Larkin’s Reviews > Happy Families > Status Update

3.75.

I noticed that Ys tends to pair off with her mom and Justin tends to stay with his Dad. I wonder if this will change as Chris transitions? I saw on the back that this might be more for educational purposes and I think that's great. It has the right mix of education and humanity. Reality and a way for the reader to detach and focus on someone else, but also think. I'd read more from Davis, even if it is YA.

The only issue I had was the passage about love endured, love never gives up, on page 222. I know they're religious and that's cool. And in this circumstance I think it's used no ignorantly or shaming, but I just hate the message that love conquers all, it's unhealthy. I thought the shoe metaphor was nice, subtle. Also the parallel between what J is doing to Calli and Chris is doing to his family.

I liked the terminology at the end. I knew most of it, but I think it's helpful and important. Just be a decent human being. I thought it was interesting that Davis didn't really mention that the family was African American. There was a reference to Chris being a darker version of a musician, but nothing other than that. This book wasn't about race, and that's okay, but I feel like there's less minority LGBTQ+ rep.

Finished. I have a different version. I liked this book. It made me teary-eyed and it made me feel. I liked that the twins were mostly realistic. They didn't say what you wanted them to say, were sometimes rude and insensitive, and everyone's a little selfish. They seems like kids trying to figure it out while they're parents were doing the same thing.

Normally I would roll my eyes at Justin breaking after realizing he's losing Calli. Granted, they haven't really been together in a while, but teenagers can be strangely attached. He's hopeful that he can make it work for a second, but then the reality of having his Dad back kills that hope, which is ironic. But it wouldn't be the dad he grew up with. Connor and Ys was obvious, but is he meant to be Viking?

I think it's interesting how Chris asks, "you know I love you?" to her kids. It sounds like a question, but is punctuated like a statement. It almost seems manipulative or pitiful. She finally came out and said I love you in the therapists office. Also, this is one of the first times recently reading YA where it showed, not told of the build up and how one independently small thing breaks someone. Like C and J.

There's a screw up in perspective on (119), it's Ysabel's chapter, but switches to Justin accidentally with and I statement. I like the Shakespeare quote, "To thine own self be true" (124) it reminds me of, "I am my own before I am anyone else's. The people who are what I've always been taught is transgender are saying transsexual. I don't know if I've ever heard that. I'll need to look up the difference.

I'm surprised by the open-mindedness of the grandparents. They were never in complete disbelief and they are neautral. Given the fact that older people are normally more conservative. I'd like to think that if be like, yeah, I support you and I will see you. But I think you have to have your own inner confidence and fuck it attitude, before you can defend one without fearing consequences or alienation.

This book makes me emotional. Not just for the characters and their Christine, but also because it makes me think of A, I, and J. Hkw my father makes ignorant comments about the LGBTQ+. I, naively keep telling A to tell father that she has a girlfriend. That it doesn't matter what he thinks, but I don't understand how telling him will affect her or their relationship which is finally good. What she risks losing.