ladybusiness | (Reply)

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Uggggh, thank you for the warning. I'd been interested in that book, but I'll knock it off the list now.

I'm tired of stumbling into them like a giant story version of a bear trap. I don't want us to be untouchable, but we're already so rare in mainstream genre literature that I'm not ready for stories where we die when there's only one of us — not yet.

This. At the very least I would like the queer character's death to be about something other than their sexuality. It is that much worse when the character is complex and interesting and likable -- when the author obviously cares I feel that much more betrayed. And when people sang the book's praises and nobody warned you because people didn't think that was worth warning for or they thought the book's other good points erased that betrayal somehow… that's kind of another betrayal in itself.

It would not be such a huge deal if I had the option to put this book down when I'm done and then pick up an awesome, light-hearted queer romance or adventure story. But I can't.

I struggle a lot with this kind of thing and how to deal with it when a book I otherwise enjoyed has one big blaring problem that makes me furious. Do I toss out the whole book right there or keep reading? Do I recommend it to people on the basis of its good points? How do you warn others about this kind of thing? I'm fortunate enough not to be a reviewer (haha) so generally I can just toss the thing and cry and rage and be done with it. I don't have to grapple that much with my other feelings about it. But I've invested my time and emotions and energy into reading and liking this book, and after it's stabbed me in the face, I may be able to put the book down but I can't take back my time or undo the hurt.