#james brandon

[the-final-sentence]

On the back, he's written two words: Your turn.

James Brandon, from Ziggy, Stardust and Me

[inolongerwishsomebodyislistening]

I just finish reading "Ziggy Stardust & Me"

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Queer MCs with Asthma

Fave Five: Queer MCs with Asthma

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson (YA) Ziggy, Stardust & Me by James Brandon (YA) Forward March by Skye Quinlan (YA) Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert

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[glitterghost]

Cover reveal & Release date

Out: October 11, 2022

[monomatica]

Review : Ziggy, Stardust and Me by James Brandon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars

SweetBabyZiggy I love love loved this book. I can’t stop thinking about it.

Every once in a while I read a YA book that speaks to me so clearly it’s like it was written for me. Now I am an old, but my inner teen is strong and enjoys a book about high school now and again. This is a tender-hearted queer coming of age story set against the tumultuous backdrop of life in 1973, when homosexuality is still considered a mental illness.

Jonathan is an anxious, asthmatic, bullied teen trying to “fix” himself while caring for his alcoholic father. Web is a gorgeous, brooding new kid at school who immediately connects with and just gets Jonathan, and as a "Two-Spirit" Native American is not ashamed of being gay. The two boys defy the odds and create magic and sparkles together. But for me it's the charming, creative, stream of consciousness style of writing which sucked me in and didn’t let go.

Jonathan’s imaginary friends include David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, who he saw live in concert the year before and he idolizes him to give him strength to deal with all the oppression surrounding him. Like Jonathan, I’m also obsessed with Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars and. It is one of the greatest albums ever made and in my Top 5 all time faves. The text uses lyrics as a way to describe what’s happening, and since I know all the words to all the songs I was delighted. And Jonathan’s taste in music and record collection is incorporated in such a unique way, I have never read anything quite like it before. Albums (yes Albums) almost act as their own character and its like the book has a soundtrack.

Midway through you find out what’s causing all the sparks and stinging and crackles that Johnathan experiences and it’s heartbreaking, but so important to learn about. The bullying and abuse is also hard to read, but I think the ending is powerful and uplifting and since it’s a coming of age story you need that angst before the break through.

I think this is an important story about the Gay Liberation Movement and about First Nation "Two Spirit" People, and I learned a lot. But it's the writing and how Brandon weaves it all together that is masterful.

••••••

CW: conversion therapy, homophobia, bullying

[-outofcontext-]

Ziggy, Stardust and Me #OutOfContext

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

If you liked The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth, try Ziggy, Stardust and Me by James Brandon

They both include:

YA historical fiction featuring LGBT+ teens

explorations of conversion therapy

characters who identify as Two-Spirit

More of my recommendations

[books-on-a-wire-blog]

Here is my next #7daysofunreadbooks challenge for #theunreadshelfproject2020. Between the cover, title, and blurb I'm expecting to love it.