There are few things I love more than a romcom with a well-developed ensemble cast. It started early for me with movies like Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, and Notting Hill (apparently Julia Roberts also likes starring in movies with strong side characters), and developed into a must-have for the books I read as well.
When I set out to write my queer, contemporary novel Because Fat Girl, I purposely developed the side characters first, wanting to support the main character, Diana, with the kind of quirky, human, loving, supportive, and diverse people I am lucky enough to have around me. To help me make sure the main characters were adding to the story, not distracting from it, I read a handful of queer and trans novels with wonderfully developed side characters in them. Here are three of my favorites:
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Only T.J. Klune could create a loveable green blob the likes of Chauncey from The House in the Cerulean Sea. I was recently at the book launch for the sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, and there were people dressed up like Chauncey – a gelatinous boy who dreams of working as a bell hop – and sporting specialty Chauncey gear. All of the “monstrous” children – including Phee, Theodore, Talia, Sal and Lucy, names I know by heart – all feel like kids I know and reflect back to me parts of myself that just needed patience, acceptance and kindness too at that age. Linus, Arthur, and Zoe, the adults on the island, are wonderful examples of how to truly support the unique children and adults around us – a lesson we need now more than ever as intolerance and bigotry are on the rise.
If I am sad, scared, or just plain bored, I listen to Daniel Henning’s wonderfully narrated version of this book with my eyes closed and remember that I’m not alone. We all have monstrous parts of ourselves, and with the help of this well-written ensemble cast we’re able to see those parts reflected back at us with love. When you read Because Fat Girl, know that Jaqueline, everyone’s favorite side character, is as wonderfully loving and supportive as she is because I read a lot of T.J. Klune while writing it.
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
My favorite thing about The Jasmine Throne and its sequel, The Oleander Sword is the absolute richness of the world Tasha Suri has created. Not only can I envision every inch of the temple and surrounding topography, but I also feel like I know the characters personally, their wants, dreams and desires. The ensemble cast full of magical children, rebellious fighters, and religious zealots are all so well written that it’s easy to get too attached to their lives – causing heartbreak when they lose them.
There is technically a romance at the core of this series, but the characters are so cutthroat and willing to do anything to achieve their goals that I very much worry the lovers will kill each other in the end. While my book might not have the literal backstabbing, I was very much inspired by the way Tasha Suri keeps you hanging on whether the couple will survive the turmoil of life and be together in the end. The third and final book in Tasha Suri’s trilogy comes out November 15 and I am looking forward to binging it as a post-book-tour reward.
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
Speaking of backstabbing and couples you don’t think will survive, She Who Became the Sun is a wild ride of an epic tale that follows multiple characters across ancient China. Most of the book follows Zhu Chongba, a trans reimagined version of the peasant who became emperor of the Ming dynasty, and the unique and diverse characters he meets on his journey. Watching Zhu transform in every way was beautiful and entertaining, if not heartbreaking seeing him go from innocent to very much not. And that sex scene. So hot.
But the real star of the show, for me, is the B Plot lead Ouyang. A eunuch general of the Mongol army, Ouyang is one of the more compelling characters I’ve ever met in literature. Yes, he is a misogynistic pig hell-bent on revenge, and yet he is also this tender-hearted boy whose family was destroyed by the family he now has sworn his loyalty to. The internalized homophobia and body hatred is treated so well in this book that you can’t help but root for him. All of Shelley Parker-Chan’s characters are written that way, extremely damaged beings you can’t help but root for, and they inspired me to allow my characters to be a lot less perfect and a little more flawed themselves.
All three of these novels show how an ensemble cast can give a story depth, heart, and soul, while adding to the main plot and making a book un-put-downable.
English (US) · 