AfterEllen.com Book Club discussion

This is our first YA choice of the club thus far. What are your thoughts?

As a new member of the group, it's nice to have an easy YA book to get settled in. I think it's also nice to see some queer themes in a book geared toward the younger generation.

I enjoyed "Silhouette of a Sparrow," but I have to admit that even for a YA book it felt a little juvenile. (That is meant as a compliment to other YA books, by the way. Some of the ones I've read seem to really push the envelopes of sexuality and emotion. Sorry for the tangent.)
Aside from that, it seemed to me SOAS was not so much a queer book as a feminist book. It didn't seem to matter as much overall that Garnet was seeing, kissing, and then in a summer fling with another girl as it did that she was defying the preconceptions placed on her as to what she was supposed to do: like getting married, act like a lady (and snob) all the time, and not even think about going to college.

Although, I do really like that a book with themes of women's liberation and a young girl making her own decisions about life IS a YA book. And because it does seem more juvenile, I would love to know that it was gracing the shelves of a middle school library. That some 10 year old girl can read it and know she can do anything she wants with her life.

I agree that this book was a little on the short side, but I think I mostly feel that way because I wanted to read more of it. :) The story follows the slow-but-welcome trend of books about gay and lesbian characters that aren't necessarily focused on the psychological implications of their sexuality. I thought it was refreshing that Garnet was less concerned about her feelings for Isabella and what they meant and more concerned about how she was going to deal with her place in society. I liked that there was basically no "gay panic" before the charming romance started. I'm not sure how historically accurate that is, but for a sweet little book aimed as teens, I don't think that matters quite as much.