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Happy Endings Are All Alike
Young novel of young women loving each other, and winner of "ALA Best Book for Young Adults" award. "Jaret Tyler has no guilt or shame about her love affair with Peggy Danziger. But she knows there are plenty of people in this world who would put it down, especially in a small town like Gardener's Point.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
Sandra Scoppettone
53 books79 followersAlso wrote as Jack Early.
Sandra Scoppettone first emerged as one of the best hard-boiled mystery writers using the name Jack Early for her first three novels that included A Creative Kind of Killer (1984) that won the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America for best first novel. She had started writing seriously since the age of 18 when she moved to New York from South Orange, New Jersey. Scoppettone in the 1960s collaborated with Louise Fitzhuh and in the 1970s wrote important young adult novels. The Late Great Me depicting teenage alcoholism won an Emmy Award in 1976. Her real name was revealed in the 1990s with the start of a series featuring PI Lauren Laurano. Scoppettone shares her life with writer Linda Crawford.
Sandra Scoppettone first emerged as one of the best hard-boiled mystery writers using the name Jack Early for her first three novels that included A Creative Kind of Killer (1984) that won the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America for best first novel. She had started writing seriously since the age of 18 when she moved to New York from South Orange, New Jersey. Scoppettone in the 1960s collaborated with Louise Fitzhuh and in the 1970s wrote important young adult novels. The Late Great Me depicting teenage alcoholism won an Emmy Award in 1976. Her real name was revealed in the 1990s with the start of a series featuring PI Lauren Laurano. Scoppettone shares her life with writer Linda Crawford.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 29, 2024
this book has been on my radar since i was a teenager, 15 years ago, when i was trying to track down every sapphic book i could. (oh, how much easier it is to find quality queer lit now!!)
for some reason i thought it was a sapphic romance. but this novel from 1978 is about various forms of homophobia, corrective rape, and a community's reactions to the hate-motivated act of violence. it's brutal and disturbing.
there are a range of perspectives on the sapphic relationship in the novel. the girls themselves, jaret and peggy, are devoted to one another, but on different levels. jaret is certain she's a lesbian and certain she wants to be with peggy, while peggy loves jaret, but is unsure of her orientation. jaret's mother is a "women's libber" who tells jaret she supports her. but she quietly struggles to accept her daughter's identity, and considers it a weak spot in her feminism. peggy's sister, claire, openly despises and looks down upon peggy, and considers her to be sick and emotionally stunted.
then there's the villain of the novel, the rapist who represents all the world's violent, seething hatred toward what it doesn't understand. there's also a sickening cop who first blames jaret for being raped, and then when he finds out about the sapphic relationship, justifies the rape as being corrective in a positive way.
all of this is disturbing and hard to read, obviously. to make matters worse, when the girls are outed, peggy falters and their relationship comes to an end. perhaps this part is as realistic as all the other dark details of the story, but i wish their love was a rock solid testament to the strength of queer relationships! i think the novel would be so much stronger, and probably more comforting for young lgbt+ readers of its era, if their relationship was more secure.
in the end,
overall, the story is interesting within its historical context. the use of 70s teen slang ("it's the pits") is a consistent reminder that we have come a long way from this decade. it's interesting that jaret and peggy take refuge in a dark, private part of the forest, which reminds me of the contemporary lgbt+ YA novel forget me not. even 45 years later, there are still places where queer couples are only safe to be together in secret spaces.
for some reason i thought it was a sapphic romance. but this novel from 1978 is about various forms of homophobia, corrective rape, and a community's reactions to the hate-motivated act of violence. it's brutal and disturbing.
there are a range of perspectives on the sapphic relationship in the novel. the girls themselves, jaret and peggy, are devoted to one another, but on different levels. jaret is certain she's a lesbian and certain she wants to be with peggy, while peggy loves jaret, but is unsure of her orientation. jaret's mother is a "women's libber" who tells jaret she supports her. but she quietly struggles to accept her daughter's identity, and considers it a weak spot in her feminism. peggy's sister, claire, openly despises and looks down upon peggy, and considers her to be sick and emotionally stunted.
then there's the villain of the novel, the rapist who represents all the world's violent, seething hatred toward what it doesn't understand. there's also a sickening cop who first blames jaret for being raped, and then when he finds out about the sapphic relationship, justifies the rape as being corrective in a positive way.
all of this is disturbing and hard to read, obviously. to make matters worse, when the girls are outed, peggy falters and their relationship comes to an end. perhaps this part is as realistic as all the other dark details of the story, but i wish their love was a rock solid testament to the strength of queer relationships! i think the novel would be so much stronger, and probably more comforting for young lgbt+ readers of its era, if their relationship was more secure.
in the end,
overall, the story is interesting within its historical context. the use of 70s teen slang ("it's the pits") is a consistent reminder that we have come a long way from this decade. it's interesting that jaret and peggy take refuge in a dark, private part of the forest, which reminds me of the contemporary lgbt+ YA novel forget me not. even 45 years later, there are still places where queer couples are only safe to be together in secret spaces.
December 17, 2015
for starters: trigger warning for rape.
I'm having a hard time articulating anything about this book, but I'm going to try . I think the writing is occasionally a little clunky (especially at the beginning), but on the whole I think Scoppettone does a really good job, especially with the varied voices. I think there are moments where it gets a little preachy (as one might expect from a YA novel from 1978 about lesbians by a lesbian), but I also think it makes a very conscious effort to realistically portray a range of reactions, positive and negative and in between, to Jaret and Peggy being lesbians.
and, as other people have noted, it's not a punishment story. it does include (center on, even) a rape, and Scoppettone doesn't hold back either in writing that scene or in writing the aftermath — Jaret trying to deal with a traumatic experience, the legal system's prejudice against her both as a woman and as a lesbian, public reaction when she is outed by her rapist, etc.
but it doesn't give up, and it doesn't tell us Jaret deserved what she got. and it doesn't end with any of the classic tropes: there are no dead lesbians, and neither Jaret nor Peggy "goes back to being straight".
I'm having a hard time articulating anything about this book, but I'm going to try . I think the writing is occasionally a little clunky (especially at the beginning), but on the whole I think Scoppettone does a really good job, especially with the varied voices. I think there are moments where it gets a little preachy (as one might expect from a YA novel from 1978 about lesbians by a lesbian), but I also think it makes a very conscious effort to realistically portray a range of reactions, positive and negative and in between, to Jaret and Peggy being lesbians.
and, as other people have noted, it's not a punishment story. it does include (center on, even) a rape, and Scoppettone doesn't hold back either in writing that scene or in writing the aftermath — Jaret trying to deal with a traumatic experience, the legal system's prejudice against her both as a woman and as a lesbian, public reaction when she is outed by her rapist, etc.
but it doesn't give up, and it doesn't tell us Jaret deserved what she got. and it doesn't end with any of the classic tropes: there are no dead lesbians, and neither Jaret nor Peggy "goes back to being straight".
And so what if happy endings didn't exist? Happy moments did.
September 21, 2014
I first heard about this book in a summary of lesbian young adult fiction: its origins and how far it's come today. This book was mentioned as one of the books back from the days when characters were punished for being gay. And in this novel, particularly horrifically. So I thought maybe I should stay away from this book for a while. And I did.
Now, having read it, I can say the image I had of the book was completely false. It's not a punishment story; it's an exploration of the extreme homophobia and misogyny in society, especially in the 1970s when it was written, and it's also a refreshingly feminist and powerful critique. I was happily surprised to find such a strong message — which is hard to find in any book, but in a book written 35 years ago it was especially powerful.
Now, having read it, I can say the image I had of the book was completely false. It's not a punishment story; it's an exploration of the extreme homophobia and misogyny in society, especially in the 1970s when it was written, and it's also a refreshingly feminist and powerful critique. I was happily surprised to find such a strong message — which is hard to find in any book, but in a book written 35 years ago it was especially powerful.
June 27, 2019
“And so what if happy endings didn't exist? Happy moments did.”
Sandra Scoppettone-Happy Endings Are All Alike
Does contain possible trigger regarding a very graphic rape scene.
This book has stayed with me since childhood and I recently had the chance to do a reread and found it every bit as compelling as I did back then..
reading this, one has to remember the book was way ahead of its time. Its about the love affair of two high school girls, Jaret and Peggy. They are close friends who fall in love.
It is, to the best of my recollection, one of the first books ever published in this genre. I loved it then and I love it now. But for new readers, you have to know that going in because attitudes back then were quite a bit different to say the least.
SPOILERS:
This book maybe triggering as it contains a vile nasty rape depiction. These girls keep their affair secret but are "outed" when a psychopathic boy who has been obsessed with Jaret, discovers her secret, rapes her and when charged, his defense is that the love affair between Jaret and Peggy "drove him" to it.
That would not fly today. It is rather surreal sometimes realizing how different the world is today and what it maybe like in say another few decades..or even over a hundred years from now when most of us wont even be here. In any event this is realistic young adult fiction at its best but should be read with caution. I give it 5 stars.
Sandra Scoppettone-Happy Endings Are All Alike
Does contain possible trigger regarding a very graphic rape scene.
This book has stayed with me since childhood and I recently had the chance to do a reread and found it every bit as compelling as I did back then..
reading this, one has to remember the book was way ahead of its time. Its about the love affair of two high school girls, Jaret and Peggy. They are close friends who fall in love.
It is, to the best of my recollection, one of the first books ever published in this genre. I loved it then and I love it now. But for new readers, you have to know that going in because attitudes back then were quite a bit different to say the least.
SPOILERS:
This book maybe triggering as it contains a vile nasty rape depiction. These girls keep their affair secret but are "outed" when a psychopathic boy who has been obsessed with Jaret, discovers her secret, rapes her and when charged, his defense is that the love affair between Jaret and Peggy "drove him" to it.
That would not fly today. It is rather surreal sometimes realizing how different the world is today and what it maybe like in say another few decades..or even over a hundred years from now when most of us wont even be here. In any event this is realistic young adult fiction at its best but should be read with caution. I give it 5 stars.
June 19, 2012
This book surprised me because all the lukewarm reviews on here and the date of the book's publication gave me this impression that the story and characters would be outdated. I mentally shelved it with other "lesbian classics" like Rubyfruit Jungle and The Well of Loneliness—books I have hesitated to read for six years now. But for Happy endings are all alike, I like the title, I received the book last night just as I was finishing another book, and for some reason I couldn't sleep, so I ended up reading this in one sitting, during which I felt these twists in my chest, the kind that happens when you indulge in rereading paragraphs that inspire terrible longing and there should be a word for that feeling because I have overused the word "resonating" lol. This book felt like Annie on My Mind and Lost and Delirious.
Jaret and Peggy are described as two good-looking girls who love each other. It's the summer before they both go to college (Radcliffe, Smith) and they want to spend a lot of time together. They live in a town a hundred miles away from New York City. Jaret is a little more dreamy, saying things that sound like she and Peggy will be together for a long time while Peggy reminds her that they should just think of the moment because things can come up, and they just don't know. Sandra Scoppettone is great at writing specific emotions, subtle gestures.
The first half is definitely better than the second half because after , the novel changes and the dialogue of the characters starts to sound like it's trying to say all the correct things to teach the reader something about homophobia and rape. I'm also surprised by the dialogue, that it feels real, sort of, and I appreciate that the characters recognize when they sound sentimental because someone will say, "God, I sound like a dumb movie. . ." Also it's hilarious how often "gazinga" and "humungus" are used.
Even with the title being that "happy endings are all alike," it took me until four pages before the end to realize that I might not get a happy ending. Feel like this was a test of my optimism, and I think indeed I am, looking forward to something good happening, but I'll say I'm rather satisfied with this story.
:D :D :D
p.s. lol that I'm the only one to give this five stars.
Jaret and Peggy are described as two good-looking girls who love each other. It's the summer before they both go to college (Radcliffe, Smith) and they want to spend a lot of time together. They live in a town a hundred miles away from New York City. Jaret is a little more dreamy, saying things that sound like she and Peggy will be together for a long time while Peggy reminds her that they should just think of the moment because things can come up, and they just don't know. Sandra Scoppettone is great at writing specific emotions, subtle gestures.
The first half is definitely better than the second half because after , the novel changes and the dialogue of the characters starts to sound like it's trying to say all the correct things to teach the reader something about homophobia and rape. I'm also surprised by the dialogue, that it feels real, sort of, and I appreciate that the characters recognize when they sound sentimental because someone will say, "God, I sound like a dumb movie. . ." Also it's hilarious how often "gazinga" and "humungus" are used.
Even with the title being that "happy endings are all alike," it took me until four pages before the end to realize that I might not get a happy ending. Feel like this was a test of my optimism, and I think indeed I am, looking forward to something good happening, but I'll say I'm rather satisfied with this story.
:D :D :D
p.s. lol that I'm the only one to give this five stars.
September 8, 2015
Wow, this was great! Amazing that this was written in 1978 as it takes in lesbianism, rape and feminism without being in the slightest bit preachy as well as being totally relevant for today. I know I would have loved this as a teenager and it has such an awesome moral code.
The only bit I didn't like particularly was the diary entries - but understand why they are included.
If I had kids, I'd make them read this!
But I don't - so YOU have to read this! Okay? Okay.
The only bit I didn't like particularly was the diary entries - but understand why they are included.
If I had kids, I'd make them read this!
But I don't - so YOU have to read this! Okay? Okay.
March 27, 2014
I really enjoyed this snapshot of late-70s women's lib as found in a YA novel about lesbians. Of course it seems dated now, but still rings true. It reminded me of the movie "Girlfriends," in terms of its portrayal of young feminists. I loved the line about Jaret vaguely wondering how exactly not shaving her legs was contributing to the women's movement. And there is so much "rapping" going on, and not of the Grandmaster Flash variety. Far out, man. Thanks, Lizzie, for bringing this back into print!
August 12, 2014
Sandra Scoppettone's Happy Endings Are All Alike is about the lesbian relationship between Jaret Tyler and Peggy Danzinger over the summer before college in 1978. Like all teenagers, Jaret and Peggy are struggling to define their relationship. Jaret is more assured in their relationship. Her mother, Kay, found out, and is relatively all right with it. But Peggy is still unsure especially with her older sister Claire threatening to tell their emotionally fragile widower father about Peggy's "deviant" relationship.
However, things change when Jaret is brutally raped and beaten. Her rapist warning to goad her into silence? He threatens to tell everyone in their small town of Gardener's Point about her relationship with Peggy. Jaret won't play his game but her decision does have ramifications for all involved.
I really enjoyed Happy Endings. It was amazing to read about the prejudices that people had about homosexuals. Like that could be a decent offense to beat a rape and assault charge in this day and age? I liked the characters involved. I liked Jaret's strength and how it multiplied with the support of her family. I liked Peggy's hesitation. Yes, she loved Jaret but she was still worried about what people thought of her and how her family would be affected by it. She wasn't a bad person but she was human.
Just a side note, kudos to Scoppettone for really capturing the 1970s. Damn, I felt like I was there.
However, things change when Jaret is brutally raped and beaten. Her rapist warning to goad her into silence? He threatens to tell everyone in their small town of Gardener's Point about her relationship with Peggy. Jaret won't play his game but her decision does have ramifications for all involved.
I really enjoyed Happy Endings. It was amazing to read about the prejudices that people had about homosexuals. Like that could be a decent offense to beat a rape and assault charge in this day and age? I liked the characters involved. I liked Jaret's strength and how it multiplied with the support of her family. I liked Peggy's hesitation. Yes, she loved Jaret but she was still worried about what people thought of her and how her family would be affected by it. She wasn't a bad person but she was human.
Just a side note, kudos to Scoppettone for really capturing the 1970s. Damn, I felt like I was there.
January 25, 2008
Sandra Scoppetone, Happy Endings are All Alike (Alyson, 1978)
I'm not sure what book the New York Times reviewer who called this a "tensely-plotted thriller" was reading, but it sure wasn't this one. Happy Endings, written before Scoppetone became a mystery vamp of the highest order, is a simple, if somewhat twisted, coming of age tale about high-school romance and all the pain and suffering it entails.
Jaret and Peggy are stuck in the lazy summer before college, in the middle of a romance that's a badly-kept secret from Jaret's mother and Peggy's father (Peggy's father is a widower; Jaret's father is just plain clueless about most everything) and a well-kept secret from the rest of their somewhat conservative town. Well, for a while. Things get nasty when a local boy finds out about the romance and decides that Jaret needs some conversion to heterosexuality.
Scoppetone's a fine writer, for the most part, and the emotions at play throughout the book are clear and well-done. Most of the book's characters are complex, solid, and far from annoying. The one exception is Peggy, who constantly uses the word "gazinga" for... well, everything (think back to the Smurfs and their way of speaking). It gets annoying, and it gets there quickly. But if you can overlook that, this one's worth a look. ** 1/2
I'm not sure what book the New York Times reviewer who called this a "tensely-plotted thriller" was reading, but it sure wasn't this one. Happy Endings, written before Scoppetone became a mystery vamp of the highest order, is a simple, if somewhat twisted, coming of age tale about high-school romance and all the pain and suffering it entails.
Jaret and Peggy are stuck in the lazy summer before college, in the middle of a romance that's a badly-kept secret from Jaret's mother and Peggy's father (Peggy's father is a widower; Jaret's father is just plain clueless about most everything) and a well-kept secret from the rest of their somewhat conservative town. Well, for a while. Things get nasty when a local boy finds out about the romance and decides that Jaret needs some conversion to heterosexuality.
Scoppetone's a fine writer, for the most part, and the emotions at play throughout the book are clear and well-done. Most of the book's characters are complex, solid, and far from annoying. The one exception is Peggy, who constantly uses the word "gazinga" for... well, everything (think back to the Smurfs and their way of speaking). It gets annoying, and it gets there quickly. But if you can overlook that, this one's worth a look. ** 1/2
November 16, 2015
Happy Endings Are All Alike is a 1970s two-girls-in-love (in a small town) story. It's also a rape-and-beating story, and one that is quite explicit, so be warned.
I appreciated each girl's feelings about her sexuality, and each family member's response to it as well. (Am I as liberated a woman as I thought I was when it's my daughter who's gay?)
Then we have the rape story line intersect the sexuality story line, at a time when the idea of not blaming the victim is new. Susan Brownmiller gets a mention. Read it if you're a student of women's history or gender and sexuality, but it is definitely not just a gay teen love story.
I appreciated each girl's feelings about her sexuality, and each family member's response to it as well. (Am I as liberated a woman as I thought I was when it's my daughter who's gay?)
Then we have the rape story line intersect the sexuality story line, at a time when the idea of not blaming the victim is new. Susan Brownmiller gets a mention. Read it if you're a student of women's history or gender and sexuality, but it is definitely not just a gay teen love story.
January 8, 2017
3.5 out of 5
I don't know much about the social climate in America in 1970s, but the homophobia and sexism that the two lesbian protagonists face in Happy Endings Are All Alike seem very realistic (i.e., infuriating and quite ridiculous (I hope) by today's standards).
Apparently, this book was groundbreaking when it was first published in 1978 because it not only was one of the first YA books to feature lesbian protagonists, but it also lacked common "dead lesbian" or "eventually cured of homosexuality" tropes.
I don't know much about the social climate in America in 1970s, but the homophobia and sexism that the two lesbian protagonists face in Happy Endings Are All Alike seem very realistic (i.e., infuriating and quite ridiculous (I hope) by today's standards).
Apparently, this book was groundbreaking when it was first published in 1978 because it not only was one of the first YA books to feature lesbian protagonists, but it also lacked common "dead lesbian" or "eventually cured of homosexuality" tropes.
May 19, 2023
I want to start the review by mentioning that this book contains a graphic and long rape scene in case anyone gets curious and wants to check it out. Also, spoilers below.
I understand this book is a product of its time. Really, I do. However, even leaving behind all the horrible shit that happens in this book and judging it purely from a narrative point of view, it just SUCKS. I have seen reviews calling this a "thriller" or a "mystery". Excuse me? We know that there is someone stalking Jaret and that he wants to hurt her. Then his identity is revealed and he is just... some random kid's younger brother. Wow, what a fantastic plot twist! I guess the only mystery is "when" Jaret is going to be abused. Do you feel the thrills yet? I certainly do not. Every character, except Jaret, her family and Bianca are TERRIBLE PEOPLE. I won't even talk about the cops being assholes because everyone expects that. However, Peggy, Jaret's girlfriend, abandons Jaret after she has been sexually assaulted because she wants to PRESS CHARGES AGAINST HER ABUSER. Sure, I can understand the fear of being outed in the 70's. But then Peggy calls Jaret selfish (???) for wanting to get some kind of revenge on her RAPIST. Her girlfriend who is in a hospital bed with a broken nose, rib and PTSD. Jesus.
Thankfully, Jaret's family is supportive of her and helps her get better, and so is her friend Bianca. Then, after all is said and done, and all hell has broken loose because the story of the abuser trying to plead not guilty because his victim was a lesbian so Peggy's family is aware of everything, Peggy waltzes back to Jaret's life like nothing happened. She is like "I'm so sorry, I couldn't stop thinking about you this whole month" and it is supposed to be romantic or whatever. We don't even know if Jaret's rapist ever goes to prison. Ok. What a "hopeful" ending. And I haven't even touched on some completely unprompted weird scenes, like Jaret's brother saying that every brother fantasizes about her sister having sex or Peggy's sister, Claire, being an absolute menace because apparently she is so ugly that nobody wants to even breath around her. Do not expect any kind of "poetic" justice here, by the way. The only person who suffers throughout this book is poor Jaret,
I guess that if you were some kind of Freud fanperson you may enjoy this. It certainly feels like it is constructed with his ideas taken in a very literal sense in mind. Plus, you have Claire citing Freud to shame her sister for being a lesbian during half of the novel. Otherwise, get something else instead.
I understand this book is a product of its time. Really, I do. However, even leaving behind all the horrible shit that happens in this book and judging it purely from a narrative point of view, it just SUCKS. I have seen reviews calling this a "thriller" or a "mystery". Excuse me? We know that there is someone stalking Jaret and that he wants to hurt her. Then his identity is revealed and he is just... some random kid's younger brother. Wow, what a fantastic plot twist! I guess the only mystery is "when" Jaret is going to be abused. Do you feel the thrills yet? I certainly do not. Every character, except Jaret, her family and Bianca are TERRIBLE PEOPLE. I won't even talk about the cops being assholes because everyone expects that. However, Peggy, Jaret's girlfriend, abandons Jaret after she has been sexually assaulted because she wants to PRESS CHARGES AGAINST HER ABUSER. Sure, I can understand the fear of being outed in the 70's. But then Peggy calls Jaret selfish (???) for wanting to get some kind of revenge on her RAPIST. Her girlfriend who is in a hospital bed with a broken nose, rib and PTSD. Jesus.
Thankfully, Jaret's family is supportive of her and helps her get better, and so is her friend Bianca. Then, after all is said and done, and all hell has broken loose because the story of the abuser trying to plead not guilty because his victim was a lesbian so Peggy's family is aware of everything, Peggy waltzes back to Jaret's life like nothing happened. She is like "I'm so sorry, I couldn't stop thinking about you this whole month" and it is supposed to be romantic or whatever. We don't even know if Jaret's rapist ever goes to prison. Ok. What a "hopeful" ending. And I haven't even touched on some completely unprompted weird scenes, like Jaret's brother saying that every brother fantasizes about her sister having sex or Peggy's sister, Claire, being an absolute menace because apparently she is so ugly that nobody wants to even breath around her. Do not expect any kind of "poetic" justice here, by the way. The only person who suffers throughout this book is poor Jaret,
I guess that if you were some kind of Freud fanperson you may enjoy this. It certainly feels like it is constructed with his ideas taken in a very literal sense in mind. Plus, you have Claire citing Freud to shame her sister for being a lesbian during half of the novel. Otherwise, get something else instead.
September 28, 2013
This has got to be the worst written book I've ever read. It had so much potential, too! It's full of interesting people--the lesbian lovers, Jaret and Peggy. The jealous, bitter older sister who wants to learn psychology as a weapon. The mother who is a little more intelligent than her husband and so treats hims like a son. The younger brother, trying to struggle out of adolescence without much in the way of a role model. The good friend Bianca, unfailingly honest as she struggles to understand.
Despite all that, here are the comments I made while I was reading it:
- I'm on page 37 and I've already been in five peoples' heads.
- Please, please please never let me accidentally pick up this writing style. She writes a paragraph of omniscient backstory for every two lines of dialog.
- And keeps making really obvious editorial comments. Is this story being told by God?
Worst of all, she tried to make it into a psychological thriller by adding stream-of-consciousness style passages from inside the head of an angry adolescent stalker, whose identity is kept anonymous until the bloody crisis. It reminds me of Silence of the Lambs except (a) this book way predates Silence of the Lambs and (b) that book was actually good.
I see that the author has written many other books and most seem to be crime novels or thrillers. Maybe they're good--I hope so--I'll never read them. She has talent. (Shudder)
Despite all that, here are the comments I made while I was reading it:
- I'm on page 37 and I've already been in five peoples' heads.
- Please, please please never let me accidentally pick up this writing style. She writes a paragraph of omniscient backstory for every two lines of dialog.
- And keeps making really obvious editorial comments. Is this story being told by God?
Worst of all, she tried to make it into a psychological thriller by adding stream-of-consciousness style passages from inside the head of an angry adolescent stalker, whose identity is kept anonymous until the bloody crisis. It reminds me of Silence of the Lambs except (a) this book way predates Silence of the Lambs and (b) that book was actually good.
I see that the author has written many other books and most seem to be crime novels or thrillers. Maybe they're good--I hope so--I'll never read them. She has talent. (Shudder)
July 19, 2016
This is one of those books that I read more for the history than the story itself. I can only imagine how groundbreaking this novel was when it was first published in 1979; not only does it focus on the lesbian relationship between two teen girls (and, altogether, it's painted in a good light), but it also mentions the Women's Liberation movement, too. So, yeah, definitely a book that was probably given the stink eye quite frequently.
The book does have a tendency to come off as dated. The characters "rap" quite a bit, and it took me a second to figure out that they meant having a conversation instead of, well, trying to be the next Eminem. And "does a chicken have lips" - haha, I can remember my mom saying that ALL of the time when I was little.
The writing style is rather sparse, and the author has difficulty picking one narrator per chapter, which leads to a lot of switching between narrators at a dizzying pace. That is quickly becoming one of my pet peeves in fiction.
Shout out to the character who doesn't shave her legs; for some reason, that's still controversial to this day!
The book does have a tendency to come off as dated. The characters "rap" quite a bit, and it took me a second to figure out that they meant having a conversation instead of, well, trying to be the next Eminem. And "does a chicken have lips" - haha, I can remember my mom saying that ALL of the time when I was little.
The writing style is rather sparse, and the author has difficulty picking one narrator per chapter, which leads to a lot of switching between narrators at a dizzying pace. That is quickly becoming one of my pet peeves in fiction.
Shout out to the character who doesn't shave her legs; for some reason, that's still controversial to this day!
July 27, 2008
Somehow, I missed this YA title when I *was* a YA - probably I was busy re-reading MHL or Rosamund DuJardin!
This is an amazing book, all the more so since it was published 30 years ago. It's the story of two high school graduates - both female - who become lovers and then deal with a horrific aftermath that includes the sexual assault of one of them after a quarrel.
It's a bit of a period piece, given the slang and the wholesale adoption of early feminist phraseology, but still an amazing book. I wonder if it could even be published now, in a USA that has become far more right-wing and intolerant.
This is an amazing book, all the more so since it was published 30 years ago. It's the story of two high school graduates - both female - who become lovers and then deal with a horrific aftermath that includes the sexual assault of one of them after a quarrel.
It's a bit of a period piece, given the slang and the wholesale adoption of early feminist phraseology, but still an amazing book. I wonder if it could even be published now, in a USA that has become far more right-wing and intolerant.
April 6, 2018
I was surprised by how much I liked this book considering a) it's kind of old, published in 1979, and I don't usually like vintage YA, b) it spends a ton of time on polemics and philosophizing and c) it's quite dark in some ways. Yet somehow I sped through it and even the ending left me feeling oddly satisfied and relaxed. So, uh. I'm gonna try to unpack it a bit.
The Dark Stuff
I knew a lot of vintage lesbian lit had dark endings, violence, therapy, break-ups etc but I still was lulled into complacency at first. This book actually has a ton of homophobia in it and semi-graphic rape of one of the MCs, Jaret. I'll say this: the book's sympathies are clearly with the sapphic MCs. Sympathetic characters are shown to be confused by their lesbianism but generally trying to get over it (even if they still are somewhat homophobic) and the rape is certainly condemned. But it's there.
The rapist is a friend of one of the Jaret's friends--I won't reveal identity other than that--and I actually liked how he was portrayed. One of those "banality of evil" instances. He's clearly got a lot of aggression and anger issues, and he hates Jaret even before he learns she's a lesbian. It's a brutal act coming from a man who wants to exercise his own power, and the text portrays it as such. The rape is not because she's a lesbian, but he assumes he can blackmail her with the information and make her not report his crime. View spoilers to see how this works out.
So, the rape is a major plot element, and it is brutal, although afterwards Jaret's friends and family do pull together to support her for the most part. Neither lesbian dies, though. The ending is...sort of happy? Hard to say? Despite the title I would have to call it bittersweet. Jaret and Peggy's relationship has inevitably changed and it's hard to say whether they'll stick together, but they still love each other.
The Characters
I really liked how realistic the characters felt. Jaret and Peggie's relationship just feels so normal--it's not a perfect relationship and it seems a little immature, but they clearly love each other. It's not a super-romanticized relationship (partly because this book just isn't a romance) but it's also not portrayed as "deviant", as some other characters in the book call it. Mostly it feels like a friendship except more. It parallels a heterosexual relationship in the book in some ways, in the depth of connection and in how it feels more like a temporary fix than a permanent situation.
As for the other characters...I would say most of them didn't really get Jaret and Peggie's relationship but they still tried to support them, some more than others. Jaret's mother worries over whether she's done something wrong, but tries not to show Jaret any signs of judgment or disapproval. Jaret's brother wonders if this means Jaret hates all men (including him) and sort of hopes this isn't the case. Peggie's family is...kind of a mess. Their mutual friend Bianca sort of worries about them being attracted to her but still helps them to hide their relationship and supports them whenever they need it. And she gets over the worry.
It's definitely not a book where the lesbian characters have much backing in the sense of a queer community, but in some ways it reminds me of my own experiences in conservative culture. I like people who despite their inner thoughts are willing to overlook their prejudices to help you, to love you as you are--at least in my experience I've found more support from them than from people who are "enlightened" but only for the brownie points and never put all that enlightenment to use. I think for that reason I actually appreciated being shown characters who aren't entirely sure what's up with queerness and maybe even are a little wary of it, but still love the MCs and want to protect them and won't judge them. It's something I honestly wish I saw more of...though that might say more about my lesfic reading choices than anything else.
Might as well talk a bit about tone while I'm here. You can definitely feel the 70s-80s vibes...plenty of jargon...but it's still very readable, feels colloquial even to me. The tone is light considering this is something of an "issue book", and I read it very quickly. But it's also bluntly philosophical in a vintage feminist kind of way, with characters straight up saying things like "That's chauvinist" to each other's faces or thinking through their political philosophies. Idk. I like that shit.
Overall
Surprisingly good, but pretty damn heavy. The kind of book that makes you say "Ah, but society is better now" and then "...but it really isn't, and this wasn't even written that long ago." I wish the author had more lesbian books but I think she's largely a mystery writer, so I don't know if I'll read anything else by her.
Anyways. Good book for me, probably not for everyone.
The Dark Stuff
I knew a lot of vintage lesbian lit had dark endings, violence, therapy, break-ups etc but I still was lulled into complacency at first. This book actually has a ton of homophobia in it and semi-graphic rape of one of the MCs, Jaret. I'll say this: the book's sympathies are clearly with the sapphic MCs. Sympathetic characters are shown to be confused by their lesbianism but generally trying to get over it (even if they still are somewhat homophobic) and the rape is certainly condemned. But it's there.
The rapist is a friend of one of the Jaret's friends--I won't reveal identity other than that--and I actually liked how he was portrayed. One of those "banality of evil" instances. He's clearly got a lot of aggression and anger issues, and he hates Jaret even before he learns she's a lesbian. It's a brutal act coming from a man who wants to exercise his own power, and the text portrays it as such. The rape is not because she's a lesbian, but he assumes he can blackmail her with the information and make her not report his crime. View spoilers to see how this works out.
So, the rape is a major plot element, and it is brutal, although afterwards Jaret's friends and family do pull together to support her for the most part. Neither lesbian dies, though. The ending is...sort of happy? Hard to say? Despite the title I would have to call it bittersweet. Jaret and Peggy's relationship has inevitably changed and it's hard to say whether they'll stick together, but they still love each other.
The Characters
I really liked how realistic the characters felt. Jaret and Peggie's relationship just feels so normal--it's not a perfect relationship and it seems a little immature, but they clearly love each other. It's not a super-romanticized relationship (partly because this book just isn't a romance) but it's also not portrayed as "deviant", as some other characters in the book call it. Mostly it feels like a friendship except more. It parallels a heterosexual relationship in the book in some ways, in the depth of connection and in how it feels more like a temporary fix than a permanent situation.
As for the other characters...I would say most of them didn't really get Jaret and Peggie's relationship but they still tried to support them, some more than others. Jaret's mother worries over whether she's done something wrong, but tries not to show Jaret any signs of judgment or disapproval. Jaret's brother wonders if this means Jaret hates all men (including him) and sort of hopes this isn't the case. Peggie's family is...kind of a mess. Their mutual friend Bianca sort of worries about them being attracted to her but still helps them to hide their relationship and supports them whenever they need it. And she gets over the worry.
It's definitely not a book where the lesbian characters have much backing in the sense of a queer community, but in some ways it reminds me of my own experiences in conservative culture. I like people who despite their inner thoughts are willing to overlook their prejudices to help you, to love you as you are--at least in my experience I've found more support from them than from people who are "enlightened" but only for the brownie points and never put all that enlightenment to use. I think for that reason I actually appreciated being shown characters who aren't entirely sure what's up with queerness and maybe even are a little wary of it, but still love the MCs and want to protect them and won't judge them. It's something I honestly wish I saw more of...though that might say more about my lesfic reading choices than anything else.
Might as well talk a bit about tone while I'm here. You can definitely feel the 70s-80s vibes...plenty of jargon...but it's still very readable, feels colloquial even to me. The tone is light considering this is something of an "issue book", and I read it very quickly. But it's also bluntly philosophical in a vintage feminist kind of way, with characters straight up saying things like "That's chauvinist" to each other's faces or thinking through their political philosophies. Idk. I like that shit.
Overall
Surprisingly good, but pretty damn heavy. The kind of book that makes you say "Ah, but society is better now" and then "...but it really isn't, and this wasn't even written that long ago." I wish the author had more lesbian books but I think she's largely a mystery writer, so I don't know if I'll read anything else by her.
Anyways. Good book for me, probably not for everyone.
April 3, 2026
The beginning was sooo good. then midway through… completely lost me. I think it was very realistic, especially given the time it was written. It was majorly disheartening, though. I wish it felt more like the title, if that makes sense.
February 7, 2017
I learned of this book via Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading, where the great YA whisperer Lizzie Skurnick raved about it. It's ground-breaking for its time in several ways: as the description says, it's a teen lesbian romance from a time when few existed, and it contains a significant rape subplot.
The story involves the romance between two girls in upstate New York in the summer before they go to college. One is sure she's a lesbian, one doesn't want to commit. It's the late 70's so it's fun and interesting to check in on where feminism and gay rights were at the time. Then one of the girls is beaten and raped by a male acquaintance and HOLY SHIT, it's incredibly graphic. I knew it was coming (both from the description and lead-up sequences from the attacker's POV), but I still was not prepared. I think only the scene from The World According to Garp was worse on the short list of rapey things I've read. To make matters worse, the victim gets the Boys Don't Cry treatment from the local police (luckly, her family is supportive.)
For me, this is more worthwhile as a snapshot of the time. I think it definitely would have been useful for both straight and gay kids at the time; there are enlightened characters to serve as role models, but even they struggle with their level of comfort with homosexuality. The one sympathetic (and straight) female friend won't undress in front of Peggy, Jaret's otherwise progressive mother thinks it is her fault that her daughter is gay while being simultaneously horrified that she feels that way, and so on. The rape scene--oof. I preferred how Speak handled it-- thoughtfully but not overtly graphic. Authors have their reasons, of course. It was a book I enjoyed more when I reflected back on it than I enjoyed while reading it.
It's both frustrating and inspiring to see how far we've come as a society since this was written, and literature, movies and other art play a huge role in that.
The story involves the romance between two girls in upstate New York in the summer before they go to college. One is sure she's a lesbian, one doesn't want to commit. It's the late 70's so it's fun and interesting to check in on where feminism and gay rights were at the time. Then one of the girls is beaten and raped by a male acquaintance and HOLY SHIT, it's incredibly graphic. I knew it was coming (both from the description and lead-up sequences from the attacker's POV), but I still was not prepared. I think only the scene from The World According to Garp was worse on the short list of rapey things I've read. To make matters worse, the victim gets the Boys Don't Cry treatment from the local police (luckly, her family is supportive.)
For me, this is more worthwhile as a snapshot of the time. I think it definitely would have been useful for both straight and gay kids at the time; there are enlightened characters to serve as role models, but even they struggle with their level of comfort with homosexuality. The one sympathetic (and straight) female friend won't undress in front of Peggy, Jaret's otherwise progressive mother thinks it is her fault that her daughter is gay while being simultaneously horrified that she feels that way, and so on. The rape scene--oof. I preferred how Speak handled it-- thoughtfully but not overtly graphic. Authors have their reasons, of course. It was a book I enjoyed more when I reflected back on it than I enjoyed while reading it.
It's both frustrating and inspiring to see how far we've come as a society since this was written, and literature, movies and other art play a huge role in that.
August 1, 2012
This is one of the books that still makes me crave for some kind of miracle to happen that would reverse the whole sad ending even though the book is about to finish. I was surprised I didn't find a review on it on Wikipedia and goodreads only has 9 reviews so far!, which gave me the false impression that I shouldn't be too excited about reading it. But now I cannot even find proper way to write a review about Jaret and Peggy's story, and feel like throwing bunch of adjectives and phrases to describe it...words like: beautiful, amazing, heartmelting!
Reading the first paragraph you know something is going to happen because of how the story begins with this foretelling sentence that narrates, "Even though Jaret Tyler had not guilt or shame about her love affair with Peggy Danziger she knew there were plenty of people in this world who would put it down." Jaret and Peggy are soon to fall in love, yet the two girls seem to have different reactions toward what people's might think of their relationship. While Jaret is more stand-up girl and has sort of a challenging personality, Peggy is laid-back and more concern about what the community thinks. I liked how knowing something big was coming kept me turning the pages.
I think the author's choice of words is very lively and expressive. But it drove me crazy how Peggy kept saying the word "gazinga" and what's funny is that no one stopped her! lol
I agree with Sandra Scoppettone, happy endings do not necessarily exist. Happy moments do.
Reading the first paragraph you know something is going to happen because of how the story begins with this foretelling sentence that narrates, "Even though Jaret Tyler had not guilt or shame about her love affair with Peggy Danziger she knew there were plenty of people in this world who would put it down." Jaret and Peggy are soon to fall in love, yet the two girls seem to have different reactions toward what people's might think of their relationship. While Jaret is more stand-up girl and has sort of a challenging personality, Peggy is laid-back and more concern about what the community thinks. I liked how knowing something big was coming kept me turning the pages.
I think the author's choice of words is very lively and expressive. But it drove me crazy how Peggy kept saying the word "gazinga" and what's funny is that no one stopped her! lol
I agree with Sandra Scoppettone, happy endings do not necessarily exist. Happy moments do.
November 17, 2014
I adore this book. I read this book a very long time ago when I was much younger. A very good look at what it was like to be gay an out in the late 1970s early 1980s. It's like a moment in time that you can go back and relive is many times you want to read the book. I really enjoyed the characters, Jaret especially. She reminds me of myself. I think that when you read a book and there's a character in it that you can really relate to and reflect on is a beautiful thing. Foster's character is beautifully written also.
"We love each other and so what? There's nothing wrong with that and we can't let anybody make something ugly out of it.."
"All other couples laying there wound up in each other and all we can do is link pinkies like two five-year-olds"
"They held each other tightly, knowing the future held many surprises, that nothing was guaranteed and so what if happy endings didn't exist? Happy moments did."
A few of my favorite quotes from the book. Thank you Sandra Scoppettone for writing this book, I enjoy it every time I read it.
"We love each other and so what? There's nothing wrong with that and we can't let anybody make something ugly out of it.."
"All other couples laying there wound up in each other and all we can do is link pinkies like two five-year-olds"
"They held each other tightly, knowing the future held many surprises, that nothing was guaranteed and so what if happy endings didn't exist? Happy moments did."
A few of my favorite quotes from the book. Thank you Sandra Scoppettone for writing this book, I enjoy it every time I read it.
October 9, 2014
I enjoyed this for what it was: an experience of historical context, rather than reading it as a story I might pick up fresh from the shelf today. The terminology made me chuckle (perhaps because my mother has a tendency to over-use a word/phrase once she has found it, as two characters in the book do).
What struck me was that it had a happy-enough ending when it all wrapped up, which is *still* sadly rare. Things are definitely improving there, but seeing it end with the two together in whatever way was promising.
Mostly enjoyed the look at another time through a story I could partially relate to.
The younger brother made me smile.
What struck me was that it had a happy-enough ending when it all wrapped up, which is *still* sadly rare. Things are definitely improving there, but seeing it end with the two together in whatever way was promising.
Mostly enjoyed the look at another time through a story I could partially relate to.
The younger brother made me smile.
June 4, 2014
This is very much a book of the 70s, but a lot of it still rung true. It's sort of staggering how little has changed in a lot of ways. This easily could have been an Issues book (in addition to the girls in love, one was raped), but the characters pushed the story. I liked the various perspectives - Jaret's parents were especially great. Kay was interesting and I could only see Bert (despite the descriptions of how hot he was) as Burt Hummel from Glee. Very similar in their love and support - which was especially needed in the second half. I'm glad this was so cheap for Kindle.
January 28, 2011
Yes, today, the story seems antiquated and all that, but I think it's a good look into a past we shouldn't forget.
I enjoyed reading this book, but the ending seemed forced. I think there should have been a little more elaboration on Peggy's character and her decision making at the end. It seemed like the author wrote a story, was behind her deadline and just finished it without explanation.
But I would recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading this book, but the ending seemed forced. I think there should have been a little more elaboration on Peggy's character and her decision making at the end. It seemed like the author wrote a story, was behind her deadline and just finished it without explanation.
But I would recommend this book.
October 15, 2013
At first it seemed (to me) like a nice book where no huge twists or drama will play. But then there comes the part where Mid starts his terrible gazinga, and personally I thought at that point it went downhill. I thought it was a bit too extreme and damaging for their relationship therefore impossible to give it a happy ending. (should also mention that the ending was pretty vague as well) It does give you an insight on how homosexuality and sexism was viewed back then.
May 26, 2015
Kind of delightfully quaint. That '70s slang makes it feel way more dated than anything I've ever read. Far out, man. Anyway, I wonder what I would have thought of this if I'd gotten my hands on it ten years ago. It's well-intentioned, but not very skillfully written. And there certainly isn't enough actual interaction between Jaret and Peggy to make it worthwhile. Really glad that Jaret didn't hesitate to name her attacker, though. Fuck that guy.
November 7, 2015
It doesn't matter how many times I read this book I still love it as much as the first time. This was the first book I ever read with a lesbian romance in it, and the characters are as fresh as the first time. It's an interesting g insight to the late 70s while there being bits that still strike just as true today. But Peggy and Jaret are great characters, and the ending is so full of hope!
May 27, 2014
A product of it's time. The language takes me back.
It was a pleasant afternoon escape reading about young love. Unfortunately, there is always a tragedy and the one in this book is often used yet still relevant today.
It was a pleasant afternoon escape reading about young love. Unfortunately, there is always a tragedy and the one in this book is often used yet still relevant today.
November 17, 2009
I can't help thinking this must have been somewhat groundbreaking for its time ... but now it's mostly sort of like a sad (and somewhat angry-making) look at the past.
February 24, 2014
Classic lesbian teen novel from 1978. There are cliches, for sure, but it's a surprisingly hopeful book for that time and that topic.
March 26, 2014
I love that Lizzie Skurnick books are bringing back these "classic" YA novels from the 1950s-1980s.
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