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When Everything Feels Like the Movies

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When Everything Feels Like the Movies
First edition
AuthorRaziel Reid
Cover artistPhotograph copyright Getty Images (by Frank P. Wartenberg)
Cover design by Gerilee McBride
LanguageEnglish
GenreYoung Adult
Published2014 (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Publication placeCanada
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages171 pp. (1st paperback edition)
ISBN978-1-55152-574-7

When Everything Feels Like the Moviesis the debutyoung adult novelbyRaziel Reid.The novel is narrated by the protagonist, Jude Rothesay, from a first-person perspective, and details his experiences and difficulties over a few days as a gay teenager in school. Reid was inspired by the events leading up to the 2008murder of Larry KinginOxnard, California,as he perceived parallels between his life and King's life.

Plot

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Jude Rothesay struggles with relationships at school (where he has unrequited crushes on boys, which he discusses his best friend, Angela) and at home (where he steals tips and clothes from his exotic dancer mother and tries to avoid his uninterested stepfather, Ray). The story, as narrated by Jude, recasts his reality as the set of a movie starring Jude, with other students playing bit parts ( "The Extras" ), as central to his life and fantasies ( "The Movie Stars" ), or as heckling bullies ( "The Paparazzi" ).

Major themes

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The novel is notable for its frank treatment of a gay youth's first sexual experiences, the consequences of homophobic bullying, and the difficulty faced by gay youth growing up in a small-town environment.[1]

Development history

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Reid recalled being bullied about his sexual orientation as early as kindergarten, and by Grade 6, "was leaving school in tears pretty much daily."[2]An opening monologue byEllen DeGenereson her show in 2008, when she described the life and death of Californian gay teen Larry King,[3]planted the seed that he would later develop into the novel,[2]although Reid said that Jude is not a self-portrait.[4]

Publication history

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Reception

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National Postbook editorEmily M. Keelerwas effusive in her praise for the novel, calling it "a fun, glamorous romp... like a contemporary, teen reference toDjuna Barnes's modernist queer masterpieceNightwood."[5]Judi Tichacek, reviewing the novel for theAmerican Library Association,praised the story and pacing, noting "the book's relatability [sic] is one of the reasons why Jude's story is so compelling."[6]The Guardianalso praised the novel as unique and stylish because of its origins from the murder of King: "It's incomparable, and it's completely unlike anything you've ever read before... Raziel's writing style is again one of those things which I've never seen the like of before..."[7]

Though admitting he had only "read the first chapter and some excerpts, enough to get a taste",Brian Lilleycriticized the novel's "nonstop stories of sex" and "[glorification of] casual sex."[8]Barbara Kaycriticized the main character as "sexually adult, but socially infantile" as the "'authentic' narcissism of queer/transgender identity exempts one from the obligation to mature."[9]Kay also criticizes the central structure of the novel, saying that "life as a movie begins as a clever trope, but after hundreds of references... it wears thin."[9]Reid shrugged off Kay's criticism, noting that many jurors serving on the first trial of King's murderer felt more sympathy for the murderer than the victim, and asserting that society "can't feel sorry for a murdered queer unless he lived as a saint."[10]Jude was deliberately written as a "detached and damaged digital youth," precisely "values-void" to take Kay's term.[10]

Author Kathy Clark started an online petition asking for the revocation of the Governor General's Award due to the "graphic nature" of the novel.[11][5]In response to the Clark petition and Kay's column criticizing the novel,Steven Gallowaynoted, in surveying Canadian writers, that the prevailing sentiment was "a mixture of support for the writer, the desire to forcibly extract Ms. Kay and Ms. Clark's heads from their rectums, and shame that we are actually having to have a freedom of expression debate in 2015."[12]Despite gay marriage being legal in Canada since 2005, J.B. Staniforth noted "the full-throated [gay] lust that the heterosexual majority takes for granted" was "still... considered shocking."[1]

Keeler rejected the petition to strip the award, noting that such efforts were akin to the jurors who deadlocked during the first trial of King's murderer.[5]

Awards and nominations

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When Everything Feels Like the Moviesreceived theGovernor General's Award for English-language children's literaturein 2014.[4][11][5]Despite the Clark petition, theCanada Councilbacked the judges' award and refused to rescind the prize.[12]

The novel, defended byElaine Lui,was a runner up in the CBCCanada Readscompetition in 2015.[13]

Adaptations

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Raziel Reid has adapted the novel into a screenplay; the movie option is held by Random Bench.

References

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  1. ^abStaniforth, J.B. (29 December 2014)."Blazing the Trail".The Walrus.Archived fromthe originalon 20 February 2017.Retrieved19 February2017.
  2. ^abLederman, Marsha (6 March 2015)."When Everything Feels Like the Movies offers reflections of author Raziel Reid".The Globe and Mail.Retrieved18 February2017.
  3. ^Ellen DeGeneres on 15-year-old boy, Larry King, killed for being GayonYouTube
  4. ^ab"Newcomer Raziel Reid wins G.G."BC Booklook.14 November 2014.Retrieved19 February2017.
  5. ^abcdKeeler, Emily M. (27 January 2015)."On Raziel Reid, and when everything feels like a controversy".The National Post.Retrieved18 February2017.
  6. ^Tichacek, Judi (22 October 2015)."Book review: When Everything Feels Like the Movies, by Raziel Reid".ALA: GLBT Reviews.Retrieved19 February2017.
  7. ^confessionsofabooklover (5 March 2016)."When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid - review".The Guardian.Retrieved19 February2017.
  8. ^Lilley, Brian (29 January 2015)."OPINION: Fifty shades of GG? No thanks".Toronto Sun.Retrieved18 February2017.
  9. ^abKay, Barbara (21 January 2015)."OPINION: Wasted tax dollars on a values-void novel".The National Post.Retrieved18 February2017.
  10. ^abReid, Raziel (28 January 2015)."Smells Like Teen Dispirit".The Walrus.Retrieved18 February2017.
  11. ^abFlood, Alison (5 February 2015)."Canadian author condemns 'anti-gay' protest against his young-adult novel".The Guardian.Retrieved18 February2017.
  12. ^abDarbyshire, Peter (28 January 2015)."Battle of the books turns into war of the words among authors".The Province.Retrieved18 February2017.
  13. ^"Canada Reads 2015 reveals finalists, panellists [sic]".CBC books. 20 January 2015.Retrieved19 February2017.
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Reviews

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