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A review by _veelox
Tales from Foster High by John Goode
5.0
Ok first of all, I’m really bad at doing reviews. Usually I just read the book and move on to the next one. If I like the book it usually gets 5 starts, if I didn’t it gets 3 stars because if I finished it deserve 3 stars, and if I don’t finish a books it gets 1 star. Also I’m not one to over analyze the story, background, characters, etc. I think I’ll review this with my thoughts and some quotes that I really enjoyed during this book.
The first thing that I loved about this book was the main character, Kyle. He's such a believable character. There’s one thing that confused me was the switch of perspective between parts. After the first one I was in the state of mind of Kyle, and we I switched to part two I had a hard time thinking it was not Kyle, but Brad.
Even though I don't come from the same background as Kyle or Brad, I still felt like I could relate to them. The situations they were living were believable, because some of them happened to me, not exactly alike but similar. The author really understood the hard times for a gay kid in high school and wrote them down perfectly.
When I read a book, I usually live it. If the character is sad, I’m sad. If he's angry, I’m angry. I was living Kyle and Brad's life for a few days.
"I don't remember the moment I knew I was broken. I was seventeen and on the … I knew I liked guys but was still under the delusion that an attraction to guys didn't make you gay…"
THIS!. This phrase/part summed up my entire high school life. I never knew one phrase could mean so much. John was able to grasp my entire hell of emotions from that time in my life in one phrase.
Then he founds Brad, or rather Brad found him. The one person that he never thought could be like him. Brad is the one that made the first contact. Kyle would have never attempt this.
The first part goes on with the secret of brad and Kyle. Then at the end Kyle braves up and confront the school bully who was bullying him calling him gay slurs. Kyle stands up to him and tells him that he is indeed gay. The book ends with Brad standing up for Kyle, revealing his secret as well.
For part two we switch to Brad's point of view. We learn more about his family and his struggles. He thinks he made a mistake saying that he was gay. He tries to be true to himself and be with Kyle, but there's an uncertainty. Which breaks them apart. Fighting with Kyle really confuses him more, and he goes to the theater to think things through. He later meets with the guy who sells sport equipment and clothes. He knew him through his dad (If I remember correctly) and learns that he is gay too, and they talk about it. This give courage to Brand and he later admits to his parent his homosexuality and patches things up with Kyle.
Part three, Kyle and Brad faces their schoolmate. I liked that Kyle wasn't shy about who he was. Where I come from, the schools are really more open mind about homosexuality, so I was really frustrate about the principal and his ways, the bullies, and the coach kicking Brad off the team.
One thing I didn't suspect was the support of Brad's father. I knew his mom would be more accepting, but being that his father had already physically abused him in the past, this was a complete turn around. In the end, Kyle and Brad are together for good. Their parents rallied against the school board with great legal arguments about why what they were doing to their kids was wrong and that they could do something about it. But what topped it off was brad beautiful speech.
I remembered the first part in more detail because I had highlighted a lot of things, part 2 and 3, I was too in to it, and so I forgot to highlight my favorites parts. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it just the same. All three parts were fantastic and I recommended these books to my friends.
I can’t wait to re-read it and do more annotation this time around. I might wait to buy the hardcopy to that I can write in the margins (I NEVER write in my books, so that means that I really liked this one). This way I twill be a permanent reminding of my thought while reading it.
The first thing that I loved about this book was the main character, Kyle. He's such a believable character. There’s one thing that confused me was the switch of perspective between parts. After the first one I was in the state of mind of Kyle, and we I switched to part two I had a hard time thinking it was not Kyle, but Brad.
Even though I don't come from the same background as Kyle or Brad, I still felt like I could relate to them. The situations they were living were believable, because some of them happened to me, not exactly alike but similar. The author really understood the hard times for a gay kid in high school and wrote them down perfectly.
When I read a book, I usually live it. If the character is sad, I’m sad. If he's angry, I’m angry. I was living Kyle and Brad's life for a few days.
Spoiler
From the start, the first lines, I knew I would love this story:"I don't remember the moment I knew I was broken. I was seventeen and on the … I knew I liked guys but was still under the delusion that an attraction to guys didn't make you gay…"
THIS!. This phrase/part summed up my entire high school life. I never knew one phrase could mean so much. John was able to grasp my entire hell of emotions from that time in my life in one phrase.
Then he founds Brad, or rather Brad found him. The one person that he never thought could be like him. Brad is the one that made the first contact. Kyle would have never attempt this.
The first part goes on with the secret of brad and Kyle. Then at the end Kyle braves up and confront the school bully who was bullying him calling him gay slurs. Kyle stands up to him and tells him that he is indeed gay. The book ends with Brad standing up for Kyle, revealing his secret as well.
For part two we switch to Brad's point of view. We learn more about his family and his struggles. He thinks he made a mistake saying that he was gay. He tries to be true to himself and be with Kyle, but there's an uncertainty. Which breaks them apart. Fighting with Kyle really confuses him more, and he goes to the theater to think things through. He later meets with the guy who sells sport equipment and clothes. He knew him through his dad (If I remember correctly) and learns that he is gay too, and they talk about it. This give courage to Brand and he later admits to his parent his homosexuality and patches things up with Kyle.
Part three, Kyle and Brad faces their schoolmate. I liked that Kyle wasn't shy about who he was. Where I come from, the schools are really more open mind about homosexuality, so I was really frustrate about the principal and his ways, the bullies, and the coach kicking Brad off the team.
One thing I didn't suspect was the support of Brad's father. I knew his mom would be more accepting, but being that his father had already physically abused him in the past, this was a complete turn around. In the end, Kyle and Brad are together for good. Their parents rallied against the school board with great legal arguments about why what they were doing to their kids was wrong and that they could do something about it. But what topped it off was brad beautiful speech.
I remembered the first part in more detail because I had highlighted a lot of things, part 2 and 3, I was too in to it, and so I forgot to highlight my favorites parts. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it just the same. All three parts were fantastic and I recommended these books to my friends.
I can’t wait to re-read it and do more annotation this time around. I might wait to buy the hardcopy to that I can write in the margins (I NEVER write in my books, so that means that I really liked this one). This way I twill be a permanent reminding of my thought while reading it.