When Everything Feels like the Movies (Governor General's Literary Award winner, Children's Literature)

April 27, 2015
Reid's debut, the 2014 winner of the Governor's General Literary Award for Children's Literature, is a no-holds-barred view of teenage sexuality and bullying. Jude Rothesay is a gay teen with a penchant for wearing his stripper mother's outfits and makeup. Facing constant aggression from classmates, online posts, and his mother's boyfriend, Jude views life through the lens of film, seeing his detractors as jealous fans and his bleak small town in Hollywood Technicolor. Jude's friend Angela, on a sexually destructive bent, shares his desire for escape; alone and together, they skip school, drink, pop stolen pills, and cut themselves. When Jude decides to leave town for good, friends turn away from him, a teacher gets too close, and Jude confronts his long-held crush, culminating in tragedy. Reid's graphic sex scenes can be jarring, and when coupled with Jude's bitingly sarcastic voice ("I write a killer suicide letter"), weaken moments of emotional depth. But Reid's incisive rendering of the multiple torments outspoken gay teens endure shines through, and Jude's story will stay with readers. Ages 12âup.

March 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-Reid introduces readers to Jude, a gay teen who fantasizes about being a movie star. Jude, who has been given the nickname Judy by some classmates, is fairly comfortable with his sexual orientation as well as his desire to wear his mother's beautiful dresses and makeup. In order to deal with the homophobia he confronts at school and home, Jude slips into his fantastical life as a movie star constantly tortured by paparazzi. Throughout the book, Jude explains how his school is like a movie set and his family, friends, and enemies are all players in the melodrama. This story is a whirlwind of gender-bending drama with plenty of pop culture references. Underneath the references to drugs and sex, the story is simply about a teen boy looking to find a place where he is accepted and celebrated. VERDICT A fun choice for readers who can handle mature content.-April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

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