Reviews with content warning for Lesbophobia - Under the Rainbow

I found this book strange, and ultimately not for me, but that's not to say it's badly written. In fact, I thought the writing was really solid and very clearly illustrated a world I have almost no idea about. My big problem with the book was that it tried to fit so much in - it was SO melodramatic, like a soap opera, but with none of the lighthearted vibe that makes soap operas work. Perhaps this really is what small towns in Kansas are like, but I struggled to believe it (though maybe that's just me being naive!). I also found the sexual content to be weirdly... off? I'm not a prude about sex in fiction but something about it really didn't work for me.

I did enjoy the varied cast of characters but I wish we would have got to spend more time with a few of them, rather than a small snapshot of several. So much more could have been done with, for example, Avery

adjusting to life as a wheelchair user

or David and Miguel's relationship. I also thought that the book was falsely advertised - from the blurb I was expecting a lighthearted comedy-drama, but what I got was a lot of graphic descriptions of hate crimes and only a partial HEA. The structure of the book was more like a collection of related/overlapping short stories than one narrative with a cohesive plot.

Laskey is a talented writer and I'd give another of her books a go! It's a shame this story didn't work for me.

Content Warnings

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

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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

4.5

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abbie_'s review against another edition

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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!

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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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.

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stacy_85's review against another edition

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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

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amandalorianxo's review against another edition

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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.

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amy__'s review against another edition

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4.0

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cwatson1234's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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