.
There's a good amount of swoon for many of the characters, which is always a plus for me. Adam is adorable and is obviously a 2016 journalistic version of Seth Cohen (aren't all nerdy boys Seth Cohen?).
Final thoughts: A+ diversity. Ridiculous teenage characters, in a good way. Well-paced. Excellent writing. I will totally keep reading Thorne's books as long as she keeps writing them.
March 5, 2016
I read an ARC version of this book and loved it! It is a laugh out loud funny page turner with an important message and well rounded characters who you really feel like you know by the end of the book.
Both Daisy and Hannah's romances are roller coaster rides and a sweet and sometimes intense part of the book (and much more front and center than The Wrong Side of Right). And yes, TIOO addresses being gay in high school and everything around acceptance and rights, but the overriding theme is really about friendship, as well as the right or wrong way to go about being a friend and advocating for a cause.
Daisy makes so many assumptions about Hannah and her newly announced status that are just plain wrong that she gets herself into a huge undertaking along with a grand mess that leaves her out on a limb and jeopardizes everything she was trying to protect. Can a straight girl really know how to advocate for her gay best friend? Should she at all? How far is too far? How much is too much?
The Inside of Out is one of those books that will stay with me, and the next time I am thinking I understand a situation from the outside looking in, I may have to think twice and take a step back!
Both Daisy and Hannah's romances are roller coaster rides and a sweet and sometimes intense part of the book (and much more front and center than The Wrong Side of Right). And yes, TIOO addresses being gay in high school and everything around acceptance and rights, but the overriding theme is really about friendship, as well as the right or wrong way to go about being a friend and advocating for a cause.
Daisy makes so many assumptions about Hannah and her newly announced status that are just plain wrong that she gets herself into a huge undertaking along with a grand mess that leaves her out on a limb and jeopardizes everything she was trying to protect. Can a straight girl really know how to advocate for her gay best friend? Should she at all? How far is too far? How much is too much?
The Inside of Out is one of those books that will stay with me, and the next time I am thinking I understand a situation from the outside looking in, I may have to think twice and take a step back!
February 10, 2016
I adore Jenn Marie Thorne's books. Loved her debut, The Wrong Side of Right, and loved her new one, The Inside of Out equally as much. They're fun reads written in a realistic teen voice, with main characters who are just trying to do what they think is right, but screwing it up along the way. There is a coming of age journey element to them that the main character goes through, with support from secondary character family and friends adding to the depth of the story. They read like lighthearted contemporary stories, but delve into heavy topics that are handled well. I appreciate the way this story makes the character (and reader) look at perspectives on privilege and equal rights issues through multiple layers.
February 7, 2017
3.75 stars. It took me a little while to really get into THE INSIDE OF OUT, and that had a lot to do with how uncomfortable main character Daisy made me for the first part of the novel. This is, in my case, not necessarily a bad thing, as it proved to be a rather interesting narrative choice. Instead of being about an LGBTQIA+ main character, it's told from the perspective of a girl with a best friend who has come out of the closet. It's interesting to see what happens on Daisy's end, and I definitely got pretty invested in finding out what would happen.
October 11, 2018
I found this book under the “Best YA LGBTQ Novels” list and I disagree with that categorization. I chose this book in hopes of expanding my view in the experience of a strong LGBT ally, instead I got an appropriation of a minority. I have consumed many books about the experience of LGBT youth and this was a side of the story I was excited to explore however I was thoroughly disappointed with the representation of LGBT characters. Though the book focused on the trials of an ally, the LGBT identity is still a large part of the story that was not chronicled well. The LGBT characters, which were cause for an alliance, conflicts were poorly described and based off of a lot of inaccuracies. Stories about LGBT people have a responsibility to be accurate and well researched with a deeper understanding of the lives of the people they are writing about and these story didn't quite reach those standards.
The story started with the protagonists best friend coming out to her as a lesbian, and the main character, Daisy, becomes overjoyed and makes a point to tell her best friend, Hannah, that she’s always known and that there was no need for Hannah to be nervous. Hannah then informs Daisy that she is dating a girl who is Daisy's ex-best friend, Natalie, after this exchange Hannah and Daisy become distant. This conversation takes place in a Starbucks and shortly after, when Daisy gets up to leave she trips and breaks the computer of a young journalist named Adam who she in immediately entranced by. The next day, Daisy signs up for the schools Gay Club with the assumption Hannah is going with her. When she arrived at her first meeting she discovers that it is only for LGBT students, Daisy feels pressure to put on the act of an asexual, to Daisy's surprise Hannah never comes to the club. Daisy dives into the club headfirst and volunteers to fight for the school to have same-sex dates allowed at the homecoming dance. When she arrives to the school boards open meeting where she will propose to the school board her idea to allow same-sex dates, Adam is there, as well as Natalie's mother who does not yet know about her daughter's sexuality. When Daisy proposes the idea, the school board announces that they canceled the dance because of the hot-button issue. Daisy then hastily announces she will be throwing her own homecoming that will be LGBT inclusive and everyone is invited. When Daisy gets blamed for getting the homecoming dance canceled she finds solace in Natalie's ex-boyfriend, QB. As the plan for the LGBT homecoming comes to form there is a series of trials that Daisy has to overcome. As her relationship with Adam grows, so does her viral fame. The whole world is now watching her plan a homecoming at the age of 16, the issue is everyone thinks she is a lesbian and that Hannah is her girlfriend, which puts even more strain on their friendship. The tensions between Natalie's mother and the new homecoming committee grow as the plans gain speed. Daisy becomes extremely conflicted as her emotions build. Eventually there is an event that changed the course of her and everyone's path. Daisy is able to create new bonds, fix broken ones, and create something so progressive that it changes many people lives.
In this story I appreciated the representation of many different sexualities, such as bisexuality, and though it was not good, asexuality, and of course gay and straight. The concept of viral fame is a new one with the development of social media, in that way that book is extremely relevant. Most of the characters were relatable, that many readers can identify with, especially those of the LGBT identity.
However, there were many things in this story that didn’t work as well. The protagonist patronizes the Gay Club by showing up in their space and making empty promises and makes plans she cant follow through with. She also convinces herself into the title of asexuality, she wears the label like an accessory and not an identity. Daisy also puts pressure on her LGBT acquaintances to come out and be proud of who they are, while not realizing that coming out takes courage and an awareness of one's specific situation. The book misses the mark on many LGBT relationships while focusing on multiple straight ones. While the book did a fair job describing Daisy's rise to viral fame, the LGBT experience that the book boasted was poorly researched or detailed. The plot became algorithmic and predictable, where the audience could predict what the characters were going to do and how the story was going to end.
With LGBT narratives on the rise this tale will could vanish into the mass. With poor representation, a bothersome protagonist, and predictable. The story was not memorable nor groundbreaking but is an easy read.
The story started with the protagonists best friend coming out to her as a lesbian, and the main character, Daisy, becomes overjoyed and makes a point to tell her best friend, Hannah, that she’s always known and that there was no need for Hannah to be nervous. Hannah then informs Daisy that she is dating a girl who is Daisy's ex-best friend, Natalie, after this exchange Hannah and Daisy become distant. This conversation takes place in a Starbucks and shortly after, when Daisy gets up to leave she trips and breaks the computer of a young journalist named Adam who she in immediately entranced by. The next day, Daisy signs up for the schools Gay Club with the assumption Hannah is going with her. When she arrived at her first meeting she discovers that it is only for LGBT students, Daisy feels pressure to put on the act of an asexual, to Daisy's surprise Hannah never comes to the club. Daisy dives into the club headfirst and volunteers to fight for the school to have same-sex dates allowed at the homecoming dance. When she arrives to the school boards open meeting where she will propose to the school board her idea to allow same-sex dates, Adam is there, as well as Natalie's mother who does not yet know about her daughter's sexuality. When Daisy proposes the idea, the school board announces that they canceled the dance because of the hot-button issue. Daisy then hastily announces she will be throwing her own homecoming that will be LGBT inclusive and everyone is invited. When Daisy gets blamed for getting the homecoming dance canceled she finds solace in Natalie's ex-boyfriend, QB. As the plan for the LGBT homecoming comes to form there is a series of trials that Daisy has to overcome. As her relationship with Adam grows, so does her viral fame. The whole world is now watching her plan a homecoming at the age of 16, the issue is everyone thinks she is a lesbian and that Hannah is her girlfriend, which puts even more strain on their friendship. The tensions between Natalie's mother and the new homecoming committee grow as the plans gain speed. Daisy becomes extremely conflicted as her emotions build. Eventually there is an event that changed the course of her and everyone's path. Daisy is able to create new bonds, fix broken ones, and create something so progressive that it changes many people lives.
In this story I appreciated the representation of many different sexualities, such as bisexuality, and though it was not good, asexuality, and of course gay and straight. The concept of viral fame is a new one with the development of social media, in that way that book is extremely relevant. Most of the characters were relatable, that many readers can identify with, especially those of the LGBT identity.
However, there were many things in this story that didn’t work as well. The protagonist patronizes the Gay Club by showing up in their space and making empty promises and makes plans she cant follow through with. She also convinces herself into the title of asexuality, she wears the label like an accessory and not an identity. Daisy also puts pressure on her LGBT acquaintances to come out and be proud of who they are, while not realizing that coming out takes courage and an awareness of one's specific situation. The book misses the mark on many LGBT relationships while focusing on multiple straight ones. While the book did a fair job describing Daisy's rise to viral fame, the LGBT experience that the book boasted was poorly researched or detailed. The plot became algorithmic and predictable, where the audience could predict what the characters were going to do and how the story was going to end.
With LGBT narratives on the rise this tale will could vanish into the mass. With poor representation, a bothersome protagonist, and predictable. The story was not memorable nor groundbreaking but is an easy read.
March 17, 2024
well… let’s start positive, this writing style was easy to read and easy to follow, it wasn’t bad except the time where the word “coquettishly” was used. i also liked nat’s story, out of all the characters i felt like she was the most bearable.
*mild spoilers*
onto the questionable parts… i really disliked how people part of the lgbtqia community were represented in this book. for half the novel, our main character pretends to be a lesbian so that others will like her. she also lies about being asexual like as a joke and that really didn’t sit right with me. OH YEAH AND ALSO nat tells the mc “my parents sent me to a conversion camp over the summer” AND OUR MAIN CHARACTER IS LIKE “well i didn’t have any friends that summer u left i was so lonely.” ……..HELLO??
there was also bisexual erasure near the end which pissed me off where sophie, a bi character, flirts with qb , a guy who previous dated a lesbian AND ALL THE MC IS THINKING IS “qb had managed to find the one lesbian in the school who might actually be interested” NOO?? i was actually shocked when it appeared cuz there was no way i just read that.
i swear this whole book is the mc coming to terms with her straightness which isn’t really…..yk what i was looking for.
*mild spoilers*
onto the questionable parts… i really disliked how people part of the lgbtqia community were represented in this book. for half the novel, our main character pretends to be a lesbian so that others will like her. she also lies about being asexual like as a joke and that really didn’t sit right with me. OH YEAH AND ALSO nat tells the mc “my parents sent me to a conversion camp over the summer” AND OUR MAIN CHARACTER IS LIKE “well i didn’t have any friends that summer u left i was so lonely.” ……..HELLO??
there was also bisexual erasure near the end which pissed me off where sophie, a bi character, flirts with qb , a guy who previous dated a lesbian AND ALL THE MC IS THINKING IS “qb had managed to find the one lesbian in the school who might actually be interested” NOO?? i was actually shocked when it appeared cuz there was no way i just read that.
i swear this whole book is the mc coming to terms with her straightness which isn’t really…..yk what i was looking for.
December 21, 2017
Finally finished a book! Okay. So this wasn’t terrible. But it wasn’t great. I enjoyed her debut much more. The final bit was good - much more enjoyable as the conclusion and resolution occurred - but I had a decent amount of issues throughout. The characters were annoying and immature in sections, MC was so frustrating and for some characters and moments they were terribly 1 dimensional or had a bad arc. It was somewhat predictable at points. But this isn’t to say that I won’t pick up any future books Jenn Marie Thorne writes. I was hesitant to pick this up for a while based on the synopsis alone, and reading it wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped it’d be, but it wasn’t all bad.
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