“Yeah. In a world that wants me to hate myself, teaches me to hate myself, expects me to hate myself, learning to love myself instead can be an entire revolution,” (Callender 310).
Lark Winters is an aspiring author, but until publication of their uncompleted manuscript Birdie Takes Flight happens, Lark must post on their social media accounts to build a platform while querying agents. Afterall, once the agents see the amount of followers they have on their social media accounts, Lark will have to get represented. But one night Lark’s former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread declaring unrequited love for a secret person on Lark’s Twitter account. To protect Kasim, Lark takes the credit, and ends up getting closer to their crush Eli in the process. It’s only a little white lie after all. But even small lies grow, and strangers on the internet, as well as other students at the Commons where Lark takes a writing class, are ready to judge them. Things are getting complicated, online and in real life for Lark and with Kasim. Can things be the way they used to between them? How much messier can Lark’s life possibly get?
I’ve heard great things about Callender as a writer, especially rave reviews of Felix Ever After so I was excited to read Lark & Kasim Start A Revolution, and it didn’t disappoint!
I really enjoyed reading from Lark’s perspective. Lark is a nonbinary neurodivergent aspiring author with no clear label on what makes them neurodivergent. They could have ADHD, they could be autistic, a diagnosis doesn’t matter so much because Lark knows they see the world differently and Callender perfectly executes this in Lark’s voice. Sometimes rambling and run-on, it’s an accurate representation that I know many neurodivergent readers will relate too and be happy to identify themselves in. I also enjoyed how kind Lark is. It’s hard to find a book with a character who’s just nice, so many brooding and troubled protagonists feature in the stories we read, and I love them but it’s so nice to read from someone who is peaceful and kind. Lark literally loves and sees the good in everyone which is an amazing trait in a protagonist. It wasn’t one that I could relate too (sadly), but it made me happy to read through Lark’s voice. We need more kind protagonists; kindness is not a weakness!
The rest of the cast of characters are just as wonderfully diverse filled with trans, queer, neurodivergent people of colour and none of their identities are ever treated as something that’s wrong. Lark is nonbinary, Kasim is trans, and neither of them are ever misgendered. Even when bullying does happen, their pronouns are always respected. Their identities are theirs, and they are normal, and this was a beautiful thing to see. I was also surprised by the way Callendar spoke about the teen characters practicing in polyamory as this relationship type is rarely seen in mainstream literature, even lesser so in YA. The book also does an excellent job talking about how the pandemic affected teenagers socializing and schooling, as well as having the characters be multidimensional which isn’t always seen in YA. Too often in YA, a protagonists voice can come across as sounding like an adult playing at being a teenager, but Callender gets right into the teen voice in a way that feels ironic. Their characters make mistakes, they learn, they express themselves, they’re intelligent, they’re learning. It was such a wonderful way of seeing teens portrayed, YA authors take note!
I also thought Callender did a good job creating a discussion of cancel culture, shame, and accountability and the difficulty society has in not only accepting that people can make mistakes, but they can also acknowledge and learn from their mistakes and change from it. It’s a tricky subject, especially for younger generations who were raised literally on computers, who are used to getting a wealth of information right away without understanding things like digital footprints and that just because the internet is forever it doesn’t mean people’s old, problematic opinions are.
Filled with characters who are racially and queerly diverse, Lark & Kasim Start A Revolution feels like an authentic teen narrative that I know many teen readers will relate to. Callender is a fresh voice in YA fiction, and I can’t wait to read more of their work!
Publication: September 27 2022
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 336 pages (Hardcover)
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Queer
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤
Summary:
Lark Winters wants to be a writer, and for now that means posting on their social media accounts––anything to build their platform. When former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a thread on Lark’s Twitter declaring his love for a secret, unrequited crush, Lark’s tweets are suddenly the talk of the school—and beyond. To protect Kasim, Lark decides to take the fall, pretending they accidentally posted the thread in reference to another classmate. It seems like a great idea: Lark gets closer to their crush, Kasim keeps his privacy, and Lark’s social media stats explode. But living a lie takes a toll—as does the judgment of thousands of Internet strangers. Lark tries their best to be perfect at all costs, but nothing seems good enough for the anonymous hordes––or for Kasim, who is growing closer to Lark, just like it used to be between them . . .
In the end, Lark must embrace their right to their messy emotions and learn how to be in love.
Sarah O'Connor 