Juliet Takes a Breath

By: Gabby Rivera

Narrated by: Gabby Rivera

A People magazine Best Book of Fall 2019
An Amazon Best Young Adult Book of 2019

"F--king outstanding." (Roxane Gay, New York Times best-selling author)

Juliet Milagros Palante is a self-proclaimed closeted Puerto-Rican baby dyke from the Bronx. Only, she's not so closeted anymore. Not after coming out to her family the night before flying to Portland, Oregon, to intern with her favorite feminist writer - what's sure to be a life-changing experience. And when Juliet's coming out crashes and burns, she's not sure her mom will ever speak to her again.

But Juliet has a plan - sort of. Her internship with legendary author Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women's bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff, is sure to help her figure out this whole "Puerto Rican lesbian" thing. Except Harlowe's white. And not from the Bronx. And she definitely doesn't have all the answers....

In a summer bursting with queer brown dance parties, a sexy fling with a motorcycling librarian, and intense explorations of race and identity, Juliet learns what it means to come out - to the world, to her family, to herself.

©2019 Gabby Rivera (P)2021 Audible, Inc.

Hysterical Brilliant & Beautiful

Thank you Gabby for writing this hilarious brilliant & beautiful book about Juliet, a chubby brown queer Latina that already loves herself as she is and is on a journey of deep self discovery and identity. My daughter and her best friend LOVED this book and so did I!

A fabulous listen !

This book is a must read/listen for any young queer person of color ! The feminist politics are on point. I will assign and continue to recommend this fabulous insightful joy offering book! Go Gabby Rivera!!

Amazing!

As a 9th grade English teacher, I can’t wait to explore this book with my students! Beautifully read and written!

from one brown, chunky, dreamy Juliet to another

thank you for pouring so much love into each of your characters. thank you for making Juliet about so many questions and not necessarily all the answers. i love your voice and performance as well and I would love to have you read me books all the time. felicidades!!

Amazing, queer, human power, and growth

it's a beautiful coming of age story of a relatable brown queer character. Braking stereotypes, and falling in love!

Loved it!

I’ve struggled to focus on any books for years but this one had me hooked.

Fantastic, Nuanced, Emotional, & Reflective

Juliet is confessional, alive, complex, and so special. The prose is beautiful and approachable. Juliet is a beautiful window into what it’s like to live in so many intersections of identity, and I deeply appreciate how this book explores her journey to finding herself.

Every white person should read this book. Esp those of us who identify as intersectional, queer, feminist… we all have blind spots and ways we dodge complicity due to our privilege. I recommend it to everyone who wants to listen to these stories to be a better accomplice for POC 💞

For My Inner Queer Baby Child

It’s YA but it’s for us adults too. Gabby Rivera opens the doors to those times, those people, those moments that first opened you up to yourself, your whole queer self. The good, the disorienting, the nurturing, the enraging, the people who become home. And then she teaches us, through Juliet, to keep opening, to serve as kind openings for others, to fail, to change, to forgive ourselves, to bet on our selves. Juliet’s journey through white feminism back to her queer BIPOC consciousness is so real and feels like a miraculous relief to hear in literary form. It is a book about change — transmuting shame and confusion into transformation through connection. I was breathing with her. Thank you for this gift.

Must Read

I loved this book. It was such an easy listen. Highly recommended for kids and adults.

This was such a good book

Omg! I am obsessed with this book. It is so good. The writing is beautiful, the story and characters are well developed. But more, this book touches on so many important areas - identity and the challenges associated with knowing oneself, how we develop and sustain various relationships, learning to walk in one’s truth, and so much more. This is a book, that opens up conversation around some really tough stuff that isn’t easy to talk about and sometimes, harder to identify. I highly recommend to those who are trying to find or define themselves. It is powerful and beautiful.