Green Glass Ghosts

by Rae Spoon, Gem Hall (Illustrations)

At age nineteen, the queer narrator of Green Glass Ghosts steps off a bus in downtown Vancouver, a city where the faceless condo towers of the wealthy loom over the streets to the east where folks are just trying to get by, against the deceptively beautiful backdrop of snow-capped mountains and sparkling ocean. It's the year 2000, and the world is still mostly analogue--pagers are the best way to get ahold of someone and resumes are printed out on paper and dropped off in person, and what's this new fad called webmail?

Our hopeful hero arrives on the West Coast on the cusp of adulthood, fleeing a traumatic childhood in an unsafe family plagued by religious extremism, mental health crises, and abuse in a conservative town not known for accepting difference. They're eager to build a new life among like-minded folks, and before they know it, they've got a job, an apartment, and a relationship, dancing, busking, and making out in bars, parks, art spaces, and apartments across the city. But their search for belonging and stability is buried in drinking, jealousy, and painful memories of the past, distracting the protagonist from their ultimate goal of playing live music and spurring them to an emotional crisis. If they can't learn to care for themselves, how will they ever find true connection and community?

With haunting illustrations by Gem Hall that conjure the moody, misty urban landscape, Green Glass Ghosts is an evocation of that delicate, aching moment between youth and adulthood when we are trying, and often failing, to become the person we dream ourselves to be.

Ages 14 and up.

Genres: Queer, Canada, Young Adult, Transgender, LGBT, Fiction, Queer Lit

252 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2021

About the author

Rae Spoon is a non-binary musician, producer and author based on Lekwungen Territory (Victoria). Rae has published two books with Arsenal Pulp Press and a humorous booklet called How to (Hide) Be(hind) Your Songs. Their first book, First Spring Grass Fire, was nominated for a Lambda Literary award and the co-write Gender Failure has been translated into German and is on a fifth pressing. In spring 2014, Rae was awarded an Honour Of Distinction by the Dayne Ogilvie Prize, presented by the Writers' Trust Of Canada.

They have released ten solo albums ranging from country, folk and bluegrass to indie rock, pop and electronic. Rae has toured internationally over the past twenty years and they have been nominated for two Polaris Prizes and a Western Canada Music award. In 2015, Rae founded Coax Records in the hopes of using their experience as a marginalized artist to create more space in the music industry.

Reviews

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Green Glass Ghosts in exchange for an honest review.

This is so clearly a labour of love. Green Glass Ghosts is a slice of life story, following our 19 year old non-binary protagonist after leaving a bad home environment and finding their own found family of other queer teenagers and young adults. It deals with the drug and alcohol abuse that plagues young (and old) queer people who've dealt with similar traumas to the characters and the illustrators artful depictions of the characters as ghostly shadows really adds to the haunting, yet hopeful nature of the story.

[Danika at The Lesbrary]

When I was growing up, I'd never pictured my adult life. I knew queer people didn't do things like other people, but I've never been able to figure out how to behave. I used to think I probably wouldn't survive that long, anyway.

- Content warnings for drinking, drugs, addiction, unhealthy/abusive/toxic relationships, PTSD from childhood abuse
- Everyone is referred to with they/them pronouns, which is interesting
- I think this will appeal to fans of Zoe Whittall
- The illustrations are haunting and match the tone well. I also liked the hand-lettered pull quotes throughout

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part I was just sort of along for the ride in this story, but there was one thing that really jumped out to me. The idea that people have to be performatively queer in order to be accepted. A lot of people, myself included, don't like going to bars and clubs and being loud and obnoxious. We don't necessarily want to be non-consensually exposed to nudity in the name of queer artistic expression, etc. We just want to exist and be allowed to be the way we are, and the characters in this book observed that queer people do a lot more damage to each other in some ways than non-queer people, all because we're "supposed" to act a certain way.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter and characters in this book are ones that need to be see and heard. The story itself seemed slow and meandering. The publisher recommends this for grade 9 students and I would argue the content is much too mature for that.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Green Glass Ghosts chronicles that time in life when you're finding your way, finding yourself. Finding others and your place.
Thank you to ZG Stories for my gifted copy for review!
Canadian author Rae Spoon and illustrator Gem Hall have created a dark, honest chronicle of queer youth in Vancouver; each character looking to carve out a space of belonging and acceptance.
It's raw and real, at times uncomfortable in content yet always feeling authentic.
Our characters are talented, vulnerable and realistic, yet damaged from their pasts and coping mechanisms of the present.
It's the year 2000 and depictions of the West Coast gay community are noteworthy for differing to now, and yet so unchanged.
Green Glass Ghosts is a noteworthy work by a talented Canadian writer - I feel this is an important piece for anyone seeking to become more aware of inclusiveness and tolerance, and issues that are shared by all regardless of orientation.
For those looking to expand their outlook, or be seen - recommended.
Released on May 4 by Arsenal Pulp Press.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad to see Rae at the WORDVancouver fest online this year, and to hear they had written a new book. One of my favourite musicians, I also enjoy reading their stories and to reflect on themes like belonging, identity, creating community, expression, mental health and healing. It is so important to support and listen to unique and underrepresented voices and artists, and for people to see themselves represented in the world.

[Ashleigh Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking place in Vancouver this book goes through trials and tribulations of a young queer person first starting out in the world. After Fleeing from abuse,our main character has more and more hurdles to get through including addiction and manipulative relationships in order to find themselves.

An interesting tidbit that I enjoyed is that all pronouns in this book are gender neutral!

[Alex! · Rating 4 out of 5]

good to know that despite the 20-year-gap between our protagonist’s story and my own, Vancouver gays are still unhinged. a bit meandering, but I put up with it because every time it namedropped a street I knew I got stupidly happy.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been trying to find books set in Vancouver to get a feel for the city and so far this one has been one of the best at doing that. The plot was predictable at times but the writing was pretty good. A quick read.

[G Michaels · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this not really suitable for the recommended age group. There is smoking and alcohol references abundantly and named references to quite harmful sexual practices.

[David Ivany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Really captures what it's like living through consequential weeks as a young adult beautifully. Absolutely adored this.

[Pip Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

obsessed with everyone being referred to by they/them pronouns it felt so comforting

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotionally intelligent. Must Read.

[Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Green Glass Ghosts by Rae Spoon and illustrated by Gem Hall.

This was a good YA read. The main character is non-binary and the book is written by a non-binary author.
The book was filled with teenage angst and the confusion that comes with growing up and finding out who you are and where you belong. This felt like a very authentic and raw story of a queer youth. It is set in Vancouver in 2000.
I always love reading books by a Canadian author.
Thank you @zgstories and @arsenalpulp for the #gifted copy of this book.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Does being hurt turn you into the same kind of person as the one who hurt you?"

From reading about the unnamed narrator, I got the sense that their struggles were based on the author's experiences, which is later confirmed in the author’s note. I was looking forward to reading this book as I haven't read a lot of books that take place in Vancouver. I like how they showed (and as mentioned in the author & illustrator's note) how though many young queer people move to the West Coast for a better life, there are a number of other challenges they face there too. Green Glass Ghosts felt deeply personal and human. I'm glad I read it, as it brought up a lot of intricacies about queer communities and how one might deal with their trauma that I hadn't thought about before.

"When life was unkind to us we could choose movement, the act of leaving a place to move to another. That way, we had somewhere to go when there was nowhere we felt welcome or safe."

TWs:
(excessive drinking, drug use, suicidal thoughts)