Gods with a Little G

Gods with a Little G is a 2019 novel written by Tupelo Hassman about a teenage girl's coming-of-age in a religious town.

Gods with a Little G
AuthorTupelo Hassman
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreBildungsroman[1]
PublisherFarrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date
2019
Media typePrint
Pages288
ISBN978-0-374-16446-1

Synopsis

Teenager Helen, known by the nickname "Hell", is still dealing with her mother's recent death from cancer. Along with two new teens at her school, siblings Winthrop and Rainbolene, she clashes with the religious fundamentalists who control her small California town.[2]

Background

Author Hassman said she feels more comfortable living in larger cities, where one can be anonymous. She cited being "slightly terrified" of small towns as the reason for the novel's setting. She also wanted to highlight how intolerance can occur anywhere, including California. The first character to come to her was Rainbolene, a transgirl. Hassman wanted to explore the love and acceptance that Rainbolene and her brother, Win, feel for each other. Helen came from a desire to have a character witness this.[2]

Reception

Ayana Mathis of The New York Times wrote that the novel is engaging but lacks a major arc for Helen. Although praising Helen as funny and insightful, Mathis said she seems like an outside observer who reacts to events that happen to other people.[1] Publishers Weekly called it a "charming and funny" novel that "honestly and strikingly encapsulates the teenage experience".[3] Michael Schaub of NPR wrote that it is a heartwarming story that "brilliantly evokes the feeling of being a teenager".[4] Writing for The Washington Post, Bethanne Patrick called the plot familiar but said that it is well-written and will leave readers wanting a sequel.[5]

gollark: I can probably fix the issue properly with some restructuring, yay.
gollark: I may be upgrading to a R720 at some point.
gollark: My server is extremely busy right now so you'll have to wait.
gollark: Oh, it has been for ages, it was just shut off.
gollark: On that note, it seems that the UK has done things badly (as usual...): https://old.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/fnl0n6/im_a_critical_care_doctor_working_in_a_uk_high/fla4cux/

References
  1. Mathis, Ayana (2019-08-13). "A Coming-of-Age as American as Apple Pie". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  2. Schaub, Michael (2019-08-24). "Q&A: Why Tupelo Hassman created 'gods with a little g' in Rosary, Calif". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  3. "Gods with a Little G". Publishers Weekly. 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  4. Schaub, Michael (2019-08-18). "In 'Gods With A Little G,' The Kids Are Alright". NPR. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
  5. Patrick, Bethanne (2019-08-17). "'Gods With a Little G' offers a fresh take on coming of age". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
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