3/5

I dislike this story

The writing and the topic do not match up. The characters are annoying. The love story is out of place. The inclusion is awkward. The tone is off. The representation is conflicting.

The story is set in this alternate universe where people are generally kind to each other, flowers and cozy spaces are common, magic is used for the good of the people, and being queer is normalized... but then there's income inequality, poverty, mental illnesses are ignored, and crime is common. But the story is set up like the society is ideal for the most part?

Queerness is not shied from in the story. Almost everyone is queer and it's noted as this lovely and normal thing which is great. Except for some reason is doesn't feel queer? Maybe that's just because the story is written like it's for ten-year-olds. It's noted that Clara is bi, that she's had physical relationships with boys and girls, and it's written like that, boys and girls, while the story also acknowledges that nonbinary people exist so it kind of sounds like she's not into nonbinary people? This is weird because one doesn't have to be interested in nonbinary people but it's a weird thing to just gloss over. Robin can shapeshift apparently, and is nonbinary, that feels weird. Clara's favorite teacher is trans and that part was actually handled well. Same-gender couples are noted several times and that's fun except it felt pretty mechanical instead of something that society actually accepted.

And the reason for this, I think, is because of money. The story setting has classism, and wage inequality which go hand in hand with homophobia and racism. Clara signs her magic away to Xavier because she doesn't have money to pay for him to train her in her magic. She and her father live in poverty while Xavier's family is wealthy. This is never acknowledged as problematic. It's normal for them. Yet trans and homophobia still exist. "Just because gay people are normal doesn't mean the economy is healed," you may say. Not with the way that our society is set up. This story is unreliable because in our society capitalism and homophobia are linked. The homos are villainized because capitalism depends on gender roles to keep wage inequality and racism in check. We cannot liberate ourselves of racism, homophobia, and ablism without also liberating ourselves of capitalism which then trickles down into monetary systems in general. The queer people in this society feel fake because they are not actually free to express their queerness because that would mean being their true selves which is impossible under wage slavery. In a capitalistic society, all our actions are filtered through "can I afford this" and I mean literally all our actions. If we act too weird we risk losing our jobs or paying a fine or losing relationships. Since queerness is interlocked with free expression, our true selves, and our true selves are kept in check by our dependence on money, thus capitalism, queerness is inauthentic until it confronts systems (plural) of oppression. This story lives in a setting where money and the "worthy" mindset still oppress society. There is no personal freedom when these systems plague us.  The status quo and this story are married and it ruins everything.

3/5 stars, fake, I did not like it.