Ziggy, Stardust and Me

June 17, 2019
Almost psychedelic in tone, this YA debut set in 1973 is a love letter to self-acceptance, even when the world is far from accepting. Gay during a time when queerness is criminalized, Jonathan, a white, asthmatic teen, lives with his alcoholic father in St. Louis and voluntarily undergoes aversion therapy—graphically depicted electroshock treatment—in the hope of avoiding being arrested for homosexuality, as his uncle was. At the same time, he can’t control how he feels about cool and confident Web, a Lakota classmate who kisses him by a lake. To cope with bullying and his sense of isolation, Jonathan lives in his own imagination and talks to his absent mother and to his idol, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. At times, Brandon’s prose drifts into a vague, almost dreamlike form, which makes some of the nightmarish scenes, such as an almost-deadly asthma attack, all the more intense. While not a comfortable read, this deeply impactful book presents historical attitudes and policies with a chilling accuracy that might be best suited for mature teens. An author’s note offers historical context and discusses non-Native Brandon’s experience with the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits. Ages 12–up. Agent: Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman Literary.

July 1, 2019
A white, gay teen living in 1973 Missouri begins a life-changing relationship. Jonathan has asthma, a deadbeat dad, and one friend--biracial (black and white) Starla. He suffers homophobic slurs and physical bullying at school while secretly--and willingly--attending conversion therapy sessions with harmful side effects. Jonathan copes by retreating into his imagination, where he speaks to his idol, Ziggy Stardust (Jonathan feels like "some space oddity who's landed here on earth"). When Starla leaves for the summer, Jonathan connects with Web, an Oglala Lakota boy from out of town who also endures slurs and violence. When they move beyond friendship to something more, Web helps open Jonathan's eyes to what his gut has been telling him all along: Being gay isn't wrong. Readers will be immersed in Jonathan's close first-person narration, characterized by his own lingo and tendency to escape into his own head. Debut author Brandon deftly incorporates historical events and realities, including the criminalization of homosexuality, the Vietnam War, Watergate, the occupation of Wounded Knee, and police brutality against Native people. Web is a rich character with a backstory of his own, though both he and Starla do all the heavy lifting when it comes to educating Jonathan about contemporary social justice movements that he, focused inward on his traumatic home life and own identity crisis, has remained ignorant of. A poignant depiction of a boy's journey to accepting his gay identity despite the odds. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 14-adult)

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August 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-In 1973, Jonathan Collins is trying desperately to change who he is: anxious, asthmatic, and gay. Homosexuality is still officially a mental illness, and Jonathan is committed to the treatments that will "cure" him. His only support systems are his best friend Starla and an elaborate fantasy world where he gets advice from his dead relatives and David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust. Jonathan's tenuous grip on the idealized life he craves is weakened further when Web shows up just weeks before Jonathan's last round of treatments. Web is a total fox and isn't ashamed to be gay, and he makes Jonathan wonder if he hasn't been wrong this whole time. Gut-wrenching emotion, stream of consciousness, and an intensely evoked soundtrack bring Jonathan's summer to technicolor life. Historical events like Watergate, the Vietnam War, and Wounded Knee are included seamlessly into the story. Every character from Johnathan himself down to the ice cream man are fully realized, and despite Starla's brief appearance, she's a standout. VERDICT Give this one to budding activists, music fans, historical fiction readers, and romantics. A highly recommended purchase.-Heather Waddell, Abbot Public Library, Marblehead, MA

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