Latest Read: Pulp by Robin Talley

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC of Robin Talley's Pulp in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First, let me just say that I really enjoy Robin Talley. She is incredibly good at writing authentic YA characters. That was the biggest strength in this book: the characters were not always likable (something I fully support), but they acted like teenagers who were genuinely struggling to navigate the struggles of becoming adults.

First, a short summary: Abby lives in the present in a relatively average imploding family. Her parents are increasingly more absent and no longer get along and her brother acts out. In the midst of all this, she's trying to puzzle out her relationship with Linh, her ex-girlfriend. Janet is a teenager in the fifties. She has recently come to terms with her sexuality, but is struggling with the reality of McCarthyism, family pressure, and the desire to protect those she loves.

PROS:

Like I said, both protagonists are incredibly authentic. They have ideas about love that completely line up with everything we've all seen: they believe love should be able to make miracles, that first loves should be forever, and, of course, that real love always lasts forever. Abby often copes with her problems by delving into her phone, but it's not exaggerated or dumbed down. She dives into an obsession with a literary genre rather than being lumped in with this sort of composite teen who breathes social media. Janet is making her own path, but often finds it really hard to assert herself. Neither girl can find the words for their emotions because they don't know everything. They fumble and it's an amazing thing to read.

This book portrays the struggles of being queer in the 50s in a way that I've never witnessed. Talley's research was on point and she makes the 50s come alive. Not only was it fascinating to digress into my own google searches on Lesbian Pul Fiction while reading, but the sub-plot of Marie's struggles at work really showed a struggle that just hasn't been handled in depth.

The message is so good: love changes and that's okay because we change, too. Life is about developing, changing, and growing, and even if it hurts in the moment, it's often better than you could have imagined.Even with this great message and the focus on being social aware and all the positivity, there was never a moment when I felt like I was being preached at. It was never heavy handed, but totally natural and illustrated by the actions of the book's characters.

The characters were well developed. Yes, ultimately a large part of this book was a love story, but there was so much going on besides romance. Both Janet and Abby were working to become writers. They were both struggling with finding out what they wanted versus what they thought they wanted. They were politically active, aware, and plugged into the world around them.

CONs:

There were some typos and formatting issues, but I assume those will be handled before the release. That's literally it. This book is amazing.

5/5: Must read.