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Can't Take That Away

Steven Salvatore (Goodreads Author)

4.90 · Rating details · 86 ratings · 25 reviews

An empowering and emotional debut about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to stand up and speak out for equality when they are discriminated against by their high school administration.

Carey Parker dreams of being a diva, and bringing the house down with song. They can hit every note of all the top pop and Broadway hits. But despite their talent, emotional scars fro ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: March 9th 2021 by Bloomsbury YA

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Average rating 4.90 ·

Rating details

· 86 ratings · 25 reviews

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Aug 26, 2019 Kai marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: queer, to-buy

A genderqueer icon punching bigotry and ignorance to Mars? We can only stan

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Aug 26, 2019 leo | 飛べ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

GENDERQUEER PROTAGONIST WHO USES THEY/THEM PRONOUNS => I’m sold.

give me all the enby characters you cowards

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Oct 20, 2020 Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell marked it as to-read

This sounds AMAZING

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Nov 11, 2020 Anniek rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1-2021-releases, 2-ya, 3-contemporary, depression, lgbtq, mental-illness, non-binary-mc, trans-mc

My new goal in life is to do whatever it takes to protect Carey.

This is such a messy contemporary, and brilliantly so. It just feels so incredibly real, and at the same time all of the bad things are balanced out by all the good, affirming, supportive things. Really, there's even on-page therapy!! Which means that even though this has its hard moments, it was ultimately a really comforting and empowering read.

CWs: suicidal ideation, depression, assault, transphobia, misgendering, homophobia/quee ...more

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Oct 03, 2020 Lea (drumsofautumn) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: to-be-released, most-anticipated-2021

I had honestly never heard about this book until I saw it pop up on Edelweiss but.. a genderqueer main character featuring in a musical? Hello, it is buzzword galore for me!

Instagram | Blog | Booktube Channel | Twitter ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Nicolas DiDomizio rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I was lucky enough to read early drafts of this manuscript, and let me just say... this book is EVERYTHING. Insanely lovable protagonist Carey Parker's journey is full of heart, humor, queerness, activism, feels, Mariah Carey worship (#Lambily4Life), and so much more. This is an instant YA classic about the power of finding and owning your authentic voice! ...more

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Dec 14, 2020 Jordan rated it really liked it

I adore this book! It's got Broadway references, well rounded characters all over, and it's so so so queer it's lovely! Carey is fantastic and I love how the chapter titles start with how Carey identities at the time. Some of the queer stuff is a bit heavy handed at first, but lessens up once the setting is established and you settle into a wonderful story.

Carey's story isn't your typical YA meet cute romance. Yes, it has that. And it's adorable, but the romance is kind of left on the back burne ...more

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Oct 25, 2020 Lisa Pineo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-pub, contemporary-fiction, gender-roles, lgbtqia2, not-out-yet, young-adult, arc-review, e-book, read-2020, 5-star

5 stars. NetGalley has requested that reviews for this book not be published until a month before publication. For now I will say this has been a huge pleasure to read and is now a top 5 favorite of all YA books I have read.

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Jun 29, 2020 Berry marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: covers_love, i_must, queer, ya

Berry A genderqueer, Troye Sivan looking mc who will falsetto the bigotry away? Yes ma'am, thank you. ...more

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Oct 22, 2020 cossette rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: released-in-2021, other-arc, fiction-ownvoices, fiction-lgbtq, fiction-contemporary, fiction-coming-of-age, age-category-young-adult

Trigger warnings: Alzheimer’s, Assault (Verbal, Physical, Sexual), Blackmail, Bullying, Cancer, Death (Death of a parent, death of a grandparent), Emetphobia, Forced Outing, Gender Dysphoria, Grief, Hate Crime, Homophobia, Medical Complications, Queerphobia, Sexual Assault/Harrassment, Shooting (Threat), Suicide Attempt, Suicide Ideation, Transphobia

RTC.

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Jan 09, 2021 Alexis rated it really liked it

I received a free egalley of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read quite a few YA books with protagonists who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, but this is my first book with a genderqueer protagonist. I think that’s because this book may be one of the first to ever amplify a gay genderqueer voice, and it is an #OwnVoices story. I cannot tell you strongly enough how important I think that representation is, both for informing people about identities they may not k ...more

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Sep 10, 2020 J.Paul Thunders marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Mariah Carey?? I AM AUTOMATICALLY SOLD

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Nov 06, 2020 Brittany Zimmerman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-books-i-ve-ever-read

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Not many books have truly affected me down to my core. Only one comes to mind (besides nonfiction) and that’s The Hate U Give. Until I read this. Can’t Take That Away brought me to my knees and shook me to my core. Thank you Steven, for this beautiful book. Although I don’t just think a thank you is enough.

When I first heard about this book I was so excited and I immediately added it to my TBR. When I got t Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Not many books have truly affected me down to my core. Only one comes to mind (besides nonfiction) and that’s The Hate U Give. Until I read this. Can’t Take That Away brought me to my knees and shook me to my core. Thank you Steven, for this beautiful book. Although I don’t just think a thank you is enough.

When I first heard about this book I was so excited and I immediately added it to my TBR. When I got the ARC, I did a little happy dance. I made sure I was in the right headspace to read a highly likely emotional contemporary. It did not disappoint.

I’m bisexual. Something I didn’t know at Carey’s age. Truthfully, I didn’t fully come out until I was 27, after 3-4 years of a lot of internal conflict. I’m sure it’s always been inside me, but it took a while for my brain to catch up. Unlike Carey, I haven’t faced a lot of what they did within the novel. The entire time I just wanted to hug them and tell them they were valid and valued. Something this book absolutely made me feel.

Following Carey, as they get the lead in the school musical, this book explores a journey of overcoming adversity as a genderqueer person and embracing your voice. The amount of times I went from tears to laughter should be criminal. The prose flows beautifully, the characters grow and learn at a fantastic pace, and the plot is fully developed and resolved. The way Steven words this novel is nothing short of magic. My heart has never felt more full than it does right now. (Yes I’m only 5 minutes post read and there may still be tears in my eyes). Watching some of the characters struggle with their identities the way I did made me feel seen in a way I’ve never felt before. It’s stunning.

While Carey’s story isn’t the same as mine, it shows that anyone can find their voice and use it. If i could give this more than 5 stars, I would. It’s absolutely brilliant and i beg of you to read it when it comes out March 2021! ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 Alex Richards rated it it was amazing

I cannot say enough good things about this book!!! I have been dying to read it ever since I read the synopsis and it did not disappoint!

I absolutely loved the main character, Carey, and was totally there for their journey. As a genderqueer, Mariah Carey-loving, diva-in-training, Carey goes through a lot, and encounters a few very small-minded people in their small town. Carey's struggles were so real and well-written. I felt each emotional punch deep into my core, and wanted to jump off the pag ...more

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Dec 31, 2020 Jason June rated it it was amazing

There really aren't the right words to describe how much reading about Carey and their journey meant to me. As a genderqueer person, there were so many times Carey describes their gender and I was like, "YES!" Carey gets me, and I feel seen, and this book is for sure going to boost the hearts of so many readers. ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Solace_In_Reading marked it as to-read

i love this cover!!

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Dec 25, 2020 Syd L rated it really liked it

I was really excited to receive this book after attending ALAN 2020!

In this book, Carey is a genderfluid teen faced with conflict after coming out the year prior and then being cast as the lead (a traditionally female-identified role) in the school musical.

The biggest thing to love about this book was the genderfluid representation. Carey’s exploration of gender felt authentic, and the wide cast of supporting characters just added to the representation in this story. Additionally, I loved that I was really excited to receive this book after attending ALAN 2020!

In this book, Carey is a genderfluid teen faced with conflict after coming out the year prior and then being cast as the lead (a traditionally female-identified role) in the school musical.

The biggest thing to love about this book was the genderfluid representation. Carey’s exploration of gender felt authentic, and the wide cast of supporting characters just added to the representation in this story. Additionally, I loved that at a few moments, Carey acknowledged their privilege amongst all of the discrimination they were facing.

Though I loved that element, much of the rest of the story fell flat and felt predictable to me. I was thrown by the prose and dialogue at the beginning, which felt a bit too scripted, but I thought it warmed up as I kept reading a developed a more natural flow.

Though the side characters had some awesome traits, they really felt like they were only there to prop up Carey rather than as characters in their own respect. This was highlighted by the fact that all but one conflict with friends was resolved with one very quick conversation and never reared its ugly head again. I felt like this was especially true with Joey, which is a bummer because I think we need more sports-driven female characters! The appearance of Blanca when it was convenient also made me feel this way.

After reading the author’s note, it’s interesting to see the choice to pursue this plot after thinking that there should be more stories that focus on LGBTQ joy but realizing how much of the journey was wrapped in conflicts like this. Probably because this plot felt a bit too formulaic and simple while the discrimination that I see in the real world (especially at schools) is far more nuanced, sly, and insidious. The way everything was resolved was definitely too “wrapped in a bow” for me, and while the characters question what would have happened “if [spoiler information] was not found,” that wasn’t really enough to sate me— it didn’t actually face the conflict at hand. This very much felt like an “issue book” at times— one meant to educate about a topic.

Surprisingly, I actually LOVED all of the Catcher in the Rye references, which I thought were particularly well and dealt with the canonical text well. I did think there were perhaps a smidge too many pop culture references otherwise— I wonder how this book will read in just 5 years. I also learned a lot about Mariah Carey in this book, but sometimes it felt a bit forced. I couldn’t help but compare it at times to Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’, which was imbued with Dolly Parton rather than just given a gilding of an obsession.

This was probably just a 3 star read for me for just the story and writing style, but I do think until we have more representation like this, it deserves an extra star. Some kids need to read this book and others like it to help find their place in the world and feel seen— or to understand others. ...more

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Dec 25, 2020 Books That Burn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: clear-ur-shit

*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.

CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY Is about being true to yourself, following your dreams, and making your small slice of the world a little safer for the ones who come after.

The plot rotates between focusing on the MC's inner struggles and musical aspirations, the queerphobic treatment they encounter at school, and their relationships (both platonic and romantic). Early on these sections felt a little more divided, but as the book *I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.

CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY Is about being true to yourself, following your dreams, and making your small slice of the world a little safer for the ones who come after.

The plot rotates between focusing on the MC's inner struggles and musical aspirations, the queerphobic treatment they encounter at school, and their relationships (both platonic and romantic). Early on these sections felt a little more divided, but as the book continues these facets of the MC's life bleed into each other as the MC figures out how they're actually interrelated and how solutions in one arena can lift up every other part of their life.

This is a book I wish I'd had as a teen, it's got a good balance between explaining the MC's queerness and just showing them living it. Part of that experience is dealing with homophobia, queerphobia, and transphobia as a genderqueer high schooler, and part of it is a sweet but tumultuous romance as the MC keeps getting in their own way. The friendships (and friend list) change and grow throughout the story in a way feels appropriate without being rushed, and I had time to really get to know their friends and how they are around each other. The chapter headings keep the reader up to speed on their oscillating pronouns, coupled with a simple and effective method for the characters in the book to keep track too (color coded bracelets). I really appreciated this because it meant I could relax and not constantly be bracing for them to be misgendered. This book also made me wish I knew more about Mariah Carey; the MC's passion for her music and their enthusiastic knowledge about her life was woven throughout the book in a blend of allegory and coping mechanisms which are foundation to the story. As someone who doesn't know much about Mariah, I was grateful that references to her were given enough context to make the parallels and inspiration clear without distracting from the story. I learned more about her via the MC, which in turn connected me even more to the MC as they processed their experiences and emotions via their passion for the singer, rather than being emotionally isolated from the MC due to my minimal knowledge of Mariah.

CW for racism (minor), microaggressions, misgendering, panic attacks, bullying, transphobia, homophobia, queerphobia, suicide attempt* (backstory), parental death (backstory), major character death*.
*The suicide attempt and the death are unrelated. ...more

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Jan 15, 2021 Will Skrip rated it it was amazing

What starts as an overly-syrupy, seemingly predictable high school romance becomes something much more profound in Steven Salvatore's timely and evocative CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY. Reminiscent of the recent Broadway hits THE PROM and DEAR EVEN HANSEN, Salvatore taps into the viral social justice that seems to pervade the lives of young people today. As a lifelong theatre kid, I'm particularly supportive of Salvatore's assertion that finding the confidence to get up and sing in front of an audience r ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Jenn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, arc

***Full Disclosure: I was contacted a while ago by someone in marketing at Bloomsbury to do a super early read of Havenfall by Sara Holland because I had read and reviewed that author's Everless earlier and liked it. Well, the same marketing person recently reached out and asked if I'd be interested in reading Can't Take That Away. I've been reading a lot of LGBTQIA+ YA lately (and loving most of it) so I was all in to read and review this #ownvoices story. Now, back to our regularly scheduled p ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 Susan DeMartino rated it it was amazing

I received an advanced proof and read it in 2 days! It is an excellent book and will have deep meaning for adults and young adults alike. Great themes of self-love, acceptance, activism, equality and friendship. Can’t recommend it enough.

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Jan 14, 2021 Dhai marked it as to-read

Oh my

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Sep 11, 2020 asena rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: queer, release-2021

CAN I JUST SAY THAT THIS IS THE BOOK I NEED. THIS IS A MUST READ. CAN IT BE 2021 ALREADY

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Jun 25, 2020 som ★ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: nb-ace-aro, ٢٠٢١-كوير

بمو\ت الكفر؟؟؟؟ كتاب حياتي اليديد

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Aug 10, 2020 Alyssa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Review posted on Edelweiss.

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About Steven Salvatore

Steven Salvatore

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Steven Salvatore is a queer (gay and genderqueer, using he/him and they/them pronouns -- please default to they/them) writer who lives in New York with their husband. Steven has worked in higher education since 2011, teaching composition courses across curriculums. When not writing or teaching, you can find Steven rewatching any and all Star Wars media or listening to Mariah Carey's extensive and ...more