Honestly this is the book I’ve been waiting to read: maybe this sounds weird to come from a straight white woman, but I want to see the world through other people’s eyes, to walk in their shoes, and to learn about the real stuff.
Thank you Rivera, for letting me meet Juliet and sharing her story through the highs and lows of her most life changing summer.
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Juliet is “a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto Rican baby dyke from the Bronx” and she is taking on everything this summer. She kicks off with coming out to family the same night that she leaves for a coveted position as an intern for a popular feminist writer.
Juliet is ready to change her life and learn all the answers from her biggest hero.
At first her biggest hurdles are dealing with her families reaction to her news, and her long distance relationship with her first girlfriend - but soon Juliet will realise this is just the tip of iceberg, that she has a lot of learning to do this summer, and a lot of self reflection.
Juliet is about to learn what it is to be herself- female, Latina, gay.
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To be perfectly honest I’ve met a few Harlowe’s in my time. Not at lesbian celebrity author status- but definitely at vegan only- let’s bleed together - we are Goddesses - Sisterhood status.
And I’m on board for some of that, until something feels wrong. I truly appreciated this part of Juliet’s character, her cluelessness meant I didn’t feel like such a big dummy.. Her new friends and family taught me, while they taught her. I have so much appreciation for their patience, honesty, and directness.
Rivera perfectly captured many situations where these political discussions arise, she nailed the moments when something was said with good intentions, but was racist- and she helped explain clearly where the issues grew from.
There were some hard questions asked here, and it was such a safe open place for them to be discussed.
Juliet flourished this summer, and Im glad to have been taken along on this journey through sexuality, feminism, racism, finding ourselves and taking down the patriarchy.