Eliot Schrefer

“Rescued” is the 3rd in what author Eliot Schrefer calls his “Ape Quartet”. The first 2 in the series have been National Book Award nominees, and from my reckoning this volume deserves equal honors. This is the first entry that’s set in America, and it deals with a family who opens their home to a pet orangutan. The consequences are laid out in the very first chapter, and they’re both stark and shocking. The story doesn’t let up from there, either. Schrefer sets up a pat show more ending, but that’s not where he leaves it. I’ve very rarely been this affected by a YA tale.

Highly recommended. show less

This is another book I'm going to recommend for every queer person's library. Eliot Schrefer did a fantastic job talking about queerness in nature while also warning against human biases on either side swaying our opinions or scientific studies. He reminds us of this quite often which some might dislike, but I think it keeps us curious and open to questioning things as science progresses.

I loved reading about all the animals in their queer diversity. I only hope there's a second book in the show more works going over animals not mentioned such as maned lionesses and hyenas as those are two prominent ones I was surprised weren't mentioned. Even things like seahorses weren't gone over in as much detail as I expected. But for its length and teen target audience, I appreciated it for what it was.

I actually think this worked perfectly as a teen's book as the humorous and accessible approach might make it easier to read for those who aren't queer. I also appreciated the humor balancing the scientific details of animal sex as sex itself is already a taboo enough topic, let alone when it's about animals. If you can be mature and stomach the awkwardness of it, Schrefer takes readers on a fascinating journey. I especially enjoyed as a demi-bisexual person that there were also mentions of queer partnerships in nature that didn't involve sex. I also enjoyed all the various reasons animals might be queer or specifically bi from an evolutionary perspective, even if
it isn't for survival.

The only things I didn't like were that I wanted more animal examples than what we got, and that the one scientist Beans (which is a great name by the way) made the claim that they believe gender/sexuality labels are political in nature. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I disagree and think that's a harmful rhetoric for potential allies or young/newly-realized queer folks to read about. I understand why we may avoid labeling animals or their behaviour, but it's not inherently political to have terms for humans that give a sense of belonging and identity if they choose one. But that was only one short chapter where it probably was not even the focus and might have been a side comment that readers don't have tonal context for.

Overall though, this was a very healing read for me as someone who grew up in a religious household, reminding similar readers that there is nothing unnatural about being queer or trans, because nature refuses to be bound to one narrow way of being. I really hope to see a sequel to this and look forward to diving into the sources cited to learn more regardless. I recommend this book to anybody who loves animals, especially queer folks, any age after they've already had "the talk" who might be curious how some relationships work in nature. I also recommend it to any queer folks like me who have ever been told they're "unnatural" who want to be reminded there is nothing wrong with you. I would especially recommend this book to allies and parents of queer kids who want to challenge their world view. show less

Halfway through this book, I looked up and said aloud, “I hate everybody in this book.” Then I did some internet searching and reached the conclusion that everyone involved had actually been that terrible in real life, so at least they were in character? Honestly.

Léon Delafosse, the main character, was inexplicably thirsty for any man who seemed as though they might also be into men. Robert, his patron was blatantly coded as asexual, but despite him telling Léon as much in the limited show more vocabulary and understanding available to him, Lèon still somehow assumed that sexual advances would be welcomed. Robert himself was an undeniable ass in nearly every respect, and Marcel’s self-centeredness was really deserving of a good kick in the pants.

Frankly, Léon was given a far happier ending than he earned. show less

Two young men, each from one of the last two countries left on Earth, are sent on a mission to rescue another astronaut (who happens to be the sister of one of them), who has sent a distress call from Titan. Ambrose wakes up shaky and with no memory of the launch, and he can't seem to get any answers about it from the OS. Kodiak, the other member of the mission, is mostly unresponsive to Ambrose's attempts to befriend him or get answers from him. But when the two of them start to doubt the show more motives of the OS and the mission in general, they start investigating what's really going on, and the answers they find are not at all what they expected, nor is the growing feelings between them.

It's difficult to do this one any justice without spoilers, but believe me when I say that it's a doozie, and in all kinds of good ways. Interesting twists, a HAL-like OS, and an intense yet sweet love story. It was fantastic. show less