Teen Lit Rocks

Diversity Book Club: Like No Other by Una LaMarche Discussion

July 24, 2014 By Sandie 3 Comments

Welcome to the launch of the YA Diversity Book Club, a monthly feature we created in partnership with three other book bloggers: Kristina aka Kiki at Gone Pecan, Lucy at The Reading Date, and Kristan at We Heart YA. Back in May, after the big push for the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign, I started to complain to Kiki about how frustrated and disheartened I was of hearing people (including people I genuinely like and get along with in the book blogging community) complain that they didn’t get the issue or that they just wanted to read good books period, regardless of the “diversity” issue. I told her that more readers just needed to actually read diverse books to see that YES, a good book IS a good book, but isn’t it also FABULOUS when a good book also portrays a broader representation of race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.? So she texted:

“You want to start a diverse book club? We can read a book together and discuss what we learned about another culture/race/religion?”

That’s all it took: my lovely and clever friend (who’s white and Southern and has lived in a mostly segregated area) was willing to read outside of her comfort zone of fantasy and romance, so how could I not take her up on it? I sent a couple of emails to other trusted bloggers I knew had an interest in the subject and voila, the four-blog YA Diversity Book Club was born! Very early on we decided to launch the book club with “Like No Other” by Una LaMarche; it sounded like the perfect pick and it definitely was, as you can see below in a curated transcript of our Google Hangout about the book. Many thanks to Razorbill for sending us all review copies of the book!

Interested in the book? Make sure to read our Q&A with Una LaMarche at We Heart YA, Gone Pecan’s post “We Can Quibble What To Call It” and The Reading Date’s post “Like No Other: 5 Greatest Hits.”

Razborbill, 352 pages |  July 24, 2014 | Goodreads | Buy it!

 

We Heart YA: I’m excited to chat! I actually read the book this time, lol. Starting out on the right foot.

Reading Date: Should we go around and share first impressions of Like No Other? What was your experience with the book?

Teen Lit Rocks: Because I lived in Brooklyn, right down the street from Brooklyn Tech, and because a close friend of mine converted to Lubavitcher when we were in college and I know a lot about that community and the race riots, etc… I connected with the story and how much the cultural divide of Crown Heights/Brooklyn is a part of it.

We Heart YA: I liked both characters, so it was easy and fun to read their voices. I felt especially connected to Devorah’s struggle with her family’s traditions, and seeing both the good and bad in them. But I have to admit, I struggled to buy into the speed and intensity with which she and Jaxon fell in love.

Gone Pecan: I loved seeing the glimpses into Dev’s family but I don’t think Jaxon’s background was highlighted enough. COMPLETELY AGREE on the relationship

Reading Date: I liked the meet-cute in the elevator, but the love story progressed so fast. I also connected with Devorah and felt her story was developed much more than Jaxon’s.

Teen Lit Rocks: I think she got the stuff she did include about Jaxon’s story right. Caribbeans don’t think of themselves as African American and they tend to be really focused on education and becoming professionals here and setting themselves apart. But yes, despite the dual POV, it’s more Devorah’s story than Jaxon’s. Because in the end she is the one taking the lifelong never look back risk.

Reading Date: Yes, and at the same time we saw Jaxon self-conscious of the way strangers would react to him on the street.

We Heart YA: Yeah, I don’t have any personal knowledge of either of these communities, but it all felt authentic to me, and well-researched without being didactic.

Reading Date: Agreed, as someone unfamiliar with the Hasidic faith, it seemed like the author did her research. All of the scenes with Devorah’s family were interesting to me.

Teen Lit Rocks: Yes the descriptions of the neighborhoods and the insularity of the Lubavitch community was spot on. My friend converted in college and she had to learn how to dress the part and wear the stockings and eventually when she got married to a man she was set up with… she had to wear a wig and totally immersed herself in the lifestyle.
In fact, her last name is in the book, and she’s a midwife, so I kinda wondered if she was a resource for the book! But I know Una talked to mostly women who had left the community

Reading Date: The only character that was over the top for me was Jacob. You could almost see his villainous mustache twirling.

Gone Pecan: a little off book but why did you friend choose to convert if it wasn’t for marriage to start? that seems like a huge change

Teen Lit Rocks: Well actually Jews aren’t keen on converting just for marriage, although it’s common among Reform Jews

We Heart YA: I was wondering the same thing, Kristina.

Teen Lit Rocks:  I believe she converted because she was looking for a faith, and she took a class about Judaism in college and felt a connection.

Gone Pecan: Jacob, UGH. I was shocked his father-in-law let him back talk so much.

We Heart YA: And yes, Lucy, I agree that Jacob was a bit caricature-d — but then at the end he just magically softens?

Teen Lit Rocks:  Yes, he seemed a bit much, but there are definitely men like that in that community. I thought in the end Devorah’s sister had finally stood up to him in private.

Gone Pecan: What gets me about people like that is they are the problem but truly believe its the other person.

We Heart YA: *nods*

Reading Date: What did you think of the dual POV?

We Heart YA: Speaking of the dad, I really liked how involved all the parents were in the story. I thought the dual POV worked well, because the voices were distinct, but as we mentioned, the story was more weighted toward Devorah.

Gone Pecan: I liked seeing the women’s backbones when the men weren’t looking so to speak

Teen Lit Rocks: Yes, completely agree with you Kristan.

We Heart YA: I would have liked a bit more time with Jaxon’s family

Teen Lit Rocks: I loved her best friend. She was really believable to me. The whole frum/frei distinction and how that all got flipped was great!

We Heart YA: Yes! Very cute dynamic between them.

Reading Date: Agreed. Jaxon’s friend was great too.

Teen Lit Rocks: Kiki, I agree. I thought I had a sense of who everyone in Devorah’s family was, but I didn’t really get to know the sisters that well

We Heart YA:  Jaxon’s best friend was a good character too. Tritto what Kiki and Sandie are saying about Jaxon’s sisters. I couldn’t keep them straight — but it didn’t really matter, in a way.

Teen Lit Rocks: Yup, and he lived in my old neighborhood, so I totally knew boys like that!

Gone Pecan: I think seeing more of Jaxon’s family would have added more “lightness” to the subject to break up the serious side with Dev’s family.

Teen Lit Rocks: Although in a way, they were serious too. They were working really really hard in hopes their kids would make something better for themselves. So they weren’t easy breezy parents. But yes, there was humor in both families, from the siblings and friends.

Reading Date:  liked how the two families were somewhat similar, with the strong work ethic and family values.

We Heart YA: Yes!

Teen Lit Rocks: Yes, Lucy, exactly — and both with several children

Gone Pecan: Right, it’s a family. Still together, trying to do right. That’s a great example to have nowadays.

We Heart YA: It was so smart/good of LaMarche to offer parallels in addition to the (more obvious) differences.

Teen Lit Rocks: Yes, and you rarely (sadly) see strong black fathers in pop culture. I loved those moments with Jaxon and his parents.

Reading Date: For a contemporary romance type book, there was a lot of tension in the story. Especially the worry about Jaxon and Devorah being discovered. Did you guys think Jaxon was a little pushy about the relationship?

We Heart YA: I think Jaxon was a bit reckless, but it came from a place of truly not comprehending.

Teen Lit Rocks: I thought Jaxon didn’t really GET the stakes for Devorah. I was actually a bit shocked when he pulled that big moment.

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