The Expert Book Smuggler

Edited by: Emilie Rose

Sarah J Maas’ ACOTAR series has faced significant criticism for its inadequate representation of queer and BIPOC characters. No stranger to controversy, Maas employs the method of intentional silence in the wake of criticism while her fanbase does the work of silencing critics for her. Creators frequently encounter disparaging comments in their comment sections when discussing representation, and marginalized creators are often the target of her fans’ attacks.

This behavior is what creator @wellreadnurse refers to as the ‘SJM Effect’.

The SJM  Effect: A fanbase’s failure to hold a white public figure responsible for problematic or bigoted behavior while simultaneously blaming and/or attacking the community harmed by that person’s actions.

This method proves to be highly successful for Maas, as it permits her fans to rationalize and excuse any misbehavior she may have. Similar to the way that White Woman Tears are utilized to silence marginalized communities, this intentional silence can be utilized as a tool for white supremacy. By choosing not to address the criticism it allows her fans to rationalize her behavior and invalidate the very real concerns expressed by marginalized creators.

Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor was a Black woman who was murdered by police when they broke into her apartment on grounds of a drug investigation. 32 rounds were shot into the apartment and Breonna’s life was taken after being shot six times.

In March 2020, the Louisville Police Department murdered 26-year-old Breonna Taylor during a ‘no-knock’ search warrant execution for a drug investigation. Taylor, a Black EMT, was shot multiple times during the raid, in which 32 bullets were fired by police. According to the New York Times, a judge signed a warrant because the police suspected one of the men being investigated might have used her apartment to receive packages. No drugs were found in Taylor’s apartment.

This is a performative post. What we have here is a white woman centering herself and her book and name dropping Breonna Taylor. If this were about Breonna Taylor, we wouldn’t know that it’s a cover reveal. There would be no cover. You wouldn’t mention Nesta or whoever and there would just be “in the light of the lack of justice Breonna Taylor has gotten, let’s talk about voting. Lets talk about these things, lets talk about the problems that we have in our world that make it hard for this community to exist.” 

Quote from user @wellreadnurse on TikTok

Although we cannot confirm her intentions, Maas has chosen to disregard the criticism and has not made any edits to the post, even in the face of ongoing critical comments. For many readers, this behavior increases their issues with the representation in Maas’ books. 

Representation

While Maas receives praise from a significant portion of her white fanbase for representation in her books, others have raised concerns. Readers have cited issues with the mating systems, character coding, and use of POC suffering to further the plotlines of her white characters.

Readers have cited the following issues with her books (please note, spoilers ahead):

• The Black character, Nehemia, in Throne of Glass is killed off in order to progress the main characters storyline.
• In ACOTAR, you will note that Feyre’s servant is POC coded with “bark-like skin” and that other POC coded characters are written as servants, lesser fae, and “half breeds.”
• Queer characters aren’t introduced to the ACOTAR series until book three, where they are handled poorly. For instance, Feyre forces Morrigan to out herself as bi only to then accuse Morrigan of lying. Morrigan then informs Feyre that she sleeps with males for protection with this plotline focusing on the unrequited love Azriel has for Morgan.
• Additionally, Helion is written the ‘promiscuous bisexual’ who simply has sex with everyone.
• When writing these “BIPOC” characters, Maas fails to write them as more than just the ‘color’ they’re meant to be. For example, Hunt in Crescent City isn’t provided a culture or character beyond being a brown-skinned slave freed by a white character.
• Readers have also expressed concerns regarding acephobia citing the following quote “Dagdan and Brannagh had listened to her fawning with enough boredom that I was starting to wonder if the two of them perhaps preferred no one’s company but each other’s. In whatever unholy capacity. Not a blink of interest toward the beauty who often made males and females stop to gape. Perhaps any sort of physical passion had long ago been drained away, alongside their souls.”
• Potential anti-Irish sentiments including Maas setting up the ACOTAR world with a cultured, civilized, forward-thinking fantasy England and a violent, lazy, drunken, and rapacious fantasy Ireland.
• Some readers have expressed beliefs that Maas also represents Israel and Palestine within her ACOTAR series. The secret city of Velaris, a haven for marginalized communities, is thought to represent Israel. While Hewn City, written as conservative, misogynistic, and homophobic, is believed to represent Palestine. This thought is bolstered by the character Mor, princess of Hewn City, who had premarital sex and was brutalized by her family and nearly honor-killed.
• Further, readers have expressed concerns around middle eastern coded characters being described as barbarians. As you can see in the example here, the language used includes words such as ‘brutal’, ‘backward’, and stated to have an oppressive culture regarding the ‘females’.

As we know, in the real world these words are used to dehumanize Black and brown communities. We have seen the regular utilization of these words in regards to Palestinians facing genocide and often post 9/11. Historically, terms such as ‘savage’ or ‘barbarian’ have been weapons of colonialism and white supremacy against Indigenous, Arab, and Black communities to name a few. By using these words in conjunction with the character coding, we are able to see Maas’ biases slip through.

Zionism

The basis through which many state that Maas is a Zionist stems from a 2016 article in which she spoke of her connection to Israel and expressed admiration for her grandmother’s ongoing volunteer efforts for the IOF. Maas has also taken part in Birthright and described the trip as leaving her “overflowing with pride.”

In order to properly address this, we must first cover what Birthright is and the rhetoric surrounding it.

Birthright trips are organized for Jews aged 18-26 and include IOF soldiers who emphasize the significance of the IOF and serve as a recruitment platform for their settler-colonial initiative. Birthright promotes the belief that all Jewish individuals have a “right” to Palestinian territory, akin to the concept of manifest destiny. Like manifest destiny, this involves violence and displacement.

It is important to note that Birthright is a heavy part of the propaganda machine that allows the Israeli government to recruit Jewish youth for the state. It is crafted by the State of Israel to present an image of Israel that does not exist. An example of this would be the idea of Israel as a safe haven for queer Jews, but not allowing same-sex marriage.  Another example includes the ‘Wall’ Maas refers to the article. Israeli group Women of the Wall have been fighting to secure the rights of women to pray at the Wall where women are not allowed to pray next to men.

Many American Jews have spoken on the normalization of Birthright, the connection to Israel, and the false idea that is presented to them.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with being proud of being Jewish. However, being proud of family involvement with an army that commits crimes against the Palestinian people is another thing. As many Jews have tried to tell us, Judaism and Zionism are not the same thing.

Failing to reflect on what Birthright actually means is another thing.

The interview through which Maas states her admiration of Birthright, her grandmother’s continuing volunteer work for the IDF, and her hope to visit again is from 2016. It is entirely possible that she has changed her thoughts on this, however her social media method of never acknowledging controversy makes it difficult to say this for sure.

The criticism of her going on Birthright is a nuanced one in that there are many American Jews who have previously gone on Birthright but are now anti-zionist. For many, it isn’t simply that she went on Birthright, but that she speaks of if fondly as an adult in conjunction with her admiration for her grandmother’s ongoing volunteer work for the Israeli army.

This is where the silence method fails her. Silence can be interpreted in different ways, giving her an advantage but also allowing others to control the narrative. If she has indeed altered her perspectives, she hasn’t provided any evidence for us to base that assumption on. When we consider all that we have witnessed in addition to the issues cited within the book, it appears to many that Maas has Zionist leanings.

Where does this leave readers?

Many readers have chosen to include Maas on their DNR (Do Not Read) lists and others continue to read and platform her books. Some readers might not think the information here justifies inclusion on a DNR list, but it’s crucial for them to realize that marginalized creators shouldn’t be silenced for criticizing the author. The decision to include Maas on their DNR lists is their choice, as it is for her critics.

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Note: What’s the deal with? is a series that explores reasons why others dislike your favorite author. An author’s inclusion in this series is based on Patron votes. This series is intended for informed readership ONLY.