Author: Mike Curato
Year published: 2020
Category: YA graphic novel (LGBTQ)
Pages: 368 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5
Location: (my 2025 Google Reading map): USA
Summary: I know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both.
I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.
It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes―but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.
Review: It's Banned Books Week. I can't believe we need a week to honor these books and bring attention to the issue. But, this year more than ever, it is important. I've meant to read this book for a long time, so I am glad that I did this week.
Aiden is 14 years old, just about to enter high school. and he just wants to fit in. He wants to walk like the other boys and talk like the other boys. He doesn't want to be bullied anymore. He thinks about saying the big "goodbye." The other boys aren't nice. Well, a couple of them are, but not always.
This graphic novel does a good job of showing what it's like to be different, the toll bullying takes on someone, and how easy it is to be nice to someone who is having a tough time. The author's afterword talks about his own experiences as a young gay man, how his scouting years shaped the story, and what he hopes to accomplish with the novel.
It makes me sad, but it's not a surprise that this story is banned by some people, people who are afraid of anything different from themselves.
Challenges for which this counts:
- Diversity--LGBTQ
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