Reviews

Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love

Only show reviews with written explanations

gcornfield's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A gentle and wise look at how a family experiences two members coming out.

Blurb:
When 79-year-old Arthur Edwards gathers his family together to share that he's gay, and after a lifetime in the closet, he's finally ready to come out.
Arthur's 21-year-old grandson, Teddy, has a secret of his own: he's also gay. But Teddy doesn't feel ready to come out yet – especially when Arthur’s announcement causes shockwaves in the family.
Arthur and Teddy have always been close, and now they must navigate first loves, heartbreak, and finding their place in their community.

Review:
This was a very sweet look into how coming out both feels and can affect your family and community’s view of you. Both Arthur and Teddy are engaging main characters, and there is a good balance so you’re never itching to get back to the other narrator.

I enjoyed spending time with this family and found the book to be a very comforting read. Characters explain their feelings clearly, and there are enough supportive characters that the homophobia explored isn’t too traumatic. The plot isn’t the point - you know where the journey will end from early on but the pleasure is joining Arthur and Teddy on their journey, speed bumps and all!

Love writes with compassion and wit, and overall the experience felt very much in the vein of Matt Cain and Simon James Green and I will check out anything he puts out next!

tillyrhodes's review

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medium-paced

2.75

travelsinfiction's review against another edition

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4.0

I absolutely loved Arthur and Madeleine’s relationship and the sheer level of love and understanding between them. To me this was the complete joy of the book as it was so rooted in understanding. I also loved seeing older queer characters, completely warmed my heart.

Arthur’s story was a 5 stars for me, but Teddy’s narration lacked a little something for me, and I sometimes found myself wishing we were back with Arthur. But I did love seeing the grandson / granddad dynamic between them and really loved their connection.

So a 4 overall!