My Rating: 3


First Impressions

My eyes caught the front cover on the Net Galley page and I just absolutely ADORED it, and then the description topped it all off! When you get a 1920s set book or film, you'd imagine Wall Street and flapper girls, so I liked the idea to focus on homosexuality during this time and the different issues that brought, as well as the general problems at the time with the economy, agriculture, and so on.

In the prologue, you get the sense that they are the closest of friends and aren't afraid to show that to one another, as well as their humour and love language in a way being to poke fun at the other. I think the author, Crystal Jeans, did a good job at deceiving the reader here, as it isn't long into the book when the tumultuous events start to begin, and the cracks in all of their lives begin to show. Also, the first chapter after the prologue hints at a murder that must have happened during the book which is sooo intriguing, nothing is given away at all about who/what/why/where!

The Novel

The friendship between Bettina and Bart was sort of a teasing yet really, really intense one which you could sense from the beginning. Growing up together, they had trust and common interests, but being so similar meant more clashes - the older they got, the harsher they clashed.

Bart is introduced being fairly sure of himself and his sexuality and it doesn't really take him long to share this with Bettina. On the other hand, Bettina is a little bit more unsure and it takes quite a while for her to figure it out (with some experimenting along the way...) before the 'lavender marriage' plan came into fruition. From then, the marriage itself was quite sour in a lot of places, as it would be, and seemed to dig them into a huge hole that I was so nervous about! I think it did teeter towards toxicity very closely...

I loved the feminism aspects that were in the story, since it wasn't long after women got the vote. Strong female characters are fabulous. There are countless other 'taboo' topics that are sometimes romanticised in films and tv shows (in my opinion), such as drug use/abuse, sex between men and sex between women being fetishised, the truth about the acting industry, and it goes on. However, 'The Inverts' treats these with some respect and realism, not making them more positive or nice for the sake of being pleasing, but also not making them completely horrid.

This novel also deals with a hefty amount of loss. For me, I didn't feel a very close connection to a lot of these characters so their deaths didn't move me as much as other books have...

Final Thoughts

Finishing this book, I did feel a little bit disappointed but can't really pinpoint one particular reason. The first two thirds of the book were so enthralling, and the final third didn't have that same amount of intrigue! There were quite a few things that just rubbed me up the wrong way, probably more on a personal level. Physical appearances seemed to be described so much and lots of features put down - weight, teeth, hair - which makes me so sad... I also understand the homophobia then, and to this day, but every time a slur came up something inside of me just recoiled, and that happened more often than I would've thought (e.g. in conversations between Bart and Bettina). BUT this is just my take on it...

I think there could have been something a little bit MORE just to end with some satisfaction, but I'm sure that's just subjective.

Conclusion

'The Inverts' has such an intriguing idea behind it, which is why it draws the readers in, and captured me for the majority of it. Unfortunately, it was just the final section where I felt it lacked something more for me and just felt a bit rushed...

There's no denying that Crystal Jeans has a great writing style, some good humour, and really creates an image of these families from the 1920s onward to where they could have been real! It is definitely worth trying as I did really enjoy the story to a certain point and would love to know others' opinions on it!

https://alovelylittlelibrary.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-inverts-by-crystal-jeans.html

This is the first book by Crystal Jeans that I have read and it has been a good one to start with. I requested this story because I was drawn to the blurb, and quite enjoyed the cover illustration. I found this a slightly unusual but highly entertaining story. The first chapter lets us know there is something of a mystery to be unravelled then we skip back and are introduced to our two leads just before another school term begins. Following Bart and Bettina through their lives as they realise what makes them tick and what they want from their lives is great fun with some curve balls and emotional moments and crises along the way. I found the writing style to be very easy to read with plenty of humour and pithy remarks sprinkled throughout. Some of the language felt more modern than what I imagine might have been used during their childhood and adolescence but I am absolutely not an expert so could be wrong, either way it doesn't spoil or take anything from the story. There is a lot more to The Inverts than the blurb may lead you to believe. I would quite like to hear this as an audiobook, I think with a well selected reader it would be excellent! I could also see it as a short series!

I headed into The Inverts having no real idea what to expect - I’d read the blurb, but knew nothing else (and hadn’t read any Crystal Jeans before). I absolutely adored it - it was very funny, occasionally smutty, at times as tense as a thriller, and quietly devastating, but not in a cliche way - the lives of Bettina and Bart felt very real, even at melodramatic plot moments. The book struck a wonderful balance which some historical queer fiction finds difficult - there was no fantasy ignoring of the realities of the time, but it also never veered into endless tragedy. The homophobia always hovers at the background, ever prevalent - but it is never the sole focus, and there’s great humour throughout as well. The earlier parts where both lead characters are coming to terms with their sexuality are spot on - and at times very funny for it. I was delightfully surprised by The Inverts, and will be reading some more Crystal Jeans soon as a consequence.

Truly original books are rare, and this one is a late entry into my Top 20 for 2020. Bettina and Bart love each other, but not in That Way. Having grown up as childhood friends, they enter a lavender marriage to pursue their desires on the side. When we first meet Bettina, fat and alcohol-sodden with the wattle of her chin hanging down like 'a post-pregnancy apron,' we sense it didn't go well - but 'The Inverts' is more than a book about being gay. It's a book about relationships of all sorts, posing larger questions about what a successful relationship is and who gets to judge that. Full of swearing, bodily fluids and rivers of booze and dope, The Inverts is an ambitious story that succeeds in its ambitions, audacious in its storytelling - and respectful about love.