Overwritten Words 

-The Story of  Terese Marie Mailhot

Preface 

The Guardian review by Diana Evans makes an excellent opening point "The danger is that the voice itself gets lost in its greater significance, and we do not hear it clearly, its specific cadences and particularities, what distinguishes it from another in the same camp. The camp becomes the voice." (1) The issue that many of the minority voices face is that of being made into an average by the majority. Even well meaning members of the majority can be lazy in their allyship in this way. With that in mind I hope you can take the message of Heart Berries and at the same time preserve Mailhot's voice and lived experience as you hear this research on her memoir.

About

The story of Terese Marie Mailhot's early life into her writing career, and the story of her debut novel "Heart Berries" are one in the same. Mailhot was born into a situation where the facts of her life there, the reservation, poverty, and the sexual abuse she suffered were all products of political history one way or another.(1) Her truth, this memoir, is ugly and it is startling, its also necessary for people in the USA to hear.(1) They, myself included, must acknowledge that this story is a direct product of a system from which they benefit.

Heart Berries

Mailhot first began the telling of Heart Berries after she had breakdown and was committed, on a notepad given to record her feelings on. (1) The story starts with the story "The Indian Condition", Mailhot is giving birth to her second child, on the same day the court rules that she is not fit to be the parent to her first. (3)  This is exemplary of how Native Americans/First Nation Peoples were made to live. In places with poor access to reproductive education as well as food. This can be seen where.

    The biggest theme in Heart Berries, and the life experience of Mailhot as a whole, is the idea that stories get overwritten. Especially when they are told by marginalized people, as she tells The Chicago Tribune that she is made to write "in a world where 'no one wants to know why Indian women(sic.) leave or where they go.'"(3) This fatigue and apathy is something that she and many others are made to contend with, alongside the struggles marginalized peoples already are faced with. 

    In a passage, Mailhot reflects on what her mother's reaction might be to her deciding to go to a mental institution.(2) She also writes that it is difficult in the institutions, because the white doctors and nurses don't know a thing about intergenerational trauma or genocide, everything that created the circumstances she was born into. While she did need and receive help from the institution, it still was important that she found balance in the ceremony and prayer of her mother.(2) The world she occupies, while many people mean well, it is often more effort than they are prepared to give. To truly hear and understand where someone so different than you has come from is challenging. While I don't approve of the attitude and try to overcome it in my own life, I can see why so many marginalized voices end up blended together.

I’ve seen people write that this is a manifesto for Native girls, and I feel so scared of that because I don’t want Native girls to follow my footsteps.   — Terese Marie Mailhot

Bibliography

1)  Evans, Diana "Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot review-- a raw, rich indigenous memoir" The Guardian, Sat 4 Aug         2018. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/04/heart-berries-by-terese-marie-mailhot-review/ Accessed Oct 13     2026.

2)  Castaneda, Vera "Q&A:: The art of a revealing memoir: Terese Marie Mailhot and ‘Heart Berries’'" La Times, June 1     2018.  https://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-jc-terese-marie-mailhot-20180601-story.html/ Accessed Oct 13 2026.

3) Rooney, Kathleen "Review: 'Heart Berries' — Terese Marie Mailhot's searing memoir of Native American experience”     Chicago Tribune, Feb 02 2018.     https://web.archive.org/web/20210703171323/https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/sc-books-heart-    berries-terese-marie-mailhot-0207-story.html Accessed Oct 14 2026.

Contemporary Author Blog #2 Stephen Graham Jones

 Stephen Graham Jones

 

      Stephen Graham Jones is an enrolled member of Blackfeet nation, which he has written fiction stories about. He Wrote the horror novel The only good Indiana’s and My heart is a chainsaw. He has many best selling novels, those two specifically is what I will be talking about 

    The horror novel “ The Only Good Indians” written in 2020 by Jones starts as ten years before the present day where four boys apart of Blackfeet Nation tragically, disrespectfully, and unlawfully kill a small heard of Elk, including a pregnant mother elk. In their sacred grounds in Montana. It comes to present day where the tenth year anniversary is coming up and the spirt of the angry vengeful mother elk finds them. She is seeking revenge in karmic retribution by not physically attacking them but by using their own mental paranoia and guilt against them in their traditions. In the tradition of Blackfeet Culture the reservation life. For the elk to come back spiritually to get her revenge for herself and her baby. 

In the review for The Only Good Indians “ The Only Good Indians does exceptional character work, especially in Lewi’s section— we see what he sees, regardless of how accurate to reality it is. We watch his uneasiness turn to full-blown paranoia” (Howse)  here they say the character views Jones gives us a good understanding of how they feel and view things. For the third section of the book “ it definitely ends the book on a strong, solid note.” (Howse) Jones pulls in so much the book all together as the spirt of the mother Elk gets her revenge. He’s able to keep people intrested to see the end of the book and how this will all play off. 

My Heart Is a Chainsaw in an award winning horror novel. The main character Jade is an outcast half Blackfeet who is angry with her life. She lives is rural lake town in Proofrock, Idaho. She struggles throughout high school and is isolated by her abusive home situation. Jade has a love for the thrasher movies which is what she uses to cope with her life. She has a vast knowledge on these movies. In her town a girls body was discovered in the lake. She believes the slasher movies have come to life and gets deep in the investigation. She believes a fellow student is the “ final girl”. Then a local tourist goes missing and developers fight with the communities historical factors. 

For reviews on this novel   Says “ Jade is an appealing protagonist, and Graham Jones writes a convincing female character for much of the book’s reading time. Seeing the world of the slasher movies through an indigenous lens is fascinating” ( Houle )  Jones writing in a modern time but still being able to keep the Blackfeet culture present. He brings the reality of the culture now through a teenage Girl. “ The novel is written in long, run-on sentences — in an attempt tp parlay how an outsider teenage girl might talk and think” ( Houle ) This shows the thought the author puts into his novel for readers to understand fully. While these are more positive things people also feel it the protagonist jade didn’t fulfill the role as a true protagonist. “ the other main issue is that jade isn't the real hero of the story…(Houle ) 

Im intrested in horror films and books. By the reviews and what I've learned about these novels i would give both these books and Jones other novels a try. He seems to have string characters that keep you interested as well as a good plot to want you to read. I like that in these novels he finds ways to bring his Blackfeet history in them its not only a good fiction story but you get to learn apart of him. 

https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-the-only-good-indians-by-stephen-graham-jones/

https://zachary-houle.medium.com/a-review-of-stephen-graham-jones-my-heart-is-a-chainsaw-edc66349f6f7

 Alice Oseman

If you are interested in young adult romance novels you have probably heard of Alice Oseman's Heartstopper.  There are so many wholesome young adult romance novels out there, but only a fraction of there represent LGBTQ+ romances, and that is why it is so important to show appreciation for the LGBTQ+ authors in the industry. Alice Oseman is one of those authors.

Who is Alice Oseman?

According to her own personal website, "Alice Oseman is an award-winning author, illustrator, and screenwriter (1)." She is the creator of the comic Heartstopper, which was later produced into a show for Netflix, which she was the executive producer for. (1). She found her love for writing through Digimon and Pokémon. The character development within the shows influenced her to start her own 'character writing' (8). Alice said in an interview how when young adult fiction first became popular she was in high school, and given the fact she had yet to see any representation of her life attending a British all-girl school, she was influenced to start writing her first work Solitaire, which she says she started "just for fun" yet it got her thinking that she could do this professionally. It was during her first year in University that it was released, and she hasn't stopped writing since (9). 

Heartstopper (2019)

Heartstopper is a 6-volume long graphic novel series. The novels follow teenagers Nick and Charlie. They meet in school, become friends, and later fall
in love (7).  Every volume of the series follows "ups and downs of first love, friendships, coming out, and mental health." (7). Charlie and Nick were not new characters in Oseman's novel world. They were first introduced in her first novel, Solitaire. While they were minor characters, Oseman wanted to build their story, thus came Heartstopper (6)! When the two boys first meet, they are both new to love and Nick is still coming to terms with his sexual orientation  (7). There are many challenging topics within the novels, for example an article discussed how a major plot point revolves around a character who struggles with an eating disorder (6). The novels show the beauty of friendship and how friends are meant to support one another, not bring each other down. The novels also include side characters Tao Xu and Elle Argent. Tao is Charlie's best friend and Elle is another one of their close friends who recently came out as transgender (6). Tao is in love with Elle and they have their own fully developed storyline. 

Literary Reviews

According to readers, Heartstopper is "a cute romance" (5). They say how they felt every volume had a different, yet important message and each one

had a challenge you see the characters overcome (5). One reader stated how Heartstopper was their first graphic novel and first time reading a LGBTQ+ teen romance, and they enjoyed every last minute of it (3). They said "A sweet story of schoolboy longing and belonging that frames teen life, young crushes and slow build LGBT love." (3). Readers also consider the novels to be wholesome and precious. Another reader states "Hearstopper is the ultimate graphic novel comfort food. It is a bit sad, and very sweet without being sickeningly sweet. It achieves a good balance." (4). It has been said by so many individuals that these novels are fantastic, and are some of the most heartwarming series (2). 

Personal Reflection

I have been interested in the Heartstopper series. I would often walk past the boxed set at Target while browsing for other books, but I never picked them up. After my research, I 100% will be purchasing them on my next Target run.  I love how Oseman has her own fictional world, and how all of her novels are interconnected. It reminds me of one of my personal favorite series, Dream Harbor  written by Laurie Gilmore. I also love how she integrated all sorts of realistic teen drama and life within her novels. One thing I strongly dislike in fiction is when a novel is way un-realistic. What I mean by this is that there are many pieces of fiction I have read that portrays everything as sunshine and rainbows when a realistically awful situation is happening. I like how Oseman keeps her work "real". 

Alice Oseman Homepage : https://aliceoseman.com/.      

Works Cited

(1)“About.” Alice Oseman, https://aliceoseman.com/about/. Accessed 19 October 2026.

(2) “Book Review: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman :: Charles City Public Library.” Lib.Ia.Us, 2026, https://www.charles-city.lib.ia.us/library-news/book-review-heartstopper-alice-oseman. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(3) “Book Review: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman I VL. Book Reviews.” V.L.Book.Reviews, 2022, https://vicariousliving-bookreviews.weebly.com/blog/book-review-heartstopper-vol-1-by-alice-oseman. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(4) The Alley-Cat7. “Book Review: Heartstopper (Volume #1) by: Alice Oseman.” The Alley-Cat7, 15 Apr. 2024, https://thealleycat7.wordpress.com/2024/04/15/book-review-heartstopper-volume-1-by-alice-oseman/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(5) Emma. “Series Review | Heartstopper by Alice Oseman – Never Judge a Book by Its Cover.” Never Judge a Book by Its Cover, 23 June 2022, https://neverjudgeabookbyitscover.co.uk/2022/06/series-review-heartstopper-by-alice-oseman.html. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(6) Martin, Emily. “Haven’t Read HEARTSTOPPER yet? This Graphic Novel Series Is Soooo Worth the Hype.” BOOK RIOT, 30 Aug. 2024, https://bookriot.com/heartstopper-by-alice-oseman/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(7) Oseman, Alice. “The History.” Alice Oseman, https://aliceoseman.com/heartstopper/the-history/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(8) Kirichanskaya, Michele. “Interview With Author Alice Oseman.” Geeks OUT, 23 Dec. 2020, https://www.geeksout.org/2020/12/23/interview-with-author-alice-oseman/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(9) www.edwardrobertson.co.uk, Edward Robertson. “Interview: Alice Oseman - Blog - Magazine : Mslexia, a Magazine for Women’s Writing and Women Who Write..” Mslexia, https://mslexia.co.uk/magazine/blog/interview-alice-oseman/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Dennis E. Staples: The Representation of Ojibwe Writers

Dennis E. Staples is an Ojibwe writer from northern Minnesota and an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation. He received his Master of Fine Arts in fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts and then graduated from Clarion West Writers Workshop in 2018. In a 2020 interview with Debutiful, Staples discussed growing up in a large Ojibwe family, saying that both his mother and grandmother both loved to read, which influenced his love for literature early on. Although he initially pursed accounting at Bemidji State University, he seemed to just naturally gravitated toward English and Creative Writing. Staples has shown he naturally draws toward speculative fiction, a genre that allows him to combine fantastical elements with deeply emotional story telling. As he explained in the Debutiful interview, speculative fiction appeals to him because it allows readers to immerse themselves in these worlds/realities with the raw emotions of the characters. (Explores) This combination of the supernatural and the personal is central to his debut novel, This Town Sleeps. Staples pulls from his Ojibwe heritage and his familiarity with northern Minnesota to create a story that explores identity, family history, sexuality, and also the spiritual world. Rather than treating Indigenous culture as something disconnected or not for modern society. 

Blending Supernatural Horror & Small Town Mystery

Published in 2020, Dennis E. Staples debut novel This Town Sleep, is a work of literacy fiction that seamlessly blends supernatural horror/mystery & queer romance. Set in the Ojibwe reservation, community of Languille Lake in northern Minnesota. The novel follows Marion Lafournier, a gay Ojibwe man in his mid-twenties who struggles to find his place in his hometown. Upon returning to his hometown, after an unsuccessful stint in the Twin Cities. Marion gets into a secret relationship with a character named Shannon Harstad. He’s a white man & former high school classmate who also struggles with his sexuality. Marion puts the relationship on the line after he ends up encountering a spirit of a dog, which leads him to a grave a local community basketball star who was murdered years prior. As he investigates this death he uncovers the town’s secrets along with some of his own personal circle having involvement. Staples does a significant job in the novel with how he pairs supernatural horror with the ordinary, small town life. While the murder does provide suspense and mystery, This Town Sleeps is also deeply tied to the emotional history connection of character. Shannon’s  and Marion’s relationship explores the friction between living openly gay compared to not, particularly by a small community held together by traditions. Staples novel is admirable in how ther supernatural serves as a lens to show how the pasts continues to haunt and shape the present.          

Childhood Memory to Ghost Story

Dennis’s treatment of Ojibwe spiritually is central to the novels core. In his interview with Debutiful, Staples explained that the book originated from a childhood memory about a stray dog that died beneath a merry-go-round. He started the work around the idea of bringing that dog back to life. (Explores) This origin story is neat because it demonstrates how a simple grounded childhood memory can become the foundation for a supernatural fiction. Staples takes something familiar and transforms it into something unsettling, allowing the uncanny and the everyday to intertwine. Furthermore, the novel also challenges the assumption that Indigenous stories must focus exclusively on historical settings. The characters navigate modern relationships, personal frustrations, and questions of identity, all while remaining connected to Ojibwe traditions and spiritual beliefs. The result is a story where the supernatural is not separate from reality, but rather another lens for understanding it.

Critical Reception

 Overall the reviews were mixed but Staples distinctive voice & nuanced portrayal of Indigenous culture was acknowledged and praised. In the Kirkus review, the novel was described as a “knotty portrait of Ojibwe life with some winningly uncanny touches.” The review praised Staples ability to blend humor, supernatural elements, & rich cultural detail. But they also noted that the narrative becomes increasingly complicated as it introduces new characters & late story revelations. The Kirkus review highlights the book’s expansive portrayal of interconnected lives, though that can slow the central mystery’s momentum. Claude Peck from Minnesota Star Tribune wrote on This Town Sleeps as well. Peck noted on Staples perspective on reservation life by choosing to depict the hardships and gloss over them, as well as its traditions and familiar landscapes. Peck also mentions how much insight he has into each character, and how that insight effects more then the plot itself. Other critics emphasized the novel’s emotional depth & queer representation. Book Marks also  emphasized Staples characterization & approach to complex relationships in the books multi-layered structure. 

Staples, Dennis E. This Town Sleeps: A Novel. Counterpoint, 2020, https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/this-town-sleeps/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026. 

Staples, Dennis E. This Town Sleeps: A Novel. Counterpoint, 2020, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dennis-e-staples/this-town-sleeps/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

“Review: ‘This Town Sleeps,’ by Dennis E. Staples.” StarTribune, The Minnesota Star Tribune, Mar. 2020, https://www.startribune.com/review-this-town-sleeps-by-dennis-e-staples/568296452. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Adam. “Dennis E. Staples Explores Everything From Love to Murder in ‘This Town Sleeps.’” Debutiful, 4 Mar. 2020, https://debutiful.net/2020/03/04/dennis-e-staples-this-town-sleeps-interview/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Shelley Parker-Chan: Rewriting the Narrative

 Shelley Parker-Chan

Is a New Zealand native born to a Malaysian-Chinese mother and a white father. They identify as both Queer and Gender Queer. In their early career, they worked as an international development adviser. This meant they focused on economically disadvantaged regions to overcome poverty (1). They also have experience working for human and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as gender equality in Southeast Asia (2). Their writing career came much later. Like some other fantasy authors, they first started writing fan fiction in the romance genre. They then decided to move forward into longer narrative fantasy. 

Growing up, Parker-Chan felt disconnected from their sense of identity. They felt as if Asian representation in media was stereotypical. This was reinforced by their parents, who sent high career expectations that didn't align with what Parker-Chan wanted to achieve. In young adulthood Shelley Parker-Chan moved to Asia. There, they were exposed to more Asian focused media and representation. Parker-Chan was able to see themselves in any type of character and decided to bring that feeling back with them to the UK. 

She Who Became The Sun

Framed in the genre of historical fantasy, Shelly Parker-Chan retells the story of the Chinese Hongwu Emperor in the 14th century from1368-1398. A village fortune teller opens the story by describing the fates of two children. The children will come from a peasant family, where the male child will achieve while the female child will not. This fate will come true with Zhu Chongba. Zhu is the eighth son born to a peasant family and is the son who was given the fate of greatness by the teller. When the father of the family is murdered, Zhu succumbs to the grief and dies. The second daughter of the family, who was given the fate of death, adopts her late brother's identity to escape her own fate. The story follows her tale of survival and journey to achieve her late brother's greatness.

Shelley Parker-Chan describing She Who Became The Sun in their own words

Released in 2021, She Who Became The Sun quickly became a popular read in the fantasy genre. In 2022 it received the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel (3). Ainger Loren Wilson of Lightspeed Magazine describes the story as "I felt like I was absolutely wrapped up in an intense Chinese drama where I needed to see the complicated villain get both their revenge and comeuppance"(4). Shelley Parker-Chan explores themes of identity, morality and survival in a way that creates a complicated feeling for the reader. Eliot Schrefer of USA Today says, "this is an important debut that expands our concept of who gets to be a hero and a villain, and introduces a pair of gender disruptors who are destined to change China-and the LGBTQ fantasy cannon-forever" (5).

I believe that the idea to gender-bend a well-known historical figure is a brave and interesting move. Parker-Chan uses their writing to discuss the idea of gender and how culture can intersect. I was not familiar with any non-binary writers before looking into Parker-Chan. Identifying with being non-binary comes with its struggles, but Parker-Chan is unapologetically themselves. While it was difficult to find details about Parker-Chan, I believe that it's important to bring attention to voices who talk about the more difficult topics in media. 

(1). “What Is International Development?” Concern Worldwide, www.concern.org.uk/what-is-international-development. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

(2). Parker-Chan, Shelley. “About - Shelley Parker.” Chan, 12 Sept. 2023, shelleyparkerchan.com/about-shelley/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026. 

(3). “British Fantasy Awards Books.” Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Awards, sffawards.com/awards/british-fantasy/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

(4). Wagner, Wendy. “Book Review: She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan.” Lightspeed Magazine, 10 Feb. 2022, www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/book-review-she-who-became-the-sun-by-shelley-parker-chan/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026. 

(5). Schrefer, Eliot. “Review: ‘she Who Became the Sun’ Is an Important Entry in the LGBTQ Fantasy Canon.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 22 July 2021, www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2021/07/20/she-who-became-sun-important-entry-lgbtq-fantasy-canon/7973314002/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026. 

(5). 

Roxane Gay and her Talent!

 

    There are so many places to start with Roxane Gay, there's so much to write about. She wrote a whole memoir about her trauma, her experiences with weight and childhood. She is extremely talented and smart. Her career history is amazing, and she has survived so much. 

Personal life & Education

 She was born October 15, 1974, and is still alive today. She grew up in a town called Omaha, in Nebraska. She has a good history of education, attending a boarding school in her teenage years. As a teenager she would write start writing essays, being praised for her work and I'm sure led to a lot of her books. She attended Yale University, but she dropped out her junior year and finished her degree in Vermont at Norwich University. She completed with a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Very exciting for her, and super impressive. In 2010 she got a Doctor of Philosophy in Rhetoric and Technical Communication from Michigan Technological University, so as you can see, she's smart and a talented writer. (1) Roxanne Gay is openly bisexual and has had relationships with both men and women. In 2019 she got engaged to her now wife. They are still married today, and both have a close relationship with Gay's parents due to the covid lockdown forcing them to spend a lot of time together. (2) She obviously came to be an extremely talented author, her work being mainly inspired by her struggles, such as violence, sexual trauma, and her relationship with food. Her stories are emotional and a greatly recommended read.

Going into the Workforce

    Gay would go into the workforce, starting with being an assistant professor of English at Eastern Illinois University.  She then went onto being an associative professor of creative writing at Purdue University. She left that job due to not being compensated correctly. She was a visiting professor at Yale, and then finally went on to work at Rutgers University, working with Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies.

    Finally going into her writing, she published a series of short stories called Ayiti in 2011, two books in 2014, An Untamed State, and an essay collection called Bad Feminist, which is one of her most popular ones. So many other short stories, and essays. A super popular memoir of hers is called, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

    Released in June of 2017, she takes you on an emotional read, talking about her struggle with self-image and sexual trauma. She shared the common anxieties through the book and put out her psychological and emotional struggles out there. She gave us the permission and grace to see her past traumas, her struggles, and how she saved herself. "With the bracing candor, vulnerability, and power that have made her one of the most admired writers of her generation, Roxane explores what it means to learn to take care of yourself: how to feed your hungers for delicious and satisfying food, a smaller and safer body, and a body that can love and be loved—in a time when the bigger you are, the smaller your world becomes." (3) This small summary just describes the overall really well, how there's a new perspective some may not have thought of. 

    Reading through reviews and what not, a majority are talking about how moving and sensitive the memoir is, how raw it is. 

    Kirkus Reviews calls it, "An intense, unsparingly honest portrait of childhood crisis and its enduring aftermath." (4) Which goes to prove even more, how emotional of a story it is. A review by Aya de Leon from PloughShares at Emerson College says, "I believe that Gay’s memoir is not only an invitation for US audiences to see black women and fat differently, but also to see Haiti differently, as an epicenter of Black Power and resistance, spiritual force and intellectual capability, a victim and a survivor nation, and to celebrate Gay and her memoir, as an heir to that lineage and legacy." (5)

    Gay's writings are extremely emotional and turning, making you think and feel more. It gives a perspective of the aftermath of trauma and society's deal with fatphobia. 

(1) Ostberg, Rene. “Roxane Gay | Biography, Books, Essays, Podcast, Hunger, Bad Feminist, & Facts | Britannica.” Www.Britannica.Com, 11 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roxane-Gay. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(2) Ondertexts. “Roxane Gay - Biography by Ondertexts.” Ondertexts, 2018, https://ondertexts.com/en/biography/roxane-gay. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(3) “Hunger.” Goodreads.Com, 2017, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074156-hunger. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(4) Gay, Roxane. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2017, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/roxane-gay/hunger-gay/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(5) Guest Reviewer. “Review: HUNGER, a MEMOIR of (MY) BODY by Roxane Gay - Ploughshares.” Ploughshares, 27 Oct. 2017, https://pshares.org/blog/review-hunger-by-roxane-gay/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

(2

2

Diving into Douglas Stuart

Douglas Stuart

About Douglas Stuart

Douglas Stuart is a Scottish-American who was born in Glassglow, Scotland, before moving to New York later in life to pursue his passion for fashion design and writing. During Stuart's childhood in Glasgow, the city where he grew up, the city was facing a time of hardship that caused many issues within his family life; he says that these times inspired his writing because he often feels himself wishing he could go back to before (PBS News Hour, 1:15). Douglas Stuart is also part of the LGBTQIA+ community, so he said in the PBS interview he never necessarily felt like he fit into the city of Glassglow (PBS News Hour, 2:06). Stuart has also won multiple awards for his writing specifically his first novel Shuggie Bain which was released in 2020 (Stein).

Douglas Stuart's Novels

The first novel discussed in the blog will be Shuggie Bain. Shuggie Bain explores themes like societal expectations, coming of age and trauma, addiction and abandonment, pride and appearances, and lastly sectarianism (Richardson, 2022). This novel focuses on the struggles of a young boy living in Glassglow, Scotland, during the 1990's who ends up being left to become independent at the young age of sixteen after his father leaves; and his mom, who struggles with an alcohol addiction, ends up passing away (Richardson, 2022). The second piece of work being talked about in this blog is Young Mungo, which is Stuart's second novel; this writing explores the relationship between Mungo and James. Mungo is a Protestant and James is a Catholic; the two face many struggles while their relationship shifts from best friends to lovers (Atlantic). Both of these novels are very powerful, and they both explore deep, meaningful themes that are important for readers to see from another perspective. 

The first review I read is written by Pan MacMilan from bookloverssantuary.com. They discuss how great the opening image in Shuggie Bain is and also discuss how nicely Stuart is able to fit poetry into the novel, saying, "Nothing about Stuart's language is wasteful, nothing is forced into an uncomfortable poetry or lyricism" (MacMilan). In this book review, there are many quotes allowing me to see what the author of this review means when they discuss Stuart's opening image and the poetry he includes within Shuggie Bain. The second review I looked at was on Stuart's novel Young Mungo. In this review, written by Ruby Conway from Notabeneprize journal, she discusses how the novel Young Mungo is very similar to Shuggie Bain but discusses how it mainly focuses on a love story, whereas Shuggie Bain didn't."While the novel at first feels very similar to Shuggie Bain - in its setting, focus on alcoholism, the shadowy echoes of Shuggie’s relationship with his mother, the intensely felt local dialect - the novel gradually diverges away from its Booker-winning predecessor as the narrative deepens. If anything, this is more of a love story, containing glimmers of hope in its weighty pages (Conway). After reading both reviews I can understand how some may find these two novels similar because they both do explore some of the same themes like identity and societal expectations and struggles such as alcoholism/addiction. Im really interested in these two novels specifically Shuggie Bain because i'm interested in learning more about Douglas Stuart and his childhood which this book seems to align very closely with.




(1) PBS NewsHour. He Grew up Without Books. Now Douglas Stuart Is an Award-Winning Author. Video, YouTube, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTxVXrpn5ik. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
(2) “Douglas Stuart | CAA.” Caa.Com, 2020, https://www.caa.com/entertainmenttalent/books/author/douglas-stuart/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

 (3)        Richardson, Maddie. "Shuggie Bain Themes." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 23 Sep 2022. Web. 11 Oct 2026.

(4) Brown, Deedi. “Young Mungo.” Deedi Reads, 30 Mar. 2022, https://deedireads.com/book-reviews/young-mungo. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

(5) View. “Book Review: Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart.” The Book Lovers” Sanctuary, 30 July 2021, https://bookloverssanctuary.com/2021/07/30/book-review-shuggie-bain-douglas-stuart/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

(6) Percival, Sophie. “Review: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart.” Nota Bene Prize, 21 Aug. 2023, https://www.notabeneprize.com/journal/review-young-mungo-by-douglas-stuart. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

 Alice Olseman

Alice Olseman was born on October 16th, 1994, in Kent, England. She attended Rochester Grammar School for early education, she later went on to study at Durham University earning a bachelor's in English Literature. Her first book being Solitaire which we will get into shortly. Micha Jones writes that While promoting one of her books ‘Loveless’, Oseman opened up about her asexual and aromatic identities. She also identifies with she/her and they/them pronouns (1). Alice Olseman goes on to explain "I cried sometimes at the end of the day. I felt lonely most of the time. I was angry about everything, I didn’t have very many friends, I hated school with an absolute rage"(2). Her sadness and hatred for school is what could have led to the of writing Solitaire.

Solitaire a book about the struggles of being young from a young point of view

Solitaire is about the main character Tori Spring. A very pessimistic and sad girl going through a mental health decline. navigating and figuring out her emotions and identity all awhile figuring out a crush she doesn't want to accept. all the while a hacker with a blog under the name solitaire wrecks havoc throughout the school. Tori reluctantly joins Micheal Holden a very optimistic, happy new boy in search of solitaires identity. Tori slowly gets more and more invested as the search persists. shes shocked to find the person behind solitaire was her own childhood best friend Lucas Ryan. Lucas thinks he's helping up her mood with different tricks and the main one being burning down the school because he believes the school is behind her mental issues. Tori gets trapped in the building and contemplates suicide on the roof until Micheal reaches her and convincing her down and kissing her. Ending in her finding                                                                her will to live and feeling a lot less alone seeing everyone who has                                                                come to the the fire finding the moment symbolic.

Literary Review

The Guardian gives praise to Alice Oseman for writing Solitaire at 19 saying, "It's a remarkable feat to be a published author at 19 years of age, and I think that is something to marvel at on it's own"(3). I think the fact that she wrote this at her young age adds a sort of relation to make to the book. The characters that Oseman created really adds to the plot (3). I totally agree with this the different personality's defines the whole plot. The writer also gives kudos to the fact that Oseman focused less on "boy meets girl" and "Romeo and Juliet" style in the book (3). The only two things the reviewer did not like about the book was that there was not more insight into the people behind Solitaire (3). which isn't bad knowing the main focus of the book wasn't on them. The other thing being that there isn't a sequel (3). not too bad seems like they wanted more. I can admit I do too. The Times describes their love to a "chemistry experiment of a relationship that is the fizzing heart of the novel". Their love goes back and forth throughout the book like a ping pong perfectly paced leaving you wanting more (4). 

Personal Thoughts

I read the book in 8th grade and then I had a somewhat similar outlook on life so to read Solitaire I felt so empowered. so I started taking risks and finding meaning in things dealt ordinary. I felt connections with Tori in the way she looked at life, but there's so much more. There's love, mysteries to solve, moments to have, and better years to come. it seems that Oseman perfectly sums this up in Solitaire. Throughout the book you see different representations of mental health and sexuality. I love a book with good representation. it allows for a broader range of interest and movement throughout readers. Connections to be made. I wish that there was a movie about Solitaire like Heartstopper another one of Osemans books which blew up and got its own Netflix show. I like to imagine what it would look like if it did have its own show the character interactions and scenes would be so cool to see play out. the scene at the end where Tori runs farther into the burning building stood out to me. Then when Micheal Holden convinces her from jumping and to leave the building. all awhile shes seeing all the people (her classmates) gathered around the burning school and her seeing the school burning as a way to restart. It really rounded the book off with a bang

(1) Jones, Micha. “Everything You Need to Know About Alice Oseman: The Best Selling Author Making History - Hollywood Insider.” Hollywood Insider, 14 Aug. 2022, https://www.hollywoodinsider.com/alice-oseman-lgbtq/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
(2) “Alice Oseman: I Wrote a Book About a Sad Girl.” Epic Reads, 2026, https://epicreads.com/blogs/news/alice-oseman-i-wrote-a-book-about-a-sad-girl. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
(3) jboo1698. “Solitaire by Alice Oseman - Review.” The Guardian, 5 Oct. 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/oct/05/review-solitaire-alice-oseman. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
(4) Alex O’Connell. “Solitaire (12+) by Alice Oseman.” Thetimes.Com, The Times, 23 Aug. 2014, https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/solitaire-12-by-alice-oseman-0gdwfwqmvn3. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.












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Red White and Casey McQuiston

 Casey McQuiston

Casey is a 35 year old non binary American young adults author. They have 4 books published with a 5th on the way. Their main focus is on queer love stories and using their platform to educate young adults. They have many awards and accolades spanning over 5 years, their stories are not just stories they have deep rooted meaning for queer people around the world. 

About Casey

They were born on January 21st in Southern Louisiana, which means they are a Pisces! They did an interview with Samuel Maude, and he wrote "The author grew up Catholic but attended a small Southern Baptist school for 13 years before attending Louisiana State University.(5)" I like how they decided to stay in their home state for college then travel after they got their bachelor's degree. They currently live in Queens, New York with their family. Their website talks about how "when not writing love stories, they can be found staring at the nearest body of water or spending time with their beloved and always-hungry poodle mix, Pepper (1)." Casey is a very down to earth person, they have very little information on their website except for the important things, like their dog, Pepper!

Speaking of website here is the link for that if you are interested in checking them out! Casey's Website

Awards Galore

• RUSA Romance Award: One Last Stop (2022)
• Stonewall Honor Books in Children’s and Young Adult Literature:I Kissed Shara Wheeler (2023)
• Lammy Awards, Bisexual Fiction: (runner up) The Pairing (2025)

Their debut novel, Red, White and Royal Blue, was adapted to an Emmy-nominated film in 2023. (1)

Red, White and Royal Blue

Red White and Royal Blue Book Cover 

Red White and Royal Blue is a beautifully written story based in modern day. It follows the first son of the United States Alex Claremont Diaz and Prince Henry of Britain. It is their love story and how the pair were not so in love, not even friends. Their differing political climate proves to cause struggles throughout their story. They connect at Henry's brother's wedding, they make a spectacle out of themselves by knocking down the wedding cake. That was the beginning of their long story spanning over years, they fall in love over email and small in person meetings. They are just starting to feel comfortable with their relationship when their emails get leaked to the world. Now their private information, childhood stories, desires, and wants are all out for billions to see.

The couple goes on a brief break in order to ease in navigating this hard time. Henry's family is not supportive while Alex's is. They both were publicly outed, this was out of their control, and how each of their families will react had been foreshadowed from the beginning. 

In the end everything works out, there are elections, love, crowns, and scandal all wrapped into one amazing book.

Red White and Royal Blue Movie Poster 

Red, White and Royal Blue The Movie

The movie is based on their debut book, it is only on prime and came out in 2023. It is directed by Matthew Lopez, and Casey had a big hand in writing/casting the film as well (4). The movie became very popular amongst not only the readers of the book but also movie fans. Some say that the movie is fast paced compared to the book (4), however I am a fan of both the book and the movie and didn't mind the pacing.  

I have been watching and reading queer tropes similar to Red White and Royal Blue for years, some include Heart Stopper, Call Me By Your Name and Young Royals. These three are my favorites and I rewatch them at least once a year. This is one of the main reasons why I chose Casey to research, I was curious more about their history rather than the books themselves. I was interested to find out they grew up in a christian household, it is refreshing to see someone as collected as they are writing amazing works. 

Other Works

• Red White and Royal Blue (2019)
• One Last Stop (2021)
• I kissed Shara Wheeler (2022)
• The pairing (2024)
• Red White and Royal Blue The Private Correspondence (December 2026)

This information was found on source number 2

Literary Review 

Plasencia wrote a literary review that describes the ever changing world, and how Casey is making a space available for queer young adults to feel seen and heard. He writes "Online dating and social media have also changed how people explore their sexuality with topics like consent, sexual harassment, and sex education becoming more relevant as the days progress (3)." This is evident in Red White and Royal Blue, via their leaked emails and Alex's campaign strategy. I was intrigued to read this review based off of these parallels alone. I wanted to know truly how these things are being explored in real life. 

This is a quote from the article I think adds emphasis to my statement above, "These developments emphasize the need to celebrate diversity and explore how sexuality is shown in media and literature. It is for these reasons that this study examined how sexuality is portrayed in the main characters of Casey McQuiston's novel “Red, White and Royal Blue”. It focuses on how this theme is developed through the plot, the characters’ traits and actions, the representation of diverse identities, and the way the novel engages with or challenges traditional ideas(3)."  It is clear that the world is changing, and Casey McQuiston is helping it move in the right direction! 

Work Cited

1. Ballard, Claudia. “Casey MCQUISTON.” CASEY MCQUISTON, 2026,www.caseymcquiston.com/

2. Frank. “Casey McQuiston List of Books.” Book Notification, 9 Aug. 2021, www.booknotification.com/authors/casey-mcquiston/.

3.  Plasencia, Von Daniel Romina. “Sexuality Under a Textual Lens in Casey McQuiston’s Red, White and Royal Blue .” Kln Pass User Login, 26 Dec. 2025,https://research-ebsco-com.proxy-commonwealthu.klnpa.org/c/qh4vbl/viewer/pdf/jusrwnpd5r?auth-callid=39106c24-0768-4b77-9e16-af50f1bbd688

4.“Red, White & Royal Blue (2023) - User Reviews - Imdb.” Edited by Matthew Lopez, Imbd.Com, 2026,  www.imdb.com/title/tt10172266/reviews/.

5. Maude , Samuel. “Casey McQuiston Wants to Teach You about Queer Sex.” Elle , 6 Aug. 2024, www.elle.com/culture/books/a61742663/casey-mcquiston-the-pairing-red-white-royal-blue-film-sequel-interview/.

Getting to Know the Author Behind They Both Die at the End: Adam Silvera

Adam Silvera has made a name for himself as a young adult author whose novels explore relationships, identity, and the experiences that affect people's lives. His stories often feature young characters dealing with difficult situations while figuring out who they are and where they belong. As a queer author, Silvera has also contributed to LGBTQIA+ representation in young adult literature through the characters and stories he writes. His combination of emotional storytelling and imaginative ideas has helped his books reach a wide audience of young readers. In this blog, I will be focusing in on Silvera's background and his work, discussing They Both Die at the End and how his use of alternating perspectives allows readers to experience Mateo and Rufus's story through the eyes of both characters.

About the Author

Silvera is an American young adult author who grew up in the Bronx in New York City. Before publishing his first novel, he worked at Barnes & Noble and held other jobs related to books. In a Publishers Weekly interview, Silvera discussed how his experiences working in bookstores helped him become familiar with young adult literature. His debut novel, More Happy Than Not, was published in 2015 (1). 

Silvera has received recognition for his writing, and several of his books have earned awards and appeared on notable reading lists. His novel They Both Die at the End became a #1 New York Times bestseller and was named School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and Kirkus Best Book of the Year. It was also selected for the Junior Library Guild and received the Flicker Tale Children's Book Award for Older Readers in 2021 (2).

Silvera identifies as queer and often includes LGBTQIA+ characters within his stories. In an interview with TIME, he discussed wanting to write the books he would have liked to read when he was younger (3). His books give young readers the chance to see characters whose experiences are similar to their own, while also helping other readers learn about experiences they might not be as familiar with.

They Both Die at the End

Published in 2017, They Both Die at the End follows two teenagers, Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio. In their world, a service called Death-Cast contacts people to let them know they are going to die that day. When both boys receive a call on September 5, they decide to use an app called Last Friend to meet each other. Although they begin as strangers, they meet through the app and go on one last adventure together, hoping to make the most of the time they have left (2).                                                                                                                        Kirkus Reviews describes the novel as “engrossing, contemplative, and as heart-wrenching as the title promises.” The review emphasizes Silvera's use of different perspectives and his exploration of death and what makes a life meaningful (4). Sophie Layton also reviewed the novel for Forge Press in July 2024. When discussing Silvera's use of different perspectives, Layton writes that the time-stamped chapters “really helped to reinforce how these scenes and people were interacting.” She praises the chemistry between Mateo and Rufus and gives the novel four out of five stars (5). 

My Personal Reflection

I truly loved reading They Both Die at the End. I was introduced to this author the same way I was introduced to my previous author, Jason Reynolds, which was through my "Teaching with Adolescents and Young Adult Literature" course I took last semester. I was just really intrigued by how these two characters know something about their future that most people never have to think about, and that knowledge affects the decisions they make throughout the story. I also enjoyed looking into Silvera's background and learning more about his experiences as a queer author. I found it touching to learn that he wanted to write the kinds of books he would have liked to read when he was younger. Learning about Silvera's background gave me a new perspective on They Both Die at the End and the characters he created. I already loved the novel's premise and watching Mateo and Rufus grow closer, but researching Silvera also helped me appreciate his interest in including queer experiences in young adult literature. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys dystopian stories and/or books that tell the story through the perspectives of multiple characters.

Works Cited

(1) Sellers, John A. “Spring 2015 Flying Starts: Adam Silvera.” Publishers Weekly, 26 June 2015, www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/67315-spring-2015-flying-starts-adam-silvera.html.

(2) Mendez II, Moises. “Adam Silvera Is Writing the Books He Wished He Had as a Queer Teen.” TIME, 13 Oct. 2022, web.archive.org/web/20250307181637/https://time.com/6218254/adam-silvera-queer-books/.

(3) Silvera, Adam. “They Both Die at the End.” Adam Silvera, www.adamsilvera.com/they-both-die-at-the-end.

(4) "They Both Die at the End." Kirkus Reviews, www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/adam-silvera/they-both-die-at-the-end/.

(5) Layton, Sophie. “Book Review: They Both Die at the End ~ Adam Silvera - Forge Press.” Forge Press, 19 July 2024, forgepress.org/book-review-they-both-die-at-the-end-adam-silvera/