Blue Coyote

Griswold Quartet

by Liza Ketchum, Stanley Fellows (Illustrator)

When Alex finally finds his missing best friend, Tito Perrone, Tito discloses that his parents kicked him out of their home because his is a homosexual, a discovery that leads Alex to question his own sexuality.

Genres: Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Fiction

196 pages, Library Binding

First published May 8, 1997

About the author

Also writes under the name Liza Ketchum Murrow.

Virginia Jefferson Cup Honor Book, Virginia Library Association, 1988, for West against the Wind; Children's Choice selection, 1989, for Good-bye, Sammy; best young-adult novel designation, American Library Association, 1990, and Mark Twain Award listee, 1991-92, both for Fire in the Heart; Mark Twain Award listee, and Sequoyah Award listee, both 1993-94, both for The Ghost of Lost Island; Lambda Literary Award, 1998, for Blue Coyote.

Reviews

[Kj · Rating 4 out of 5]

The follow up to '12 Days in August' (and the final in Ketchum's Griswold Quartet), this late 90s' coming out story (set in ~94) feels, as with '12 Days,' like a bit of buried treasure. It's a YA or potentially middle grade novel that deals frankly with homophobia and the justifiable fears and fundamentally unjust realities that have made coming out literally dangerous for so many people. But this story of discovery does not revel in trauma and, if it veers at times into the neighborhood of melodrama, it earns each step of the journey through the truthfully realized miscommunications, missed opportunities, and outright failures of these imperfect but knowable characters.

For anyone who was also coming of age during this decade, especially if you were navigating puberty and identity within SoCal beach culture, there's poignant resonance and revelations here about things that have gotten better, things that seem the same, and some things that we may have been lucky were as not as bad as they could have been, comparatively. (Though tattoo care practices have definitely improved for the better...). Well worth the read/ride.

[Dexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about Alex Beekman, a seventeen year old teenager, looking for his best friend, Tito Perone. Alex had a dream about Tito again, that he was skating with him next to the beach. Until Tito started skating fast and Alex lost him. He tried catching up, but it was too late. He’s gone. Alex woke up, with his heart beating fast, and his sheets soaked in sweat. He’s disappointed because it was all a dream. Tito disappeared two months ago, and Alex thought he would be with his best friend again, just like back in the days when they were little kids. He wrote him a letter, asking for an explanation. But nothing came back. He called at his place, his mom answered, but she gave him a tone and answers like he did something bad. Apparently, the mom said that he did something unforgivable and that he is not a member of the family until he comes around. Alex don’t understand why Tito just leave for no reason. Tito’s mom said that he lives somewhere in L.A., but don’t know where exactly. Alex lives in Griswold, Vermont, and L.A. is like 3,000 miles away. So he doesn’t know how he’s going to L.A. Some other day later, Alex heard his parents arguing. Alex was with his twin sister, Rita, and they got into the conversation. The dad said that he got the job to produce a film, but his job was at L.A. The mom did not want to move, not again. So did Rita; she didn’t want to move either. But Alex wants to, he wants to see if he can find his best friend again. It’s going to be hard for the twins because they never lived without each other. So the next day, Alex and his dad went on the road to L.A. Alex had a dream about Tito again. That he’s with him riding on his motorcycle. Until his dad woke him up. They were half way to L.A. They were at a camp site to rest. So they got up on the road again. Alex wrote a letter to his sister again. A couple of days later, they got to L.A. After they got their stuff in their house, Alex left to the beach, hoping that he would find Tito there. Yet again, didn’t find him. He knew one friend which was a lifeguard. He asked if he saw Tito around but no. So he went back home. He called “Tito’s” home again, but instead of asking for Tito, he asked for his sister, Raquel. His dad answered and told him that she works at a club. So he went to look for Raquel. He got to the place, and found her. She was happy to see him. Alex asked if she knew where Tito was. She insisted that she can’t tell. He goes question by question again; what he do, what is the problem. Raquel limited her answers, and not tell the reason. But she told him that if she finds Tito around, she’ll call. So they hugged and Alex left to go to the beach park. He slowed down and stopped so he can look around. He found an easel pad where there was a newspaper. He checked on the personal section where you can leave a message and ask for anyone to contact you. He called the newspaper if he can leave a message too. And he did. He wrote his message, gave it to the newspaper office, and sent his letters to Rita. So the next day, he got up, and went to the beach to go surfing with his friend, the lifeguard. He surfed some waves so he can get used to surfing. After he stopped, he sees some kid with the surfboard that knows the board was Tito’s; there was a picture of a sea turtle that he made for him. He’s an artist. He went to the kid and told that you stole that board. The kid said that he didn’t steal it, and told that he found it. Alex told him that he can use it, just as long as he leaves it in the beach hidden. So the kid agreed and left. On the next day, he went to the park so he can find himself a job. He found a tattoo shop with a “Help Wanted” sign. He went inside and ask for the job. Jimbo, the tattoo artist and owner of the shop, agreed that he can have the job. Before Alex asked about the job, he asked about the sea turtle picture that he saw in one of the tattoo selections. Jimbo knew about someone that came with the picture and asked for a tattoo of it, but he said he don’t know much of who that person was. So the next day, Alex asked his dad about the job if he can take it. The dad did not agree with it, but still insisted to let him take the job. So he went to start his job. Jimbo taught him what he’s going to do – sterilize the needles, clean the counters, help customers pick a tattoo. When Jimbo was talking to a friend, Alex went to the filing cabinet. He secretly looked to see if Tito’s name was in there. And it was. He looked in the file and that Tito did come in and had a tattoo with the sea turtle picture. He looked if his address was in there, it was just a phone number; his phone number. He wrote the number on his wrist, and continued working. After a couple of hours later, Jimbo let him go for today. He went to a phone booth and called Tito’s number. Before he was about to hang up, somebody answered; a guy. Alex asked if Tito was there, the asked who’s asking. Alex told his name, and there was a long pause. The guy said that there’s nobody here with that name and hangs up. He let go of the phone and went back home. When he got there, he got the portable home phone and called the information operator and asked who had Tito’s number. The operator told that they can’t give the information. Alex begged for it, and thought of an idea that he met a beautiful girl and he wanted to send her flowers and not spoil the surprise. The operator went to ask the supervisor, and the operator came and gave the information. Now that he got the information. now he can finally meet Tito. So the next day, he drove out to go to Tito’s place. While he was driving, a coyote pass by in front of him. He braked and then came out of the car. He loved how the coyote looks like; how it looked back at him. He quickly drew it before the coyote ran away. After it was gone, he went back on the road. Finally, he found the place. He parked he car and went to the house. He starts to knock on the door. The door opens and it was Tito who opened the door. They didn’t say anything to each other; they were just looking at each other for a long moment, until Tito told Alex to sit on the bench so they can talk. When they got there, Alex started to ask questions; why did you leave, what happened to you, why didn’t you tell me you left. Alex was aggravated and confused because he thought Tito and him are best friends. Were best friends. Tito told him about why he left and how he had the scars on his leg and face; his father gave him the scars. A guy named Ken, his boyfriend, came out of the house and Tito introduced him with Alex. He doesn’t know that Ken is his boyfriend. Alex knows about him because he was the guy that told him that “Tito wasn’t here.” Ken said that he was just only doing what he was told and just left. Alex was just speechless; he doesn’t know what is going on. Until Tito told him that he was gay, and he freaked out. Alex did not know Tito was gay. Since they’re best friends – “twins” – Tito told Alex that you’re gay too. Alex was furious, telling him that he’s not gay. So he quickly left. He had to work today so he went to Jimbo’s shop. When he got there, Jimbo knew that Alex would go to look for Tito. So Jimbo closed the shop so he can talk it out and calm Alex down. He explained everything to him. After it was over, they went back to work. Then in a couple of hours, he went home. He got inside the house and saw his dad. They were talking; arguing, but just a little. Until they both smells something. It smells that something’s burning. The dad called his work to see if the studio is alright. He then said that the studio’s alright and that the fire’s around Topanga, where Tito lives around. Alex starts to get worried. He starts going on his bike and went to look for Tito. He got there and there’s fire everywhere. He went through calling out for Tito. But no answer. He saw the bus that he knows it was around Tito’s place. But still no Tito around. He got out the fire and the fire department was there. He told them that the bus is there and to save it from the fire. The police ordered some lady to take Alex back to his home. Instead, Alex told the lady to drop him off to Jimbo’s shop. When he got there, Jimbo took him in to clean him up; he got singed and burned. And then he knocked out. After for awhile, Jimbo woke him up because his dad called for him. He had to go home. When he got there, he and his dad starts talking, and it starts to an argument; Alex has to tell his dad about Tito. Until Alex just had enough and went to his room. So on the next day, Alex got up and relaxed until he had to go to work. The phone rang and it was Tito. Alex told him about that he went out looking for him at the fire and that he was worried about him. Tito told him that they’ll meet and talk right after he gets off from work. So he went to work. Then when it was almost time for him to get off, Tito came in the shop. They talked and Jimbo let Alex go. They both went to the beach; just walking since it was low tide. Until Alex starts crying. Tito took him down on the sand to sit. Then Tito kissed him. Tito just can’t help himself knowing that Alex would risk his life to go in the fire to save him. They just talked and Alex admits that he’s gay too. So Tito took him to his motorcycle and dropped him back home. They’ll keep in touch with each other by Jimbo’s shop. So Alex went inside and he saw that Rita was there, and his friend he made from Vermont before he left. They hugged and talked, telling about Tito and that he’s gay like him. Then his dad came in the house. Alex then told him about him being gay. It turned out to be a big argument. His dad later on has no choice but to just accept him. So the next day, Alex took his sister and his friend to Jimbo’s shop; he had to go to work. Then Alex told Jimbo that he wants a tattoo; a tattoo of the coyote he drew. And he got it. The tattoo was a blue coyote. And that’s why the story is called “Blue Coyote.” Because it wasn’t about Alex looking for Tito, it was about him looking for himself. And he did. I read 100% of the book.

What I think about this book; I love it. I love it because it is mixed with different categories - mystery, romance, and maybe you can say it is a fantasy story. I loved how during in the middle of the book, it made me shocked. How there was a fire where Tito, Alex’s best friend, was living at and Alex went in the forest fire just to look for and save him. I find that sweet and romantic. I chose this book because it was based in the city, L.A.; the beach. I never thought it was a self-acceptance homosexual book, but I still find this book pretty good. I rate this book with an overall 5 stars.

I would recommend this book to whoever they like mystery, romance, and to people that’s scared to accept themselves. The point is that if you aren’t scared to be who you are, then everything will be okay. There are flaws that you don’t like/love about yourself, but that’s what made you as a beautiful person you are. It made you stand out from everyone else. You’re different. And it is okay to be different. Because as long as you’re happy with yourself, and have people that accepts you for who you are, everything will be alright. It gets better. The mystery and romance are add-ons in the story; to make it better. You really should read this book.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot of problems with this book. The back blurb is misleading, the plot feels dated, even for the year of publication, and the characters aren't likeable or memorable enough to keep the reader involved. I kind of want to take the premise and write my own version.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was slightly confusing and had an unrealistic plot. I did enjoy the characters and their development. I enjoyed Alex’s character the most, but wish things ended differently for him and not so open ended.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex's family rarely stays in one place for any length of time, following their father's various writing projects. L.A. allowed them to stay in place for an extended period of time where Alex bonded with Tito. When the family moved to Vermont, Alex's twin, Rita, and their mother believe they have finally found a home; until Alex's father once again has a writing opportunity back in L.A. Meanwhile, Alex cannot find Tito. His family has disowned him and all of Alex's efforts to locate Tito have failed. Alex is more than ready to return to L.A. to find Tito, despite the fact that his mother and sister refuse to go.

This is a compact coming-out story that highlights some of the multicultural and peer relations issues for LGBT teens.

I do recommend it.

[lemonysnickety · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a worthwhile read. It combines a coming-of-age with a coming out story, which while not applicable to everyone (at least not me), it was interesting to read from the point of view of someone who has to deal with both learning a friend is different than expected, but also the character's own sense of self. Main character undergoes rapid but meaningful development, and it avoids several tropes and stereotypes. No explicit material or language; a few slurs used, but always treated as a negative.

I read through it quickly and enjoyed it--a much more emotionally investing read than I expected when I pulled it out of the discard bin at the library. Would read again.

[Michael Cress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life...

[Lynnelle Mulder · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a very real portrayal of homosexuality but it was rather cheesy. I also thought that the language wasn't appropriate for teens.

[Jezzy]

Absolutely love this book! Thought it was better than the first (Twelve days in August). I think it could be the first or a stand alone.