Robyn Ryle

I do love a collection of linked stories, and this one was very good. It's about a small town in southern Indiana populated by an assortment of interesting characters. How they interact, what they feel and see, and how they view their lives, their town, and their place in it, are the focus. Not a lot happens, but still waters run deep, and this collection provides a surprisingly profound insight into small town life and the psychology of everyday people.

Through its subtitle with the "Binary Resisters" bit and its cover design (the book opens with a note crediting the--beautiful--cover art to a group of nonbinary Brazilian artists), She/He/They/Me promises to include nonbinary or genderqueer readers and experiences. It does have a lot of interesting content on gender systems through space and time, but it fails badly in terms of inclusivity toward nonbinary people.

One issue is that the genderqueer path just ... dissolves. You can choose not show more identifying as a boy or a girl as a path early on, but you quickly get dumped back into questions about marriage, jobs, medical care, etc. where you are forced to choose a binary gender identity in order to proceed.

Another big issue for trans and nonbinary people (and for trans and nonbinary representation to well-meaning cis readers!) is that the book gives us ONE CHANCE to come out and be accepted. If you choose a trans path in early life, you automatically come out to your parents, and then you can choose them reacting well (yay!) or badly (in which case the only option is to live as though you were cis ... and there is never a possibility of either realizing new things about your gender or breaking free from your abusive family of origin and transitioning or coming out as an adult). Although our culture is really attached to the story that all queer people come out when they're about 17 and it's either tragic or inspirational, that story does not fit a lot of people, and it's harmful to reinforce it as The Only Way.

I'm sad, because I want what this book seems to promise. show less

As a female Hoosier, living through the Clark effect - this book is so timely! Not just for teens but for adults! The Madison high School girl's basketball team is one of the most winningest athletic teams in the state yet they can hardly get any gym time. The practice gym is flooded and the boy's basketball team can't be bothered to sign up for gym time - they just show up and take it when they want. Amanda is sick of it. She wants to prove once and for all that not only are they the better show more team, girl's sports matter too. She and Dot and Maddie challenge the boys to a scrimmage - winner gets the gym. But is that the best way to prove a point? And can they even win? Told in alternating perspectives between the three best friend, Fair Game is more than just about sports, it's about gender equality in all formats and learning how and why to fight for it. show less

I was immediately reminded of Olive Kitteridge while reading this book, a novel that explores the lives of various quirky characters in a small Indiana town.

Each of the town residents has received a survey about sexual preferences and practices. Some people are outraged, some are amused, some respond multiple times.

Although the title would suggest otherwise, the sex survey is not the focal point of the novel, rather it is the everyday lives of the characters and how they interact with each show more other.

I loved it. show less