Against a background of irresistible 1980s iconography, Quan Barry expertly weaves together the individual and collective progress of this enchanted team as they storm their way through an unforgettable season.
Helmed by good-girl captain Abby Putnam (a descendant of the infamous Salem accuser Ann Putnam) and her co-captain Jen Fiorenza (whose bleached blond "Claw" sees and knows all), the Falcons prove to be wily, original, and bold, flaunting society's stale notions of femininity. Through the crucible of team sport and, more importantly, friendship, this comic tour de female force chronicles Barry's glorious cast of characters as they charge past every obstacle on the path to finding their glorious true selves.
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🏑 SUNDAY BOOK REC 🏑 We're revisiting one of our other faves from incomparable novelist and poet Quan Barry. WE RIDE UPON STICKS blends pop-culture iconography, girl power, friendship, humor, self-discovery, and, yes, just a little bit of magic. https://t.co/AVjlsEsaDc
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PRACTICAL MAGIC by @ahoffmanwriter and FLEDGLING by Octavia Butler if your group likes classics, WE RIDE UPON STICKS by Quan Barry and THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by @silviamg if they're more into recent reads! #ShelfServiceLive #AskALibrarian https://t.co/c52NZi3LPy
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How metaphor can create depth and paradox in your writing—@AllisonWyss latest Reading Like a Writer looks at Quan Barry's We Ride Upon Sticks. https://bit.ly/3lNGNC3 https://t.co/nHadHaqe9T
"A fresh coming-of-age story." --Time
"Spellbinding, wickedly fun. . . . Each sentence fizzes like a just-opened bottle of New Coke." --O, The Oprah Magazine
"You may come for the sizzle of genre elements here, but you'll stay for the rich bond forged by friendships on the field, the memories of misguided youth and the power of belief." --Variety
"A delightful, hilarious ode to the '80s." --Ms. Magazine
"A perfect blend of aesthetic and narrative pleasure. . . . Very funny and a little angry and a lot of fun." --Maris Kreizman
"The prose style is neon and the laughs do not stop. I feel like the author wrote the entire book with an evil grin on her face." --Molly Young, Vulture
"A charming novel that combines the beats of a sports movie with the dramas of teenagers coming of age. . . . There's plenty of '80s nostalgia . . . but Barry also delivers an earnest look at the divisions and secrets that can bubble up in a close group in any era." --The AV Club
"Surprising and ultimately delightful. . . . The narration is playful, making the emotional crescendos even more satisfying. . . . Barry is a skilled storyteller and sentence artist who embraces irreverence where irreverence is due." --Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Almost too much fun to be allowed. . . . Truly a delight in every way." --Literary Hub
"In a story filled with friendship, femininity and '80s iconography, Barry will keep you laughing with every turn of the page." --TODAY
"Charming. . . . But Barry is . . . careful not to let nostalgia paper over the real ways in which things were worse in the 1980s, particularly for queer people and people of color." --NPR
"Riotously entertaining. . . . A witty, unruly ode to female empowerment and camaraderie." --The Capital Times
"Quan Barry writes of [her characters] lovingly, tracing their coming-of-age with sardonic wit and generous indulgence." --The Washington Times
"As many '80s references as a Stranger Things fan could desire and a group of unforgettable female characters make this a delightful read." --BookPage
"Funny and inventive." --Bookreporter
"Touching, hilarious, and deeply satisfying. . . . Readers will cheer [the team] on because what they're really doing is learning to be fully and authentically themselves." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A playful, nostalgic run through 1980s suburbia. . . . Barry handles a large cast of characters nimbly and affectionately, allowing each to take a turn or two in the spotlight." --Publishers Weekly