When a group of social activists arrive in a small town, the lives and beliefs of residents and outsiders alike are upended, in this wry, embracing novel.
Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and evrryone shares the same values-or keeps their opinions to themselves. But when a national nonprofit labels Big Burr "the most homophobic town in the US" and sends in a task force of queer volunteers as an experiment-they'll live and work in the community for two years in an attempt to broaden hearts and minds-no one is truly prepared for what will ensue.
Furious at being uprooted from her life in Los Angeles and desperate to fit in at her new high school, Avery fears that it's only a matter of time before her "gay crusader" mom outs her. Still grieving the death of her son, Linda welcomes the arrivals, who know mercifully little about her past. And for Christine, the newcomers are not only a threat to the comforting rhythms of Big Burr life, but a call to action. As tensions roil the town, cratering relationships and forcing closely guarded secrets into the light, everyone must consider what it really means to belong. Told with warmth and wit, Under the Rainbow is a poignant, hopeful articulation of our complicated humanity that reminds us we are more alike than we'd like to admit.
I liked the story, such as it was, and the writing, but the style and format didn't agree with me at all.
Each chapter is narrated by a different character. Often months have passed between chapters, which left me scrambling to catch up. Characters don't recur, so we're left to try and piece their stories together when there are passing mentions in other people's chapters. As is very common with me, I had a lot of trouble remembering who everyone was.
I assume the idea was to show the same situation from multiple points of view, and I have to applaud the thinking behind it. The format didn't work for me, but I'm sure others will really enjoy it and have less trouble following it than I did. I hope it does well.
BE AWARE: Homophobia, bullying, sex.
Under the Rainbow publishes on the 9th of December, 2021. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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