Crystals House of Queers was fun to read. Some of the writing was a bit flat but I overall had a great time reading it.

I enjoyed the beginning of this audio book a lot and how much you can see you queer high school students struggle with identity and sexuality. Also with friendships as well as a rural area in the middle of the pandemic. However it got to be quite slow and the plot was not super strong or interesting enough for me. I stopped reading after 25% in and tried but couldn’t finish.

DNF this book because I couldn't get past the narrator's voice. Perhaps would pick it up in book form as the premise of the book sounds interesting enough, but the audio version of it couldn't keep me interested.

Really enjoyed this diverse read. There were some hard topics and done so that makes it a great book club pick lots to discuss and review.

This was an interesting listen for me. I really enjoyed the narrator and most of the storyline but some of it was too graphic and vivid for me.

thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. this book was really hard to read at sometime but while reading you fall in love hard with the characters. I would love to read more following other characters.

This is my first book by Brooke Skipstone. I found her writing to be unreserved and open; it is refreshing to see someone write honestly and without reservation. She is fearless in her approach and tackles subjects like abuse, sexuality, sexual expression and drug use with sensitivity and creativity. Her unbridled passion for storytelling shines through and works to heighten the emotion and context of this lovely tale.

The narration of this book is nicely paced and seamless. Skipstone’s tale is one of emotion and intensity, but Hayley Peterson’s voice provides the perfect backdrop for this journey. Her overall tone and tempo bring it all together quite neatly. Additionally, her character shifts are easy to follow, giving the story a nice flow. Her overall performance is genuinely impressive and it enhances the story.

Crystal’s House of Queers is a fast-paced, coming of age story that’s set in Alaska during the pandemic. Because of the circumstances surrounding this story, it is especially relevant and timely. It gives a realistic view of how Alaskans deal with the pain and suffering of the pandemic. Furthermore, it lends insight into their daily struggles with the pandemic and how they cope in their schools and their communities. It is powerful and it resonates deeply.

Because this is fast-paced and covers a time span of only a few days, a lot happens in the plot. It gave me pause and made me wonder why so much was jammed into such a condensed time frame. Don’t get me wrong, I love the premise of this story; it’s captivating and compelling right from the start. It’s just that I felt lost in the many events that take place during this story. I wished for things to slow down, and I wanted a narrower story arc. There is just too mush to appreciate about the story’s general theme and I hated to see the beauty of it lost. Self discovery, sexual awakening and standing up for one’s self is big and important. I just wished the whole story could have fit under a smaller canopy.

Final remarks…

Crystal’s House of Queers is an interesting and entertaining story. It’s heartfelt, poignant and powerful. Skipstone has been given high praise for her work and I can see why. Her latest endeavor presents clear evidence of her strength as a wordsmith. The narrative is engaging and entertaining; readers become invested in the storytelling quickly. The characters are appealing and multi-dimensional; they effectively push the narrative and hold the readers’ interest. Bottom line, Skipstone is skilled and her writing provides readers with a place to enjoy heartfelt stories, ones that celebrate diversity, uniqueness and inclusion, just as this one does.

Strengths…

Strong narration
Honest storytelling
Current and timely
Intense
Emotional
Impactive

Honestly don't know what I can say about this book that hasn't already been said.
The COVID aspect was all over the place, and sort of just...cringey?
This book was constantly moving, never any downtime! Event after event kept happening, it was mental.
The writing wasn't my vibe to be honest, and I would have preferred the characters be aged up a bit more to not feel as icky, it's labelled new adult so was expecting slightly older characters and felt a bit uncomfortable as they are so young (to me).

Lots of gay/lesbian (but bi rep would have been nice instead of just nearly everyone being comphet...). Great chosen family, and coming out/be yourself message...but just lots of drama - felt like a two part season finale of a teen CW show.

The narration was fabulous, and I'd definitely listen to more books read by her!

This was an ARC
It was a book written to you had empathy with the characters, but I didn't felt it. And I think the characters are annoying.
This is the first book that I read where COVID exist and is part of the story but not in a serious way the pandemic is not taken seriously.
And besides that all the situations that the characters went through are weird and unbelievable (not that weren't real) just the were so overreacted and the worst things happen to them and the plot twist is so random and they don't even act weird about it.
I had high expectations when I started reading it because the sinopsis is really good, but the book is disappointing and kind of ridiculous.

I don't tend to read new adult/ young adult titles, but I do love LGBTIQA+ books and so I gave this a go, and pleased I did. It was a great listen, with interesting characters, and storyline. Most of all, I think it would be great for the younger audience, particularly late teens and early adults, as indicated. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I want to like it more because it is a book for this generation. Representation matters.
The covid pandemic is mentioned in the earlier parts. It does nothing to the story though. The book involves a lot of issues in society but it still bored me. I'm not sure why. I think it has many things going on. I am not the target reader.

This intriguing title had so much potential and seemed to start off really strong, but, as it progressed, the execution really didn't satisfy me!
Even though I had high hopes for it, I had to DNF it 52% of the way through, because there were some plot points and elements that really weren't doing it for me!
First of all, this book did have a lot of cool elements; representation of f/f romance (which got quite steamy for a YA title, do be aware of that in case it is/isn't your thing), disability representation, discussion around feminism and an attempt to spread awareness about sexual assault.
However, I felt like one of the things that disappointed me the most was how the sexual assault parts of the story, in an attempt to shed light on them and raise awareness I'm sure, got a bit too graphic and triggering, at least as I see it!
Also, plot-wise, this book just felt like a lot; you had the COVID pandemic setting and how that affected the characters' lives, plus the girls realising their sexuality (which was a really cool representation, I think), plus their attempts to bring down their abusers, plus the melodrama happening with Crystal's family, plus a bunch of other little things, that just made it a lot and a bit chaotic for one story! Therefore, even though I had a bit of concern about what would become of the characters, I didn't manage to finish this one, since I didn't find the execution of the story that successful!
Audiobook wise, I found the narrator's voice to be very soothing, just a bit annoying and overly erotic when Hailey's lines came up!

Thanks #netgallery. Funny, sexy and kept my attention. Listened to the audiobook and narration was good.

But if one of you was a guy at the back of that empty classroom, who would care? You’re worried because you’re both girls, which in this little town, I imagine, would cause a scandal. Yes?

i originally won this in a goodreads giveaway and was excited for it. then i noticed it was available as an audiobook on netgalley and since i think i absorb books better that way i gave it a listen. and uh....

i just don't think this was a book for me. there were lots of different types of people represented in this which is amazing, but there was just so much going on. lots of people have put it into better words than i can, but there were a few main things that personally sucked me out of the story. the biggest thing for me is the writing. everything felt almost robotic or forced? in a way that i feel like most people don't actually talk? the second thing is i feel like this maybe would have worked better if the characters were older, it's not unrealistic for someone in their 20's to explore their sexuality, i'm not sure why they had to be teenagers? also some of the things that happen just get brushed to the side right after and it seems weird because some of them are major.

also the audiobook!! the narration of this seemed so disconnected. the emotion there, but the pacing was weird and that is the main thing that got me. it was almost like the parts were recorded out of order and stitched together. let the words sit for a minute, everything doesn't have to be rushed! DNF @47% [★ 1.25 stars]

"I'm gay and I'm raising my dyke flag"
What a beautiful, heartwarming, and empowering read.

I deeply appreciated how organically the relationship between Haley and Crystal was depicted. It did not feel like it was trying to copy any heterosexual tropes, as it often ends up feeling like while reading YA/NA LGBT+ fics, in my experience.

We also do not see many examples of older gay characters finding or rediscovering their loves at a later stage in life. We got great representation for that in this book - Maya and Holly finding their way back to each other and getting a happy ending was so exciting and emotional to read about. I loved that they did not get filtered into maternal modesty tropes. Their story made me very happy.

I also enjoyed the depiction of sisterhood in the story, and Payton's character sliding in as sort of a role model/the ideal for the other girls, especially her younger sister, teaching them to be more empowered over the course of the book.

This is also the first story I'm reading that is set in covid times. At first, I thought that the covid setting had no relevance apart from the publishing date. But the suddenness of the grandparents' sickness accompanied with the level of normalization of the sickness in the story, the denial, and unusual calm with which the surrounding characters were treating the situation is very characteristic of this pandemic. The moment their grandmother calls crystal to tell her they've arranged for their wills to be drawn was disturbing and depressing to read, especially because we are currently still going through this crisis.

The artwork aspect was terrifically executed and smoothly integrated into the scenes.

TW: Parental abuse, homophobia, bullying, sexual assault, substance abuse, addiction, close encounter gun violence, estranged family

I'd like to start by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This was the first audiobook I actually managed to listen to, I was never able to finish one before.

And I'm glad I got to listen to him, because this book is extremely important. It may be YA, but don't think it's a soft and superficial reading, because it's not. It has heavy, current themes (the story takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic) and very pertinent.

It has queer representation, talks about current issues like the pandemic, as I said before, bullying, harassment, substance abuse and more so be careful with triggers.

Overall, I really liked it. I found it very realistic (which might bother some people), but it was a good experience for me.

I hadn't realized going into this that it was going to be a story set in 2020, it caught me a little bit off-guard. However, it soon became am easy adjustment and is one of the most realistic sapphic novels I've read. It reminded me of my days in high school and how being in love and having a girlfriend you were so into was the best thing in the world and you couldn't keep your hands off one another. It was truly enjoyable.

This is everything I was hoping for and more! This lgbt book was super cute and exactly what I needed. I deff recommend if your looking for a good lgbt book super sweet and cute

Thanks to NetGalley for an audiobook copy of this book!

This one is 4.5 stars for me. I really enjoyed the story, loved the characters, and was particularly invested in Crystal’s family story coming together. I also didn’t mind the inclusion of Covid - I thought it was realistic and well incorporated. I think it’s still a sensitive topic to put into the things we use as an escape from it all, but it was clear that the author really thought it all through. I also really loved the rural Alaska setting - it reminded me of The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and it’s a really interesting culture to read about.

There were a few parts of the story that I felt were unrealistic, but what’s fiction if you’re not suspending your disbelief for parts of it? The girls’ relationships with each other and their strength as a unit made up for it every time.

This was an interesting book and it takes place during the covid 19 pandemic. These parts were hard to read as we are still living through them. Other than that, the story had a unique voice and I am sure I would have a much more positive read of the book had it not been set during these present times.