REBECCA LANGHAM
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review: the 57 bus by dashka slater

30/10/2019

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TARGET AUDIENCE: Young Adult (but, really, everyone should read it)

QUEER CONTENT/IDENTITY? Non-Binary (agender) & Aromantic main character

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction. Based on true events.

​BLURB: 

One teenager in a skirt.
One teenager with a lighter.
One moment that changes both of their lives forever.

If it weren't for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.

REVIEW:


Dashka Slater's "The 57 Bus" is a riveting and essential read that explores themes of race, class, gender identity, and justice through the lens of a real-life incident. The narrative revolves around two high school students from Oakland, California—Sasha and Richard—whose lives intersect for a mere eight minutes each day on the 57 bus. Sasha, a white teen from a middle-class neighbourhood, and Richard, a black teen from a crime-ridden area, exist in vastly different worlds. A single reckless act on the bus one afternoon results in Sasha being severely burned and Richard facing charges of two hate crimes, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.
Slater's journalistic approach to the story provides a masterful examination of the complex issues at play. She deftly debunks stereotypes, challenging the notion of the hate-crime monster and the African-American thug. Through meticulous detail and compassionate storytelling, Slater probes the fine line between adolescent stupidity and irredeemable depravity, making readers question their assumptions about justice and morality.

The book excels in its exploration of gender identity, adolescent crime, and penal racism. Slater's nuanced portrayal of both Sasha and Richard offers no easy answers but instead encourages readers to engage in deep contemplation. Her ability to present the perspectives of both teenagers with empathy and complexity ensures that the narrative remains balanced and thought-provoking. The detailed recounting of their lives and the circumstances that led to the tragic event on the bus highlights the systemic issues that contribute to such incidents.
​
One of the most compelling aspects of "The 57 Bus" is its impact on readers. The book is likely to spark conversations and debates about justice, forgiveness, and the societal factors that influence behavior. Slater's compassionate writing underscores that there is often more to the story than what appears on the surface. The exploration of class, race, and gender identity is handled with sensitivity, making it a powerful and enlightening read.

​ "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater is an outstanding work that delves into the complexities of contemporary issues with grace and insight. The book's thoughtful examination of the diversity of creed and the consequences of impulsive actions leaves a lasting impression. It challenges readers to redefine justice for themselves and fosters a greater understanding of tolerance and forgiveness. For anyone seeking a profound and thought-provoking read, "The 57 Bus" is an invaluable addition to their bookshelf.




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REVIEW: RED FILES by lee winter

13/5/2018

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RATING: Four Stars

Ambitious Daily Sentinel journalist Lauren King is chafing on LA’s vapid social circuit, reporting on glamorous A-list parties while sparring with her rival—the formidable, icy Catherine Ayers. Ayers is an ex-Washington political correspondent who suffered a humiliating fall from grace, and her acerbic, vicious tongue keeps everyone at bay. Everyone, that is, except knockabout Iowa girl King, who is undaunted, unimpressed and gives as good as she gets.


One night a curious story unfolds before their eyes: One business launch, 34 prostitutes and a pallet of missing pink champagne. Can the warring pair work together to unravel an incredible story? This is a lesbian fiction with more than a few mysterious twists.

You can buy an e-copy here.



REVIEWED BY REBECCA

Lee Winter is an Australian writer and one of my goals has been to read, review, and promote more Australian women, as they often find it more difficult to get their work out there into the world than other writers. I'm glad I picked this book up -- for the most part, I quite enjoyed it.


I struggled with the opening chapters of the book and, at first, wondered if I was going to be able to finish it. Lauren didn't endear herself to me as a character, and I found the early anecdotes of her time at A-list LA parties unexciting because I personally don't take to those sorts of characters or situations. The early mystery involving a large group of prostitutes at a corporate event also seemed like a bland mystery to be investigating.

However, as I said, I ended up fairly engrossed as the story progressed. The 'Ice Queen' trope was well executed in the form of Catherine Ayers, the acerbic senior journalist mentoring Lauren with an awful lot of tough love. Ayers is intelligent, forthright, and apparently rather sexy. She challenges Lauren in a number of ways that are pivotal to the character development as well as the progression of the plot. The romantic subplot suited me just fine. There was enough between Lauren and Catherine to keep me cheering for them along the way, but as someone who isn't a huge fan of straight out romance novels (and I generally don't need/want explicit scenes in the books I read), it was just the right amount of flirting and connection.

There are hints of the "men are bad rapists" cliche that I've established previously as something I quite dislike in lesbian books (not because these things don't happen in the real world, but because it felt, for a while there, that every lesfic I read relied on women being sexually assaulted to propel the drama). I could handle the cliche more in this book than in others I've read though, because the threat didn't become a reality for the character involved and I could see that the author was establishing the courage and concern of the person who comes to her aid and stands up to the sleazy guys.

The story has been cleanly edited, I only spotted one typo/mistake, which is phenomenal in a novel-length work. Those pesky errors are very good at hiding, so the author and her editors did an amazing job producing such a crisp manuscript.

The strongest element of this book was definitely the writing. Winter's skill with language kept pulling me onward in those opening chapters I wasn't enjoying, and kept me interested until the final page, long after the plot and characters had convinced me it was an excellent novel. The various elements of the investigation into corruption and politics were effectively planned and executed, gradually unfolding as one would expect from a high quality mystery. A fine book, indeed.

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    ABOUT C.B.

    CURRENTLY ON HIATUS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDY AND WORK. 

    Book reviews, Author Q&As and more as shared by an Australian lesbian. My core interests lie in genre fiction: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror etc.
    ​
    My aim is to help provide more exposure to those books that  may not fit neatly into the usual "lesfic" boxes (EG: pansexual women who engage with different aspects of their sexuality, non-binary characters, books with very little romance etc.) or books that don't conform to the most popular tropes that tend to dominate the LGBTIQ+ publishing world.

    That said, I'll put up pretty much any review that I'd like to share. Most will have some sort of rainbow content, but not all. I am a reader who likes to talk about books -- that's really what this little corner of the web is for, to talk about books.

    ​Email: celestialbooks [AT] rebeccalangham.com.au


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