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Cluster
It’s fun to dream. Growing up transgender in a small, conservative town, under the heel of an abusive father, Abra Collins had always dreamed of a different life. A life where she could be herself, surrounded by those she loved. With no small effort, Abra, now in her late twenties, has built that life. She and her three dearest friends run Cluster, a combination coffee shop, music venue, and vintage toy store. It’s a safe, secure, and joyful place where four misfits can live life as they desire. It’s everything Abra ever dreamed. But there’s a problem with Eventually, you have to wake up.When two of her friends announce they are leaving town, they inadvertently expose the cracks in her seemingly stable life. Long-buried feelings begin to crawl their way to the surface, old wounds reopen, and life-long relationships fracture. Suddenly finding herself trying to navigate a world she no longer recognizes, with no one to help her but her slightly-unhinged ex, Abra must figure out what to take with her, what to leave behind, and most of all, who she has become. Steeped in geek culture and brimming with heartbreak and wry humor in equal measure, Jessica Conwell’s debut novel explores identity, love, friendship, and family in all their beautiful, messy forms.
- GenresLGBT
201 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2019
5 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 21, 2019
What a lovely, quietly rewarding story. It's not that dramatic things don't happen between the pages - there are plenty of heartbreaking revelations along the way - but at it's core, this is a wonderful character study of the main protagonist, Abra, and the group of friends that come into and out of her life. Abra is brought to life by the author as a satisfyingly complex woman, by turns funny, endearing, and exasperating as she struggles to come to terms with her past and figure out what the path forward looks like. The narrative skips back and forth in time as we gradually learn more about the sometimes traumatic, sometimes joyous events that have shaped her. I thought the slow reveal added additional emotional depth as we discover more and more about the bonds between Abra and her friends. The greatest compliment I can give the author is that the characters all felt like real people you might meet in the real world, and I enjoyed spending time with them. Also a powerful reminder that the family we make along the way can be as meaningful as the one we are born into, and the triumph and strength that comes with learning to accept ourselves and others for who they are.
August 17, 2020
I wasn't 100% sure what I was expecting this book to be like before I cracked it open. But whatever it was, Cluster blew it out of the water.
Cluster is a beautifully, dynamically written tale of friendship, trauma, and the debatable idea of 'growing up'. It won me over in the opening pages through its sheer force of personality, which persisted and melded seamlessly with the highs and lows of the events depicted therein. The characters are sharply drawn - hell, even the unlikeable characters are likeable - and their interactions form a beautiful mesh until it is broken apart.
The writing itself is phenomenal, and is a perfect blend of pop and pseudo-memoir that really keeps you reading. There is one chapter in particular - describing a death - that it think is just pure art.
I think there's no way to describe Cluster other than Clerks - but with 90% of the Gen-X cynicism replaced with honest emotion. Ultimately, this is a tragicomic slice of life that will move you with its trauma and heart and is more than worth a read.
Cluster is a beautifully, dynamically written tale of friendship, trauma, and the debatable idea of 'growing up'. It won me over in the opening pages through its sheer force of personality, which persisted and melded seamlessly with the highs and lows of the events depicted therein. The characters are sharply drawn - hell, even the unlikeable characters are likeable - and their interactions form a beautiful mesh until it is broken apart.
The writing itself is phenomenal, and is a perfect blend of pop and pseudo-memoir that really keeps you reading. There is one chapter in particular - describing a death - that it think is just pure art.
I think there's no way to describe Cluster other than Clerks - but with 90% of the Gen-X cynicism replaced with honest emotion. Ultimately, this is a tragicomic slice of life that will move you with its trauma and heart and is more than worth a read.
April 5, 2021
Cluster tells the story of Abra, a transgender woman, finding her way in life.
The focal point of the novel is Abra and it’s told through stories of the present and the past, even going far back into her childhood. Abra is charming, funny, and emotional, and everything she feels is conveyed marvellously by the author. It was all easy to visualize and a joy to read.
The other characters nicely complimented the story and each of them is unique, so that I was immediately able to distinguish who was who. The ‘villains’ are particularly reprehensible and I was cringing whenever they were in a scene.
The real strength of Cluster is that it’s such a clean, effortless read. Both the scenes and characters feel so real that I was immediately hooked. There is nothing overly descriptive, nor are there any wasted words. It’s a story about real people with real problems, hardships and happiness. I found their motivations believable and consistent throughout.
Cluster was a very fast read for me and an easy five stars. Highly recommended.
The focal point of the novel is Abra and it’s told through stories of the present and the past, even going far back into her childhood. Abra is charming, funny, and emotional, and everything she feels is conveyed marvellously by the author. It was all easy to visualize and a joy to read.
The other characters nicely complimented the story and each of them is unique, so that I was immediately able to distinguish who was who. The ‘villains’ are particularly reprehensible and I was cringing whenever they were in a scene.
The real strength of Cluster is that it’s such a clean, effortless read. Both the scenes and characters feel so real that I was immediately hooked. There is nothing overly descriptive, nor are there any wasted words. It’s a story about real people with real problems, hardships and happiness. I found their motivations believable and consistent throughout.
Cluster was a very fast read for me and an easy five stars. Highly recommended.
April 21, 2019
Cancel all your plans for the evening, make yourself some tea, curl up under an blanket in your favorite chair, and forget about getting to sleep before the end of this story. You should probably also have some tissues on hand, because if you’re anything like me, you’ll need them. I’m not usually one to get so emotionally invested in a book that I start bawling my eyes out, but Cluster drew me in so much that I could feel Abra’s joy, sadness, love, and heartache as though it were my own.
Jess Conwell’s writing is full of wit and raw emotion. At turns, she’ll make you feel nostalgic for childhood comforts, know the love of a chosen family, the pain of loss, and a deep and abiding hatred toward people who would harm others. Seriously, I’ve never wanted to punch an antagonist in a story so badly before!
If you’re in the lgbtqia+ community and sad that there aren’t enough great lgbtqia+ protagonists in the stories you read, you owe it to yourself to read this! It tugs at all the heartstrings, and feels genuine and oh so real.
If you’re not in the lgbtqia+ community and want an beautiful story that will still give you all the feels, including empathy for people you may not really understand, this is an amazing read. I couldn’t put it down, even when I realized it was 2 a.m. and My alarm clock would be waking me up in just three short hours!
I look forward to more releases from this author, and will champion her work to anyone who will listen.
Jess Conwell’s writing is full of wit and raw emotion. At turns, she’ll make you feel nostalgic for childhood comforts, know the love of a chosen family, the pain of loss, and a deep and abiding hatred toward people who would harm others. Seriously, I’ve never wanted to punch an antagonist in a story so badly before!
If you’re in the lgbtqia+ community and sad that there aren’t enough great lgbtqia+ protagonists in the stories you read, you owe it to yourself to read this! It tugs at all the heartstrings, and feels genuine and oh so real.
If you’re not in the lgbtqia+ community and want an beautiful story that will still give you all the feels, including empathy for people you may not really understand, this is an amazing read. I couldn’t put it down, even when I realized it was 2 a.m. and My alarm clock would be waking me up in just three short hours!
I look forward to more releases from this author, and will champion her work to anyone who will listen.
March 26, 2020
Let me start by saying I LOVED this book!
Real - It may start off with what seems like an odd topic of conversation among housemates, but their relationships with each other come into sharp focus immediately through Conwell’s writing. Often hilarious dialogue and unique descriptions had me smiling at the most random things throughout the story. (I never would’ve considered “had a face that gave my fists erections” would be a way to say “I really want to punch your face”, but there it was!) It’s been a long time since a book in any genre has made me cry tears of both sorrow and joy, let alone do it a dozen + times over the span of the story. Conwell’s characters are so heartbreakingly real that I felt every jolt of adrenaline and loss and love right along with them.
Feels - I adored the underlying story of the MC’s struggles to fit into her own skin growing up, relating to my own non-traditional gender identity as well as the feeling of simultaneously wanting to make a family member proud of you, but hating how they make you feel about yourself for being anything but their own “ideal version” of you. Having an anchor of a person in your life who loves you through all things is represented beautifully right along side those agonizing heartbreaks that we pretend not to carry with us like scars. And without giving spoilers, just know that the last chapter “The Third Thing” is a revelation I didn’t know I needed.
Thank You! - The metaphor at the end involving the video game truly hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve never been to counseling, but I feel like this book heard the unspoken heartache I’ve carried with me over the years and helped me heal. I learned so many things about myself and my past relationships and friendships while navigating this story that I never would’ve come to on my own.
Real - It may start off with what seems like an odd topic of conversation among housemates, but their relationships with each other come into sharp focus immediately through Conwell’s writing. Often hilarious dialogue and unique descriptions had me smiling at the most random things throughout the story. (I never would’ve considered “had a face that gave my fists erections” would be a way to say “I really want to punch your face”, but there it was!) It’s been a long time since a book in any genre has made me cry tears of both sorrow and joy, let alone do it a dozen + times over the span of the story. Conwell’s characters are so heartbreakingly real that I felt every jolt of adrenaline and loss and love right along with them.
Feels - I adored the underlying story of the MC’s struggles to fit into her own skin growing up, relating to my own non-traditional gender identity as well as the feeling of simultaneously wanting to make a family member proud of you, but hating how they make you feel about yourself for being anything but their own “ideal version” of you. Having an anchor of a person in your life who loves you through all things is represented beautifully right along side those agonizing heartbreaks that we pretend not to carry with us like scars. And without giving spoilers, just know that the last chapter “The Third Thing” is a revelation I didn’t know I needed.
Thank You! - The metaphor at the end involving the video game truly hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve never been to counseling, but I feel like this book heard the unspoken heartache I’ve carried with me over the years and helped me heal. I learned so many things about myself and my past relationships and friendships while navigating this story that I never would’ve come to on my own.
September 25, 2019
This is the first ever LGBTQ fiction I’ve ever read. And it’s fantastic. There’s humor yes. But altogether it is very thought provoking and has multiple layers. Like the game that they are playing. Wonder whether it really exists.
The way the author uses the game in the story is symbolic in my opinion. At first Abra and Neal are playing the game they get stuck right?? But Abra and Callie figure it out. Just like their relationship. At first Abra can’t figure it out with Neal. But does so with Callie. And although they got out of the maze Abra doesn’t want to find out what happens next. It resonates with the hopeful mellow ending of the novel.
Jessica is a genius and I’m hoping read all her books in the future. CHEERS!!!
The way the author uses the game in the story is symbolic in my opinion. At first Abra and Neal are playing the game they get stuck right?? But Abra and Callie figure it out. Just like their relationship. At first Abra can’t figure it out with Neal. But does so with Callie. And although they got out of the maze Abra doesn’t want to find out what happens next. It resonates with the hopeful mellow ending of the novel.
Jessica is a genius and I’m hoping read all her books in the future. CHEERS!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2019
Interesting and breezy
I think that it's probably a funny book, even though I bailed about 6 pages in. I can't judge the writing fairly because of how early I bailed but it was pleasantly exuberant. It starts out with a husband caught watching ghost porn. I was sort of hooked at the first page, a story like that I had to try.
I got totally turned around trying to understand what relationships I was seeing and what gender the characters were owning. It's my failing because of my early confusion and if the book continues in the same vein, it should be a hoot. Meanwhile I have to work on my apparent gender issues.
I think that it's probably a funny book, even though I bailed about 6 pages in. I can't judge the writing fairly because of how early I bailed but it was pleasantly exuberant. It starts out with a husband caught watching ghost porn. I was sort of hooked at the first page, a story like that I had to try.
I got totally turned around trying to understand what relationships I was seeing and what gender the characters were owning. It's my failing because of my early confusion and if the book continues in the same vein, it should be a hoot. Meanwhile I have to work on my apparent gender issues.
February 22, 2021
A sweet book with a lot of heart, though to me it reads almost like a collection of short stories (almost the way autobiographies do). For my taste there's a bit too much backstory, not enough narrative thread guiding the reader through, but the characters remind me of so many friends, the jokes are funnier than they have a right to be, and eventually the plot does come together, all the details aligning.
A really good debut, showing a heck of a lot of potential. I look forward to reading more.
A really good debut, showing a heck of a lot of potential. I look forward to reading more.
May 29, 2021
Jessica’s characters jump off the page and drag you into their world.
I always love Jessica’s characters. No matter how traumatic their lives may be they seem very real like you could extend a finger and poke them. I love Abra and Calliope. Delightful names.
I always love Jessica’s characters. No matter how traumatic their lives may be they seem very real like you could extend a finger and poke them. I love Abra and Calliope. Delightful names.
January 30, 2025
DNF, stopping at 18% with yet more mundane things I don't care about taking up space. It is that kind of novel, which means just that this book isn't for me. Ah well. Two stars for prose and editing, anyway. :)
August 9, 2020
A story of love, friendship, happiness, sadness, loss, and all the inbetweens life has to offer.
Abra a beautiful transgender and her pals run a hotspot called Cluster where inclusivity reigns supreme. It is an unique place in small town Washington.
Embrace your inner geek and differences, celebrating life along with this tale. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And you'll be welcomed into this beautiful group of misfits.
Abra a beautiful transgender and her pals run a hotspot called Cluster where inclusivity reigns supreme. It is an unique place in small town Washington.
Embrace your inner geek and differences, celebrating life along with this tale. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And you'll be welcomed into this beautiful group of misfits.
August 27, 2019
A beautiful story of love, loss, and personal triumph in a world that is often set against us. Tragic, funny, lovely, transcendent. This story expanded my understanding of humanity and relationships. I am a better person having read it. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews