Is “Vaulting the Sea” good queer representation? My feelings about “Vaulting the Sea” are quite conflicted. In many ways, it is a good story. From its narrative structure to the author’s writing style, I see a lot of great qualities in this story, but there was something about it that felt all too familiar in an uncomfortable way. Unrequited love seems to be a common trope when it comes to queer literature, with characters who secretly spend years chasing after the same person only to be rejected. These stories are filled with pain and struggle. They function as both love stories and coming-of-age stories. These types of stories do serve a purpose and can share an aspect of the queer experience, but when it’s the only kind of story you see, it makes you wonder why queer love can never succeed. It’s unclear whether “Vaulting the Sea” is a story of unrequited love, but what is clear is that Taoyu doesn’t get the guy. The story at the very least plays into the trope of un...