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Almost Straight
I started my junior year of high school knowing three definite things: I believed in God. Good grades were the key to my future. And I wanted a boy to take me to prom.
Then Liv happened. The way her eyes smiled when she watched me made my stomach do somersaults. Mysterious and flirty, she inspired me to question things about myself I took for granted. People seem to think certain traits are engrained in you from the moment you’re born. Personality, special talents, sexual identity, things like that. But what if some things aren’t so black and white?
What would people say if they knew Audrey, the good church girl, was actually...almost straight?
Then Liv happened. The way her eyes smiled when she watched me made my stomach do somersaults. Mysterious and flirty, she inspired me to question things about myself I took for granted. People seem to think certain traits are engrained in you from the moment you’re born. Personality, special talents, sexual identity, things like that. But what if some things aren’t so black and white?
What would people say if they knew Audrey, the good church girl, was actually...almost straight?
8 pages, Audible Audio
Published May 23, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 20, 2017
“Almost Straight” is a delightful story of self-discovery and coming-out for a tender, warm-hearted, thoughtful and naively innocent girl living in a bible-belt small town. The book is told from Audrey’s POV, and while we do get a few glimpses into the inner turmoils of her girlfriend Liv, we know Liv from Audrey's POV.
Liv is for the most part openly a lesbian. She wears a rainbow patch on her backpack, and her mom knows. Her father ignores her. There are a few parts of the book that almost describe Liv as transsexual, but mostly she’s described as lesbian.
Audrey is very introspective, and her adventure to romantic self-awareness leads her to proclaim that “love is love, regardless of body parts”. Interestingly, even her bible-fearing friends relax when she identifies as bisexual. As a lesbian, they reason, she would never marry a man and be right with God, but as a bisexual she can end up with a man and God will be happy. Wow…do people really reason that way??
With Audrey, we learn (well, hear of it again, sadly) of unfounded prejudice and outright hatred for people who aren’t “normal”. We see authority figures in the church and at school not only rejecting any thoughts of acceptance and understanding, but being as spiteful and cruel as “normal” teens at school who lash out at the girls being a couple. We see some parents being hurtful by trying to enforce their beliefs, however well-meaning they think they are, and we see other parents opening up to new thoughts of how to love a child.
Surprisingly, and enjoyably, though…this is not a sad story. It’s joyous watching Audrey see who she was in the eyes and words of friends, and not blaming them for not fully understanding her. It’s amazing hearing Audrey question the hypocrisy of Christians without rancor or anger, as she questions whether her new choices will lead to the lake of fire of hell, as she’s been taught her entire life. And just as we think we’re being led to understand that all Christians are monsters, we meet a delightful person who truly exemplifies being a “good Christian”, and Audrey wonders whether perhaps there are more of him and fewer of the hate-mongers than she was beginning to believe.
People are individuals and labels can unite and divide. Audrey learns that labeling heterosexuals and Christians is as unhelpful to understanding individuals as is labeling lesbians or bisexuals.
This being a lesfic novel, there is….of course….”the breakup”. As usual, it’s less necessary and lasts much longer than necessary, but it resolves sweetly. At their tender ages with first love, I hesitate to say the ending is a HEA, but it certainly is enough of a HFN for me. Speaking of tender ages, the physical affections enjoyed between the girls is age-appropriate, essentially lots of kissing.
Ahhh…now the rating. If I’d read the book….I’d probably rate this 4.75 and round to 5*. But…the narrator really detracted from much of the book. At times she sounded completely appropriate and gave great voice to Audrey. But for much of the book she sounded too bored for the momentous changes occurring to Audrey and with the relationships with her friends and family. Also, the audio editing was often terrible. The narrator would often repeat a sentence at the beginning of a chapter, or even, I think, at the beginning of a new paragraph. Her distractions were distracting.
So I’m rating the audiobook as 4*, and might re-read it on Kindle one day but I won’t relisten to the narrator reading this book.
Liv is for the most part openly a lesbian. She wears a rainbow patch on her backpack, and her mom knows. Her father ignores her. There are a few parts of the book that almost describe Liv as transsexual, but mostly she’s described as lesbian.
Audrey is very introspective, and her adventure to romantic self-awareness leads her to proclaim that “love is love, regardless of body parts”. Interestingly, even her bible-fearing friends relax when she identifies as bisexual. As a lesbian, they reason, she would never marry a man and be right with God, but as a bisexual she can end up with a man and God will be happy. Wow…do people really reason that way??
With Audrey, we learn (well, hear of it again, sadly) of unfounded prejudice and outright hatred for people who aren’t “normal”. We see authority figures in the church and at school not only rejecting any thoughts of acceptance and understanding, but being as spiteful and cruel as “normal” teens at school who lash out at the girls being a couple. We see some parents being hurtful by trying to enforce their beliefs, however well-meaning they think they are, and we see other parents opening up to new thoughts of how to love a child.
Surprisingly, and enjoyably, though…this is not a sad story. It’s joyous watching Audrey see who she was in the eyes and words of friends, and not blaming them for not fully understanding her. It’s amazing hearing Audrey question the hypocrisy of Christians without rancor or anger, as she questions whether her new choices will lead to the lake of fire of hell, as she’s been taught her entire life. And just as we think we’re being led to understand that all Christians are monsters, we meet a delightful person who truly exemplifies being a “good Christian”, and Audrey wonders whether perhaps there are more of him and fewer of the hate-mongers than she was beginning to believe.
People are individuals and labels can unite and divide. Audrey learns that labeling heterosexuals and Christians is as unhelpful to understanding individuals as is labeling lesbians or bisexuals.
This being a lesfic novel, there is….of course….”the breakup”. As usual, it’s less necessary and lasts much longer than necessary, but it resolves sweetly. At their tender ages with first love, I hesitate to say the ending is a HEA, but it certainly is enough of a HFN for me. Speaking of tender ages, the physical affections enjoyed between the girls is age-appropriate, essentially lots of kissing.
Ahhh…now the rating. If I’d read the book….I’d probably rate this 4.75 and round to 5*. But…the narrator really detracted from much of the book. At times she sounded completely appropriate and gave great voice to Audrey. But for much of the book she sounded too bored for the momentous changes occurring to Audrey and with the relationships with her friends and family. Also, the audio editing was often terrible. The narrator would often repeat a sentence at the beginning of a chapter, or even, I think, at the beginning of a new paragraph. Her distractions were distracting.
So I’m rating the audiobook as 4*, and might re-read it on Kindle one day but I won’t relisten to the narrator reading this book.
April 18, 2017
Impressive! how they handle everything. How can you not fall in love with Audrey? Yes I like Liv too but there's something about Audrey that I really like. How she handles everything. How she thinks. Smart mouth!
The story is pretty typical but I like it. My first book from the author and I'm hooked.
"My gaydar was clearly not working since it didn’t even sense me."
Recommend if you're looking for a nice YA book.
4.5
The story is pretty typical but I like it. My first book from the author and I'm hooked.
"My gaydar was clearly not working since it didn’t even sense me."
Recommend if you're looking for a nice YA book.
4.5
December 4, 2021
To describe the thoughts of a young person suddenly becoming romantically attached to someone of the same gender has to be difficult but I wish there had been more to this book by Justice Serai. Understanding a story of high-school religious teens was difficult for me to REALLY understand as I'm old and straight. I still can try to understand and explain my reactions to this story. I still have a memory of being wild for a new girl in the 4th grade so I can understand Audrey's instant attraction to Liv, even though there were no reprisals for my writing poetry to my 4th-grade love interest.
Never having been baptized I can't say I really understand the conservative Christian reaction to homosexuality and had forgotten how unpleasant it was to read about. I found myself marveling at the end where everything is resolved so quickly and would love to know just how frequently this really occurs. I have an uncle who married his partner and his older sister and her children did not even attend his wedding. In the sequel of this story would friends and family rebel against the couple when they realized Audrey & Liv were going to stay together, it wasn't "just a phase"?
All in all a likable book but similar to others I've read with the same theme. The writing is simple but still makes for happy reading.
Never having been baptized I can't say I really understand the conservative Christian reaction to homosexuality and had forgotten how unpleasant it was to read about. I found myself marveling at the end where everything is resolved so quickly and would love to know just how frequently this really occurs. I have an uncle who married his partner and his older sister and her children did not even attend his wedding. In the sequel of this story would friends and family rebel against the couple when they realized Audrey & Liv were going to stay together, it wasn't "just a phase"?
All in all a likable book but similar to others I've read with the same theme. The writing is simple but still makes for happy reading.
August 21, 2019
Justice Serai has done it again! Exploring current teen issues, this writer has a talent for entering the minds of our youth and allowing us a window into their inner turmoil.
In Almost Straight, Serai goes into the mind of Audrey, a high school Junior who is dating a popular football player. She’s pretty, popular and smart. But she has ZERO chemistry with Grayson, so she breaks up with him.
Then she meets the mysterious new girl, Liv. She’s confident, stylish and incredibly beautiful. She also like’s girls, and while Audrey is adamant she is straight, her sexuality is questioned when she begins to fall in love with her new best friend.
While Audrey comes to terms with the fact she is bisexual, I would say, as we are becoming more familiar with the spectrum of sexuality, Audrey is not bisexual. She does not like girls; she likes Liv. She has chosen to look past her gender and fell in love with the person she is inside. That tells me she can fall in love with anyone who has a beautiful soul, and I believe we would now call that Pansexual.
No matter what sexuality Audrey chooses to identify with, one thing’s for sure; Ms. Serai did a fantastic job discussing a very real topic. Since finishing this book, I have scoured the internet attempting to find other books by this author. She only has two and I’ve read them both. HOWEVER, her bio states she is multi published author who writes under multiple pen names. But she doesn’t state those other pen names and I might cry if I can’t find her. Digging through the internet, I did find a blog mentioning Ms. Serai teaming up with another author under the pen name Sparrow Beckett. I will definitely be checking those books out next!
In Almost Straight, Serai goes into the mind of Audrey, a high school Junior who is dating a popular football player. She’s pretty, popular and smart. But she has ZERO chemistry with Grayson, so she breaks up with him.
Then she meets the mysterious new girl, Liv. She’s confident, stylish and incredibly beautiful. She also like’s girls, and while Audrey is adamant she is straight, her sexuality is questioned when she begins to fall in love with her new best friend.
While Audrey comes to terms with the fact she is bisexual, I would say, as we are becoming more familiar with the spectrum of sexuality, Audrey is not bisexual. She does not like girls; she likes Liv. She has chosen to look past her gender and fell in love with the person she is inside. That tells me she can fall in love with anyone who has a beautiful soul, and I believe we would now call that Pansexual.
No matter what sexuality Audrey chooses to identify with, one thing’s for sure; Ms. Serai did a fantastic job discussing a very real topic. Since finishing this book, I have scoured the internet attempting to find other books by this author. She only has two and I’ve read them both. HOWEVER, her bio states she is multi published author who writes under multiple pen names. But she doesn’t state those other pen names and I might cry if I can’t find her. Digging through the internet, I did find a blog mentioning Ms. Serai teaming up with another author under the pen name Sparrow Beckett. I will definitely be checking those books out next!
October 28, 2016
Pretty good, but like most YA romance I have read the ending just seemed too easy I would have loved for this to be double the length and to really get into them rebuilding their relationship and trust within their relationship while also dealing with the small town bigotry and family religious bigotry PRoblems that seemed to magically disappear when they got back together. Maybe seeing how heart broken she was helped her parents realize that it really was love and not just a phase and they where able to understand better and work out their issues, or maybe not. I don't know, they just changed their mind and everything was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2017
This was a pretty entertaining read. I feel like it's a good YA contemporary book. It's not really innovative or anything, but it's a nice read.
I feel like almost every queer YA contemporary book goes like this. The main character is a girl who thinks or pretends is straight. A new girl comes to town. There's insta-love, coming out, extremely religious parents and community. There's nothing new.
There is, however, something that really bothered me. That is that the main character is pushed to identify a certain way right after she realises she is not straight. She doesn't actually know which label fits her the best but she is constantly taunted about it. That is something that happens in real life, but it's never said nor implied that it can have a negative effect on the person who's questioning their sexuality.
I feel like almost every queer YA contemporary book goes like this. The main character is a girl who thinks or pretends is straight. A new girl comes to town. There's insta-love, coming out, extremely religious parents and community. There's nothing new.
There is, however, something that really bothered me. That is that the main character is pushed to identify a certain way right after she realises she is not straight. She doesn't actually know which label fits her the best but she is constantly taunted about it. That is something that happens in real life, but it's never said nor implied that it can have a negative effect on the person who's questioning their sexuality.
May 19, 2017
Audrey is junior at the ironically named Freedom HS in Freedom, Indiana. Her life at school, with friends, and at church seems the height of normal until Liv walks into biology class. The focus of the book is mostly about Audrey's struggle to stay in a relationship with Liv at the same time as she reconciles new feelings about her faith and tries to prevent her Evangelical Christian parents from finding out.
This coming out set-up is pretty typical fare for LGBT YA (new girl, new feelings), but the introduction of the religious aspect is somewhat of a twist (Barbara Clanton covered similar territory in her YA book, Tools of the Devil). With the culture changing to become more accepting for kids, there are fewer tension-filled coming out tropes for fiction to include. Religion is a new one and an important one.
The author does a good job here, making us care about these characters and hoping they will stay together. She also handles the story of first love well. While Audrey's best friend is a well drawn character, most other secondary characters are less well developed. We wonder why Liv's parents stay together and are never shown why. The "it gets better" theme is a little tired now and I wish it didn't show up so much.
But all in all a solid coming out YA romance.
This coming out set-up is pretty typical fare for LGBT YA (new girl, new feelings), but the introduction of the religious aspect is somewhat of a twist (Barbara Clanton covered similar territory in her YA book, Tools of the Devil). With the culture changing to become more accepting for kids, there are fewer tension-filled coming out tropes for fiction to include. Religion is a new one and an important one.
The author does a good job here, making us care about these characters and hoping they will stay together. She also handles the story of first love well. While Audrey's best friend is a well drawn character, most other secondary characters are less well developed. We wonder why Liv's parents stay together and are never shown why. The "it gets better" theme is a little tired now and I wish it didn't show up so much.
But all in all a solid coming out YA romance.
November 22, 2015
All I can say is that Justice Serai has done it again! She has written another phenomenal book about a teenager who is struggling with finding out who she truly is, even if it goes against everything she has been taught since a young age. I so fell in love with Audrey and can so related to the struggle she had dealing with her feelings towards Liv and what she had been taught at church about having a relationship with a member of the same sex.
Justice Serai captures these feelings perfectly in Almost Straight. So much so I felt like I was thrusted back into my teenage years struggling with the same thing. I can not recommend this book enough.
Justice Serai captures these feelings perfectly in Almost Straight. So much so I felt like I was thrusted back into my teenage years struggling with the same thing. I can not recommend this book enough.
July 6, 2017
A nice, thoughtful look at coming out in a Christian family. Tackles a lot of issues that matter right now.
February 20, 2017
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].
'Almost Straight' by Justice Serai
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on February 16, 2017
Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $2.99 on Kindle | $1.99 on Audible
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Audrey is a good Christian girl from a predominantly Christian town. She's lived her life with a small circle of close friends and the concept that people are born with traits ingrained in them -- their personality, their talents, and their sexual identities. Then, Liv moves to town and shakes everything up.
What would people say if they knew Audrey, the good church girl, was actually...almost straight?
MY REVIEW:
I read this book as part of my #yearofindiewomen.
COVER: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
I like how clean this cover is. I am a fan of white covers for some reason, and they seem to be popular nowadays. The font choice isn't my favorite, but the eye image is pretty cool.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
I could relate to a lot of the characters in this book, especially being from the American South. Religion is prevalent here, so by proxy is the belief that homosexuality is wrong. Many of the characters in this novel have this belief. Serai handles their actions well and true to life. Unfortunately, this is a reality gay people face every day, and many young gay people not only have to come to terms with their feelings but with the fact that the people in their lives may not accept, or even love, them anymore because of who they are.
Serai's characters, even the tertiary ones, are all deep and well-rounded. Even the ones who hold beliefs so very different from my own have qualities that make them vulnerable and even likable. They're human. The beliefs they hold so dear, ones that are hurtful and oppressive, don't necessarily come from a place of hate. In some cases, they've been taught -- indoctrinated. They are only doing what they've been told their whole lives, and once they've been opened to other points of view, they begin to expand their viewpoints. Serai does a good job of showing that not all Christians are close-minded bigots who simply want all homosexuals to burn in hell. There are compassionate, open-minded folks out there. Sometimes, it just takes a little while, a little education, and a little love for people to come around.
The main characters in 'Almost Straight' are great. Audrey's confusion is handled well and doesn't feel rushed. She's a teenager who battles her emotions authentically. Liv is strong and confident in who she is while still being tender and a little vulnerable. She doesn't push or rush Audrey to do things out of her own timetable. The relationship she has with her father is heartbreaking and showcases just how even when one can be comfortable and solid in their own identities, we still desperately want the approval of those who are important to us. I also liked how Liv's non-binary gender was part of her character but not used as a trope. It was simply a facet of her being, as it should be. Serai handled that so, so well.
WRITING STYLE: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Serai's writing style is easy and fun to read. I'm not always a fan of novels written in first person POV, but I found myself not being distracted by it in this book. Instead, I struggled to put this down to do my own writing or to do household chores.
OVERALL PLOT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
'Almost Straight' tells the story of two teenagers who fall in love and the complications which go along with that. There are countless other stories like it out there, but the difference here is that these teenagers are queer. Audrey is "almost straight". She likes both boys and girls -- well, she likes Liv, and that's all that matters in this moment. She doesn't know what will happen in the future, but in this moment, liking Liv changes everything. Her friendships, her reputation, her relationship with her family and her church -- everything that matters to a teenager. But it's worth it to love Liv. The lesson in this book is a simple one: love is love.
I enjoyed 'Almost Straight'. I found myself relating both to Audrey and Liv in different ways. I was a lot like Audrey when I was her age. I was attracted to both girls and boys, and while I didn't have the religious aspect to contend with that she did, it's still a confusing thing. But now, as an adult woman who identifies as a pansexual and is confident in it, I understood Liv, too. It gave me an appreciation for just how well Serai handled these characters and their stories. If I had read this book (or others like it) as a teenager, I think it would have been really helpful in my understanding of my own sexuality. Serai and other authors like her are doing important work.
'Almost Straight' by Justice Serai
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on February 16, 2017
Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $2.99 on Kindle | $1.99 on Audible
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Audrey is a good Christian girl from a predominantly Christian town. She's lived her life with a small circle of close friends and the concept that people are born with traits ingrained in them -- their personality, their talents, and their sexual identities. Then, Liv moves to town and shakes everything up.
What would people say if they knew Audrey, the good church girl, was actually...almost straight?
MY REVIEW:
I read this book as part of my #yearofindiewomen.
COVER: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
I like how clean this cover is. I am a fan of white covers for some reason, and they seem to be popular nowadays. The font choice isn't my favorite, but the eye image is pretty cool.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
I could relate to a lot of the characters in this book, especially being from the American South. Religion is prevalent here, so by proxy is the belief that homosexuality is wrong. Many of the characters in this novel have this belief. Serai handles their actions well and true to life. Unfortunately, this is a reality gay people face every day, and many young gay people not only have to come to terms with their feelings but with the fact that the people in their lives may not accept, or even love, them anymore because of who they are.
Serai's characters, even the tertiary ones, are all deep and well-rounded. Even the ones who hold beliefs so very different from my own have qualities that make them vulnerable and even likable. They're human. The beliefs they hold so dear, ones that are hurtful and oppressive, don't necessarily come from a place of hate. In some cases, they've been taught -- indoctrinated. They are only doing what they've been told their whole lives, and once they've been opened to other points of view, they begin to expand their viewpoints. Serai does a good job of showing that not all Christians are close-minded bigots who simply want all homosexuals to burn in hell. There are compassionate, open-minded folks out there. Sometimes, it just takes a little while, a little education, and a little love for people to come around.
The main characters in 'Almost Straight' are great. Audrey's confusion is handled well and doesn't feel rushed. She's a teenager who battles her emotions authentically. Liv is strong and confident in who she is while still being tender and a little vulnerable. She doesn't push or rush Audrey to do things out of her own timetable. The relationship she has with her father is heartbreaking and showcases just how even when one can be comfortable and solid in their own identities, we still desperately want the approval of those who are important to us. I also liked how Liv's non-binary gender was part of her character but not used as a trope. It was simply a facet of her being, as it should be. Serai handled that so, so well.
WRITING STYLE: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Serai's writing style is easy and fun to read. I'm not always a fan of novels written in first person POV, but I found myself not being distracted by it in this book. Instead, I struggled to put this down to do my own writing or to do household chores.
OVERALL PLOT: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
'Almost Straight' tells the story of two teenagers who fall in love and the complications which go along with that. There are countless other stories like it out there, but the difference here is that these teenagers are queer. Audrey is "almost straight". She likes both boys and girls -- well, she likes Liv, and that's all that matters in this moment. She doesn't know what will happen in the future, but in this moment, liking Liv changes everything. Her friendships, her reputation, her relationship with her family and her church -- everything that matters to a teenager. But it's worth it to love Liv. The lesson in this book is a simple one: love is love.
I enjoyed 'Almost Straight'. I found myself relating both to Audrey and Liv in different ways. I was a lot like Audrey when I was her age. I was attracted to both girls and boys, and while I didn't have the religious aspect to contend with that she did, it's still a confusing thing. But now, as an adult woman who identifies as a pansexual and is confident in it, I understood Liv, too. It gave me an appreciation for just how well Serai handled these characters and their stories. If I had read this book (or others like it) as a teenager, I think it would have been really helpful in my understanding of my own sexuality. Serai and other authors like her are doing important work.
July 25, 2023
A wonderful tale of hope
I thoroughly enjoyed battling with Audrey as she found and loved her true self and brought hope for a better world. I highly recommend this book for anyone wrestling with the intersection of faith and sexual orientation issues.
I thoroughly enjoyed battling with Audrey as she found and loved her true self and brought hope for a better world. I highly recommend this book for anyone wrestling with the intersection of faith and sexual orientation issues.
June 22, 2016
**3.5**
A few things to get out of the way before I delve into what I really liked about this book. The relationship between the two main characters felt INCREDIBLY rushed, they basically met and then started making out. Which seemed very odd considering Audrey was very religious and had never even thought about a girl "like that" before. And I wish the author has gone a little bit more into Liv and her gender and how she is (I'm assuming) non-binary. It was awesome to have that representation in a novel but it felt very glossed over when I feel as though it should have been explored a little bit more.
Anyway! This is a great book for bisexual representation and also for religious LGBTQIAA youth. I think it was really important to portray the fact that your religion can be as much a part of you as your sexual identity, and you don't have to pick one over the other. I also liked the struggle that Audrey went through really trying to figure out who she was and what identity made her most comfortable. Bisexual erasure and biphobia is incredibly common so having these characters explore themselves and their identity is really amazing especially for other teens going through the same thing. I also LOVED how Liv never doubted Audrey's identity - she never tried to make her choose a side, she was very accepting and helpful in Audrey figuring out she is bisexual. Overall it was a quick read with some amazing representation and great conversations.
A few things to get out of the way before I delve into what I really liked about this book. The relationship between the two main characters felt INCREDIBLY rushed, they basically met and then started making out. Which seemed very odd considering Audrey was very religious and had never even thought about a girl "like that" before. And I wish the author has gone a little bit more into Liv and her gender and how she is (I'm assuming) non-binary. It was awesome to have that representation in a novel but it felt very glossed over when I feel as though it should have been explored a little bit more.
Anyway! This is a great book for bisexual representation and also for religious LGBTQIAA youth. I think it was really important to portray the fact that your religion can be as much a part of you as your sexual identity, and you don't have to pick one over the other. I also liked the struggle that Audrey went through really trying to figure out who she was and what identity made her most comfortable. Bisexual erasure and biphobia is incredibly common so having these characters explore themselves and their identity is really amazing especially for other teens going through the same thing. I also LOVED how Liv never doubted Audrey's identity - she never tried to make her choose a side, she was very accepting and helpful in Audrey figuring out she is bisexual. Overall it was a quick read with some amazing representation and great conversations.
July 12, 2018
Sweet story about first love and exploring who you could be beyond the expectations of parents and society. Olivia is the new girl at a H.S. in Small Town, Indiana and Audrey is the church going girl who falls deep and hard for her. How it all plays out is a nice read with just enough tears and tenderness to recommend. But I especially liked the recurring theme of both Olivia and Audrey wanting to question themselves in their exploration of sexuality and gender. It added some depth to this teen romance.
November 5, 2024
Almost Straight by Justice Serai
Almost Straight is told from the perspective of Audrey, a good Christian girl, who then meets Liv. Liv is pretty, confident and wears a rainbow pin on her backpack. Audrey begins to question her sexuality as she falls in love with her new best friend. I think the author told the story of a religious queer kid extremely well and I really felt for the girls throughout the book! Liv and Audrey perfectly embody young love, and I was left wanting to read more!
- YA
- friends to lovers
- religious trauma
Almost Straight is told from the perspective of Audrey, a good Christian girl, who then meets Liv. Liv is pretty, confident and wears a rainbow pin on her backpack. Audrey begins to question her sexuality as she falls in love with her new best friend. I think the author told the story of a religious queer kid extremely well and I really felt for the girls throughout the book! Liv and Audrey perfectly embody young love, and I was left wanting to read more!
- YA
- friends to lovers
- religious trauma
January 13, 2016
This book is a 3 & a 5 - so I've rated it a 4.
Plot, characters, flow, writing - a solid 3. Not stellar. Enjoyable.
Sensitivity, realism (kinda), and not screwing up anything important? For that, 5 stars.
No gratuitous anything. Fairly reasonable characterizations. In a LGBT YA novel, that's pretty impressive.
(and how cool is that book cover?)
Plot, characters, flow, writing - a solid 3. Not stellar. Enjoyable.
Sensitivity, realism (kinda), and not screwing up anything important? For that, 5 stars.
No gratuitous anything. Fairly reasonable characterizations. In a LGBT YA novel, that's pretty impressive.
(and how cool is that book cover?)
January 1, 2016
Slowly won me over
The first part was a, little too rushed and felt a tad contrived. However I felt it hit a nice stride and tackled many issues in the middle including sexual fluidity and faith based discrimination. I'm glad I picked it back up and finished
The first part was a, little too rushed and felt a tad contrived. However I felt it hit a nice stride and tackled many issues in the middle including sexual fluidity and faith based discrimination. I'm glad I picked it back up and finished
January 7, 2016
3.5
I enjoyed this book. I liked seeing how Audrey dealt with her doubts and the changes in her life. I also liked Liv and how she seemed so confident but was having to deal with her own set of problems.
I enjoyed this book. I liked seeing how Audrey dealt with her doubts and the changes in her life. I also liked Liv and how she seemed so confident but was having to deal with her own set of problems.
July 16, 2016
Really enjoyed it
Took me about a day to finish it but I really enjoyed it, it was like traveling in time to my time in high school and wonder what it could have been like to come out then and instead faking it like I did
Took me about a day to finish it but I really enjoyed it, it was like traveling in time to my time in high school and wonder what it could have been like to come out then and instead faking it like I did
December 10, 2020
Worlds Collide
A good author will always leave you wanting more. And that’s exactly what this book did for me. I got so involved in the romance of church girl Audrey and new girl Liv that I finished wanting to know what happened next in their senior year.
A good author will always leave you wanting more. And that’s exactly what this book did for me. I got so involved in the romance of church girl Audrey and new girl Liv that I finished wanting to know what happened next in their senior year.
August 3, 2016
Very good.
I found this book to be very engaging, and quite a positive influence on the lgbt community. Very well done.
I found this book to be very engaging, and quite a positive influence on the lgbt community. Very well done.
April 20, 2017
Almost straight
I like this book I was like Audrey who think I was straight but can't change who am I or feeling but interesting but my mom is opposite from her mom
I like this book I was like Audrey who think I was straight but can't change who am I or feeling but interesting but my mom is opposite from her mom
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