Will these long-lost twin princes be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together—or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal mess?

Edward Dinnissen, Crown Prince of Canada, loves getting the royal treatment at his exclusive Manhattan private school and living in a fancy mansion on Park Avenue. But despite living a royal life of luxury, Edward is unsure how to tell his parents, his expectant country, and his adoring fans that he’s gay.

Billy Boone couldn’t be happier: he loves small-town life and his family’s Montana ranch, and his boyfriend is the cutest guy at Little Timber High. But this out-and-proud cowboy is finally admitting to himself that he feels destined for more . . .

When Edward and Billy meet by chance in New York City and discover that they are long-lost twins, their lives are forever changed. Will the twin princes—“twinces”— be able to take on high school, coming out, and coronations together? Or will this royal reunion quickly become a royal disaster?

Review

This book was so much fun! I love stories about unknown twins reuniting, and this one did not disappoint, especially given that it follows two gay twins. The story itself is rife with hijinks, high drama, coming-out angst, romance, royal intrigue, public humiliation, jealousy, and sabotage, which kept me glued to my kindle throughout the book. I enjoyed how the story is told via each twin’s POV, so we get to see the situation from each of their perspectives, rendering each of them relatable to the reader.

I loved how realistic all of the characters were. But what I most enjoyed was the outrageous silliness, resulting in plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for me. The two protagonists each take a delightful journey, resulting in superb character arcs and personal growth that is near-inspirational. I quickly fell in love with both of the quirky, vibrant, and sometimes sullen and confused main characters and enjoyed their moments of self-discovery. I also enjoyed how the tone shifts from light to dark, snarky to serious, happy to sad, and back again.

I was in a bit of a reading slump, and this was the perfect feel-good story to pull me out of it. Snappy dialog, stellar worldbuilding, sweet and relatable characters, hidden family secrets, and a touch of romance make A Tale of Two Princes a standout. I legit had a huge smile on my face from start to finish as I worked my way through this engaging book, and it stole my heart.

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

A sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet’s Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.

Henry Hamlet doesn’t know what he wants after school ends. It’s his last semester of year twelve and all he’s sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len. They’ve been friends since forever, but where Len is mysterious, Henry is clumsy; where Len is a heart-throb, Henry is a neurotic mess. Somehow it’s always worked.

That is, until Henry falls. Hard. For the last person, he imagined.

From an exciting debut author comes this passionate story of growing up, letting go, and learning how to love.

Review

Half love story, half identity quest, Henry Hamlet’s Heart is a beautifully rendered YA contemporary story of friendship and love, with all of its frustrations, clumsy pining, exhalations, disappointments, and mistakes. I thought this was such an interesting take on the friends-to-lovers trope in which Henry, after being dared to kiss his best friend Len, is suddenly overwhelmed by confusing feelings of wanting and longing for Len. This leads to a fascinating dynamic between the two friends as they try to figure out their feelings, navigate this new sexual attraction between them and figure out what it all means for their friendship. I thought that the story really encapsulated the teenage soul: the self-awareness, the confusion, and the longing. It nicely illustrated how tumultuous first love and raging teenage hormones can be. Additionally, it’s also a love letter to anyone who has felt uncomfortable in their own skin and is unsure of who they are or where they belong.

Additionally, there were lovely relationship dynamics between Henry and his family, as well as Henry and his friends. And while this is a tender and honest exploration of identity and sexuality, it’s also a reminder that love—whether romantic or familial—should be open, free, and without judgment or shame. I loved how loving, and supportive Henry’s family is, and the excitement surrounding the wedding between Henry’s grandmother and her girlfriend Daisy warmed my heart. And readers who like a little messy YA romance will definitely get that in spades — Henry and Len’s interactions are funny, awkward, and sometimes exactly as confrontational as they need to be, leading to a wonderful heart-tugger of a story.

Though at first, it appears as though this novel is simply a fluffy, lighthearted contemporary, there are several serious themes that run throughout the book: friendship, first love, heartbreak, self-discovery, self-acceptance, horrible parenting, and the importance of family. I also enjoyed the low-key themes of art that were at the core of the story.

All in all, I adored this quirky story that contained all of my favorite things: friends-to-loves, mutual pining, witty banter, a supportive family, and wonderful side characters. Recommended!

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

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.

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.

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“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.

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.

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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.

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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.

Blurb:

Kyle is a swaggering bully; Lenny strives to be invisible.

Kyle has been left alone in the world; Lenny is the world’s biggest loner.

When Kyle saves Lenny from drowning, their lives will never be the same.

After a brutal encounter with school bullies, Lenny swims out into the ocean, determined to let the current whisk him away. Next thing he knows the meanest kid in town is pulling him from the waves, promising to be his Dead Sea, and to never let him sink.

All Kyle wants is to get out of beach cleanup, is that too much to ask? So he goes for a swim, only to come upon the most epic “nobody” in the senior class drowning in a riptide. Lenny’s haunted gaze grips him, and Kyle makes the impulsive decision to save his life or die trying. And through this ordeal, Kyle and Lenny are transformed.

Kyle’s heroic act sets him on the straight and narrow, and he opens his heart to the young man he dragged from the ocean. Lenny changes too but is still unable to reveal the truth of his pain. While drowning in a sea of secrets, the reformed bully and wary victim fall in love. But staying afloat in the Dead Sea is not as simple as it seems.

Trigger warning: one character attempts unsuccessfully to die by suicide as is noted in the blurb, further discussion of death by suicide

Review:

The story follows Lenny, a seventeen-year-old talented creative kid who loves to sew and dress up in costumes. After an upsetting event during which all of his secrets risk exposure, Lenny, unable to face the potential humiliation, decides to walk into the ocean and never return. Caught in a riptide, he begins to drown but is rescued by the unlikeliest of heroes: one of the school’s biggest and meanest bullies, Kyle.

It was so much fun watching Kyle transform from a bully into a caring individual who continues not only to surprise those around him but surprise himself as well. In Kyle and Lenny, we have two teenagers who have gone through difficult times but have dealt with them in different ways: Lenny by becoming nearly invisible (his nickname at school is “Zip-Lip” because he hardly ever even talks) and Kyle hiding behind his bullying facade and tough attitude. So in this way, both boys hid from the world in their own way.

I loved seeing the transformation as both boys evolved into something more, with each discovering themselves and each other in the process. I enjoyed watching their connection strengthen as the days passed, and they both started changing, both defying society’s expectations and overcoming their personal trauma. It was heartwarming how one of the school’s most terrifying individuals became a hero and how this affected everyone around them — but most of all, himself and Lenny. Mia Kerick really seems to understand the teenage soul—the longing, the self-awareness, the challenges, the fear, and the confusion.

There is real depth to this story as it delves into some pretty serious themes such as suicide, bullying, depression, parental rejection, abandonment, survival, homophobia, and fitting in, all of which the author handled expertly and compassionately. The author created here two characters that I couldn’t help but care deeply for. They were well-fleshed out with a satisfying character arc. Though the book is layered with complexities of identity and societal expectations, ultimately, Dead Sea ends being a beautifully written story about friendship, redemption, and first love.

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This is a delightful and moving coming of age story about a gay seventeen-year-old boy named Marty who escapes his ultra-conservative and ultra-religious parents by moving from Kentucky to London. He tells them he’s taking a summer music program and will be staying with his Aunt. What he doesn’t tell them is that he really didn’t get into the program, he’d only purchased a one-way ticket, and his Aunt will not be there for the entire summer.

We then following along with Marty as he makes new friends and obtains his first-ever boyfriend. But he also suffers from anxiety and is torn between his new life and the one he left behind, not quite sure where he fits in. So in this way, we see him creating new friendships while still trying to maintain the ones back home, and in the process, we get a compelling discussion around the topic of toxic friendships/toxic relationships.

I enjoyed journeying with Marty — through both his high moments and low moments — as he explored his identity and made a new life for himself. It was impressed by the brave risk he took in leaving home and moving to an entirely different country.

I also enjoyed the message here that, at times, the bonds of a family found or family chosen can be even stronger than a family bound by blood. And that’s what we have here, in which Marty creates a beautiful family for himself in London — a family that respects him. Additionally, it was fun seeing the surge of hope flow through him as he finally feels that he’s escaped his oppressive situation in the states and moves into a circle of friends where being gay is accepted and normalized.

I also enjoyed how the author tells the tale via two storylines: the present and through Marty’s journal entries from a year prior when he, along with his family, visited London. There were so many compelling themes to this story: friendship, religion, eating disorders, found family, anxiety, homophobia, betrayal, toxic relationships, and more.

All in all, I thought this was a fantastic, heart-warming story about a young man finding his place in the world. Another hit for me by Phil Stamper.

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