Book Tour: Top 5 Reasons to Read Forward March by Skye Quinlan

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If ‘queer marching band romance’ sounds like music to your ears, read on to learn more about Forward March by Skye Quinlan!

So I was never in marching band (my high school was too small to have a marching band, and I was too intimidated to join my university marching band), but it did always sound REALLY cool. Skye Quinlan’s new novel, Forward March, gives all of us, band geeks or not, the opportunity to experience marching band vicariously though Harper and her friends, with a side of figuring out your sexuality, complicated parental relationships, and, of course, catfishing. I’m so excited to be a part of TBR and Beyond Tours’ Book Tour for Forward March, and I can’t wait to tell you 5 reasons you should absolutely pick this book up, but first, here’s a little more info:

TITLE: Forward March

AUTHOR: Skye Quinlan

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2022

Synopsis

What’s worse? Someone using your face for catfishing or realizing you actually do have a crush on the catfished girl?

Harper “Band Geek”McKinley just wants to make it through her senior year of marching band—and her Republican father’s presidential campaign. That was a tall order to start, but everything was going well enough until someone made a fake gay dating profile posing as Harper. The real Harper can’t afford for anyone to find out about the Tinder profile for three very important reasons:

1. Her mom is the school dean and dating profiles for students are strictly forbidden.

2. Harper doesn’t even know if she likes anyone like that—let alone if she likes other girls.

3. If this secret gets out, her father could lose the election, one she’s not sure she even wants him to win.

But upon meeting Margot Blanchard, the drumline leader who swiped right, Harper thinks it might be worth the trouble to let Margot get to know the real her. With her dad’s campaign on the line, Harper’s relationship with her family at stake, and no idea who made that fake dating profile, Harper has to decide what’s more important to her: living her truth or becoming the First Daughter of America.

5 Reasons You Must Read Forward MarcH

All the queer representation

Main character Harper is working on figuring out her sexuality as the book progresses, and eventually arrives at the conclusion that she feels she identifies as an asexual lesbian. There’s a really great conversation between her and a friend about figuring out this identity.

We love to see an asexual main character! But aside from that, there’s diverse queer representation among secondary characters as well, including gay, lesbian, nonbinary, bisexual, pansexual, and poly representation.

Boarding school setting

Listen, there’s nothing better than a boarding school when it comes to teenage hijinks, am I right? Harper’s mom is the dean of the school, so Harper is pretty cautious when it comes to engaging in the typical teenage mischief, but I always enjoy the slice of life aspect of roommate relationships, dining hall meals, and weekend off-campus activities. And what happens when you get into a huge fight with someone, but still have to share a pretty small living space with them? Harper finds out firsthand when things with her roommate go south.

Relationship drama

To be fair, this may not be your cup of tea; you may prefer smooth sailing when it comes to relationships, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want to read about teens using dating apps, catfishing their classmates, unknowingly getting involved in love triangles, breaking up but still hooking up, and more, then Forward March will be right up your alley. And right in the middle of everything is Harper, who has never felt sexual attraction for people, doesn’t understand why her classmates are like this, but maybe *does* feel something for the girl she’s connected to via catfish. I guess that stereotype about band kids and relationship drama isn’t too far from the truth, huh?

A user’s guide for how NOT to parent

One of the most frustrating aspects of Forward March is Harper’s parents. Her mom is the dean of her school, her dad is a Senator running for President, both are Republican, and neither are supportive of the LGBTQIAP+ community. Harper’s worries over her parents’ reactions about her sexuality actually trigger a panic attack/asthma attack so bad that she has to go to the hospital. There are a number of additional instances of her parents also not taking into account Harper’s wants and needs throughout the book-everything from secretly planning a photo op with another politician during what is supposed to be an outing for just Harper and her dad to dictating where she should go to college and what she should study there. Although her dad does make some progress in regard to acceptance by the end of the book, at least when it comes to his own children, the attitudes, behaviors, and political beliefs of Harper’s parents leave MUCH to be desired, and they are great examples of what NOT to do as a parent.

Siblings reunited

One of the most heartwarming aspects of Forward March is Harper’s eventual reunion with her older brother, Christian. A variety of different events led to Christian being completely cut off from the rest of the family, though this is not something Harper wanted, and she doesn’t really understand why he won’t communicate with her either. Luckily, he does make a triumphant return to Harper’s life when she needs him most. I only wish that he entered the story sooner-he and his partner not only provide a healthy adult relationship for Harper to look up to, but also are great for banter!

About the Author

Skye Quinlan (she/her) was born in California during an earthquake and raised in the Midwest, where cornstalks outnumber people. She studied physical and cultural anthropology at Oregon StateUniversity, with a focus on ancient civilizations and a minor in creative writing. Forward March (PageStreet Kids, March 22nd, 2022) is her debut novel. When she’s not writing, you can catch her at the nearest metaphysics or craft store, dressed up in cosplay at the nearest convention, or ruining antique furniture with epoxy resin and paint. Skye still lives in the Midwest with her wife, their two dogs, several lizards, a snake, and the occasional little human (their niece). She is represented by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds Literary Agency.

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Well folks, I hope this list has convinced you to pick up Forward March, but if not, definitely check out the other stops on the Forward March tour for even more reasons to read it!

And if you’ve already read Forward March, leave a comment letting me know your favorite part!