Stone Butch Blues

First let me say, I stayed up pretty late to finish this book and I read it at work. All in all it probably took me 8-10 hours to finish.

Only a few books have left a long lasting impression on me. Judy Blume's Forever is one of them and to be honest I can't really remember another one. I have read a ton of books and none of them ever had me question life the way this book did. I am ashamed to say that this is the first LGBT novel I have read that wasn't a fanfic or manga. I am so glad that I read this novel first. On television there is a lot of queerbating, unnecessary drama in LGBT relationships, and 99% of the time a gay character dies (Tara from Buffy... remember?). So, I can admit that I was a bit nervous about venturing in the world of LGBT novels.

This book is about Jess, a lesbian who is so confused about life that I just want to give her a hug and buy her some chipotle. She has no one to guide her or help with her feelings, she at times can come off as ignorant and biased, but her pain is so real it has you forgiving her instantly. This book is not happy at all, it leaves you feeling like you've been punched in the stomach but after wards the assailant gives you ice cream. Don't get me wrong, the book isn't sad either, and the only way I can describe it is dark. This novel is dark, it deals with, bullying, harassment at the work place, mental illness, police brutality, violence, rape, depression, pride, racism, sexism, AIDS, love, romance, failed relationships, and hurt. This book at times was hard to read, not because of the above but because I just wanted to pound everyone who wronged Jess, take her out to dinner, and be her friend.

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This one's going to take me a long time to fully process, but by the end of the book I felt really hopeful. Jess's life is so different from mine but also familiar too. I've made decisions this year that will lead me into a new phase of my life and I'm excited about it. This book has made me feel more confident in my choices. I don't know very many other people in real life that are trans like me but the ones I do know give me courage as well.

I was kind of surprised to read that some of the other reviewers weren't impressed with the writing. I found it to be much better than I expected - very accessible and easy to fall into. Remarkably so, considering that the subject matter and setting is almost entirely wayyyyyyyyyy outside my realm of experience, and that some of it is a little disturbing, which I often can't handle.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was nice to get a glimpse into a life very different from my own, and to share in a pretty profound journey. It gave me a little more perspective and understanding about what life's like for people who feel outside of the generally accepted gender norm. My favorite thing about the book, though, was the way the main character talked about the love she saw, and the love she felt. It's good to be reminded that no matter who you are, love is universal.