Makeup and Must Reads: Librarian Reviews Felix Ever After (& hopes we'll read even more own voices lit afterwards!)

FIRSTLY perpetualpages put together 5 Reasons to Read: "Felix Ever After" by Kacen Callender and DANG Adri made such an incredible video! They have also put a huge number of resources in their bio. They speak a bit in the intro to this video about the value of Own Voices reviews (and the difficulty in finding these reviews rn "which feels like a mistake" big agree). Anyways, don't watch my review, go watch theirs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0NjhOQjUX4







I'm a big fan of makeup, and I'm hoping that this style of review will mean that I flail less with something to occupy my hands! For this makeup look, I am pulling inspiration from the color palette of Felix Ever After, a book I read recently and wanted to review before coming up with this review style/concept!



I absolutely adored Kacen Callender's Felix Ever After! They crafted (what I see as) the *perfect* summer romance. Beyond being a wonderful story, I really appreciate the way Callender renders Felix and his story, fully and with flaws (that in no way make him unloveable, as he fears). As a cis-het white woman, I have not had to face down any of what Felix does on a daily basis, but reading from his perspective and through Callender's gorgeous prose still made the story personal and relatable.



As a bookworm and a librarian, I want to get this book into everyone's hands - a friend has already read my copy, I'm shoving it into my mom's hands, I'm gifting copies to teacher friends, and I want to make sure every library I work in going forward has Callender's books on the shelves. This is the kind of fiction we need for our LGBT and non-binary patrons as well as for their loved ones. It's also the kind of fiction we need for those who have some growing to do. I want everyone to read Felix Ever After!



Felix Ever After Chapter one on audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4R-D...

Kacen Callender talking about Felix and finding community:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLcP0...

Six Interviews with LGBTQ Children's and YA Authors: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...



Own voices Trans-Spectrum Book Recommendations (not including Felix, but with some great resources linked in the bio): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dpmLavD_7k



Better reviews than mine (still looking for more #ownvoices povs!):

Connor O’Brien: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56qw8...

Kelsi Reads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqkmI...