What do you think?
Rate this book
The Queering
Trapped between a homicidal brother and a homophobic podcaster eager to reveal her lesbian romance novels, a seventy-year-old grandmother seeks help in Clear, Alaska.
Suffocating in a loveless marriage and lonely existence, Taylor MacKenzie lives only through her writing, using the pen name Brooke Skipstone, her best friend in college and lover before her death in 1974.
Afraid of being murdered before anyone in her family or community knows her life story, Taylor writes an autobiography about her time with Brooke and shares it with those closest to her, hoping for understanding and acceptance.
Accused of promoting the queering and debasement of America by a local podcaster, Taylor embroils the conservative community in controversy but fights back with the help of a new, surprising friend.
Can she endure the attacks from haters and gaslighters? Can she champion the queering she represents?
And will she survive?
Suffocating in a loveless marriage and lonely existence, Taylor MacKenzie lives only through her writing, using the pen name Brooke Skipstone, her best friend in college and lover before her death in 1974.
Afraid of being murdered before anyone in her family or community knows her life story, Taylor writes an autobiography about her time with Brooke and shares it with those closest to her, hoping for understanding and acceptance.
Accused of promoting the queering and debasement of America by a local podcaster, Taylor embroils the conservative community in controversy but fights back with the help of a new, surprising friend.
Can she endure the attacks from haters and gaslighters? Can she champion the queering she represents?
And will she survive?
318 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2023
22 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
About the author
Brooke Skipstone
5 books74 followersBrooke Skipstone is a multi-award-winning author who lives in Alaska where she watches the mountains change colors with the seasons from her balcony. Where she feels the constant rush toward winter as the sunlight wanes for six months of the year, seven minutes each day, bringing crushing cold that lingers even as the sun climbs again. Where the burst of life during summer is urgent under twenty-four-hour daylight, lush and decadent. Where fish swim hundreds of miles up rivers past bear claws and nets and wheels and lines of rubber-clad combat fishers, arriving humped and ragged, dying as they spawn. Where danger from the land and its animals exhilarates the senses, forcing her to appreciate the difference between life and death. Where the edge between is sometimes too alluring.
The Queering is her fifth novel. Visit her website at https://www.brookeskipstone.com for information about her first four novels—The Moonstone Girls, Crystal's House of Queers, Some Laneys Died, and Someone To Kiss My Scars.
The Queering is her fifth novel. Visit her website at https://www.brookeskipstone.com for information about her first four novels—The Moonstone Girls, Crystal's House of Queers, Some Laneys Died, and Someone To Kiss My Scars.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
December 4, 2022
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. And although I really appreciated the rare opportunity to read about queer women in their 70s, there were a lot of things that just didn't sit right with me.
There wasn't a single decent male character. Every single one of them (with maybe one tiny exception) was a homophobic, racist, abusive PoS. There were some parts of the story that felt unrealistic, especially the end. There were parts that sounded like they were taken out from a "Home alone" movie. The relationships between the characters developed too quick and lacked background, lacked build-up.
There were attempts to make the narrative sound very "woke" and politicize it by portraying certain complex beliefs as the obviously proper ones for any reasonable person to have according to the author.
All of those issues just turned it into a pretty odd mix for me.
I appreciated the good intentions to write a supportive and inclusive book that sheds a light on homophobia and the many ways it can negatively affect the health and well-being of a community that has zero social support.
I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There wasn't a single decent male character. Every single one of them (with maybe one tiny exception) was a homophobic, racist, abusive PoS. There were some parts of the story that felt unrealistic, especially the end. There were parts that sounded like they were taken out from a "Home alone" movie. The relationships between the characters developed too quick and lacked background, lacked build-up.
There were attempts to make the narrative sound very "woke" and politicize it by portraying certain complex beliefs as the obviously proper ones for any reasonable person to have according to the author.
All of those issues just turned it into a pretty odd mix for me.
I appreciated the good intentions to write a supportive and inclusive book that sheds a light on homophobia and the many ways it can negatively affect the health and well-being of a community that has zero social support.
I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 16, 2022
A story spanning decades of time, fueled by loss and love, The Queering is a totally unique read that I could not put down. Taylor Baird McKenzie, a high school teacher in her seventies with a husband and grandchildren, has some big secrets. She writes queer fiction under a pen name, something nobody in her small Alaskan town knows except for her student Grace. She sees a lot of herself in Grace, a young lesbian under the thumb of an ignorant and dangerous father.
Secrets, first loves, and cruel patriarchal structures weave their way throughout the two timelines in which this story is told. Back in the seventies, Taylor was once a young woman in love with her best friend Brooke coming to terms with how the world saw and treated relationships like theirs. In the present, she gets a second chance at life when she finds a group of queer ladies who want to help in protecting each other against the cruel men in their lives who insist on what they’re doing is wrong.
The Queering is a beautiful story of hope and exactly the kind of YA Fiction that the genre needs more of. The characters are captivating and well-written, their stories full of heartbreak, romance, bravery, and finding places where they fit in the world.
Secrets, first loves, and cruel patriarchal structures weave their way throughout the two timelines in which this story is told. Back in the seventies, Taylor was once a young woman in love with her best friend Brooke coming to terms with how the world saw and treated relationships like theirs. In the present, she gets a second chance at life when she finds a group of queer ladies who want to help in protecting each other against the cruel men in their lives who insist on what they’re doing is wrong.
The Queering is a beautiful story of hope and exactly the kind of YA Fiction that the genre needs more of. The characters are captivating and well-written, their stories full of heartbreak, romance, bravery, and finding places where they fit in the world.
January 19, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and Skipstone publishing for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
This novel was like nothing I've read before. I was immersed from the beginning and intrigued til the last page.
I love the way we followed the protagonist during two different time periods of her life. Today Taylor, a professor in her seventies, has written a book about her life and one true lost love at a young age.
I enjoyed both time lines but I was honestly much more interested in reading the story of how she fell in love with her best friend and how their relationship evolved. I found myself just wanting to get to those parts. It was fascinating reading about Taylors life in the 70's falling in love with the same sex. How they had to deal with the complexities that came with this in society.
Overall I found The Queering to be a thought provoking, emotional, interesting book.
I would like to thank Brooke Skipstone for writing a book that covers some very important issues and I think does a good job at raising awareness for some of the prejudices that we face in the LGBTQ+ community. Both today and in the past.
This novel was like nothing I've read before. I was immersed from the beginning and intrigued til the last page.
I love the way we followed the protagonist during two different time periods of her life. Today Taylor, a professor in her seventies, has written a book about her life and one true lost love at a young age.
I enjoyed both time lines but I was honestly much more interested in reading the story of how she fell in love with her best friend and how their relationship evolved. I found myself just wanting to get to those parts. It was fascinating reading about Taylors life in the 70's falling in love with the same sex. How they had to deal with the complexities that came with this in society.
Overall I found The Queering to be a thought provoking, emotional, interesting book.
I would like to thank Brooke Skipstone for writing a book that covers some very important issues and I think does a good job at raising awareness for some of the prejudices that we face in the LGBTQ+ community. Both today and in the past.
November 18, 2022
This is a beautifully tragic and intensely immersive novel. The two plotlines from different times intertwine through themes and characters, and the characterisation as a whole is incredible. I found myself caring so much about Taylor, Brooke, Grace, Maddi and Shannon, and it's one of those novels that just feels authentic, raw and powerful. Definitely an excellent LGBTQ+ read and not one that I'll soon forget.
November 21, 2022
This was an incredible read that was so fresh and original and I just couldn't put it down. It is well written with a riveting storyline that was constantly engaging there was never a time hen I felt like it slipped or lulled. The characters are incredibly well developed and I felt like I was right there with them.
This book had everything from stereotyping, prejusdice, discrimihnation, homophobia, romance, drama, family dynamics, family drama and so much more that made this for emotive reading at times but also made this book what it is. I loved it,
This book had everything from stereotyping, prejusdice, discrimihnation, homophobia, romance, drama, family dynamics, family drama and so much more that made this for emotive reading at times but also made this book what it is. I loved it,
November 13, 2022
Brooke Skipstone’ writing style is intriguing, one of a kind. She started chapter one with this: “No one in the world is actually named Brooke Skipstone.” This is a fantastic hook, and it caught my attention immediately. At first I was a bit confused, but I continued reading because I wanted to know more.
Chapter one sets the tone for the story as the main character, Taylor Baird Mackenzie, is introduced. Taylor is a high school substitute teacher who writes secretly under the pen name Brooke Skipstone, in remembrance of her lover, who died almost fifty years prior. Taylor has been writing lesbian liberation and coming of age books, something unexpected for someone her age, especially one that is married to a man. She has kept the secret for years, but the truth was finally coming out slowly.
Taylor’s student, Grace, approaches her and reveals that she knew her secret. Grace inquired about Taylor’s life, and Taylor shares a bit of the story with her. Taylor shares her unfinished story with Grace and, through Grace reading the book, we were able to learn more about Taylor’s relationship with Brooke and more about her homicidal brother, Austin, who wants her death.
I really don’t want to get into the story beyond this point, because I want this fascinating piece of art to unfold like magic right before your eyes, as it did mine. Just read the book and enjoy the story for yourself. I will add that this book was fun to read. I loved the suspense and mystery throughout the story. The concept of a story within a story was very appealing to me. What I love most is that the author managed to wrap me around her finger, having me question whether this book is a work of fiction or reality..
Highly recommend!
Chapter one sets the tone for the story as the main character, Taylor Baird Mackenzie, is introduced. Taylor is a high school substitute teacher who writes secretly under the pen name Brooke Skipstone, in remembrance of her lover, who died almost fifty years prior. Taylor has been writing lesbian liberation and coming of age books, something unexpected for someone her age, especially one that is married to a man. She has kept the secret for years, but the truth was finally coming out slowly.
Taylor’s student, Grace, approaches her and reveals that she knew her secret. Grace inquired about Taylor’s life, and Taylor shares a bit of the story with her. Taylor shares her unfinished story with Grace and, through Grace reading the book, we were able to learn more about Taylor’s relationship with Brooke and more about her homicidal brother, Austin, who wants her death.
I really don’t want to get into the story beyond this point, because I want this fascinating piece of art to unfold like magic right before your eyes, as it did mine. Just read the book and enjoy the story for yourself. I will add that this book was fun to read. I loved the suspense and mystery throughout the story. The concept of a story within a story was very appealing to me. What I love most is that the author managed to wrap me around her finger, having me question whether this book is a work of fiction or reality..
Highly recommend!
November 17, 2022
I’ve had the opportunity to read this manuscript from the author herself, but this review is a completely honest, unbiased opinion.
I don’t even know where to start from, the beginning, when the protagonist grabs your attention, or the story of pain, love, redemption and reclaiming your own identity that it develops into. “The Queering” follows Taylor throughout her two eras, the one that precedes a tragedy after which the protagonist’s fall into conformity, and later on Taylor taking things into her own hands and contributing to the reclamation of the term “queer”.
It shows the duality of the word and how it transitioned into something beautiful today. It’s an ode to the past, and shows the transition from constricted, fearful, angry, to the present timeline when all the rights won need to be defended and expanded upon. Sprinkle in some badass grandmas, fearless teenagers representing new generations, Alaskan snow, and very dark antagonists (you will curse out at the pages because we all know these kinds of people)-you’ve got yourself a “I just can’t put this book down” story.
All this being said, and I am still only scratching the surface. It’s a complex tale, imperfect characters drawing you in, and the most important thing for me-a moving message of hope that it’s never too late to raise your flag and fight for both people who are long gone, the future generations and ourselves.
I don’t even know where to start from, the beginning, when the protagonist grabs your attention, or the story of pain, love, redemption and reclaiming your own identity that it develops into. “The Queering” follows Taylor throughout her two eras, the one that precedes a tragedy after which the protagonist’s fall into conformity, and later on Taylor taking things into her own hands and contributing to the reclamation of the term “queer”.
It shows the duality of the word and how it transitioned into something beautiful today. It’s an ode to the past, and shows the transition from constricted, fearful, angry, to the present timeline when all the rights won need to be defended and expanded upon. Sprinkle in some badass grandmas, fearless teenagers representing new generations, Alaskan snow, and very dark antagonists (you will curse out at the pages because we all know these kinds of people)-you’ve got yourself a “I just can’t put this book down” story.
All this being said, and I am still only scratching the surface. It’s a complex tale, imperfect characters drawing you in, and the most important thing for me-a moving message of hope that it’s never too late to raise your flag and fight for both people who are long gone, the future generations and ourselves.
November 9, 2022
I loved the way the book is written, addictive and quick to read. It handles real topics specially about the LGBTQ+ community. Taylor’s fear and frustration could be felt at every moment as well as happiness and love. We also have a bit of mystery and revenge in this book.
I really like that the characters are gray. They made mistakes. You get to feel a connection with them and understand the sacrifices and the things they had to hide in their past.
My favorite part was the excerpts from Brooke's biography, I also really liked the bond that Taylor and Grace managed to form through the pages. Maddie and Grace were so sweet. And Shannon, she’s the best Gram.
This story is about overcoming and the grays in life. About family and love. Of growth and acceptance. Of how there’re still prejudices, homophobia, ignorance towards people of the LGBTQ+ community. But it also teaches us about fighting for our happiness, being proud and loving ourselves, as well as having hope for a better future for the new generations.
Highly recommended, with many important quotes I really love like this one:
“You girls are better human beings because you’ve broken free from the continual pressure to fit into stereotypes.”
I know I’ll remember Taylor, Brooke and Grace for a long time. And I’ll probably come back to this story many times in the future.
I really like that the characters are gray. They made mistakes. You get to feel a connection with them and understand the sacrifices and the things they had to hide in their past.
My favorite part was the excerpts from Brooke's biography, I also really liked the bond that Taylor and Grace managed to form through the pages. Maddie and Grace were so sweet. And Shannon, she’s the best Gram.
This story is about overcoming and the grays in life. About family and love. Of growth and acceptance. Of how there’re still prejudices, homophobia, ignorance towards people of the LGBTQ+ community. But it also teaches us about fighting for our happiness, being proud and loving ourselves, as well as having hope for a better future for the new generations.
Highly recommended, with many important quotes I really love like this one:
“You girls are better human beings because you’ve broken free from the continual pressure to fit into stereotypes.”
I know I’ll remember Taylor, Brooke and Grace for a long time. And I’ll probably come back to this story many times in the future.
November 10, 2022
A shockingly riveting read about a woman in her golden years realizing herself. I expected to be romanced (and I was,) but I did not expect to be on the edge of my seat, unable to tell what was coming next. Hats off to this author for holding nothing back and for giving the world a beautiful story about love, loss and ultimately hope.
October 21, 2022
The Queering is a young adult romance by Brooke Skipstone. Taylor Baird MacKenzie is a seventy-year-old grandmother and substitute teacher who has been writing lesbian romance novels. After the heartbreaking loss of her friend and lover in her youth, Brooke Skipstone, Taylor was pressured into a straight marriage. Decades later, she decides to write about her most fulfilling romance, but she isn’t emboldened enough to put her name on the work, electing to use the name of her past lover as her pseudonym. Taylor befriends an eighteen-year-old student, Grace, who is having trouble revealing her feelings in public, and she reads Taylor’s newest work-in-progress about the real Brooke Skipstone and her tragic death. Fear of her homicidal brother has prompted Taylor to complete her newest project, and she hopes to share her true feelings with those closest to her before her brother makes good on his promise to kill her.
Once in a while, readers will find stories where the author hasn’t been afraid to discuss real-life situations and the social conflict in certain parts of the world. This novel is one of them. From homosexuality to COVID, Brooke Skipstone explores the heart-breaking reality of families divided politically and emotionally. Whether they identify with the LGBTQ+ community or they support them, readers may feel The Queering is a validation of their thoughts and feelings, with the detailed dialog outlining the views of differing perspectives. The militant opinions are terrifying and recognizable, and the victims of the clashes will remain in the minds and hearts of readers long after the last page is read. Brooke Skipstone keeps her readers engaged with explosive dialog and believable characters. The Queering is a good book for mature readers who want to burst through gentle allusions and safe references and dive into the realities that the gay community faces and has faced.
Once in a while, readers will find stories where the author hasn’t been afraid to discuss real-life situations and the social conflict in certain parts of the world. This novel is one of them. From homosexuality to COVID, Brooke Skipstone explores the heart-breaking reality of families divided politically and emotionally. Whether they identify with the LGBTQ+ community or they support them, readers may feel The Queering is a validation of their thoughts and feelings, with the detailed dialog outlining the views of differing perspectives. The militant opinions are terrifying and recognizable, and the victims of the clashes will remain in the minds and hearts of readers long after the last page is read. Brooke Skipstone keeps her readers engaged with explosive dialog and believable characters. The Queering is a good book for mature readers who want to burst through gentle allusions and safe references and dive into the realities that the gay community faces and has faced.
November 11, 2022
The Queering by Brooke Skipstone
Thank you Netgalley and Skipstone publishing for an arc for an unbiased review.
If asked to try to describe the book in one word my answer would be; riveting.
This book opens with a story that immediately grabbed my attention, and it didn't let go until I'd finished the book. Actually that isn't truly accurate, because after I finished it I was still thinking about it, so it still had me gripped even after the last page.
Think of this of a coming of age story, but in two completely separate decades and ways, but for the same person.
The one who might've lived a more authentic life had things turned out differently when they were younger, to someone who as a 70 year old Grandmother, decides to open up that authentic life in perhaps the most public way possible. Doing so isn't without its own dangers. Add in a vengeful brother and a homophobic podcaster, and you've got just the right amount of intrigue.
Those last few paragraphs of the book though were so joyful and heartening.
The writing was such that it gave voice to each character, so you deeply cared about the ones you needed to, dislike or ambivalence towards others. It showed realism on your fears, is both funny and tragic, joyous and sad, but most of all - riveting.
This book is surely deserving of a wider audience. While it is LGBTQIA in nature, it has a lot many can take from the pages, and that for me is always a sign of great writing.
A book I will surely read again, gift out and recommend to others.
5/5 stars 🌟 easily given.
Thank you Netgalley and Skipstone publishing for an arc for an unbiased review.
If asked to try to describe the book in one word my answer would be; riveting.
This book opens with a story that immediately grabbed my attention, and it didn't let go until I'd finished the book. Actually that isn't truly accurate, because after I finished it I was still thinking about it, so it still had me gripped even after the last page.
Think of this of a coming of age story, but in two completely separate decades and ways, but for the same person.
The one who might've lived a more authentic life had things turned out differently when they were younger, to someone who as a 70 year old Grandmother, decides to open up that authentic life in perhaps the most public way possible. Doing so isn't without its own dangers. Add in a vengeful brother and a homophobic podcaster, and you've got just the right amount of intrigue.
Those last few paragraphs of the book though were so joyful and heartening.
The writing was such that it gave voice to each character, so you deeply cared about the ones you needed to, dislike or ambivalence towards others. It showed realism on your fears, is both funny and tragic, joyous and sad, but most of all - riveting.
This book is surely deserving of a wider audience. While it is LGBTQIA in nature, it has a lot many can take from the pages, and that for me is always a sign of great writing.
A book I will surely read again, gift out and recommend to others.
5/5 stars 🌟 easily given.
November 18, 2022
A 70-year-old grandmother and author is afraid of being killed by her brother after his release from prison. No one in her family knows of his existence or that she writes lesbian romances. She doesn’t want to die by his hand without her story being known. Taylor Baird MacKenzie hopes that someone in her community and family will read her autobiography about her relationship with Brooke Skipstone and help her avoid her brother’s revenge.
This book is impossible to put down. The characters are beautifully realized, and the conflict is ever-present. Besides the touching romances, family drama, and bad-ass Alaskan women, this book delves into current politics, including the new war against the LGBTQ+ community. Here’s an excerpt:
“We need to eliminate the mindset that being straight is normal, and we’re abnormal. I’ve lived most of my life believing that shit, and I won’t allow you to do the same. You girls are better human beings because you’ve broken free from the continual pressure to fit into stereotypes.”
“Compulsory heterosexuality,” Shannon said.
“Exactly,” Taylor agreed with a firm nod. “Girls are socialized from babies to adults to believe women have a natural preference for relationships with men. And guess why?”
“So they’ll believe they need men,” Grace said.
This story will make you laugh, cry, and think.
This book is impossible to put down. The characters are beautifully realized, and the conflict is ever-present. Besides the touching romances, family drama, and bad-ass Alaskan women, this book delves into current politics, including the new war against the LGBTQ+ community. Here’s an excerpt:
“We need to eliminate the mindset that being straight is normal, and we’re abnormal. I’ve lived most of my life believing that shit, and I won’t allow you to do the same. You girls are better human beings because you’ve broken free from the continual pressure to fit into stereotypes.”
“Compulsory heterosexuality,” Shannon said.
“Exactly,” Taylor agreed with a firm nod. “Girls are socialized from babies to adults to believe women have a natural preference for relationships with men. And guess why?”
“So they’ll believe they need men,” Grace said.
This story will make you laugh, cry, and think.
November 6, 2022
This story pulls you in from the first line and never lets you go. No one is named Brooke Skipstone? But she’s the author, isn’t she? We learn that Brooke was best friends with Taylor Baird in college before they graduated in 1974. Tragically, Brooke died during the trip to Oregon to take theatre jobs–two days after becoming Taylor’s lover.
This story is told through a book within a book, one which Taylor writes in 2022 to explain her past and current situation to her family and community. Why? Because her brother has just been released from prison and wants to kill her.
When the local Alex Jones wannabe, homophobic podcaster learns that Taylor has written several lesbian romances under the pen name Brooke Skipstone, he turns her into a pariah who must be stopped. The problem is, this podcaster has secrets of his own.
The story is riveting, funny, sexy, tragic, and joyous.
This story is told through a book within a book, one which Taylor writes in 2022 to explain her past and current situation to her family and community. Why? Because her brother has just been released from prison and wants to kill her.
When the local Alex Jones wannabe, homophobic podcaster learns that Taylor has written several lesbian romances under the pen name Brooke Skipstone, he turns her into a pariah who must be stopped. The problem is, this podcaster has secrets of his own.
The story is riveting, funny, sexy, tragic, and joyous.
November 7, 2022
From friends to lovers, but only for two days before a tragic death. Then 48 years of keeping secrets from her husband and kids and eventually grandkids. Until Taylor Baird MacKenzie receives notice that her brother will be released from prison in February. It is now March, and Taylor is afraid he will kill her and no one will know why.
What does she do? Purposely blow her cover as an author of lesbian romances. And write a book about her last days with Brooke Skipstone. And hope a miracle happens in a small, conservative town in Alaska where a homophobic podcaster is eager to spew hate toward Taylor and blame her for the Queering of America.
But Taylor finds allies and friends, and maybe even another lover at age seventy.
Such a good story of murder, revenge, courage, and the possibility of open, joyous, queer love.
What does she do? Purposely blow her cover as an author of lesbian romances. And write a book about her last days with Brooke Skipstone. And hope a miracle happens in a small, conservative town in Alaska where a homophobic podcaster is eager to spew hate toward Taylor and blame her for the Queering of America.
But Taylor finds allies and friends, and maybe even another lover at age seventy.
Such a good story of murder, revenge, courage, and the possibility of open, joyous, queer love.
June 22, 2023
Nice Idea, But…
The premise seemed great: a pair of 70-year-olds finding love and blazing a trail for their gay grandchildren, all while trying to keep from getting killed. Nah.
The characters were so shallow that I kept thinking, “Now who was that?” Moreover, the men were all completely evil, perverted, and fundamentally stupid. Add to that the unthinkably wrong idea of a teacher giving a student a sexually explicit book.
The situations in the book were pretty unrealistic, too. To have teenagers be threatened with death and to see a person shot and killed and basically have no reaction? Nope.
The characters developed intense relationships with no preamble, and I’m probably getting old, but I found the sex scenes a bit crass and porn-like.
In general, I’d kinda like to ask for my time back.
The premise seemed great: a pair of 70-year-olds finding love and blazing a trail for their gay grandchildren, all while trying to keep from getting killed. Nah.
The characters were so shallow that I kept thinking, “Now who was that?” Moreover, the men were all completely evil, perverted, and fundamentally stupid. Add to that the unthinkably wrong idea of a teacher giving a student a sexually explicit book.
The situations in the book were pretty unrealistic, too. To have teenagers be threatened with death and to see a person shot and killed and basically have no reaction? Nope.
The characters developed intense relationships with no preamble, and I’m probably getting old, but I found the sex scenes a bit crass and porn-like.
In general, I’d kinda like to ask for my time back.
January 5, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this before its release later this month 🙏
TW: Covid, homophobia, racism, death, guns
Minimal spoilers.
A book within a book.
A beautiful and tragic story.
"If you read this, you may understand that two women can truly love each other. And those who hate queers are a threat to everyone."
I was immediately hooked by the first page of this book. It drew me in and never let go. It's interesting and a bit of a breath of fresh air to be reading from the perspective of an older queer (closeted) woman, who found love in the 1970s and has since been bullied into being straight. I immediately loved the connection that Taylor has with Grace, as well as reading Grace's perspective.
From the very beginning, I absolutely loved side characters Shannon/Gram, Grace and Maddie. And the story progressed, I wished that they were all my badass friends, including Taylor.
This book is so much more than I imagined it would be. It's happy, sad, exhausting, fear inducing, and nerve wracking. But it's also breathtaking.
Throughout the entirety of the book, I just want to hug Taylor and to bring Brooke back to her. Neither of them deserved what they endured. But no one could bring Brooke back, and I'm glad that eventually, Taylor was able to let her go; to find peace.
The Queering is truly a masterpiece. As a reader, you get a glimpse of what it was like to be queer in the 70s, as well as present time, in a small, rural town in Alaska. Things have changed, but they also haven't. It's a true insight on what it's like to live in queer America.
This book had me laughing, sobbing and gasping in shock. Everyone needs to read it and I'll possibly never shut up about it.
As a queer woman growing up in rural America, I felt seen by this book, and I hope so many queer individuals do as well.
"Living in a family like ours fosters hope and determination to call out wrong and do whatever we can to correct it."
Anyone who reads this will be in for a treat.
TW: Covid, homophobia, racism, death, guns
Minimal spoilers.
A book within a book.
A beautiful and tragic story.
"If you read this, you may understand that two women can truly love each other. And those who hate queers are a threat to everyone."
I was immediately hooked by the first page of this book. It drew me in and never let go. It's interesting and a bit of a breath of fresh air to be reading from the perspective of an older queer (closeted) woman, who found love in the 1970s and has since been bullied into being straight. I immediately loved the connection that Taylor has with Grace, as well as reading Grace's perspective.
From the very beginning, I absolutely loved side characters Shannon/Gram, Grace and Maddie. And the story progressed, I wished that they were all my badass friends, including Taylor.
This book is so much more than I imagined it would be. It's happy, sad, exhausting, fear inducing, and nerve wracking. But it's also breathtaking.
Throughout the entirety of the book, I just want to hug Taylor and to bring Brooke back to her. Neither of them deserved what they endured. But no one could bring Brooke back, and I'm glad that eventually, Taylor was able to let her go; to find peace.
The Queering is truly a masterpiece. As a reader, you get a glimpse of what it was like to be queer in the 70s, as well as present time, in a small, rural town in Alaska. Things have changed, but they also haven't. It's a true insight on what it's like to live in queer America.
This book had me laughing, sobbing and gasping in shock. Everyone needs to read it and I'll possibly never shut up about it.
As a queer woman growing up in rural America, I felt seen by this book, and I hope so many queer individuals do as well.
"Living in a family like ours fosters hope and determination to call out wrong and do whatever we can to correct it."
Anyone who reads this will be in for a treat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2022
The Queering is a critical commentary on the evolving LGBTQ scene and a celebration of queer love in the face of patriarchy. It's a tale of love and loss and loneliness and isolation.
Taylor Baird MacKenzie is a seventy-year-old, unhappily married woman who lives in a very conservative community where revealing her true sexual identity and desires would result in ridicule, being ostracized, physically endangered, and perhaps even death.
Woven into the tale is another thread about Taylor's brother, Austin, who was recently released from prison, and is attempting to locate her. Unfortunately, there is bad blood between them, and his release, along with the fear of a local podcaster divulging her secret sexual proclivities in an attempt to destroy her, has uprooted her existence.
This is a visceral tale of a complicated existence and acceptance of love, lust, and danger. It's bleak at times, occasionally funny, and unapologetically raw.
This novel pulls at your senses and demands your attention, even as it behaves in an alluringly crass and gross way. The Queering is not an easy book to read, but it is an extremely rewarding one. It is full of twists and turns and a lesbian novel with endless backstabbing, revenge, and an agenda to educate cishet readers of the eggshells that LGBTQ+ people walk on every day.
Skipstone's novel will leave you thinking about family, independence and interdependence, gender, and sexuality. It's an addictive read with its trainwreck relationships—the kind you can't quite resist, about flawed main characters, and about the mistakes we all make when we are dumb and young.
Can Taylor finally find the freedom, love, and acceptance denied to her for such a long time? This is a novel that will leave you thinking about the frailties and complexities of our existence.
Taylor Baird MacKenzie is a seventy-year-old, unhappily married woman who lives in a very conservative community where revealing her true sexual identity and desires would result in ridicule, being ostracized, physically endangered, and perhaps even death.
Woven into the tale is another thread about Taylor's brother, Austin, who was recently released from prison, and is attempting to locate her. Unfortunately, there is bad blood between them, and his release, along with the fear of a local podcaster divulging her secret sexual proclivities in an attempt to destroy her, has uprooted her existence.
This is a visceral tale of a complicated existence and acceptance of love, lust, and danger. It's bleak at times, occasionally funny, and unapologetically raw.
This novel pulls at your senses and demands your attention, even as it behaves in an alluringly crass and gross way. The Queering is not an easy book to read, but it is an extremely rewarding one. It is full of twists and turns and a lesbian novel with endless backstabbing, revenge, and an agenda to educate cishet readers of the eggshells that LGBTQ+ people walk on every day.
Skipstone's novel will leave you thinking about family, independence and interdependence, gender, and sexuality. It's an addictive read with its trainwreck relationships—the kind you can't quite resist, about flawed main characters, and about the mistakes we all make when we are dumb and young.
Can Taylor finally find the freedom, love, and acceptance denied to her for such a long time? This is a novel that will leave you thinking about the frailties and complexities of our existence.
November 25, 2022
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*
I am a bit on the fence about this book. On the one hand, this story of finding queer pride and fighting for one's place in society was quite empowering, gripping, and wholesome. On the other hand, "The Queering" features not a single good male character. While I'm all for female empowerment, I found it quite sad that the only queer main characters were women and that there did not seem to be any queer men, really. All men in this novel were terrible, no helpful allies, nothing, it seemed quite limiting -- I would've liked to see more trans people, non-binary characters, hell even some gay men, give me diversity. I also liked the found family trope but I thought that the relationships between the characters evolved way too fast and were quite unrealistic overall. The main character also did not feel like a 70yo grandmother to me, she felt much younger. In addition, the novel tries too much, it sometimes reads like the draft of a novel that still needs to be expanded and filled with details,background story. But it was also very gripping, the narrative situation really forces the reader to keep reading in order to find out why this grandma is afraid of being killed by her brother because of something that happened 48 years ago. In contrast, I would really be interested in somebody with a background in law to look at this novel because especially the climax / ending felt unrealistic. I liked the meta aspects of a writer assuming a pen name on the narrative level and then Brooke Skipstone being the pen name of the actual author of the novel itself. Fun twits.
3.5 stars
I am a bit on the fence about this book. On the one hand, this story of finding queer pride and fighting for one's place in society was quite empowering, gripping, and wholesome. On the other hand, "The Queering" features not a single good male character. While I'm all for female empowerment, I found it quite sad that the only queer main characters were women and that there did not seem to be any queer men, really. All men in this novel were terrible, no helpful allies, nothing, it seemed quite limiting -- I would've liked to see more trans people, non-binary characters, hell even some gay men, give me diversity. I also liked the found family trope but I thought that the relationships between the characters evolved way too fast and were quite unrealistic overall. The main character also did not feel like a 70yo grandmother to me, she felt much younger. In addition, the novel tries too much, it sometimes reads like the draft of a novel that still needs to be expanded and filled with details,background story. But it was also very gripping, the narrative situation really forces the reader to keep reading in order to find out why this grandma is afraid of being killed by her brother because of something that happened 48 years ago. In contrast, I would really be interested in somebody with a background in law to look at this novel because especially the climax / ending felt unrealistic. I liked the meta aspects of a writer assuming a pen name on the narrative level and then Brooke Skipstone being the pen name of the actual author of the novel itself. Fun twits.
3.5 stars
February 9, 2023
‘The Queering’ has to be one of the most original plotlines I have read in a while and once I got my head around the concept of Brooke Skipstone being the writer of the physical book I was holding, but the MC was an author who had penned books under the Skipstone pen name, I enjoyed this book immensely. The premise of Taylor writing her own personal tragedy for all to read is really such a powerful and driving force that addresses so many real life threats to queer people, especially in modern America.
Taylor has lived for decades with the pain of never being able to truly live and love as herself after the people that should have protected her turned against her all because she was in love with her best friend. There were moments that felt so agonisingly poignant in this novel but also there were moments of carefree joy as Taylor opens her heart again to young Grace and her grandmother.
My only issue with this story was the way that it was very extreme in some of its characterisation, Skipstone focuses almost primarily on lesbian characters and this book would have felt so much richer to include individuals from across the broader LGBTQIA+ spectrum. The pace is very fast in this story so although I felt the themes were very current and extremely important to be discussed, the speed at which things unfolded in the novel prevented me from really connecting to the plot in full. Overall a truly fresh and thought provoking story.
Taylor has lived for decades with the pain of never being able to truly live and love as herself after the people that should have protected her turned against her all because she was in love with her best friend. There were moments that felt so agonisingly poignant in this novel but also there were moments of carefree joy as Taylor opens her heart again to young Grace and her grandmother.
My only issue with this story was the way that it was very extreme in some of its characterisation, Skipstone focuses almost primarily on lesbian characters and this book would have felt so much richer to include individuals from across the broader LGBTQIA+ spectrum. The pace is very fast in this story so although I felt the themes were very current and extremely important to be discussed, the speed at which things unfolded in the novel prevented me from really connecting to the plot in full. Overall a truly fresh and thought provoking story.
December 6, 2022
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I loved some parts of it, but it was bogged down by inconsistent writing. Some moments were written beautifully, but most of the novel's flow was choppy and full of cliche dialogue. I also feel like too much happened. Twists and turns kept on piling up with little-to-no explanation, feeling forced and rushed.
What I did like about this book was its message. The author worked hard to deconstruct the gender and sexuality binary and showed LGBTQ+ (specifically lesbian) platonic and romantic relationships in a positive way. It was also a good to see an older adult exploring sexuality, which is not something that much media does.
Overall, I wish the writing was better because it takes away from the amazing parts of the book.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC.
What I did like about this book was its message. The author worked hard to deconstruct the gender and sexuality binary and showed LGBTQ+ (specifically lesbian) platonic and romantic relationships in a positive way. It was also a good to see an older adult exploring sexuality, which is not something that much media does.
Overall, I wish the writing was better because it takes away from the amazing parts of the book.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC.
January 11, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Wow! That was an emotional whirlwind. Although it took me a little while to get into it, once it started to pick up, I couldn't put it down. It had all my favorite elements of thrillers with the satisfaction of a happy ending. I do feel like it was a little too long, and I began to lose interest towards the end. There was also a decision Taylor made in regards to how she handled a situation with her grandchildren/son (I won't spoil it) that I didn't agree with, but other than that I loved it.
I can see The Queering being turned into a movie because of how cinematic the writing style is. I will definitely be recommending this book to all of my friends!
Wow! That was an emotional whirlwind. Although it took me a little while to get into it, once it started to pick up, I couldn't put it down. It had all my favorite elements of thrillers with the satisfaction of a happy ending. I do feel like it was a little too long, and I began to lose interest towards the end. There was also a decision Taylor made in regards to how she handled a situation with her grandchildren/son (I won't spoil it) that I didn't agree with, but other than that I loved it.
I can see The Queering being turned into a movie because of how cinematic the writing style is. I will definitely be recommending this book to all of my friends!
November 29, 2022
An exciting story from beginning to end, The Queering is extremely timely. The local podcaster spouts common tropes about the dangers of the LGBTQ+ community, similar to what anyone can hear daily on the internet and TV. Except the women in this story fight back with a vengeance. So good to see. The friends-to-lovers story of Taylor and Brooke is beautiful and tragic, affecting Taylor's life for the next 40+ years. Until she summons the courage to tell her story to her family and community, come what may. I loved this book and especially loved Taylor, Grace, Shannon, Maddi, and Brooke.
February 20, 2023
I’m not going to lie. I did not enjoy reading this book. The characters were unnaturally dramatic - almost caricatures. The dialogue seemed forced and the content traumatic. I found myself not caring about any of them and desperately wanting it to be over. This book was so triggering, I can’t even list out all the content warnings.
TLDR: a beautiful cover slapped on an uncomfortable story. If that’s your thing, this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this galley in exchange for an honest review.
TLDR: a beautiful cover slapped on an uncomfortable story. If that’s your thing, this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this galley in exchange for an honest review.
January 11, 2023
I need to be honest here. I did not finish this book.
I was already confused when I started it because the character’s name & the author’s name was the same. Then the story felt a little forced. I did like how the book showed an older adult exploring their sexuality.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I was already confused when I started it because the character’s name & the author’s name was the same. Then the story felt a little forced. I did like how the book showed an older adult exploring their sexuality.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
January 12, 2023
4/5
This was such an gripping story and a powerhouse of a book. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. It hit on so many important issues and I think this is a book everyone should read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for the ARC!
This was such an gripping story and a powerhouse of a book. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. It hit on so many important issues and I think this is a book everyone should read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for the ARC!
Read
December 6, 2022firstly this was very scary
and now i don't know what to say
Thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc
and now i don't know what to say
Thank you netgalley for providing me with this arc
March 19, 2024
1.5 stars. Oh dear. This really was a truly awful book. The plot was absurd, the characters were flimsy, the writing was clunky, the dialogue was largely nonsensical. I'm giving it an extra half star because it was populated with women, none of them heteronormative, but yikes. Fairly brutal.
January 22, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I enjoyed this book although it has been confusing at times with certain things not making much sense and I have found it hard to picture certain events happening in this book, as they didn’t seem realistic. However, I didn't like how this book had an element of foreshadowing because I feel like it ruined the element of surprise of what was about to happen. Also with how Taylor was written as well as how she spoke, she didn't come across as a 70 year old woman, which made me forget that she was in fact 70 years old.
This book is told in dual POVs from Taylor and Grace and I wasn't the biggest fan of how this was done, especially as in Grace's POV it would skip between what she was doing in that moment to reading Taylor's biography, which the constant switching got a little confusing for me.
I really like how this has elements of a book within a book and the author of this book being in the book, as well as her previous books she’s published (The Moonstone Girls and Crystal’s House of Queers) - that is something that I have never read in a book before.
I did like some of the characters, however there were no male characters (apart from one) that weren’t homophobic, racist or abusive which I don’t think represents males properly - there are some decent males that do not fit into these categories. I also think that a lot of the characters were developed a little bit too quickly and you didn’t really get to know them much below a surface level, as well as maybe too many characters being introduced - it was a bit confusing to keep up with who was who (I would forget who some of them were).
Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book. This book is now available as a e-book for £2.51 (or free on Kindle Unlimited) or paperback for £12.30.
This review has been posted to my NetGalley and Goodreads accounts. I will be posting this review soon to my TikTok and Instagram accounts.
⚠️ TWs: alcohol use, death, COVID death, murder, physical assault, homophobia, person with drug and alcohol problem, profanity, sexual situations, threats to shoot and kill, gun use, racism, derogatory language, child pornography and distribution (paedophilia), mentions conspiracy theories (anti semitism, Black Lives Matter, COVID, the gay agenda and immigration), child abuse, cancer, pregnancy, miscarriage, banned books (and in reference to LGBTQIA+ books), seizure, white supremacy, internalised homophobia, overdose, Nazi imagery, Nazism, cheating, transphobia, domestic abuse, car accident, drunk driving, sexual assault and stigmatisation ⚠️
I enjoyed this book although it has been confusing at times with certain things not making much sense and I have found it hard to picture certain events happening in this book, as they didn’t seem realistic. However, I didn't like how this book had an element of foreshadowing because I feel like it ruined the element of surprise of what was about to happen. Also with how Taylor was written as well as how she spoke, she didn't come across as a 70 year old woman, which made me forget that she was in fact 70 years old.
This book is told in dual POVs from Taylor and Grace and I wasn't the biggest fan of how this was done, especially as in Grace's POV it would skip between what she was doing in that moment to reading Taylor's biography, which the constant switching got a little confusing for me.
I really like how this has elements of a book within a book and the author of this book being in the book, as well as her previous books she’s published (The Moonstone Girls and Crystal’s House of Queers) - that is something that I have never read in a book before.
I did like some of the characters, however there were no male characters (apart from one) that weren’t homophobic, racist or abusive which I don’t think represents males properly - there are some decent males that do not fit into these categories. I also think that a lot of the characters were developed a little bit too quickly and you didn’t really get to know them much below a surface level, as well as maybe too many characters being introduced - it was a bit confusing to keep up with who was who (I would forget who some of them were).
Thank you to NetGalley and Skipstone Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book. This book is now available as a e-book for £2.51 (or free on Kindle Unlimited) or paperback for £12.30.
This review has been posted to my NetGalley and Goodreads accounts. I will be posting this review soon to my TikTok and Instagram accounts.
⚠️ TWs: alcohol use, death, COVID death, murder, physical assault, homophobia, person with drug and alcohol problem, profanity, sexual situations, threats to shoot and kill, gun use, racism, derogatory language, child pornography and distribution (paedophilia), mentions conspiracy theories (anti semitism, Black Lives Matter, COVID, the gay agenda and immigration), child abuse, cancer, pregnancy, miscarriage, banned books (and in reference to LGBTQIA+ books), seizure, white supremacy, internalised homophobia, overdose, Nazi imagery, Nazism, cheating, transphobia, domestic abuse, car accident, drunk driving, sexual assault and stigmatisation ⚠️
January 31, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this eARC.
I did like a lot of the elements at play when going into this book. An elderly lesbian, coming out at last and fighting for her happy ending, while also trying to find a way to stop the brother that wants her dead? That sounded like a good read.
For much of it, it was an interesting read. The flashbacks were probably the most interesting Part, and they flowed better within the narrative than I expected them to. I wasn’t sure how it would go, given that they were shared as chapters from an in-universe book the protagonist was writing and sharing with other characters. It was a good idea I think, it worked once I got into it.
The pacing was a bit quick for my liking. We sped by much of the character development that would have made this book more poignant. For example, we have two characters meet for the first time, and within a few days they are in love with each other? I understand that bonds are formed quickly in fiction but this felt a bit unrealistic.
Also I have to admit, much of the feminism and queer theory displayed in this book, while being so important to share, felt shoe-horned in. It did not sit naturally in the narrative. It felt like the characters were given a script of things they needed to say throughout the piece. I wished it had been incorporated more naturally in some places, because every time something like this came up I felt like I was being pulled out of the story.
All in all, I have mixed feelings. It was wonderful to read such a hopeful story, especially with older queer people represented, but the execution didn’t sit right with me.
I did like a lot of the elements at play when going into this book. An elderly lesbian, coming out at last and fighting for her happy ending, while also trying to find a way to stop the brother that wants her dead? That sounded like a good read.
For much of it, it was an interesting read. The flashbacks were probably the most interesting Part, and they flowed better within the narrative than I expected them to. I wasn’t sure how it would go, given that they were shared as chapters from an in-universe book the protagonist was writing and sharing with other characters. It was a good idea I think, it worked once I got into it.
The pacing was a bit quick for my liking. We sped by much of the character development that would have made this book more poignant. For example, we have two characters meet for the first time, and within a few days they are in love with each other? I understand that bonds are formed quickly in fiction but this felt a bit unrealistic.
Also I have to admit, much of the feminism and queer theory displayed in this book, while being so important to share, felt shoe-horned in. It did not sit naturally in the narrative. It felt like the characters were given a script of things they needed to say throughout the piece. I wished it had been incorporated more naturally in some places, because every time something like this came up I felt like I was being pulled out of the story.
All in all, I have mixed feelings. It was wonderful to read such a hopeful story, especially with older queer people represented, but the execution didn’t sit right with me.
December 8, 2022
I read Crystal’s House of Queers at the start of 2022 and really enjoyed it so couldn’t wait to read another of Brooke’s novels.
Flitting between the 70s and modern day Alaska, Taylor, an in the closet queer author uses the pseudonym of Brooke Skipstone, to write queer stories inspiring and encouraging others to come out and live their truth. She writes as Brooke, her best friend turned lover, who was murdered at the hands of her homophobic racist brother. With her brother released from prison and hell bent on revenge, Taylor has no choice but to come out and seek refuge with her fellow lesbians and finally face who she really is.
This was a tale bravery and pride in the face of prejudice and hatred. It’s scary how we still face persecution, judgement and danger in the 21st century and we are still not free to love and express our true selves. This novel serves as an inspiration to us all wanting to live and speak our truth. Told with honesty, this book is heart aching, awe inspiring and both parts tragic and thought provoking.
Flitting between the 70s and modern day Alaska, Taylor, an in the closet queer author uses the pseudonym of Brooke Skipstone, to write queer stories inspiring and encouraging others to come out and live their truth. She writes as Brooke, her best friend turned lover, who was murdered at the hands of her homophobic racist brother. With her brother released from prison and hell bent on revenge, Taylor has no choice but to come out and seek refuge with her fellow lesbians and finally face who she really is.
This was a tale bravery and pride in the face of prejudice and hatred. It’s scary how we still face persecution, judgement and danger in the 21st century and we are still not free to love and express our true selves. This novel serves as an inspiration to us all wanting to live and speak our truth. Told with honesty, this book is heart aching, awe inspiring and both parts tragic and thought provoking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews