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hue's review against another edition
2.5
It was perfectly fine I just didn't really care about the characters at all, I guess. The multiple POV was nice though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Violence
myqueerbookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Animal death
abbie_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
It’s been ages since I read a book told entirely in different POVs! With the exception of one who we hear from twice, we only get a chapter with each of the characters in Under the Rainbow, a snapshot of life in Big Burr, the most homophobic town in America, told from multiple perspectives. Strangely for me, I found the chapters from the younger characters the most compelling. A few of the adults felt interchangeable, and I also felt like Laskey’s writing excelled more when she was writing from a queer POV. The chapters where she narrates from one of the homophobic residents didn’t feel as effective, though I understand why she wanted to include them.
.
The concept is this - a taskforce of queer folk from Acceptance Across America is sent to the most homophobic town in the US to try to make change. I appreciated that it wasn’t all twee and everyone became great pals by the end of it, because that’s unfortunately not how life works. The change is incremental, the task force members grow frustrated, come up against countless walls and residents unwilling to change their outdated mindsets. But the last chapter did make me happy - a reminder that even if you feel like you’re getting nowhere, standing up for what’s right can help even one person live the life meant for them.
.
Engaging - a good one to pick up if you’re feeling slumpy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Car accident, and Lesbophobia
gellyreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Under the Rainbow is the story of what happens when a group of LGBTIQA+ activists move into the most homophobic town in America and try to bring about change. It unfolds over two years from the perspectives of 11 different characters, some activists, some townsfolk adamantly opposed to their work, and some in the middle . I enjoyed the range of perspectives but this meant the book provided breadth not depth and didn’t really offer anything new or insightful. Entertainment rather than educational unless you are a straight reader just beginning to explore LGBTIQA+ issues via literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Car accident
Minor: Animal death
caitevans7's review against another edition
This book was more of a collection of short stories, when I was in the mood for a novel. No one character got more than a chapter in their POV, so every story felt unfinished. Also, the descriptions of homophobia just felt too close to home and depressing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
stacy_85's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
onceandfuturereads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Car accident
Moderate: Suicide attempt
thespinystacks's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Too early to call my favourite book of the year? I texted Book Club on Saturday saying that I’d laughed, cried, and scolded a character all within the first hundy pages.
——————————————————
Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and everyone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves.
When a group of social activists arrive in a small town, the lives and beliefs of residents and outsiders alike are upended.
——————————————————
Each chapter represents a different character with a potentially different view on the world, and some you loved, some you disliked and even hated - but each you truly got inside their head and that was incredibly powerful.
My favourite chapters were Linda, Elsie, and Avery. My biggest reactions came from these chapters and others. All of them to be honest.
Laskey’s writing was witty, heart-wrenching and thought provoking. I feel sad that towns like this exist, and that there are so many people in the world who can’t be their true, authentic selves.
I recommend looking at content warnings for this book if you’re a sensitive reader.
5/5 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 so many rainbows
——————————————————
Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and everyone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves.
When a group of social activists arrive in a small town, the lives and beliefs of residents and outsiders alike are upended.
——————————————————
Each chapter represents a different character with a potentially different view on the world, and some you loved, some you disliked and even hated - but each you truly got inside their head and that was incredibly powerful.
My favourite chapters were Linda, Elsie, and Avery. My biggest reactions came from these chapters and others. All of them to be honest.
Laskey’s writing was witty, heart-wrenching and thought provoking. I feel sad that towns like this exist, and that there are so many people in the world who can’t be their true, authentic selves.
I recommend looking at content warnings for this book if you’re a sensitive reader.
5/5 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈 so many rainbows
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Suicide
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Centered around a small town in the middle of nowhere Kansas, we encounter various people's little snippets of their lives as a task force is sent over to assist this town in figuring out why it's been considered the most homophobic and how could a select group be able to establish acceptance? I did like the that we were able to get a peek at not only the members of the task force but also some of the community members well. I do believe that the epilogue that goes with this story could have been fleshed out more and I would have liked Karen and Avery's POV's although seeing them from other's peoples perspectives probably painted a better picture for the audience as a whole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
Minor: Car accident