Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - Openly Straight

Friday, April 19, 2013

Book Review - Openly Straight

About the Book
A funny, honest novel about being out, being proud . . . and being ready for something else.

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn't even know that love is possible.

This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate being different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

About the Author
Bill Konigsberg won the Lambda Literary Award for Young Adult fiction for OUT OF THE POCKET (Dutton, 2008). Before writing novels, he was a sportswriter for The Associated Press and ESPN.com. He won a GLAAD Media Award for a coming-out essay he wrote while working at ESPN.com, and he blogs at billkonigsberg.blogspot.com. Bill lives in Chandler, Arizona, with his partner, Chuck.

My Take on the Book
This was a fresh, well written book that uses humor and down-to-earth situations to be able to talk about some very important issues in society today in relation to self-esteem, self-worth, relationships, love and so much more. I have to say that I loved the characters within this book and I am not only talking about the main character who is very cool, but so many others as well. One of the ones that I was drawn to was the teacher within the story, as I too had teachers who challenged me in similar ways in my life and it was through these teachers that I became the person that I am today. This was a funny, yet poignant story that engages you from the beginning to the end and makes you want to find out what is coming next! You will not want to put this down. I know that I am definitely looking forward to future books from this author!


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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