YA LGBT

Review of Jack’s On Fire by Owen Lach

August 26, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

What if you were a queer teenage musician outed by his vengeful ex-boyfriend and not a fairy tale princess trapped in a castle tower? What if your wicked stepmother was your ordinary, thoughtless, uncaring mother? What if your fairy godmother was your older brother? What if your Prince Charming was captain of the JV soccer team? Maybe you’d be forgiven for not realizing you were living in a sort of fairy tale.

Faced with the impossible choice of staying home to risk being sent away to Father Sullivan’s special school for exceptionally happy boys or moving in with his older brother in California, 16-yr-old Jack Martin leaves behind everything he knows in Minneapolis to go to San Francisco. He finds himself at a new school with new friends and the freedom to be himself. Then sparks fly when Jack meets Damon, his Geometry tutor (and captain of the JV soccer team.) But Jack wonders if Damon feels those sparks, too. And does their budding friendship have a chance to become something more?

Jack’s On Fire is a heartwarming, modern, queer fairy tale about friendship, chosen family, and young, queer love perfect for fans of Heartstopper. Sure, there aren’t any fairies or wands. But what else would you call it when everything starts magically going your way?

Review

Jack’s on Fire centers on sixteen-year-old Jack Martin (pronounced “mar-teen”), a young musician who ends up being outed by his vengeful ex, resulting in extreme homophobic bullying and abuse at his high school. It doesn’t help that his mother — a bigoted and religious zealot — is threatening to send Jack to a “correction camp.”

Thankfully, Jack’s older brother, who lives in San Francisco, offers to take Jack in, and suddenly Jack finds himself in a new environment where he’s free to be himself and doesn’t have to constantly look over his shoulder. What follows is a delightful story as Jack finds himself falling for Damon, his heartthrob math tutor. The question is: Does Damon feel the same, or is he simply being friendly?

This ended up being such a sweet and endearing queer young adult romance that utterly warmed my heart. The narrative is lighthearted, including an ensemble cast of delightful characters who end up being an essential support group for Jack, including his loving older brother, who supports Jack every step of the way. The souls of the supporting characters beam through like a bright light that zinged straight to my heart.

I loved watching Jack’s journey as he moves from an abusive environment to a free and open one and how he utterly blossomed at his new school. I enjoyed watching Jack as he learned to trust others again after being treated so poorly by everyone in his past.

Now, if you typically go for books with high angst, high tension, and plenty of drama, you might be disappointed with Jack’s on Fire. Though there is light angst throughout and certainly some difficulties to overcome, most of the drama is internal, leading to a sweet, gentle slow-burn of a story rather than a high-stakes one. I personally thought it was refreshing and had just enough angst to make me happy without shattering my heart into a million pieces — it’s the perfect story if you’re looking for a sweet and tender romance.

I felt that the author Owen Lach really nails the teenage soul in this story—the self-awareness, the confusion, the challenges, the raging emotions, and the longing. In this way, Jack’s on Fire is a love letter to anyone who has felt uncomfortable in their own skin and wondered where exactly they belonged in the world. This quirky, heartwarming queer romance will make you believe in love again

All in all, I loved this big-hearted novel and look forward to reading more by this author.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Review of Epically Earnest by Molly Horan

June 8, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

In this delightfully romantic LGBTQ+ comedy-of-errors inspired by Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, a high school senior works up the courage to ask her long-time crush to prom all while deciding if she should look for her bio family.

Jane Grady’s claim to fame is that she was one first viral internet sensations, dubbed #bagbaby—discovered as a one-year-old in an oversized Gucci bag by her adopted father in a Poughkeepsie train station. Now in her senior year of high school, Jane is questioning whether she wants to look for her bio family due to a loving, but deeply misguided push from her best friend Algie, while also navigating an all-consuming crush on his cousin, the beautiful, way-out-of-her-league Gwen Fairfax.

And while Janey’s never thought of herself as the earnest type, she needs to be honest with her parents, Algie, Gwen, but mostly herself if she wants to make her life truly epic. With a wink toward Oscar Wilde’s beloved play, Epically Earnest explores the complexity of identity, the many forms family can take, and the importance of being . . . yourself.

Review

This endearing queer slice-of-life romcom was so much fun! I love this loose retelling of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” and the Oscar Wilde quotes at the beginning of each chapter were a delightful, extra touch. I especially enjoyed the overarching theme of family in the story – family found and family born into. But the sweet blossoming romances between Janey and Gwen, and Cecil and Algie (short for Algernon, a character from The Importance of Being Earnest) were at the heart of this novel. In addition, I loved the tender portrayal of the uncertainty of young love in the story — and first love for some of the main characters. So in this way, the idea of relationships played a huge role in the story — relationships between friends, between lovers, and between family, all of which really resonated with me.

Being adopted myself, I could relate very well to Janey’s inner turmoil about meeting her birth family and how to tell her adoptive parents that she was considering a meetup with her blood relatives. I liked the way the author handled the adoption issue and felt it was well done and respectful.

There was also plenty of humor — fun, witty banter that caused me to chuckle out loud on more than one occasion. Overall, the story was light and enjoyable — with no significant angst or heaviness. That being said, I found the conflict in the story minimal, with no real obstacles to the characters finding their HEA. So for those who like their stories a little more on the angsty side, you won’t find that here.

All in all, I loved this little story about a teen girl trying to find the inner bravery to ask her crush to the prom, while also discovering her biological family. We end up seeing quite a bit of character development from both Janey and her friend Algie (who was, in the past, kind of a ‘playboy.’). A quick and easy read with nice LGBTQIA+ and adoption representation and plenty of humor that put a smile on my face.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Clarion Books for providing a review copy of this book.

Purchase Epically Earnest on Amazon

Review of If you Change Your Mind by Robby Weber

May 1, 2022 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

“A romantic hero’s journey with a happy ending that will leave you smiling and swooning… I loved it!” —Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End

In this hilarious and heartfelt debut novel, an aspiring screenwriter learns sometimes love has its own script.

Harry wants nothing more than to write Hollywood screenplays. He knows the first step toward achieving that goal is winning a screenwriting competition that will seal his admission into the college of his dreams, so he’s determined to spend his summer free of distractions—also known as boys—and finish his script. After last year, Harry is certain love only exists in the movies anyway.

But then the cause of his first heartbreak, Grant, returns with a secret that could change everything—not to mention, there’s a new boy in town, Logan, who is so charming and sweet, he’s making Harry question everything he knows about romance. As he tries to keep his emotions in check and stick to his perfect plan for the future, Harry’s about to learn that life doesn’t always follow a script.

Review

If You Change Your Mind is a delightful summer romantic read which follows Harry during the summer of his senior year, who decides that he would spend his summer free of distractions, especially boys. Things don’t entirely turn out the way he’d hoped, however, and he ends up having to choose between two boys — a boy from his past and a boy who’d just wandered into his life. Typically, I’m not a fan of love triangles, but this one worked exceptionally well in the story. Though it was an essential element in the narrative, it didn’t overshadow the rest of the plot. In fact, I didn’t mind it one bit. It was actually fun journeying along with Harry as he tried to figure things out, especially when things got messy. What I especially enjoyed was that nobody was as they appeared to be.

It’s also worth mentioning that Harry is writing a screenplay that is supposed to help him get into the college of his dreams — a film school in California. What’s fun is that the beginning of every chapter contains a scene from Harry’s screenplay, which parallels his real life. I thought the play provided a compelling insight and element to Harry’s story.

What I really loved about the book was how Harry, even though he’s a bit insecure, refused to allow anyone to walk all over him or treat him with anything less than respect — although it took a couple of lessons for Harry to learn this. What we ended up with, then, is a touching story about following your dreams and not losing sight of what is really important — even when love comes to call.

All in all, I adored this novel. The character development was phenomenal, and the plot was riveting. I also enjoyed the themes about the importance of family, friendship, self-discovery, and not losing sight of the important things in life. Additionally, there were many movie references to well-known rom-coms, which added a fun element to the story (such as the title of the first chapter: When Harry Met Logan).

So if you’re in the mood for a breezy heartfelt gay rom-com with lovely characters that will tug on your heartstrings, then definitely check out If You Change Your Mind.

Review of A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy

December 14, 2021 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb:

Emmett Maguire wants to be country music’s biggest gay superstar – a far reach when you’re seventeen and living in Illinois. But for now, he’s happy to do the next best thing: Stay with his aunt in Jackson Hollow, Tennessee, for the summer and perform at the amusement park owned by his idol, country legend Wanda Jean Stubbs.

Luke Barnes hates country music. As the grandson of Verna Rose, the disgraced singer who had a famous falling out with Wanda Jean, Luke knows how much pain country music has brought his family. But when his mom’s medical bills start piling up, he takes a job at the last place he wants: a restaurant at Wanda World.

Neither boy is looking for romance, but sparks fly when they meet – and soon they’re inseparable. Until a long-lost secret about Verna and Wanda comes to light, threatening to unravel everything.

Will Emmett and Luke be able get past the truths they discover…or will their relationship go down in history as just another Sad Country Love Song?

Review:

Luke and Emmett couldn’t be more different. Emmett’s dream is to be the most popular gay country singer in the world, so he’s excited when he lands a gig at Wanda World for the summer as a member of their Jamboree stage. He hopes this may be a chance to get noticed by a record label. Luke, on the other hand, hates country music. Because of something that happened between his family and Wanda Jean many years ago (owner of Wanda World), Luke and his family want nothing to do with Wanda World or country music. However, Luke dreams of becoming a chef one day, so when he is offered a job at Wanda World, he reluctantly accepts though he keeps it a secret from his family. Luke is also gay but is deep in the closet, still trying to figure everything out. When the two teens meet, sparks fly between them, and both must make some heart-wrenching decisions.

Taking place during one summer, A Little Bit Country is a delightful coming-of-age story with two likable and relatable characters. Both boys were adorable, and their romance was super sweet, though they had several difficult hurdles to overcome. Luke and Emmett were each determined to live their dream, and I loved their innocence and enthusiasm.

The author seems to really understand the teenage soul—the rollercoaster of emotions, the longing, the self-awareness, the challenges, the occasional goofiness, and the confusion. Kennedy nails the teen boy voice perfectly in this story. Luke and Emmet are charming and flawed, but their strengths balance each other out, and we end up with a story about young men who, though at first glance appear quite different from the other, truly complement each other. The author also captures beautifully how simultaneously tender and daunting it can be to fall in love for the first time. It is at once an aching yet beautiful love story and a powerful exploration of self-awareness and self-discovery. I enjoyed witnessing the characters’ inner growth and insight, a difficult but lovely process.

This book also explores the aching loneliness of growing up and not finding your place, of feeling as if you’re a universe away from your friends and family, spinning aimlessly and waiting for life to begin. In this way, this book is about feeling — feeling love, feeling friendship, feeling like you finally belong, and in the process, learning to become brave enough to let others in.

All in all, I found A Little Bit Country to be a warm and embracing story of first love, family secrets, and following your dreams that I adored.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing a review copy of this book. Expected publication date is May 31, 2022.

Pre-order A Little Bit Country on Amazon

Review of The One True Me and You by Remi England

December 5, 2021 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

Blurb

One small fandom convention. One teen beauty pageant.

One meet cute waiting to happen.

Up and coming fanfic author Kaylee Beaumont is internally screaming at the chance to finally meet her fandom friends in real life and spend a weekend at GreatCon. She also has a side quest for the weekend:

Try out they/them pronouns to see how it feels

Wear more masculine-presenting cosplay

Kiss a girl for the first time

It’s… a lot, and Kay mostly wants to lie face down on the hotel floor. Especially when her hometown bully, Miss North Carolina, shows up in the very same hotel. But there’s this con-sponsored publishing contest, and the chance to meet her fandom idols… and then, there’s Teagan.

Pageant queen Teagan Miller (Miss Virginia) has her eye on the much-needed prize: the $25,000 scholarship awarded to the winner of the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant. She also has secrets:

She loves the dresses but hates the tiaras

She’s a giant nerd for everything GreatCon

She’s gay af

If Teagan can just keep herself wrapped up tight for one more weekend, she can claim the scholarship and go off to college out and proud. If she’s caught, she could lose everything she’s worked for. If her rival, Miss North Carolina, has anything to do with it, that’s exactly how it’ll go down.

When Teagan and Kay bump into one another the first night, sparks fly. Their connection is intense—as is their shared enemy. If they’re spotted, the safe space of the con will be shattered, and all their secrets will follow them home. The risks are great… but could the reward of embracing their true selves be worth it?

Review

Kay is a well-known slash fiction writer who is thrilled to be spending a weekend at GreatCon (a Sherlockian type of convention) with their fandom friends. They are also questioning their gender identity and sexuality and plan on exploring it more over the weekend at the Con. Unfortunately, Kay is unaware that the hotel is also hosting the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant and in attendance is Kay’s dreaded nemesis, Madison (Miss North Carolina), who has made Kay’s life pure hell at school. Kay is fearful that Madison will connect her to her online persona and out her to the entire school. But Kay is not the only person whose life Madison is making miserable. Madison has also targeted a beauty queen named Teagan, Miss Virginia, Madison’s main competitor. Teagan is also a closet lesbian and a fandom fan herself. Things get really interesting when Teagan sneaks away from the pageant chaperones to attend the Con and meets Kay. Needless to say, sparks immediately fly between them.

My inner geek absolutely adored this story! I tend to enjoy books about fandoms, and this one ticked all the right boxes for me. What also worked was the high-stakes tension that continued to build throughout the story. Kay and Teagan each have a lot to lose if their identities become public, and as the story progresses, the hateful Miss North Carolina gets closer to uncovering them. It was also fun how the author pitted the fanfiction/Con world against the pageant world while highlighting the good and not-so-good aspects of each of them. The story is told in alternating POVs between Kay and Teagan, so we get a close-up and personal glimpse in each of their worlds.

I loved the fact that we have two young women who are both exploring their sexuality and gender identity. The romance between them was sweet and heartwarming, as they both also made discoveries about themselves in the process. It was beautiful how they get to know each other and move past their self-imposed barriers. The “opposites-attract” romance between the two of them is not only endearing but also inspiring as they both made some difficult decisions.

I also loved the hard-hitting conversations about gender, queerness, labels, body image, and the beauty community. Through these conversations, the author attacks the stereotypes of both of these communities and gives the reader plenty of thought-provoking topics to contemplate as a result. The novel also touched on themes of love, self-confidence, the judgment of others, identity, shame, competition, and fandoms, so in this way, there is a lot of depth to this story.

Additionally, I adored the fandom community, as illustrated in the story and the heartwarming connections that the people made with each other. The found family aspect of the novel was especially touching. It was also heartwarming how the book celebrated beauty in all of its different forms and facets. The author did a splendid job of capturing the excitement and spirit of fandoms (being somewhat of a Con fan, myself) which left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling at the end.

Overall, I thought this was an amazing, affirming book about self-discovery, and I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

This book will be published on March 1, 2022 but it available now for preorder.

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

Preorder The One True Me and You from Amazon

Review of If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich

September 12, 2021 by Roger Hyttinen Leave a Comment

I’ve read other books by Sophie Gonzales and have enjoyed her writing, so I was excited when this book about a wildly popular boy band came to my attention. This novel paints an eye-opening portrait of what life in such a band is like, and it’s not as glamorous as it’s cracked up to be. Our story focuses on Ruben Montez and Zach Knight, two members of a four-person band called Saturday whose friendship transforms into a slow-burn secret romance. The book then explores the reaction of the label as well as that of the other band members (Jon and Angel), and soon, cracks begin to form.

On the surface, this novel is about a romance between two band members, but it goes much deeper than that. At its core are hard-hitting issues such as the dark side of the music industry, drug abuse/addiction, emotional abuse, parental abuse, homophobia, toxic dynamics between the band and management, exploitation, the pressure of being famous, identity, and mental health, all of which are explored through the multiplicity of characters the author has created. Though this is an intense story in places, it’s also a hopeful, upbeat, and heartwarming story about love, coming together, following your dreams, and found family.

As for the romance, Zach and Rueben were absolutely adorable together. They are very much in sync, so much so that I had no trouble in seeing that they belonged together right from the beginning. I loved their chemistry, their concern for each other, and how they communicated their feelings. Though messy at times, theirs was a sweet and tender romance that was a joy to read. The author tells the story from the alternating POVs of Rueben and Zach, so it was nice to get into both of their heads to view the situation from their perspective.

Alongside this engaging story, the author gives us an incredible cast of characters. I loved the dynamics between all four band members — how much they cared for each other and how much they grew, not only as individuals but also as friends. Their connection was amazing, and I adored the way they supported each other and ultimately saved each other. The characters’ personalities shined through like a bright light that zinged right to my heart, and I couldn’t help but deeply care for each and every one of them by the end of this story. There’s magic in finding the people with whom you belong and making a home for them in your heart, and that is what we see in this novel. Thus, I feel that the character development in this story is phenomenal, and each character is relatable and engaging. Every character is well-fleshed out and necessary to the brilliant rendering of this story.

I loved the tantalizing glimpse into the day-to-day life of the band. It was a treat to get a behind-the-scenes glance at the life of a popular boy band, and I felt that this helped the reader identify and empathize with the characters.

I never thought I would gush over a book about a boy band, yet here we are. “If This Gets Out” brought a smile to my face and gave me all of the right “feels.” And though the plot is compelling, it’s the characters that make this book truly shine, and they all captured my heart. This emotive book explores so many different facets of love, be it familial, platonic, romantic, in all its aspects. Recommended!

A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book. This book will be released on December 7, 2021 but it available now as a preorder.