ally1135's review against another edition
3.0
3.5- I would have appreciated this more if I read it when I was younger, though I still found it real and truthful. While there is some terminology that some may find offensive due to it being largely uncommon today, the overall positive message remains the same.
kricketa's review against another edition
3.0
It's not that hard to make me laugh, honestly. But something about knowing that this book had won an award for humor made me super-sensitive to the funny bits. Which I found more...silly. It's a fun, light read.
sandraagee's review against another edition
3.0
This was a nice enough book. The one thing that really got to me about it comes from the fact that I read this book immediately after reading Totally Joe by James Howe. Both books featured identical secondary characters, namely the uber-feminist best friend who is, naturally, the one who lands the boyfriend. Because of this huge similarity, I had a bit of trouble finding anything that made this book stand out from other coming-out stories.
That aside, this book was really enjoyable. Somewhat predictable, but nice enough.
That aside, this book was really enjoyable. Somewhat predictable, but nice enough.
librariann's review against another edition
4.0
Ages 12+
Humorous (though not very realistic) look at a 16 year old boy who is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOT (Gay) - except for the fact that he is. Outlandish situations and over-the-top characters are redeemed by the laugh-out-loud humor.
Humorous (though not very realistic) look at a 16 year old boy who is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOT (Gay) - except for the fact that he is. Outlandish situations and over-the-top characters are redeemed by the laugh-out-loud humor.
finesilkflower's review against another edition
4.0
Clever and funny, almost slapstick take on the "hetero freakout" story as the character tries everything to prove he is not/avoid being gay. It's nice to see this sent up so broadly, that we don't have to tiptoe around it like it's deadly serious.
elissscianc's review against another edition
5.0
Empatizzare con Steven, il protagonista di questa meravigliosa lettura, è stato naturale e semplice sin dall'esordio dello scrittore David LaRochelle, che mi ha letteralmente stregata con la sua penna frizzante, lo stile stringato e l'ironia sottile. La storia di Steven potrebbe essere quella di tuttə noi e lo sguardo ottimistico, ma non fantasioso, e realistico, dell'autore cattura la vera essenza di tematiche quali il coming out, la scoperta della propria identità, i dubbi e le incertezze che costellano il percorso di noi adolescenti della Generazione Z. È un romanzo che ti trascina nel vortice di emozioni del protagonista e dal quale non si riesce a staccare gli occhi dalle pagine, presentate con un layout personalizzato da LaRochelle, con colori e carta particolari.
Consigliatissimo, dal profondo del cuore.
Consigliatissimo, dal profondo del cuore.
corncobwebs's review against another edition
Funny & realistic coming-out story from the point of view of Minnesotan high schooler. I just finished this in the car on our way to Cleveland, I'll try to remember to post a more detailed review later!!
***
Steven has spent his high school career trying hard not to be noticed. This is especially true since his primary hobby is square-dancing on Monday nights with his mom in a town where hockey is king. If the kids at his school knew he was a square dancer, he’d get the shit kicked out of him for sure - so he tries to keep a low profile. That generally works well for him, except he’s starting to feel certain urges that he can’t ignore. The new substitute teacher in his health class is looking pretty appealing, which horrifies Steven. Not that he hasn’t noticed guys before, but the new teacher has Steven whipped up into a frenzy like never before. Steven fights his gay thoughts with everything he has, mostly by trying to show the world how heterosexual and macho he is. He clips out every picture of a half-dressed woman he can find and plasters them to his notebooks and the walls in his room. He tries sitting at the jock table at lunch, hoping that some of their macho energy will rub off on him. And he starts dating every girl that will look his way, hoping that one of them will finally stir up some romantic feelings. These tactics have mixed success; while Steven becomes more popular because of his serial dating, he’s still decidedly attracted to guys. And in his quest not to be gay, he’s totally alienated his best friend, Rachel.
Steven’s finally forced to confront his homosexuality after a horribly botched date with the hot Norwegian exchange student. She tries to have sex with him, which is about as appealing to Steven as having a root canal. He drudges up some lame excuse about coming down with the flu, and the exchange student drives him home as he stews under a cloud of humiliation and shame. The good thing? Steven decides it’s finally time to tell Rachel the truth. He suspects that his own parents are relatively clueless, so opening up to Rachel seems like a good way to start the coming-out process. The only problem - and it’s kind of a big one - is that Rachel is a little too excited. She startles Steven by squealing that she knew all along, and then outright alarms him with her announcement that she plans to start a gay-straight alliance - with him as co-chair. Steven is barely ready to admit to himself that he’s gay, let alone the whole student body. He’s able to tamp down her enthusiasm about the GSA, but then she cooks up a new scheme: Steven will attend prom with Rachel’s golden retriever as his date, which would (theoretically) send the message that they laugh in the face of dating conventions. This scheme complicates Steven’s life tenfold, because it means he has to lie to his parents about his plans for prom, on top of keeping his sexuality a secret. The big question is: Will Steven finally be able to come out to his parents and his community? Will he finally feel okay with himself?
The book gets progressively funnier as the story goes on, mostly because of the elaborate lies Steven has to construct to keep his gayness a secret. I loved reading a lighthearted book about coming out that was also reasonably realistic - Steven still encounters homophobia, but seems to be able to handle it good-naturedly. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good coming-out story or a funny realistic fiction book.
***
Steven has spent his high school career trying hard not to be noticed. This is especially true since his primary hobby is square-dancing on Monday nights with his mom in a town where hockey is king. If the kids at his school knew he was a square dancer, he’d get the shit kicked out of him for sure - so he tries to keep a low profile. That generally works well for him, except he’s starting to feel certain urges that he can’t ignore. The new substitute teacher in his health class is looking pretty appealing, which horrifies Steven. Not that he hasn’t noticed guys before, but the new teacher has Steven whipped up into a frenzy like never before. Steven fights his gay thoughts with everything he has, mostly by trying to show the world how heterosexual and macho he is. He clips out every picture of a half-dressed woman he can find and plasters them to his notebooks and the walls in his room. He tries sitting at the jock table at lunch, hoping that some of their macho energy will rub off on him. And he starts dating every girl that will look his way, hoping that one of them will finally stir up some romantic feelings. These tactics have mixed success; while Steven becomes more popular because of his serial dating, he’s still decidedly attracted to guys. And in his quest not to be gay, he’s totally alienated his best friend, Rachel.
Steven’s finally forced to confront his homosexuality after a horribly botched date with the hot Norwegian exchange student. She tries to have sex with him, which is about as appealing to Steven as having a root canal. He drudges up some lame excuse about coming down with the flu, and the exchange student drives him home as he stews under a cloud of humiliation and shame. The good thing? Steven decides it’s finally time to tell Rachel the truth. He suspects that his own parents are relatively clueless, so opening up to Rachel seems like a good way to start the coming-out process. The only problem - and it’s kind of a big one - is that Rachel is a little too excited. She startles Steven by squealing that she knew all along, and then outright alarms him with her announcement that she plans to start a gay-straight alliance - with him as co-chair. Steven is barely ready to admit to himself that he’s gay, let alone the whole student body. He’s able to tamp down her enthusiasm about the GSA, but then she cooks up a new scheme: Steven will attend prom with Rachel’s golden retriever as his date, which would (theoretically) send the message that they laugh in the face of dating conventions. This scheme complicates Steven’s life tenfold, because it means he has to lie to his parents about his plans for prom, on top of keeping his sexuality a secret. The big question is: Will Steven finally be able to come out to his parents and his community? Will he finally feel okay with himself?
The book gets progressively funnier as the story goes on, mostly because of the elaborate lies Steven has to construct to keep his gayness a secret. I loved reading a lighthearted book about coming out that was also reasonably realistic - Steven still encounters homophobia, but seems to be able to handle it good-naturedly. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good coming-out story or a funny realistic fiction book.
readingrobyn's review against another edition
2.0
I love the concept, but I just personally didn't connect with the way Steven was written. However, despite my own misgivings this is definitely a book that should be on lgbtq reading lists for younger readers.