Juliet Takes a Breath

Review to come at School Library Journal Adult Books 4 Teens.

I love EVERYTHING about this book! I was hooked from the very first page. Juliet is such a glorious character. I can see how some feel this might be "preachy," but that didn't bother me at all. Most people need to hear what this book has to say, anyway. I laughed, I cried, I gave this book my heart. I want nothing but the best for Juliet!

uliet Takes a Breath is a stunning debut novel by Gabby Rivera that follows Juliet Milagros Pilante as she navigates her way through the world of feminism, radical self-love, coming out, and racism within self-proclaimed "safe spaces." The novel starts off just before Juliet takes off to Portland, Oregon to intern for her favorite author-- a woman named Harlow Brisbane who literally wrote the book on vaginas and feminism. The night before her flight to Portland, she decides to come out to her conservative Puerto Rican family. Even in those few sentences, you can tell that this book has a LOT going on-- and it does, in the best way.

I wish I had this book when I was a freshman in college, discovering feminism and self-love. It would have been so incredible to have a narrative from a young woman navigating some of the worlds that I was experiencing for the first time. Moreso, I wish I had it when I was a freshman because it would remind me to acknowledge my white privilege within these spaces and be mindful of it as I navigated these spaces. Although I may be well-intentioned, not acting mindfully and with an intention of respect can have harmful effects on the movement as a whole and others' experiences.

The writing within this book was absolutely stunning-- the quotes I copied down took up 5 pages in my Moleskine! I had such writer's envy-- every word Gabby Rivera wrote was heartbreaking and inspiring and breathtaking all at the same time. How is that possible?

The only negative about the book was simply that there wasn't enough of it-- I wish that Juliet's summer experience was a bit more thoroughly worked through. There were a few minor storylines that weren't really wrapped up or were too neatly wrapped up.

We need more novels like this. We need more of Gabby Rivera's writing.

All I can say is wow.

4.5 STARS.

This book has everything: womanist theologians, hot motorcycling librarians, queer of color haircut/pool parties, Afrofuturist writing workshops, heartbreak, joy, self-discovery, and a protagonist you can't fail to love. Rivera's pitch-perfect satire of white cis feminism (honestly I'm still laughing at "Raging Flower by Harlowe Brisbane") clearly comes from a place of fondness, even as she doesn't shy away from portraying the ugliness of white racism and the necessity for queer of color communities. Yet the didactic elements are seamlessly woven in with the character and heart of the story: Juliet feels so real. Every confused queer, babydyke, and aspiring feminist should read this book.

4.5 stars. I love this smart, engaging, diverse novel. This is a gorgeously-written, funny, charming coming-of-age novel. The path Juliet takes trying to figure out how she can fit into queer and feminist communities, as well as into her own family, is heart-breakingly, hilariously wonderful. Highly, highly recommended.

Juliet is a queer Puerto Rican booknerd from the Bronx that spends her summer in Portland interning for an older white feminist writer lady. It's a bit summer adventure/love story, a bit coming of age and a lot cool chick I wish I knew. Thinking back on it, it was almost like the wizard of oz but like super queer and brown and with a Selena/Dixie Chicks soundtrack. Maybe that's short changing it. It's better than that.

I will suggest this book to everyone I meet because it feels special. I loved reading it. Juliet is likable as hell. It was refreshing reading about a young woman that likes herself even at the beginning of the story. Juliet sometimes struggles with how she fits into the queer, poc, feminist world but there was never any question of loving herself. I can't wait to read whatever Gabby Rivera comes out with next.

When I was looking through my ‘to read’ list and I noticed that this book has less than 200 pages, I thought that it would be a perfect quick read for Sunday. I was a perfect read, but not as quick as I expected. This book is very intense, so much wisdom about feminism and lives of people of colour is packed into this pages. I was challenged to read about matters that are completely unknown to me, and I loved it. This is definitely why I love to read, I can get to know a person that I might not met otherwise. I got a chance to gain a different perspective on matters of queer POC.

I love the language of the book, it's written with so much wit, but sometimes character's dialogs about serious matters looked like copied straight from some books, and did not fit them so well.

I really liked Juliet's little brother Lil' Melvin. What a character! All his comments were perfect. And we share love for Twix bars :)

And one of the quotes a really liked (there are many more, but this one I especially want to remember):

"My story, my truth, my live, my voice, all of that had to be protected and put out into world by me. No one else. No one could take that from me."

Made me laugh and equally tugged on my heart-strings even though I have a blackheart that never feels.

This book had me from the very opening when Juliet writes a letter to an author of a feminist book. Hell of a letter. She's a 19 year old chubby, Puerto Rican, lesbian feminist who has only just started to question who she is, where she belongs, and the world around her. Her questions take her to Portland to live with a white feminist hippy in search of where she fits in the feminist movement and LGBTQ movement.

This was a great coming of age story that I think reads YA and Adult because a lot of these challenges have nothing to do with age.

And my favorite part of the book was Juliet, the complexity of her life, herself, and her openness to learning. Close second was her family.

This book will be published on January 18th, and if you have not yet done so, I strongly urge you a pre-order it! It is life-changing, wonderful and truly a work of art. Giving a voice to budding lesbian Puerto-Rican budding feminist Juliet, Gabby Rivera adds an impactful NA novel to the sparse canon of non-white, non-straight feminist literature. It is a voice that needed to be written and a voice you need to listen to. I devoured the novel in an evening and was blown away. The narrative is beautiful, the characters quirky, the representation so diverse and important. I was questioning some of my own believes, as well as mentally discussing many issues this books raised. All the while, it is not a dry lecture, but a fun story about growing up and finding your identity, as well. One even I, as a white, straight woman could take lessons away from.

There were a few minor issues that I want to address in fairness, but which do not make me change my 5/5 star rating: first of all, my favorite pet peeve of not-explained, not-translated foreign words... Sigh. Moving on. Secondly, Juliet was confused by many words, such as "trans" or "preferred pronouns" or "xe". Yet instead of explaining these immediately, the explanation was pushed back many chapters and then only partially done. And last but not least in the tiny list of things that bothered me: the lack of diversity - yes, hear me out! Why was almost all of Portland and Miami queer? Why were there only two male characters, pushed far from the focus? What would have been wrong with including some genuinely caring, aware-of-their-privilege-and-wanting-to-do-something-about-it male and / or straight and / or white people?

And as I am writing this, I am again questioning exactly this demand of mine... am I still part of the problem? Did I not get the message? Am I still full of my own privilege? That is the sort of paradigm shift and thinking this book will make you go through. And that is good, and necessary! This is a novel to read over and over again, to gift to your sister, cousin, daughter, best friend; a novel whole chapters of which I would love to print out and hang on my walls. That sort of amazing novel.

I don’t even understand yet how deeply this novel has empowered me. I didn’t know that I needed this wake-up call until I got it feel onto my lap, and now I’m standing at the end of this beautiful journey in awe of the power in the voice of Juliet.

The representation in this book is excellently portrayed and sorely needed. The main character, a WOC Latina that is finding out who she is within the LGBT community. A coming-of-age story where the MC from Bronx goes on an internship with a bestselling feminist in Portland. Self-discovery, insecurities, and finding your voice all get explored in this touching story.

In every story, if it exists, the thing that makes it shine brighter is strong female friendships. One that really stood out to me was the sisterhood between Juliet and her cousin Eva. All the time, I was like: “I wish Eva could be my sister.” What she did was she broke things down for Juliet, terms and pronouns and identities, etc. in the LGBT community. She continually supported and stood by Juliet, gave her some of the most helpful advice ever, and showed her the naked truth. Let it be known that I am a big admirer of the bold and empowed Eva.

Some of my favorite parts passages where about how the strong women around don’t give a fuck and love fiercely and are trying to be supportive. Seeing all of the life lessons that other people can give and the LGBT inclusive community (there was a specific party) made my eyes almost tear.

“It's about women of color owning their own space and their voices being treated with dignity and respect. It's about women of color not having to shout over voices to be heard. We are the dominant force almost all the time. White women are the stars of all the movies. White women are the lead speakers in feminist debates, and it's little white girls that send the nation into a frenzy when they've been kidnapped. ...check your privilege. We're the ones that need to give women of color space for their voices.”


This is the most powerful quote about feminism that I have read in such a long time. This stresses the importance of intersectional feminism and how we (white women) need to give the stage for the voices of WOC and be constantly checking our privilege. In my opinion, this is the most valuable lesson that I learned from this novel, and for that I will be forever grateful.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.**

Juliet Takes A Breath is the kind of book that simultaneously kicks you into action and warms your heart. It is the story of a summer in which Juliet, a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx, discovers a lot about her own identity and others’, a coming of age tale that aggressively runs away from the straight white boy type story epitomised by Holden Caulfield and many after him. It is also a story about friendship, love, and the universe, about understanding the politics of your own self and of other people, and realising that the world may not be exactly as you see it.

From its summary, Juliet Takes A Breath promises the kind of novel where the main character’s questions are not always answered, a book where growing up isn’t learning the answers, but learning new questions. This is an accurate impression, as Gabby Rivera leaves Juliet full of possibility, ready to take steps to change or become more herself. As she learns more about the wider LGBT world, intersectional feminism, and racial politics, so can the reader, but the reader can also want to look further, just as Juliet does, as she discovers what relates most to her. A lot of different people contribute their suggestions to what Juliet should do, but she ultimately learns that she has ultimate control over that.

The side characters also help to make the novel a heartwarming and funny read, from Juliet’s sweet younger brother Lil’ Melvin to her cousin Ava who is always there to answer her questions about newfound ideas and terminology. This is the kind of book to share with people who you think might need it, whether to feel support and solidarity or to see more in the world.

Juliet leaped off the page as a character. She was completely herself and never once did she let you forget she was a big Puerto Rican lesbian out to explore herself and the world.

This book was like nothing I'd ever read before. BURSTING with diversity and social issues and acceptance and exploration. Topics that wove together throughout included: racism, feminism, LGBT, family, and I'm sure I'm leaving out some others.

One thing I really liked was that besides the Raging Flower book, everything else checked out as a real reference to a song or book or important woman in history when she's doing her intern work. I leave now knowing what Banana Republic means (yikes) and who Del Martin is (aw yeah).

I'm not sure I understood the point of Phen's character, one of the only males, other than to underline her unfamiliarity in a new city... he was a douche. But my only real complaint is that her internship ends rather suddenly in a wrap up of a few pages. I would have liked to see her and Harlowe's relationship evolve, and find out some more badass names for her project. Maybe I just got so sucked into this free, accepting, and loving world, I just wanted to stay a bit longer.

Bronx-born and bred Juliet is getting to grips with her summer internship in Portland, Oregon (where she'll be working for iconic feminist author Hawthorne Brisbane), all while figuring out how to come out to her family, what the hell a preferred gender pronoun is, why she's not getting the answers she wants from White Feminism. Oh, and how to breathe. Juliet Takes A Breath was the queer, Latinx, intersectional feminist coming-of-age novel of my dreams: moving, political, angry, funny, and damn wonderful. Read it!

Gabby Rivera has managed to do something incredible for someone who is just now publishing their first full-length book; her book did not feel like a debut at all. It was a very fresh read, but it was also well-structured, with fully developed, three-dimentional characters, a goal even veterans of the publishing world are still trying to achieve.

Rivera's debut novel, "Juliet takes a breath" focuses on Juliet Milagros Palante, a Puerto Rican lesbian, who's just come out to her family and is heading towards Portland, leaving Bronx and her family behind, for a summer internship with the author of her favourite book, Harlowe Brisbane. Without giving too much away, things do not turn out exactly the way Juliet had planned them to, and she finds herself dealing with situations and people she could never possibly imagine meeting.

"Juliet takes a breath", is - without a doubt- a book that should not go unnoticed. Juliet's journey isn't just one from Bronx to Portland; it is also a journey of self-discovery and discovering intersectional feminism. (Now, I've called bullshit on the term before, because, for me, feminism is -by definition- intersectional; if it's not intersectional, it's not feminism at all. ) Through Juliet's eyes we get to see her first "contact" with terms such as polyamory, preferred gender pronouns, trans. It is a very interesting and very relatable journey for every feminist, who have found themselves as lost as Juliet, at some point in their lives. Rivera's novel has a brown, thick, lesbian protagonist and it leaves room for learning, growing as a person and familiarizing one's self with 21st-century feminism.

One of the things I loved most about the book was its calling out of white feminism. White privilege, acts of racism and microaggressions, poc-safe-spaces, are all topics that are explored in the course of the book. White feminism is a topic that is often unmentioned, mostly because most YA characters that call themselves a feminist are 90% white. In Juliet's case she learns to recognize this kind of behavior for exactly what it is - an act of racism coming from a place of privilege.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, not just because of its plot and fast pace, but mostly because of its diverse cast of characters and its portrayal and depiction of modern-day, intersectional feminism.

<i>I don't mean any disrespect, but if you can question the patriarchy, then I can question you.</i>

This was an incredible piece of something different. Like, I don't even think I can describe what the heck this book is about. It's magical and powerful. A journey from Feminism 101 to exploring the layers and nuances that come with intersecting identities. Our main character, Juliet, is a young, Puerto Rican, very recently out lesbian who wants to believe there is room in this world for her. The prose gets bogged down with these explanations sometimes, but the whole picture is refreshing

<i>How could anything as huge as feminism be universal?</i>

The book has a lot of slurs and a few mentions of past assault with some on-the-page microaggressions, so heads up there.

“Read everything you can push into your skull. Read your mother’s diary. Read Assata. Read everything Gloria Steinem and bell hooks write. Read books about your body written by people who have bodies like yours. Read everything that supports your growth as a vibrant, rebel girl human. Read because you’re tired of secrets.”

I can’t even bring myself to name all of the reasons why I love this book. If I did, I would probably have to write an entire essay, which, honestly, I wouldn’t have minded doing a year ago while working on my Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor. That’s because this book is an incredibly diverse and feminist YA novel, about a girl who struggles to find where she belongs. The novel unapologetically tackles many topics, from the importance of intersectionality to the underlying racism of white feminism, making it an absolute standout novel in YA that should be on everyone’s required reading list.

Here are just some of the reasons that make Juliet Takes a Breath phenomenal:


It’s intersectional!
The main positive of this novel is how incredibly diverse it is from page one, written by a queer woman of color, for queer women of color. Its protagonist, Juliet, is a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx who is also gay, and reading the story through her perspective is like a breath of fresh air. The novel is so rich with Puerto Rican culture, from the way Juliet describes her neighborhood and her life back home to the way she interacts with her family to the Spanish words embedded throughout.

The story isn’t just intersectional in this way, though. Juliet ends up writing to the author of a popular feminist book, expressing how she wants to belong in feminism but often feeling like feminism is mostly just for white women. In response, the author–the illustrious Harlowe Brisbane–offers her an internship in Portland, Oregon, where Juliet learns more about intersectionality and feminism than she could ever imagine, and how the two correspond with her identity as a queer WOC. This book is such a good education on feminism and intersectionality, and weaves the two together so well throughout the story, showing how reliant each is on the other.

On being a good white ally…
With this, the driving theme of the novel focuses on the problematics and underlying racism of White Feminism. The novel frequently addresses the demand for POC women to have their own space, one where white allies don’t speak up over POC, and teaches others how to be a good white ally in general… and how not to be.

One of the prime examples of this is in Harlowe herself, who is a typical hippy feminist white lady and who, like many white feminists, praises feminism and women-loving yet misses the mark on sitting back to let women of color speak about their distinct oppressions. This comes up throughout the novel, but her biggest blunder comes when, during a reading, she uses Juliet as an example for why she’s not racist, basically using the ol’ “I’m not racist, I have a Puerto Rican friend” card. She then went on to paint Juliet as a poor Puerto Rican who managed to escape the terrible, crime-ridden, violent neighborhood in the Bronx to be taken in under Harlow’s wing, even though Juliet didn’t really tell Harlowe anything about her life back home. Needless to say, Juliet learns to find her voice and tell Harlowe that this was in no way okay for Harlowe to do to her. This perfectly highlights to feminists how to not use POC as a token to make themselves and their feminism look better

It addresses “Mansplaining” and why it’s extremely obnoxious.
Okay, so there’s this super nauseating male character in the book named Phen, who acts extremely know-it-all and superior over Juliet the second he meets her, completely going out of his way to patronize her and let her know that she doesn’t truly belong. Seriously, I hated him like nothing else. He is the most venomous, toxic male “ally” that all feminists should avoid at all costs.

When they first meet, Phen is naked in Harlow’s house (for some reason??), and when Juliet is noticeably uncomfortable at first, Phen acts offended and scoffs, Oh I’m sorry, does my naked body BOTHER YOU? (**Um, yes, you asshole. You’re a male and, having that privilege, can’t even understand the connotations of a dominating male body invading the personal space of a woman. Literally, shut up.) Following this, Phen only continues to exert his dominance by throwing out feminist terms that Juliet isn’t yet familiar with, almost taunting her with them and using them as a weapon to show how much he knows more than her. At one point, he even questions whether she belongs in Portland and whether she’s truly gay. People like Phen are exactly what can go wrong with male allies, who make it more about themselves than about actually supporting women, and the book highlights this problematic behavior really well. And with that…

…it conveys the message that it’s okay to not know everything there is to know about feminism, and that this doesn’t make you any less of a feminist.
This is such an important aspect of the book. Going from the Bronx to Portland, it feels like a completely different world to Juliet, and there’s so much she feels she has to learn. But rather than scoff at her and make her feel bad when Juliet asks questions, Harlowe and many others encourage Juliet to continually learn, to question, and to figure out what feminism means to her. And this is what feminism should be about. It can often feel daunting coming fresh into feminism, especially depending on where you live in the world and what you identify as. There’s so much to learn and take in. Along with this, feminism means different things to different people. There’s no one way to be a feminist. And so I really commend the author for showing readers this through Juliet’s own personal journey.

Some other things I liked about this book…

It paints a realistic coming out experience, where the parents are neither completely accepting at first nor completely unloving. Just before leaving Portland, Juliet spontaneously decides to come out to her family. While most everyone else is okay with it, her mother takes it harder. While Juliet does her internship in Portland, she misses her mother yet simultaneously feels that her mom doesn’t truly understand her. Each time they speak over phone, they both feel a disconnect, that the other isn’t really hearing the other’s point of view. But over the course of this novel, Juliet and her mom gradually begin to open up to each other, showing that their relationship is stronger than anything.

I think with coming out stories, we’re so used to vilifying the parents who don’t always accept or understand their child’s sexuality right off. But it’s important to be aware that there are other coming out experiences that are more complicated and full of grey areas… and more importantly, this doesn’t always make these kinds of parents “bad parents.” When we vilify parents and coming out stories like these, it takes all of the learning and growth and underlying love out of the parents’ relationship with their child, something this book brings to light and works to develop really well. I love how in the end Juliet’s mom admits she’s still not all the way there yet, but that she’s trying, which just shows how much she really loves her daughter and wants their relationship to be okay. 💜

It centers around learning to navigate the cultural differences when traveling somewhere new, while always feeling like a part of you is still back home. I thought this was a really compelling theme in the novel. The story begins with Juliet dreaming of leaving the Bronx, certain that things must be better beyond it. But as soon as she’s in Portland, Juliet feels like she’s plunged into a completely different world, one where there aren’t as many people that look like her, which makes her miss her home back in the Bronx. As the story progresses, Juliet realizes that, despite being in Portland, there’s a certain amount of racism there, too, even in her mentor, which really challenges her worldview and what she thought she knew. I thought this was a really eye-opening turning point, as it just shows how racism is everywhere. We can pretend that it’s better in some places, but we also can’t be blind to the ways that racism still exists, even when disguised in various shapes and forms. Along with this, I liked how being in Portland just made Juliet that much more appreciative of where she came from.

There’s a point later on in the story when Juliet’s on her own and a bit turned around in the city. She takes a bus, only to find that it’s full of people like her—people of color, from Black to Puerto Rican. She’s so happy in this moment to finally be among other people who look and sound like her, to feel transported back to the Bronx, that she decides to stay in it for as long as long as she can, taking the bus all the way to the last stop and back again. I thought this was such a nice little silver lining for Juliet that served as a moment of peace and comfort for her, to remind her that no matter where she is, home is never too far away.

* * *

Like I said, there were so many things I loved about this book and so many important takeaways that I thought the author integrated so well; if I were to discuss every one of them, I might as well write an essay. (Can I? Please??) This novel blew me away, and I’m so thankful for it and for the author to have written such a vibrant character like Juliet Palante. If anything, I hope this novel inspires all of the Juliets of the world. I hope it encourages them to go out into the world, to explore and discover who they are, and to make their voices heard, at the top of their lungs.

From the second page I was completely hooked. So far "Juliet Takes a Breath" is definitely my favourite book this year and it will be a tough one to beat. It deals with the nuances and intersectionality of Queer culture in a straightforward yet interesting way and is filled with a variety of wonderful moment varying from humorous through to touching and thought-provoking.
I connected with the characters in ways that i didn't expect but loved wholeheartedly. "Juliet Takes a Breath" is not afraid to question the world and the people in it, it is unapologetic and demands that the rest of the world rise to its level rather than sinking down to theirs. It is a book that has turned out to mean much more to me than I ever anticipated, and I look forward to reading Gabby Rivera's further fictional works.

Great book for teens struggling with self love and conflicting feelings of acceptance with friends, family and themselves. Empowerment is a strong heady feeling which should be shared by all

From page one I knew that this book and I would become friends. I can't describe it better than that it feels like a warm hug!

This story follows Juliet Milagros Palante, a Latina asthmatic lesbian with anxiety problems. There's a special place in my heart for characters who are allowed to exist with more than one label. Because sometimes us disabled lesbians need to be able to read stories about other people like us, instead of having to choose a disabled or a lesbian character.

On top of being entertaining and moving, Juliet Takes A Breath is a highly informative novel. It is definitely going to widen many readers’ minds, and educate them on queerness, religion, race, gender, intersectionality, polyamory, and the importance of proper communication in relationships.

Already looking forward to Gabby Rivera's next book. The main character Juliet Milagros Palante takes readers on a journey from her home in the Bronx, where she just came out to her family, to an internship with a hippy author of a Pussy Power book in Portland, OR. Juliet is a great character and takes a lot in, meeting new people and learning new things (What respecting one another means in intercultural relationships, being lesbian/queer, what polyamory is, and what it means to feel at home and affirmed.) There is a lot of she learns about the world and communities (Intersectionality specifically regarding race/ethnicity and LGBTQ) and about herself as it is happening. Not only is she kick ass, but the other characters is the book grapple with their relationships and the challenges they experience without blowing up and cutting others off. There is a lot of respect, which gives this book a feel-good tone, even if you suspect in real life people wouldn't have been so civil.

https://bibliophilefeminist.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/juliet-takes-a-breath-review/

This book was simply amazing. I wasn't sure, after reading the description, if it would fall a bit flat, given that it is set in 2002, or if it would seem a bit preachy. It was neither. Juliet is a well-crafted character, full of life, wonder, curiosity, and hope. She popped off the page, asking all of the questions I had as a young queer woman just a few years before her. Her quest to find the intersection of feminism, gender, sexuality, and race was realistic, heart-wrenching, and emotionally fulfilling. The characters, situations, and dialogue never seemed forced; even the unexpected-but-once-it-happened-totally-expected "twist" didn't seem out of place, rushed, shoe-horned in, or otherwise "written" - this was a text that will feel real and authentic to the students who encounter it, and it is one that I will recommend wholeheartedly. I look forward to more from this brilliant author!

"Feminism. I’m new to it. The word still sounds weird and wrong. Too white, too structured, too foreign: something I can’t claim."

Though this is the opening of the book, it sets a tone that defines the rest of the novel. It is a rare book that from the very beginning I can feel it sinking into my bones, but that is exactly what this felt like. And despite the fact that I kept worrying maybe that feeling would go away, I was entranced from beginning to end, and sobbed through the epilogue. This is a book that has power. And a book that will stay with me.

Juliet is a 19-year-old Puerto Rican lesbian from the Bronx who goes to be an intern for a hippy white feminist in Portland, and who also happens to have written Juliet's favorite book. It is a book about pussy power. But fear not, those worrying (as I did) about the cissexist nature of that book: it is called out frequently in the latter half of the novel! Just as so many other things are. In Portland, Juliet is part of an incredibly queer community. The number of queer women around at all times in this novel was impossible to ignore and it made my heart sing. Queer women of color, specifically, were essential in Juliet coming to understand the terminology she needed to define her own identity and to help offer new definitions of feminism and queer identity that can feel more inclusive to her.

It feels rare to experience such visibly queer spaces in books. Not just queer spaces that happen in one scene, but a constantly queer environment that is full of support but also critique and questioning of white feminist structures. Beyond the presence of queer spaces, there is also so much emphasis on POC-only spaces and the importance that they have. Over and over again, the bullshit complaints of white feminists are shot down and intersectionality is emphasized, explained, and made the most important part of the feminism Juliet is trying to learn. A feminism that includes her, in all her Puerto Rican lesbian glory.

Not to continue gushing, but some of my other favorite moments include: an entire chapter dedicated to making the period a celebrated experience, the strained but intensely loving relationship between Juliet and her mother, the entire chapter entitled "Ain't No Party Like an Octavia Butler Writer's Workshop", girls flirting, close family relationships, mini history lessons about amazing forgotten women of color, and about a hundred other things.

OH OH OH and I almost forgot: the almost embarrassing amount of realism that queer women become completely useless in the presence of other beautiful lady-identified individuals. Every time Juliet saw a fabulous queer lady and lost the ability to speak or spit out coherent sentences I was on another planet of joy.

This is the coming of age story of a fierce, funny, nerdy, chubby, intelligent Latina. It was breathtaking and sharp, full of so much goodness I know I'll be able to find new things again and again. It acts as an intro for those who don't know queer and feminist terminology, but also serves as a critique of the whiteness of those structures if you already do. It is ownvoices and vibrant and incredible. I'm begging you to read it.

This book was seriously laugh out loud funny. I want to be friends with Juliet, her voice was so funny, poignant and compelling.

Our protagonist is a young Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx who travels to Portland to intern for a crunchy, white hippie who wrote a Cunt-esque, pussy-power manifesta, and it is through this mentor's fairly limited but ultimately "well-meaning" perspective that Juliet begins to identify with and define her own feminism.

The limitations of privileged, white feminism are portrayed really well through the novel, not just through Juliet's mentor but through Juliet's own experiences in an exceedingly white city. When Juliet is introduced to spaces carved out purely for people of color she is allowed to flourish and experience herself more freely without being blinded by whiteness.

This was a quick read, and a really fun one. I really want to continue to follow Juliet and experience her growing into herself as described by the author's vibrant and critical language. We need so many more Juliets in our books.

This book was "bad azz" (and I mean that in the best way possible)!!! Funny, so real, and chock full of real emotions. I really enjoyed reading this book and I couldn't put it down until I finished. I want more from Gabby Rivera!

Let’s get the negatives out of the way first: this book is fairly plotless. Despite Juliet Takes' A Breath's short length, I found myself bored for most of the first half.

However, my disapointment at the plot was outshined by my love for pretty much everything else.

The character work here is sublime. Juliet is a funny but believable protagonist. Her emotional journey was easy to connect with, and I’m sure it will be for anyone who feels disenfranchised in society. This is Juliet's specific journey as a lesbian woman of color, and the author makes that very clear. It’s amazing that Rivera managed to make this journey so specific yet so universal.

The side characters shined here too. All were complex and developed, even in very little pagetime. I feel like I know these women. I feel like Gabby Rivera knows these women. I was just incredibly impressed by the amount I connected to this story.

The integration of social issues here was also amazing. I’ve never read a book that represented so many issues so well! There’s a focus on lgbt issues, on women’s issues, on how women’s issues and trans issues need to be connected, and on racism issues. It’s revolutionary that this book got published by an agency. Juliet would be proud.

I almost wish Juliet’s brave women heroes had been integrated more into the latter half of the book. It seemed like an amazing concept that almost got abandoned. I understand why it happened, though; there was a lot to resolve in the latter half. Again, the pacing needed a little editing.

This book definitely comes highly recommended, and thanks again to the publisher for sending me this arc!

This book started kind of slow but became very good once the story started. It is an important book to read for every young woman to better understand what feminism is why it is so important. The author drew such a great picture with the characters and made them each very personable.
However, I think my favorite part of the book was how "love" was portrait. It didn't just describe romantic love but also friendship and family love. Gabby Rivera has a special way to talk about love and what it means to the characters.
I would definitely recommend this book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (and boy am I glad they let me have this book). It did not take me long to get through it but I wanted there to be so much more.

“All the moments where I was made to feel like an outsider in a group that was supposed to have room for me added up and left me feeling so much shame.”

Juliet Takes a Breath is an unapologetic, beautiful book about a young Puerto Rican queer woman from the Bronx who spends a summer in Portland, Oregon interning for a hippy queer white lady who wrote her favorite book all about “the power of the pussy”. But fear not, there is some major calling out later in the book about cissexist thinking. So anyone worried about that, it turns out good.

I’d also like to just get it out there that while I am a queer lady I am a queer white lady so just keep that in mind with my review of a very PoC centric book.

First of all, I’ve never felt so represented as a queer lady who is completely useless when I see a pretty girl. Just to get that out of the way. When I see a pretty lady I can’t articulate or really talk at all and Juliet is just like that. I love her.

This book really emphasizes the importance of PoC only spaces, especially within the queer community. Juliet is super new to the queer scene, and it really comes through in the writing. There are a couple points in the book where she gets overwhelmed with all the new information being thrown at her and she feels like she shouldn’t be asking what terms mean because all the people around her are “fluent in queer” (the words of a good friend of mine, not the book).

I also really loved how the book was written. Stylistically, it sounds a lot like how people talk and I really dig that. Although I could have done with less “yo’s” at the end of sentences, yo.

Some of my favorite moments in this book included “sacred period ritual kits,” an entire chapter titled “Ain’t No Party Like an Octavia Butler Writer’s Workshop,” all the wonderful girl flirting, and really at this point I’m going to list the entire book so I’ll just leave you with a few of my favorite quotes to tide you over while you go get your copy of this book.

“Reading would make me beautiful, but writing would make me infinite.”

“Always ask first and then kiss the way stars burn in the sky.”

This book has been on my TBR for months. I loved it. It is so intersectional it makes my little heart so happy. Juliet is Puerto Rican, brown, chubby, lesbian, and writer. She is beautiful and if you want to read about someone figuring out what it means to be who she is, then this is for you.

Juliet grew up in the Bronx with her Puerto Rican mother, father, brother, and assortment of aunts. Juliet feels her life change when she reads Raging Flower by Harlowe Brisbane, a feminist extraordinaire that encourages women to explore themselves (physically, emotionally, and socially), just what Juliet needs to encourage her to come out to her family and make public her relationship with Lainie. Now Juliet has landed in Portland, a place full of white hippies that worship Harlowe, the women who offered her an internship for the summer. Juliet hopes this summer will magically help her find herself. It just doesn’t happen as she expects.



Diversity: +21
Race/Ethnicity: +1 (Author), +3 (PoC main characters)
Culture: +3 (Puerto Rican)
Gender: +1 (Author), +3 (Women and feminism), +1 (Discusses Trans and Cis)
Physical Disabilities: +1 (Glasses)
LGTQ+: +5 (obviously)
Socioeconomic status: +3


What I liked:
-Juliet is Puerto Rican. She’s Latina. Even though we’re different kinds of Latinas, so much of her family dynamic reminded me of my own. The food, the family, what a beautiful brown, Latina life. I loved how she found her roots and not once felt bad about her heritage. I loved how she tried to balance the values she grew up with and who she is. Her relationship with her mother made me want to call my own mother. Beautiful.
-The intersectionality. Seriously, I found myself cheering out loud every time someone got called out for their insensitivity. I love how Juliet learns about feminism, and white feminism, and queer people of color, and how it’s not the same kind of movement. She is learning how she fits within her family, her (small liberal arts) college life, white-hippie-Portland, and empowered-Miami-cousin. Juliet isn’t perfect, she’s learning which makes this that much more poignant.
-Descriptions of positive, healthy, relationships of all shapes and sizes without shying away from negative aspects. There are monogamous relationships and polyamorous relationships. Lesbians and bisexuals. Trans people with proper pronoun usage. Unabashedly sex positive. First loves and crushes and kisses under the stars.
-Body positivity. So many different bodies and all beautiful.


-One day, we’ll read books about PoC and queer characters that don’t spend time explaining terminology because we’ll all know it. One day, we’ll just get stories where they exist and thrive. I’m excited for that day.

FINALLY- A book with likeable characters, great person of colour representation, queerness, feminism...and it's brilliantly written with a super heartwarming story that'll suck you in so you can't put it down. Brilliant!

Juliet Takes a Breath is the coming-of-age story of Juliet Palante, a Puerto Rican teenager who lives in the Bronx with her madcap family. She discovers feminism through the book 'Raging Flower: Empowering Your Pussy By Empowering Your Mind' by Harper Brisbane (which she reads to freak people out on the subway) and, after writing to the author to tell her how much she enjoyed it (despite not really recognising herself in the text) lands an internship to help Harper research her next book. Moving to Portland, Oregon gives Juliet a total culture shock and living with Harper exposes her to a completely different way of life. She uses the opportunity to learn about being gay, being a person of colour, being female and being a feminist, all whilst trying to figure out who she is and trying to get her family to accept her. Nothing major then.

I really loved reading this book. There's such great, positive representation and a brilliantly written story which taught me so much about other cultures, history, oppression, feminism, my own body... I could go on. It's really well written, interesting, funny and sweet without being overly saccharine or having a happily ever after ending that ends up in so much current YA literature.

I loved the main character Juliet, who was bold and strong but also scared and vulnerable at times. She felt very 'real' to me and despite our many differences I identified with her as a chubby, queer nerd girl who finds safety in the confines of a library. Her family members were all amazing, especially her brother cousin and aunt and I loved reading about how close they all were and supported each other no matter what.

I initially really liked Harper, the hippy writer who acted as a kind of queer feminist Yoda to aid Juliet in her voyage of discovery, but my opinion of her changed as the book went on. I loved the way that the two characters were so different and the way that Harper exposed Juliet to so many new experiences, but I hated the way that she made so many assumptions about Juliet and in the end I thought she was actually quite self centered.

Through Juliet's journey (literally and figuratively) the reader gets to learn so much about topics that you were afraid to ask about - from periods to polygamous relationships to white privilege. Every topic is handled sensitively and the writing is never preachy, only informative.

There is an awful lot in the book about racism and the differences between being a white feminist lesbian and a person of colour feminist lesbian which I hadn't really considered before. I'm not sure if this is my white privilege or because I'm British but I'm not used to people talking about their race all the time or referring to themselves expressly by their heritage. Some of the ideas discussed made me a little uncomfortable, like a racist slur said about Juliet's white girlfriend and a POC only party but through the character of Juliet the ideas are often questioned and both the positives and negatives are discussed.

Because the main character is Latino it was really interesting to view feminism and lesbianism through her eyes - how it fitted in with her religion, her traditional family, her views on men, her experience of privilege, her sense of self etc. This was a viewpoint that I hadn't read from before and I thought it was executed brilliantly.

My only criticisms of the novel would be that I think it's a little unrealistic for almost every character that Juliet encounters or knows to be gay and that perhaps a few straight people would have added another dynamic. I also felt that the negative way in which every white person was portrayed was a little unfair - although heaven knows there's enough books out there where the only black character is a villain/token gesture/non-existent so maybe the author was just trying to redress the balance.

Overall I loved reading this book and would recommend it to anyone looking to explore feminism and queerness from a different perspective, or just anyone looking for some great intersectional YA.

I LOVED this book. It started off as a love letter to the white lesbian feminist scene of the early aughts: Ani DiFranco, the thinly veiled novel celebrating genitalia, mix CD's. From there, the book truly blossoms into a coming of age novel which examines who your heroes are, Whiteness and language, who your allies are, how you deserve to be treated, Puerto Rican identity, and who you are. This is a book I wish was around when I was younger. I highly recommend any feminist or activist to read it.

The one word that kept going through my mind as I read Juliet Takes a Breath and later tried to compose my thoughts on it is "authentic." Juliet Takes a Breath is one of the most authentic books I have ever read, and that authenticity is what makes it truly fantastic. I'm guessing that the author drew heavily from her own experience, and it shows in a very good way; Juliet's voice is incredibly clear and incredibly real. At the core of it, she's just a young person trying to figure things out, and that is something that so many other young people can relate to.

Readers who share experiences and/or identities with Juliet (being latinx, queer, working class, growing up in the Bronx, etc) will find that her story resonates even more. As a young queer woman, I found myself tearing up several times because Rivera captures so perfectly that experience. It took me a while to get hooked into the book because the beginning part when Juliet comes out to her family evoked so many emotions about when I came out to my own family, and it was a little overwhelming, but in a good way. The characters, too, were incredibly relatable. I have met people who are a lot like Harlowe, like Lainie, like Maxine, even like Phen, bit player that he is. I felt a connection with the characters and the situations in a way that I don't with most realistic fiction; even though it was fiction, these kinds of people do exist, and these kinds of things do happen, and furthermore, people like Juliet really do grow and deepen their connection to their own identity and to others. For young queer folks who haven't gotten to that point yet, this book could be very inspiring, even hopeful.

But even if readers do not share the same experiences as Juliet, this book is still incredibly valuable, as it tackles issues like race and sexuality in a very honest way, introducing concepts that some people may not be familiar with and tackling tricky situations (the role of race in an interracial relationship, for example) using the characters as a proxy. The characters teach us about a range of different things-gender pronouns, what the word "queer" means, how polyamory can work-but it never feels like the characters are just spouting off a lecture at us because Rivera weaves it in seamlessly in a way that makes sense.

When I first began the book, I was a little apprehensive because Harlowe's brand of feminism that caters to white cis lesbians was a bit off putting to me; I've seen it in my own life, and I even used to subscribe to it until I realized how exclusionary that kind of feminism is to women of color and trans women and basically anyone who isn't a white cis woman. But rather than espousing Harlowe's feminism, Rivera tackles it head on, and uses Harlowe as a way to point out the dangers of white feminism and the pitfalls that white allies can fall into. Impressively, I find that she also strikes an impressive balance; the characters who make mistakes are not immediately forgiven or pardoned, but neither are they uniformly vilified. People are complex and relationships are complex and the interplay of personal relationships with race and gender and sexuality is complex, and Rivera portrays that with care and honesty.

As a side note, I was very impressed at how well Rivera wrote about the (view spoiler) I'm also impressed at the breadth that Rivera covered in a relatively short book. She took us from Juliet's home in the Bronx to the queer community of Portland to Ava's world in Miami (and the chapter about the party that Ava takes Juliet too is really one of the highlights of the novel for me). Juliet's relationship with her family-particularly Ava and Lil' Melvin-was also absolutely fantastic.

I only have two very minor gripes with the book, and they're really not full-on gripes as much as they are things that I was confused about. The first is that I'm still confused (view spoiler) The second is that I think that at times, Harlowe is written as such an extreme hippie that she borders on being a caricature. However, I do think that there are probably people like Harlowe out there, and my feeling on this is mostly a product of the fact that I live in an area very different than Portland where I don't meet many Harlowes.

On the whole, I think that Gabby Rivera has really written a fantastic novel; the cast is diverse in the way that the real world is diverse, and the way she draws on her own experience as a queer latina makes the novel shine. Many LGBTQ+ books tend to showcase one particular narrative; in particular, a white, usually middle class narrative. Alternatively, they are written by people who are not a part of the community that their characters are, and they fall into stereotyping and/or fetishizing (white authors oversimplifying the experience of LGBT people of color, or straight white women writing fetishizing fiction about two cis white gay men). But with Juliet Takes a Breath, Rivera has given voice to a different narrative that is just as valuable and just as authentic, if not more so. When people say that we need diverse books by diverse authors, this is exactly the kind of book that they mean.

This book is very refreshing since it takes the experiences of a queer latina woman to the forefront of the story it’s particularly important because even though I enjoy reading (and in general consuming media) that reflects on other type of experiences seeing a lot of what I live or feel being talked about and shed a positive light is rare and priceless especially because there are not many stories exploring the intersectionalism between queerness and being a latinx.

The beginning is amazing because we start with Juliet writing a letter to to author Harlowe Brisbane — a famous feminist and lesbian — as part of an internship application. Harlowe’s book is named Raging Flower: Empowering Your Pussy by Empowering Your Mind. So that should show you the tone of the coming pages and just a beautiful way to show you how Juliet sees and relates to the world.

“But now I’m writing to you because this book of yours, this magical labia manifesto, has become my Bible. It’s definitely a reading from the book of white lady feminism and yet, there are moments where I see my round, brown ass in your words. I wanted more of that, Harlowe, more representation, more acknowledgement, more room to breathe the same air as you. “We are all women. We are all of the womb. It is in that essence of the moon that we share sisterhood” — that’s you. You wrote that and I highlighted it, wondering if that was true. If you don’t know my life and my struggles, can we be sisters?”

So when Juliet finally comes out to her family just before going into her internship to Portland, to a big city to meet her hero and be herself (10/10 can relate to this because even though I moved to my country’s capital to be myself and not to meet my hero) she is shocked by the cultural changes and the feel of the city.

I don’t want spoil more but it’s important to note this is a wonderful read exploring feminism in an intersectional lense more than the usual white feminism that’s been going around in media, and it’s not preachy if you’re fearing that, it’s just natural and reflective.

This book hooked me since the first page: Juliet's voice is so refreshing and I loved discovering more about her, her family and friends, and her relationship with feminism, queerness and race. A solid five-star read for me.

I have already posted my review on Amazon. And I plan to post my review on my blog (lifeofaliteraryner.wordpress.com) and twitter (twitter.com/ahyperboliclife) Monday afternoon on June 5th.
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This books was a ride for me. I could not stand Harlowe Brisbane or her damn book so I almost DNF’d this after chapter 2, but I am glad my sister pushed me to keep going because I really loved it. Juliet Takes a Breath is a moving and powerful story of self-discovery, growth, expectations, and feminism. Juliet’s story felt so honest and raw, it truly captivates you as she learns to love herself.

Things I Liked :
Juliet’s journey is beautiful and powerful. I loved seeing her discover feminism, what it means to her, and where she fits into this larger movement. I also really loved that she learns from her family and she has a support system around her, ready to uplift and encourage her.

The feminist and queer ideologies are very accessible for every reader. Juliet learns and absorbs so much - about non-white revolutionists, polyamorous and other non-heteronormative relationships, safe spaces, trans rights, allies. Juliet’s eyes are opened to a world she didn’t know existed and she craves knowledge and understanding. Everything is explained very clearly and respectfully, so those new to feminism can easy understand the topics and grow in knowledge like Juliet.

I also loved how Juliet’s relationship with her mom developed. We see their relationship go through so much and in the end, her mom helps propel her forward, and encourages her to reinvent her own world and not rely on others to do so.

I LOVED that they called out the white feminism EVERY TIME. The characters in the story were openly critical of the exclusionary and dismissive white feminist nonsense and actively challenged that white feminism was universal. It was just so great to see.

Things I Didn’t Like :
You already now I hated Harlowe. Everytime she was in a scene I just got angry - and don’t even get me started on her dumbass book. First of all, it reminded me so much of the book Rachel reads in Friends-Be Your Own Windkeeper. I felt like they were basically interchangeable. On a more critical note, Raging Flower reeked of privilege. Highlighting women’s divine essence and power and their cosmic sisterhood, while not confronting any of the systemic or political oppression women - especially non-white women - face was infuriating. Yes camaraderie and self empowerment are important, but I HATED how Juliet upheld her book as a bastion of feminist literature and Harlowe was iconicized for her mediocrity. It was not unrealistic though, and Harlowe/her book was called out several times so I really appreciated that. I also HATED her half assed apology to Juliet after the incident at the book reading. She literally said she didn’t think she said anything wrong or mean about Juliet and I couldn’t believe it.

I felt Juliet was very naive. I understand that this is the story of her journey to discover more about feminism and where she fit in, but it didn’t feel like she was in college to me. She says she met Lainie in a Women’s Studies class, but she still new virtually nothing about feminism, or the fallacies of the US government, at all. It was a little unbelievable to me. I also didn’t like her thoughts about the Native American genocide being an accident, and how Harlowe and Maxine’s poly relationship meant her crushes on Kira and Maxine, while still loving Lainie, was okay - it felt like she was trying to justify emotionally cheating to me, while not being open with all parties. It was also hard for me to believe that Juliet’s only resource on feminist literature was Raging Flower - even in Harlowe’s book she says to read books and resources from a wide range of people, so I could believe that Juliet hadn’t taken that advice to heart.

This was a tough reading experience for me, but I am really happy I finished the book. Juliet’s story is honest and gripping and unapologetically queer. Juliet celebrates the queerness in her own life and in the community she discovers. I loved going on this journey with Juliet and seeing her come into her own and learn to love who she is.

This book was magical and mystical and all things fucking amazing. I am older than the character in the book, but when I was 19 I wish there had been more books like this one. It was so nice to read an affirming book about queer, POC, nerds who had no idea what it meant to be a lesbian or feminist. I was that way when I first came out and I felt utterly clueless. Juliet's story is important because it lets me know that there are other people like me out there. It brings back fond memories of being the only person in my family to leave the "hood" and try something new and different and not knowing how that would look or feel. This book is important because it lets little brown girls out there know that they have a voice and there is someone writing their stories. It really gave me all of the feels and was made even better by getting to meet Gabby Rivera at BookCon in NYC this past weekend. I will read everything she writes and I hope there are more YA-ish books about girls of color and their experiences navigating the queer community. I thought the character of Harlow was so well written in all of her flaws and the rest of the characters fit really well into the book. Overall great first book and I am glad I happened upon it.

Juliet is a chubby lesbian Puerto Rican girl who just came out to her family and is about to spend her summer with Harlowe, the author of a book that has helped her to discover feminism. During this summer she will learn a lot of things about herself, about feminism, racism and white privilege, and the queer community; she'll get to question everything and everyone; and she'll understand that Harlowe doesn't have all the answers.

I firmly believe we need more books like this one. Books that talk freely about feminism (including polyamory, menstruation, or masturbation), books with a main character who needs to ask lots of questions because is still learning and is facing many issues that are new to her. Because it's ok not to know all the terminology, to have doubts, and to ask (politely and respectfully) when you need any clarification. And that doesn't mean that other people are better than you.

Also, we need more books with so many queer and PoC spaces, books that talk about how important is to find people you identify with and make you feel that you belong, books that question white allocishet privilege.

Gabby Rivera has a witty writing that you grab you from the beggining. I'm going to review this on my youtube channel.

First, I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher and Gabby Rivera for this copy in exchange for my review!

When I went into Juliet Takes a Breath, I thought that this was going to be a nice lesbian romance and coming out/coming of age story.
What I got was probably the best book I've read in 2017 and a novel I think everyone should read.
I loved every part of this novel, it's one that everyone can leave with something new that they didn't know or didn't understand.

The feminism, body positivity, LGBTQIA+ and POC rep blew me away. The plot itself was fully based around our MC, Juliet's, growth and discovery of herself and it was executed perfectly.
That being said, so was the character development in this book.

It touches base on accepting yourself, the patriarchy, the importance of the LGBTQIA+ and POC community within the feminist movement, and how important it is to know your history.

I honestly can't recommend this book enough, it's a powerful book and it left a huge impression on me. I'll be picking up my own physical copy soon.

Honestly, this book is just incredible. Both for being a lgbt story and for being a Hispanic lgbt story.
The main character had a sensational voice that I loved reading. She was a magnetic character that I connected with instantly. Her perspective made everything about the book enjoyable: the plot, the setting, the other characters.
I especially recommend this book to anyone who can relate to being Hispanic, lgbt, or a woman. I also recommend this book to people who just like good books.

The video review of this book will be published on the blog (www.psilovethatbook.com) as well as on my youtube channel on 29th of June.

There is something about this book that reminded me of being a baby dyke during the 1990s. This stream-of-consciousness coming-of-age novel is reminiscent of the kind of fiction I would have bought when I was in college. While I wonder if younger readers find it relevant, I hope they find it as entertaining as I did.

Juliet, born of Puerto Rican parents living in the Bronx, is working up the courage to come out to her parents on the eve of her departure to Portland. She has snagged a coveted internship with Harlowe, the author of her favorite book. Throughout the course of the book she will continue to learn about herself and the lesbian community that surrounds her, navigate the family drama that resulted from her coming out, and find new allies in unexpected places. This stream-of-consciousness coming-of-age novel is reminiscent of the kind of fiction I would have bought when I was in college. While I wonder if younger readers find it relevant, I hope they find it as entertaining as I did.

This book… Wow… This book…
I can’t even begin to describe the plot… I mean it wasn’t at all what I expected but it was pretty damn awesome nonetheless…

Ok... I'll still try... So Juliet is a 18/19 puerto rican girl from the Bronx and she’s gay. She’s read a feminist book by Harlowe Brisbane and decides to email her. The book starts the day before Juliet leaves for Portland to be Harlowe’s intern for the summer…

Honestly, I thought this would be a F/F romance of some kind. I hadn’t read the summary but I thought that was what this was.
This wasn’t. It was a story of self discovery and so much more. I didn’t agree with everything, I found some parts to be pretty slow and the writing seemed bizarre to me at times but still, I think it’s a must-read.

I strongly believe that everybody should read this book. You don’t have to be a woman to like it, nor a woman who loves other women; you don’t have to be white, asian, latino, black … you just have to be you to like this book as much as I did.

I don’t even know where to start. There are so many things I want to say and I’m afraid I won’t be able to do this book justice. Because this book represents everything I’m looking for in a Contemporary. Everything.

The main character, Juliet, just came out to her entire family before leaving for Portland for the entire summer. She goes there to be the Pussy Lady’s intern, a very well loved white feminist lady who wrote Juliet’s favourite book, Raging Flower.
And I loved Juliet, I loved how clueless she is about the LGBTQ community, about feminism, about herself, because we discover all these things with her. We experience her doubts, her sadness, her happiness, her pain, and it was freaking beautiful.
Juliet goes through a lot, she meets new people, open her mind to a world she didn’t know existed, she finds herself, or at least she begins to understand who she wants to be.

Me. Because I’m a messy, over-emotional, book nerd, weirdo, chubby brown human and I needed to learn how to love myself, even the shameful bits.

This book deals a lot with feminism and how different feminism can be for a lot of people. I admit, I was extremely afraid at the beginning of this book, because I felt like the feminism that was described was only meant for white cis women, and I didn’t want to find this kind of bullshit in this book. But turned out the book condemns strongly this ‘kind’ of feminism.

I couldn’t understand why it mattered so much. Like, what was so bad about Raging Flower? Ava said it was because Harlowe didn’t make queer and or trans women of color a priority in her work; that Harlowe assumed that we could all connect through sisterhood, as if sisterhood looked the same for everyone. As if all women had vaginas.
“Um, Ava, don’t all women have vaginas?” I asked, staring at her.
“Fuck no. We just talked about this,” she replied, “This is why I can’t fuck with Harlowe. All Harlowe does is equate being a woman to bleeding and having certain body parts. Like, I’m so not with that. For me, womanhood is radical enough for anyone who dares to claim it.”

Also guys, there was an ENTIRE chapter on polyamory relationships and on MENSTRUATIONS. CAN YOU BELIVE THAT ?! In our society, periods are still really taboo even though they're the most natural thing ever. People need to talk about periods in books more often, because young ladies need to understand they have nothing to feel ashamed of.

Know your period as you know yourself. Touch the wobbling blobs of blood and tissue that escape and land intact on your favorite period panties. Note the shades of brown and purple and volcanic reds that gush, spill, and squirt out announcing themselves. Slide fingers deep inside your cunt and learn what your period feels like before it’s out of your body. Masturbate to ease cramps and meditate to soothe the spirit. Connect to your blood cycle. Build sacred rituals around your body during this time of renewal.

I wish I could do this book justice, I truly do, but I’m a terrible mess right now. I needed to read this book, because as a biracial bisexual woman I needed to feel like somebody had my back, and this book totally offered to watch it for me.

All of the women in my life were telling me the same thing. My story, my truth, my life, my voice, all of that had to be protected and put out into the world by me. No one else. No one could take that from me. I had to let go of my fear. I didn’t know what I was afraid of.

Juliet Takes a Breath was just magical, it had such a power, I believe it will stay with me forever. I loved it because of the environment which is present from the first to last page. All the feminism, veganism, “rage against the motherfucking machine” philosophy was just me. It is a book about girl/woman power, however it is not a book only dedicated to girls and women, it’s a book for everyone.

Juliet is 19-year-old, Puerto Rican, lesbian and lives in the Bronx. She goes to Portland to be an intern for the writer of her favourite book. She is a fierce, funny, nerdy, chubby, intelligent girl and this book was the story of her coming of age. In the beginning of the book Juliet is having trouble understanding what is the terminology she needed to define her own identity and the queer women of colour around her end up being the biggest help she can get.
One of the quotes that I’ll never forget is: “Love your breast, hips, and wide-ass if do you have them and if you don’t, love the body you have or create for yourself.”
This book brings up a lot of important topics, topics that are not mentioned enough in other books.
This was 4.5/5 stars.

(the review will be in my blog in a few days it is sceduled to July 22, 2017, but I'll leave the link for the post)

Love, love, loved this book! Juliet is an amazing, and naive, character who is learning and growing in her identity as a Latinx individual and as a lesbian. Throughout the novel she giants and garners the knowledge to improve herself into the best person she can : herself. Heartfelt, funny, charming, and eyeopening, I devoured this novel and loved every single moment of it. I've already recommended it to several people and will continue to recommend as long as possible.

I did like it and I managed to finish it in a day (helped by how it was so short) but I think I would have liked it a lot more if I was a teenager reading this for my very first book about a LGBTQ+ character.

I really liked Juliet, I found her struggle to find her place in a community very relatable and I love her relationships with all the different women around her, both platonic and romantic, helped her accept herself as who she was. There was no one person that helped Juliet accept herself, they all had something do with it (including Harlowe). I really loved how Juliet learned to criticise and question what people say to her and not to just take things as a given, especially with white feminism. I loved the variety of women who helped her, of all ages, sexuality and races. There was no one right POV because they were all right in some way.

Now onto the things I didn't like. I didn't like the chapter about periods particularly. Yes, it is supposed to be empowering, reclaiming a bodily function that people are so ingrained to think as shameful, but I really don't particularly care about the obsession with periods. Yes, Harlowe's view on periods was addressed later and I'm really glad it was (about how having a period makes you a woman which it does not), but I didn't need to read about Juliet meditating her cramps away. I am interested to see if that salt and water trick works though.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of my review, if this had been my first book ever with an LGBTQ+ character, then maybe being lectured over and over about different terms and definitions would be helpful but it just left me feeling a little irritated. I felt like Juliet was intentionally made more naive than she had to be, all so we could be told about the different definitions of some of the new words she heard.

I also wish Kira had been developed more as a character because she seemed to show up, be exactly who Juliet needed her to be and then disappeared again. She sounded interesting from what we saw of her, but she didn't seem to be her own person, more like Juliet's love interest?

So, I did like this book and it was a quick read for me and I loved the cover.

Gabby Rivera's Juliet Takes A Breath surprised me in how unique and funny Juliet's story was, even though there was so much drama going on at the same time. While a serious "coming-out" conversation is happening at the beginning of the book, and maybe a bit before, Juliet is thinking of what the definition of a ferocious cunt is and I would find myself laughing even though I know what the implications of ferocious cunt is supposed to be. The book also discusses important yet sensitive topics--racism, feminism, equality, acceptance, family, culture, etc.--important to people in society today. Because of this, it is hard to find a book like this one--especially a young adult book--that incorporates the significant messages it sends to its readers. This bildungsroman also discusses the importance of who, when, and how to love. Having a diversity of relationships, sexual identifications, and a bit of humor present helped with the understanding of this. The story being told, overall, was brilliant. One thing that I thought was underdeveloped was Juliet's relationship with Lainie. I felt like I didn't know their relationship well enough to be understand Juliet's heartache when they broke up. I also feel like there are some things that happened in the book that were funny but didn't correlate with the story and its characters. An example would be Phen, the male nudist. I would imagine a female nudist at Harlow's house but a man surprised me because of the amount of times we had been told before about Harlow's opinion of men.

Soooo good. Filled with purposeful, powerful topics. Need more books like this. Should be required reading

I requested Juliet Takes a Breath, by Gabby Rivera, for review from Netgalley and Riverdale Avenue Books was kind enough to send it to me and Andy.
Juliet Takes a Breath captured me the minute I saw the cover. A brown girl with an undercut is not someone you see everyday even as a side character – let alone leading the story. I was not disappointed. Through the story, we follow Juliet, a Puerto-rican girl from the Bronx, in her summer internship with the white feminist guru, Harlowe. Juliet is brown, Juliet is queer, Juliet is a woman, Juliet is a feminist, and she is still quite learning what everything means.
My favorite thing in the book was how it tackles the matters of white feminism and white privilege. How microagressions can hurt someone deeply and how it doesn’t matter if the person didn’t mean – they can still be racist.
It’s also great that Juliet doesn’t know everything. She’s not incredibly educated in matters of gender, sexuality and race, but she’s open and willing to learn. Through the book, you follow her as she grows into someone who’s sure of herself and her identity. Also her voice is incredibly unique.
And the characters. They were amazing. Some deeply flawed, of course, but human. And all of them were women. Queer women, and almost all of them POC women. There were maybe two male characters through the book, and they’re not there for long. It was refreshing and incredible.
My only real complain and that some of the plot points just seemed a bit too convenient.
I have to say, I was a bit skeptical when I started. There is a lot of hippie things that made me kind of “hm, okay”, and Harlowe’s language in her book hinted at a white (and a little trans-exclusionary, let’s be honest) that was making me twist up my nose, but Rivera handled it perfectly and soon it became clear that it was a story about intersectional feminism.

This book was amazing and everything I could have wanted from a book. This book covers ALL the issues, seriously ALL of them, but you barely notice them getting ticked off because it’s so funny. And hot! The heroine is so alive and hilarious. Juliet, a Nuyorican baby dyke travels to Portland to stay with an author who has been, uhh, inspiration to her. As you’d imagine she clashes with white, hippy feminism in some ways and needs a getaway to her cousin in Miami to help figure out where she fits in.

Pretty much character was “I know that person” or “I wish I knew this person”. To some extent people have to be types (e.g. the White Feminist) to cover the range of issues Gabby covers in this book but they are all real, both Juliet’s family and all the queer family she meets in Portland and Miami. The writing is stellar and this the THE queer POC coming of age story you have been waiting for. I want a movie! I want a sequel all about Lil’ Melvin! I want to read it again!

First let me say, I am LOVING how diverse and colorful the 2017's debuts are, from "Juilet Takes a Breath" to Angie Thomas, "The Hate U Give". It is clear, our literary world is opening up and I am so excited for where these authors are going to take us.

Juilet is a Puerto Rican queer goddess who finally got the nerve to come out to her family, then leaves the next day from the Bronx to take up an internship in Portland with her favorite Author, Harlowe- the authority of everything feminist and pussy power. Juliet is about to venture into the unknown, and is hoping Harlowe is able to guide her, but things of course doesn't turn out how we all think it will.

They say you should judge a book by its cover but as soon as I saw this cover I had really high expectations, I was SOLD! I wish the plot and characters lived up to my expectations. While I enjoyed Juliet's journey, the plot felt a lot like feminism/queer 101. There was a lot of explaining and dumbing down, at times I wanted to scream at Juilet, "HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW THIS?!!!! HOW NAIVE CAN ONE PERSON BE?!!!!" Yes, I know this is a coming of age novel but I felt the character Juilet could have been a bit more prepared/educated.

While there are some shortcomings, it doesn't negate that this is a solid debut novel and great step in the right direction. I am looking forward to reading more of Gabby Rivera's works!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

Wow! Wow! WOW!!!! Y'all this book is SO GOOD!!!! Juliet Takes a Breath reeled me right in and didn't let me go. The representation is excellent: Juliet is a chubby Puerto Rican lesbian and the entire book is chock full of non-white characters and lgbtqia+ characters--often intersecting. We get to see a lot of different dynamics at play, which is really cool.

I'm white and don't want to take up a ton of space with a review when there are plenty of ownvoices reviews that y'all should look at instead, so I'll just say a few things that came up for me when I was reading it.

I try to be intersectional, but the callout against White Feminism was a good reminder for me to work harder to be more inclusive and to actively fight for folx who might not be within my specific demographic. I love how casually polyamory was discussed and how it was normalized within the story. I love how much Juliet loves her body and how much she talks about loving her body.

Juliet Takes a Breath is a tremendous read that I would absolutely recommend to everyone out there. It's well-written with great characters, and is super easy to get through!

Perhaps it's because I personally made many of the same intellectual missteps as Juliet, but man did I love this book. I would've killed for this to have been around a decade ago and reading it nowadays made me feel proud of my own journey. This is a story that rarely is treated by our own voices and is often just buried in academese not made into an accessible narrative. This is an integral book for latina feminists-navigating the pitfalls of white feminism, staying true to your roots, and being your own woman, strong and fierce. Sure, at times there was a whiff of "after school" special but nevertheless, the rarity of this viewpoint in print elevates this to a necessity.

A fantastic book about a girl who has just come out to herself and her family. She goes to Portland to learn more about feminism, intersectionality, and herself. The book doesn't just deal with feminism and LGBTQ issues but also being a PoC, gender identity, and just starting out in a world that's new to her but "old news" to other people.

Her interactions with Phan were frustrating to see, but so important to read. Not everyone has the same experience, not everyone is at the same level. If people don't help mentor newcomers to a cause, how will people ever learn?

I was waiting for the shoe to drop on Harlowe and when it did, I'm glad Julie not only had a place to go, but Harlowe learned something significant about herself.

A fantastic book that I have to highly recommend.

A brilliant, punchy, feminist must-read. A short but important read.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Rivera gives readers a beautiful, well-written and emotional story. I look forward to more stories by this talented writer.

I talk about Juliet Takes A Breath in my #ARCAugust Wrap-Up starting from 5:31 and ending at 6:56

https://youtu.be/03DiFs4EzQw?t=5m31s

I feel like I should start this review by saying: this book was not for me. It was funny and entertaining, enlightening and educational, and while I found a lot of value in it, there are so many others who would really have their worlds rocked by it. Which is probably my favorite aspect of Juliet Takes a Breath. It is so important.

While I was reading this, I didn't see a younger me in it so much, but rather saw the girls that I coach. Rivera created an incredible balance here with Juliet and her learning all about herself and the world around her. Queerness, racism, transphobia, white feminism, and stereotypes are all covered here. Juliet herself is the perfect narrator for others who are just coming into their own social and political consciousness. She learns about preferred gender pronouns, the importance of spaces for people of color, the difficulties maintaining relationships with allies, and so many other truly important lessons in this quite small contemporary.

"Trans? Ze? PGPs? Those words weren't a part of my vocabulary. No one in the Bronx or even in college asked me if I was a Ze or a trans. Was that even how they fit into sentences? I felt small, constricted, and stupid, very stupid."

Throughout she maintains an open mind, going with the flow, learning from others, and figuring out how to incorporate - or not - those beliefs into her own ideology. She gets knocked down and picks herself up again and damn if you don't feel your heartstrings being tugged right along with her.

"Maybe America just swallowed all of us, including our histories, and spat out whatever it wanted us to remember in the form of something flashy, cinematic, and full of catchy songs. And the rest of us, without that firsthand knowledge of civil unrest and political acts of disobedience, just inhaled what they gave us."

Some have knocked this book for lacking in plot, but I didn't feel its absence. For me, this book was really about exploration and acceptance. Juliet is one of the most endearing characters I've read about in a while and I am certain many young adult readers will feel how powerful her message is.

I really enjoyed this.
I had worried it might be a little slow paced for me which happens sometimes with coming of age stories. However this kept my attention the whole time.

I’ve been looking forward to this one for some time. The idea of a coming-of-age story for a Puerto Rican babydyke going on a quest to discover herself is pretty amazing. It’s also something that seems like a no-brainer, given how many coming out stories exist. But what sets Juliet Takes a Breath apart from a lot of those stories is that JTaB doesn’t follow the general beats of that story. It isn’t focused on Juliet finding her true love (although she does get to have some romance on the side of her exploration). It’s about her finding how to be herself and about finding her community.

Folded in with this search for community is the complication of whiteness within a marginalized community. Juliet sets out to find herself by becoming an intern for Harlowe Brisbane, author of Raging Flower (a book that comes off as the lovechild of Inga Muscio’s famous genitalia-titled book and lesbian separatist texts of the 70s). Juliet’s feelings are in upheaval because while she looks up to Harlowe and is learning from her, Harlowe’s whiteness and self-centeredness are a stumbling block that hurt Juliet so deeply that they threaten to really damage her sense of self and her future as an amazing writer.

Since the book is set in 2003, the reader is in for the beautiful but bizarre world of the early 2000s. Juliet treats us to some wonderful descriptions of her first encounters with the people in Portland. I took a pause as this part was developing, because it seemed a bit over the top, but when she moves into the feminist/LGBT communities, everything seems to click and feel real.

Granted, much of this is only speculation for me, but I remember what it was like in the early 2000s with the menstrual life force, fairies, sisterhood type of second wave feminism resonates. There was a lot of development of third wave feminism in the 90s, and Juliet encounters much of this through queer people of color, but I feel like some of the popular texts coming out at the time totally ignored this and focused on a more visceral violence against women and their experiences with their genitals.

Honestly, it was a weird time, and Juliet reacts exactly as she should. It’s relatable how she feels like an outsider, and everything feels like a test to see if she’s gay enough, has enough gay cred. Her growth is the narrative core, and I think that it’s significant that much of her greatest development comes through interaction with other women of color. Harlowe’s relationship with her is important, but Harlowe is very flawed, and Juliet really has to decide whether to keep that connection or not.

Rivera’s style feels familiar and occasionally poetic. Juliet is a keen observer of her world, but not one that describes things endlessly. Her words in prose drive us along, even though she isn’t always able to speak her mind. A few gems:

"Libraries are safe but also exciting. Libraries ae where nerds like me go to refuel.
I could practically feel Harlowe doing a dance of menstrual joy.
Maybe America just swallowed all of us, including our histories, and spat out whatever it wanted us to remember in the form of something flashy, cinematic, and full of catchy songs. And the rest of us, without that firsthand knowledge of civil unrest and political acts of disobedience, just inhaled what they gave us."

I will say that I felt the first few chapters were a little slow compared to the rest. The story isn’t uninteresting at all; it just takes a bit of time to get into Juliet’s headspace, and that might well be me as a reader. Partially because I’m white, and partially because I’m not a fan of first person in general. But I literally read the latter half in the course of one night. Could not sleep until I’d finished it. JTaB hooks you that hard once you’ve gotten into it.

I would recommend this book all around. If you are a fan of contemporary YA lit, then you will enjoy it, even though the romance is minimal and Juliet is technically in college. If you liked The Hate U Give, you should like this book. If you are in the LGBT community and a young woman of color, this book is so important. If you’re just a flawed white woman, you still need to read this book and experience Juliet’s story.

The worst part of the book honestly is that it ends, dammit. And there’s not another by Gabby Rivera yet, although I’ve followed her on Goodreads, and apparently we may get some sci fi from her. (Bonus: the way Octavia Butler is dropped in so lovingly.) She also writes the new Marvel title for America Chavez, meaning that when I clear my to-read pile a bit, I have more reading from Rivera.

I shouldn’t have read the other reviews (on GR) because most of them are so good, and now I’m blocked. I feel like I should have more to say because I loved this story so much—hanging onto Juliet’s coattails as she negotiates some pretty scary steps to adulthood, but an adulthood on her own terms.

This is Juliet’s story, Gabby Rivera’s #ownvoice. There’s also a universality to Juliet’s story (I was thinking about Rita Mae Brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle when I first started it.) Coming out and rites of passage, coming of age, finding a mentor and discovering your hero has feet of clay…then the joy of finding your tribe and returning home triumphant.

I’m a well-read, straight, white, older lady living in rural New England—so just had to get that out of the way, because I love to read diverse books (not just gay romance lol). There’s so much meat on this story’s bones, and the prose is phenomenal. Gabby Rivera has a sharp, clear lens, and I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.
10 stars if I could!

The book is good and funny and tackle a lot of subjects I was interested in reading about. Thank you!

This book does what is so often impossible: Gabby Rivera manages to make the main character, Juliet, emotionally raw and stinging, all the while keeping the tone hilarious and light. Juliet is a unique voice, especially for YA fiction, and helps bring a sense of maturity to YA that is not often seen. This is a book for all people (but especially those that identify as women) that find themselves questioning their place in the the feminism movement, queer spaces, and how queer and feminism identities fit into more traditional roles in life: family, friendship, and being young. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, this is a book about being a person of color existing in spaces that are structured for those that are white. Watching Juliet navigate how feminism and lesbianism are for her as a queer person of color is an interesting and exciting journey that has not been told enough.

<b>“It's about women of color owning their own space and their voices being treated with dignity and respect. It's about women of color not having to shout over voices to be heard. We are the dominant force almost all the time. White women are the stars of all the movies. White women are the lead speakers in feminist debates, and it's little white girls that send the nation into a frenzy when they've been kidnapped. ...check your privilege. We're the ones that need to give women of color space for their voices.” </b>

<i>Thank you to Netgallery for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest Review</i>

<b>// LIKES</b>
• <b>There was a lot of feminism</b>. I loved the focus on that and especially on intersectionality. I love reading books that feature strong women and feminism. I've got no idea why I didn't realize that this was a feminist book because I couldn't remember much about the synopsis. It made me all the more surprised - in a good way.

• <b>I loved following Juliet's journey</b>. It was about her coming to terms with her identity and expanding her horizon. It was the first time she truly was away from home all alone after just having come out. Her favorite author has offered her an internship to work with her. Things are supposed to be great, but Juliet's mom still does not accept her sexuality. The story in general is very diverse. Juliet is a Puerto Rican Lesbian and also has asthma/anxiety.

• <b>I loved the strong focus on family</b>. Juliet's family is everything for her and we get to see so much about her interactions with them. It was truly heartbreaking to see her struggle when it came to her mother, who at first did not want to acknowledge that she was a lesbian. However, many family members were supportive right from the beginning. Especially Juliet's little brother was an absolute sweetheart and a huge bookworm/nerd.

• <b>The writing was beautiful</b>. I have to hand it to Gabby Rivera, her writing is absolutely stunning and just plain beautiful. There are no other words to describe it. The way she writes completely fascinated me. I really wish I could write like her. She kept the perfect balance of description without it being over the top.

<b>// DISLIKES</b>
• <b>The pacing was off & the story very slow</b>. I felt like there truly was not a lot of plot, which made it hard for me to keep my interest. I didn't really feel entertained at times and felt like the story dragged a bit. There were of course parts that kept my interest, but at times I felt a bit bored to be honest. The pacing really did not completely work out for me.

• <b>Sometimes I was so confused</b>. Especially in the beginning, when we meet Harlowe, because her hippie stuff with auras and everything confused me so so much. I didn't get what she was on about and it really put me off a bit. Then there was also the Phen, who was a nudist and … I just was a bit weirded out by it. The entire idea of this internship was great, but didn't transform well, because like I said Harlowe herself was weird.

• <b>The side characters felt a bit shallow</b>. I couldn't really connect with them, because for me there was a bit of depth missing. It's always very unfortunate if I cannot connect to the characters, when that certain spark is missing, as it did impact my enjoyment of the book.

<b>IN CONCLUSION</b>: <i>Juliet Takes a Breath</i> was a <b>great book about feminism, intersectionality and diverse characters</b>. It really had many great passages that were eye opening and made me think. However, I didn't like the pacing of the plot at all, which made it hard to get through the book as it felt very slow to me.

I don't know how to start talking about this book because for some reason when I love something is more difficult than when I didn't really like it sometimes.

This book is for feminists. This book is for girls. This book is for queer girls. This book is also for all those who are not white. I'm white myself so I can't 100% relate but I'm so glad to see representation, especially for young adult. This book takes you through the journey of self-discovery that Juliet takes when she receives an invitation of her favourite writer to work as her assistant. Juliet is kinda new to feminism and learns a lot, but the best thing is that people also learn from her.

The world is not perfect, but we can make it a lot better.

If you’re looking for an enthralling, diverse YA contemporary that deals with meeting your heroes (and finding out they’re not exactly as you thought), finding yourself, and intersectional feminism, you might want to read Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera.

Goodreads synopsis: Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff.

Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle?

With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.

My rating: 4,5 stars.

Review

When I started Juliet Takes a Breath, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Juliet goes to Portland for a summer internship with her feminist hero, Harlowe Brisbane – who seemed to be a prime example of a white feminist. If the main character had been white, I would have stopped reading right away. But since this is an ownvoices book about a Puerto Rican lesbian, I hoped the flaws in Harlowe’s feminism would be challenged. Which, luckily, they were. In the best way. It made me feel bad for ever doubting where this book was going!

It was wonderful to read Juliet’s journey throughout this novel. She starts out uncertain, but willing and wanting to learn. And learn she does, though not always from the people she expected. This is the perfect summer read – which is, of course, why I’m posting this in February. It’s summer in the Southern hemisphere! (But if you live in the cold North like I do and you’re longing for summer, you might also want to read this now.)

“Feminism. I’m new to it. The word still sounds weird and wrong. Too white, too structured, too foreign: something I can’t claim.”

Juliet Takes A Breath is a must read, not just for women, but for everyone. I will admit that it might be more relatable for women, and in particular women of colour. But, I think this book and the character of Juliet is what makes the book so special. She learns so much in this book and I think that is the point. She makes the story relatable for some readers and she makes it a slap in the face for others.

This story handles feminism and what it means to be a woman. Juliet goes through every feeling under the bus in this book and learns so much throughout her short journey in the novel. She learns some really helpful tips and tricks on how to make your period easier to handle, which I’ll be honest I had never heard before but, will definitely be trying out in the future.

“You control the energy in your body. Never forget that, Juliet.”

This book is fantastic and I think everyone should read it. Juliet is a really interesting character and I think there is definitely something to learn from her and her experiences, no matter who you are. What I loved most about this book was that it took me for a total learning curve. I have very little in common with Juliet. I am white, straight and share pretty much none of her experiences, I also don’t live in the US.

“None of the clothes were made to fit me. None of the people shopping in there look like me.”

On that note, what I learnt from this book was something particularly interesting about the store Banana Republic. I have never really heard of the store so learning about its history was quite interesting and very disturbing. It’s actually kind of horrible that I had never heard about their history but, I guess that is the kind of world we live in now.

Juliet Takes A Breath also goes into the education system and how we are often not taught about our own histories. We are rarely ever taught about the “bad side” of the history of our own countries and that often leads to ignorance. I personally related to this because I know that Australia’s past is certainly not squeaky clean, but we really don’t learn about it at all in school.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t recommend it enough. if you’re looking for a short and bingeable modern contemporary to put on your tbr, this is perfect!

Juliet Milagros Palante has scored an internship with Harlowe Brisbane, the author of her favorite book. It's in Portland, Oregon, but Juliet has never left the Bronx. To top it off, she just came out to her family. Not sure if many will ever speak to her again, she escapes to Harlowe's feminist sanctuary for a summer of research and finding herself.
I've been wanting to read this one for a while, and it was a treat! I love Rivera's voice, and her characters are refreshing and fun. I couldn't wait to see what happened, and I will definitely be re-reading to catch some of the things I missed the first go-round, and also just to read Juliet's words again.

This book was such a positive surprise. I don't know exactly what I expected from it, but it wasn't this strong story, which left me open-mouthed at its freshness, its exploration of feminism and intersectionalism, its nonchalant gayness. I'm so here for it.

Juliet Takes a Breath is the story of Juliet, a girl from the Bronx who has just come out to her family just hours before leaving to Portland for an internship with the very famous author Harlowe Brisbane. Now she doesn't know where she stands with her mom, and if she still accepts her. Also her girlfriend isn't picking up her calls, and feminism is a big question mark.

This book was such a nice read - it raises questions that we need to think about if we want to become good feminists. What is being a white ally? Who are the women that history forgot? Why is it important to have a community of people just like you? This book made me nod, smile and pay close attention to it. There are lots of bits of wisdom on it:

“I understood 'microaggressions' to mean 'little bullshit acts of racism.”

I also loved that there is quite a lot about writing, about being a black woman writer, about the importance of them in the literary world and for their community. I simply had to add Kindred by Octavia E. Butler to my TBR after this!

“Reading would make me brilliant, but writing would make me infinite.”

I highly recommend this book! I wish the plot had been a little less rushed, it felt to me that Juliet grew as a character a bit too fast. But it was still a fantastic read!

This is one of my favourite queer books. It gives some awesome representation and addresses a lot of difficult and controversial topics within the LGTBQIA and feminist community (racism, transphobia, etc.)