A lively if one-sided overview of a topic that touches many teens’ lives.
Differentiating regular fans from superfans or stans, this book launches readers into a positive take on fan culture.
One expert quoted highlights the importance of the space fandom provides for self-expression; another says that it can be good for mental health. While acknowledging the boost the internet has given to these communities, the book also covers pre-internet bands like the Beatles and the Grateful Dead. The internet has amplified everything, however: David Bowie’s fans were the first to get an artist-run ISP with specially crafted content, and Harry Potter contributed greatly to the explosion of fanfic. While Taylor Swift was breaking records, Swifties were breaking the internet, and it’s impossible not to mention worldwide K-pop phenomenon BTS. The book also covers film and television (Bridgerton superfans bring their love off-screen to real events) and, of course, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Black Panther. Those who are into anime, comics, sports, and e-sports are also covered, from the vast sums spent on sports memorabilia to avid cosplayers. The sources largely consist of consumer publications, and some elements already feel dated (there is no mention of the tremendous backlash from fans against J.K. Rowling for her perceived transphobia). While passing mention is made of “some negative aspects to fan culture,” these are barely touched upon, making the guide feel incomplete for research purposes and more suited to casual browsing.
A lively if one-sided overview of a topic that touches many teens’ lives. (picture credits, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781678206109
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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