I‘ve always been drawn to dystopian, fantasy, and political fiction, especially with a female lead. Naturally, upon reading the cover, I picked up @tehlorkay’s new book #wesetthedarkonfire. But , I rarely read about people who look like me, a latina woman, much less stories about queer Latina heroes. When I picked up this book, I was pleasantly surprised that not only was Dani a latina, she was “first generation” of sorts, being the first woman in her family to attend an elite school. She’s also, much to my delight, QUEER. There are many things I like about this book, but what I love most of all is Mejia’s beautiful, and tender rendition of one’s gentle, confusing, and exhilarating first-queer love—and how beautifully she incorporates consent! It seems almost expected, but very rarely do I ever read love stories that incorporate consent so naturally. As a queer survivor of sexual assault, I feel safe reading Carmen and Dani’s words to each other as they begin to fall in love. It’s not hyper-sexualized, or rushed. It’s a beautiful, slow burn of a love story in the face of rebellion and fear burning all around them. This is how young readers should read about relationships.This is how we teach consent—we weave it into our stories. We reframe what real love stories are. Thank you for such a wonderful depiction of queer relationships and consent, @tehlorkay! Can’t wait for the sequel.
