Moskowitz does a really good job of showing some of the difficulties faced by bisexuals in finding acceptance, and in facing bi-phobia and bi-erasure. On the other hand, the style makes for a somewhat unhinging read at times, especially if you’ve had mental health problems yourself. She keeps telling herself she’s really up-beat and happy, even when she’s falling apart, and eventually it comes true. The style is both a positive and a negative-on the one hand, it feels realistic, and I could really feel Etta’s struggle to cope with all the problems around her, and try to stay positive and on top of them. The style is pretty intense-Moskowitz gets right in Etta’s head, and she has a pretty full on pile of anxieties which she cycles through constantly. When I first picked up this book, I was a bit stunned (in the sense of being hit round the head). Bianca and James are from a very religious family, and are having problems all of their own. Then she finds unexpected friends at her group counselling, in a younger white anorexic girl and her gay brother. Etta’s struggling with social isolation, and being the only person who is providing the support she needs. Etta doesn’t seem to fit anywhere-her bisexuality gets her into trouble with the “Disco Dykes” group at school, she’s not skinny or white enough for the ballet she loves, she’s not ill enough for people to take her eating disorder seriously, she’s not a good enough singer to go to theatre school.
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