Pulp

by Robin Talley

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Two young women living in the nation's capital discover lesbian pulp fiction. Though their circumstances are quite different, they were both inspired by these books, which helped them gain a better understanding of themselves.

• Pro: Talley expertly navigated the dual timelines, and the results were very successful. She achieved suspense, tension, and great impact via the story structure.

• Pro: Abby's research grabbed me and kept me captivated. I wasn't completely clueless about the questionable things that went on during the 1950s, but I did learn quite a bit.

• Pro: I hung on every word of Janet's story. It was so important for me, that she found happiness, and I shed tears for her, when I read of all the injustices and heartbreak she had to endure.

• Con: That said, I did not feel as invested in Abby's part of the story. I felt like it wasn't focused, and I only seemed to care about her being successful with her research.

• Pro: Books within books don't always work for me, but Talley deftly wove three different pulp fiction tales into this story. The excerpts were perfect and perfectly placed for impact and meaning.

• Pro: There was something really awesome that happens at the end, which was nothing short of spectacular for me. I loved that Talley wrote the ending that way.

Overall: An interesting and well executed look at one woman's struggle with identity, which shed a lot of light on LGBTQ history.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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