Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List: A novel
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Beschreibung
Beiträge
This book is the most homophobic book I have ever read. The knowledge that at least one of the authors is queer doesn’t make me feel better about it as a queer reader. This book is about two best friends, Naomi and Ely, who grew up across from each other in the same apartment building in New York and how their friendship faces a challenge when Ely kisses Naomi’s boyfriend. Though it is made obvious to the reader that Naomi’s and Bruce’s relationship wasn’t really working well and she wasn’t really bothered by the fact that Ely kissed Bruce, she ends her friendship with Ely after Bruce decides he’d rather date Ely and Ely lies about this to Naomi. Naomi’s problem with Bruce and Ely’s relationship is that she is, in secret, in love with Ely. She isn’t okay with Ely being gay (even after he’s been out to her for several years; this isn’t “just” initial shock), which is made worse by the fact that in chapters written from her POV she uses the f-slur in her thoughts about how mad she is at him, and has convinced herself that he is also in love with her, even if he doesn’t know it yet/hasn’t admitted it to himself and is saving her first time for Ely. She even goes so far as to put the entire blame for her feelings and behavior on Ely and says he led her on (honey, he’s gay, he’s just being comfortable with his best friend). Ely isn’t much better, which is made clear when he kisses Bruce (who is not out yet) without his consent in front of the apartment building bingo group just to make a point to Naomi. And later on, a (straight) side character tells Bruce that he doesn’t look “gay” and gay people aren’t supposed to look like him, is of the opinion, that Bruce needs to change his taste in music to “gay” music, and thinks it would be a great idea to gift him clothes specifically to “gay up his wardrobe”. The biggest issue I have with this book is that all these stereotypes and harmful ways of thinking about queer people are never challenged as bad, they’re just “there”, as if it was okay to have these thoughts or to voice them. Furthermore, the two main characters are generally unlikable. And it’s not because they might be relatable and have “faults” that readers feel uncomfortable seeing reflected back at them in fictional characters. Naomi and Ely are unlikable because they are manipulative, lie all the time and to everyone and don’t care about who they hurt with their actions. Overall, I was very disappointed with this book and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Beschreibung
Beiträge
This book is the most homophobic book I have ever read. The knowledge that at least one of the authors is queer doesn’t make me feel better about it as a queer reader. This book is about two best friends, Naomi and Ely, who grew up across from each other in the same apartment building in New York and how their friendship faces a challenge when Ely kisses Naomi’s boyfriend. Though it is made obvious to the reader that Naomi’s and Bruce’s relationship wasn’t really working well and she wasn’t really bothered by the fact that Ely kissed Bruce, she ends her friendship with Ely after Bruce decides he’d rather date Ely and Ely lies about this to Naomi. Naomi’s problem with Bruce and Ely’s relationship is that she is, in secret, in love with Ely. She isn’t okay with Ely being gay (even after he’s been out to her for several years; this isn’t “just” initial shock), which is made worse by the fact that in chapters written from her POV she uses the f-slur in her thoughts about how mad she is at him, and has convinced herself that he is also in love with her, even if he doesn’t know it yet/hasn’t admitted it to himself and is saving her first time for Ely. She even goes so far as to put the entire blame for her feelings and behavior on Ely and says he led her on (honey, he’s gay, he’s just being comfortable with his best friend). Ely isn’t much better, which is made clear when he kisses Bruce (who is not out yet) without his consent in front of the apartment building bingo group just to make a point to Naomi. And later on, a (straight) side character tells Bruce that he doesn’t look “gay” and gay people aren’t supposed to look like him, is of the opinion, that Bruce needs to change his taste in music to “gay” music, and thinks it would be a great idea to gift him clothes specifically to “gay up his wardrobe”. The biggest issue I have with this book is that all these stereotypes and harmful ways of thinking about queer people are never challenged as bad, they’re just “there”, as if it was okay to have these thoughts or to voice them. Furthermore, the two main characters are generally unlikable. And it’s not because they might be relatable and have “faults” that readers feel uncomfortable seeing reflected back at them in fictional characters. Naomi and Ely are unlikable because they are manipulative, lie all the time and to everyone and don’t care about who they hurt with their actions. Overall, I was very disappointed with this book and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.