"Reading Rave reminds me of the way the days felt when you were a teenager. Jessica Campbell's Rave is a beautifully told story about the harm of conditional love." But turning away feels impossible when religion is a pillar of the community. For the teenagers of this town, dogmatic teachings offer no salvation. " Rave takes a melancholy glimpse into small-town life, where the church casts a long shadow. Rave is an instant classic, a coming-of-age story about the secret spaces young women create and the wider social structures that fail them. She captures teenage antics and banter with astute comedic style, simultaneously skewering bullies, a culture of slut-shaming, and the devastating impact of religious zealotry. Afterward, a potent blend of Christian guilt and internalized homophobia causes Lauren to question the experience.Īuthor Jessica Campbell ( XTC69) uses frankness and dark humor to articulate Lauren's burgeoning crisis of faith and sexuality. That evening, Mariah gives Lauren a makeover and the two melt into each other, in what becomes Lauren’s first queer encounter. Mariah has dial-up internet, an absentee mom, and a Wiccan altar-the perfect setting for a study session and sleepover to remember. She’s a devout member of an evangelical church, but when her Bible-thumping parents forbid Lauren to bring evolution textbooks home, she opts to study at her schoolmate Mariah’s house. Lauren is fifteen, soft-spoken, and ashamed of her body. A queer coming-of-age story, complete with secret cigarettes, gross gym teachers, and a lot of church
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