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Time Out
Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights in this keenly felt coming-of-age story about a teen hometown hero who must find out who he is outside of basketball when his coming out as gay costs him his popularity and place on the team.
In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town's history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.
Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn't even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn't have basketball?
His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other's biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he's been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.
As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he's ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?
In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town's history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.
Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn't even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn't have basketball?
His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other's biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he's been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.
As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he's ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?
1 pages, Audio CD
First published May 2, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
August 18, 2023
I’ve seen this book get mixed reviews on Goodreads, and I think part of the reason might be this idea that coming out narratives are overdone and that our need for these kinds of stories has passed. I have to disagree. This book mirrored my own coming out story in so many ways that I found myself thinking, over and over, “Yes, the authors get it, they get it.” They get what it’s like to come out in a strongly evangelical environment in 2020. They get what it’s like to have high hopes that your community will support you, only to be shocked by the amount of homophobia that persists below the surface.
Obviously, a book being ~relatable~ doesn’t make it automatically good, but Time Out is also well written, told in a contemporary voice that feels authentic to the teens I know. It made me feel enriched for having read it, and to me, that counts for a lot.
Obviously, a book being ~relatable~ doesn’t make it automatically good, but Time Out is also well written, told in a contemporary voice that feels authentic to the teens I know. It made me feel enriched for having read it, and to me, that counts for a lot.
May 26, 2023
Note: I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway
The more I read of this book, the more I disliked it. I tried to piece together my biggest reasons for disliking it without turning my review into a rant. Overall, this book felt like a step back in time -- not necessarily because the homophobia depicted has gone away, because it certainly hasn't -- but because it's a tired queer narrative. Part of the success of recent queer media is because we're finally telling all kinds of queer stories — including queer joy — but this book is much more similar to the main queer narrative told in the 90s/2000s: one that centers coming out and homophobia, not joy.
See the end of my review for a full list of content warning descriptions prospective readers may want to be aware of.
For context, Barclay is varsity basketball captain at his rural (?) Georgia high school who comes out at a pep rally (an interesting choice), and the entire town is incredibly homophobic about it. The homophobia on the team (from teammates and tolerated/perpetuated by the coach) is bad enough that Barclay quits the team & for basically the entire book, Barclay endures explicit homophobia and anger for "letting the basketball team and town down" by almost everyone in the book.
1. The back pitches this book as "Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights which is truly a horrendous comp for this book as it sets readers up for the completely wrong vibe. While Heartstopper does tackle some serious issues (including homophobia), there's so much love and care and support baked into the story and characters, that the reader/viewer always feels safe. This book felt incredibly unsafe (for reasons I'll dig into in further points). It feels like this book is trying to piggyback off the widespread success of Heartstopper, and by doing so, does an incredible disservice to potential readers. A better comp is High School Musical, if Troy were to come out as gay and get involved in local politics instead of theater.
2. I think the authors set out to capture a pretty good lesson (especially in the current political environment: Be resilient in the face of homophobia and turn to your friends for support. Unfortunately, that lesson came paired with a second much worse lesson: The way to be resilient is to swallow the pain you feel when people who you thought cared about you & the systems you're entrenched in are homophobic; if you step back from the front lines of the fight against bigotry for the sake of your own mental health and/or physical safety, you are letting people down. This lesson is codified throughout the book with numerous examples, including another gay character modeling that the appropriate way to being threatened with a literal gun for being gay is to "bravely stare down the barrel".
3. Barclay faces explicit, overt homophobia throughout the entire book. Barclay -- and the reader, by extension -- is frequently faced with slurs, in addition to other types of bullying ( ), a hate crime, and a public murder threat. The homophobia comes from all directions, too: random townspeople, Barclay's boss, the basketball coach, & basketball teammates (both through direct homophobia and passive compliance). As I was reading, the homophobia went from jarring to nauseating to exhausting. It was so frequent and so overt, and so little was done to mitigate its harm, that I found myself feeling miserable while reading.
4. Despite being fourth on this list, this point is probably my biggest problem with this book. There is very little on-page support for Barclay to help him cope with the disproportionate amount of pressure and overt homophobia he endures for the entirety of the book. Overall, it doesn't feel like anyone (especially the straight people in Barclay's life) genuinely tries to understand what it is like for Barlcay to experience the repeated, explicit homophobia and pressure he endures.
● We don't see Barclay's friends and "allies" standing up to overt homophobia. When someone hurls a slur (which happens a lot) at Barclay, no one intervenes to call it out as unacceptable. In fact, even when Barlcay is publically threatened with literal murder, no one calls out the perpetrator. This book misses the point that part of being a good ally means using your privilege and clout to stand up against bigotry. Good allyship should be uncomfortable because you are aligning yourself with marginalized folks, and marginalization isn't comfortable. Instead, most of the allyship in this book is performative, expressed verbally to Barclay but not followed up by meaningful action.
● The book loses sight of the fact that people having the strength to fight for widespread system and culture shifts is often rooted in them being well-supported in their daily life by their chosen family. Instead, it feels like Barlcay's closest people expect the former without giving him the latter.
● There are no quality supportive adult figures. The only one who kind of qualifies is his mom, but she's very distracted and doesn't make any solid attempts to understand and validate her son's pain, instead focusing on the added stress he's caused her by removing himself from the homophobic and unsafe environment of the basketball team.
● Barclay's BFF Amy is sometimes supporting, but it's clear she thinks Barclay should just "get over it" & she is often too focused on her own goals (and using Barclay's clout to accomplish them) to properly validate and support Barclay. She definitely endorses the narrative from Point #2 that Barclay is obligated to be resilient in the face of homophobia.
5. A more minor point: there is almost no romance in this book, which would be fine except the back of the book makes it sound like that's going to be a fairly prominent storyline. Small spoiler that communicates the extent of this point:
-----------------------
Content warnings:
Bullying, homophobia, hate crime: Barclay faces bullying due to being gay throughout the book, including . This bullying extends to a hate crime, which is intended to scare and cause physical harm to Barclay ( details: ) and is followed up with an explicit, public murder threat (details: )
Car accident: Off page: . On page:
Gun violence:
Antisemitism: The LI is half-Jewish and he speaks about some of the antisemitism he's experienced as a result, but it's not in great detail.
Grief: Barclay, his family, and most of the town grieve Barclay's dead grandfather for the entirety of the book.
May 30, 2023
I really liked the ideas and messages behind this book but the execution was lacking for me a bit. It almost felt like there was too much going on in such a short book. This book tackled coming out, grieving the loss of a loved one, homophobia, voting rights and financial corruption. It was just a lot to try to cover in a book that’s less than 200 pages.
I didn’t love the MC Barclay. I never felt super connected to him and he was way too forgiving of his teammates in my opinion. The romance with Christopher was sweet and I loved all the High School Musical references.
This was a fine book overall. I think it would have benefited from either being a little longer or editing out some of the side storylines.
I didn’t love the MC Barclay. I never felt super connected to him and he was way too forgiving of his teammates in my opinion. The romance with Christopher was sweet and I loved all the High School Musical references.
This was a fine book overall. I think it would have benefited from either being a little longer or editing out some of the side storylines.
September 23, 2024
There was a lot going on in the book and I'm not quite satisfied with how certain issues were approached but I enjoyed this. It was fast paced and it hooked me from the first chapter, so much so that I listened to all eight hours of it in one go.
March 20, 2023
I won an ARC copy on Goodreads and let me just say: YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!
Never in my life have I read a book that made me cringe so hard and love it all the same. Wow! The MC is so real and relatable but so dumb-honestly part of what makes him relatable.
I felt inspired and loved and the ending just wrapped everything up beautifully but not too fast so that it feels like a fix-it.
This book, on the real, hits hard because I quit my college athletic career after I came out and my team was homophobic and my coach was worse. I’m so glad to see gay athletes because we exist in a heteronormative environment that can seriously hurt.
Seriously though, loved this book!
Never in my life have I read a book that made me cringe so hard and love it all the same. Wow! The MC is so real and relatable but so dumb-honestly part of what makes him relatable.
I felt inspired and loved and the ending just wrapped everything up beautifully but not too fast so that it feels like a fix-it.
This book, on the real, hits hard because I quit my college athletic career after I came out and my team was homophobic and my coach was worse. I’m so glad to see gay athletes because we exist in a heteronormative environment that can seriously hurt.
Seriously though, loved this book!
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October 26, 2022Just give me the author’s laptop 💝
June 3, 2023
Thank you to Turn the Page Tours and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Time Out is a fast-paced contemporary novel that explores coming out, acceptance, and standing up for yourself. Right from the beginning, our main character Barclay know that his sexuality is something he wants to be honest about with his family and basketball teammates. Although he is met with hatred and bullying, I appreciated that Barclay never blames his identity for what he suffers through, and rather addresses the intolerant nature of his town. There’s a subtle romance plot line, which was a great addition, but truly this is a story about never letting others take away what makes you you.
Time Out is a fast-paced contemporary novel that explores coming out, acceptance, and standing up for yourself. Right from the beginning, our main character Barclay know that his sexuality is something he wants to be honest about with his family and basketball teammates. Although he is met with hatred and bullying, I appreciated that Barclay never blames his identity for what he suffers through, and rather addresses the intolerant nature of his town. There’s a subtle romance plot line, which was a great addition, but truly this is a story about never letting others take away what makes you you.
June 20, 2023
A gay basketball star comes out to his small town Georgia high school and discovers it's more challenging than he expected. With the help of his best friend and one of the other out gay boys in his school he turns to political activism to help try to make things better for the rest of the queer population. Heartfelt and good on audio. Recommended for fans of books like Blaine for the win.
April 21, 2024
★★½ stars ! ₊˚⊹♡
i felt like giving this book some grace by putting 4 stars, bc i rly get and appreciate what it was trying to do, but the more i think abt it the more i realize the way it was executed didnt come off quite the right way, soo im rounding down. despite all the book's talk of joy, there wasn't that much of it, with barclay's situation and behavior becoming worse and worse, leaving no room for much joy. it felt a bit suffocating and exhausting constantly having to read abt the horrible things ppl said and did to him all the time w no real consequences given for a majority of the book. idek if im making sense lol but i feel like it didn't live up to the heartstopper comparison bc this book did not feel safe like that series does. it's more abt barclay's journey, but even then i feel like he was done dirty in his own damn book! almost everyone was putting him down, even his own supposed best friend, without really trying to understand where he was coming from, while he had to understand everyone else. even i had a hard time liking him as a character near the last ~25% bc i hated how he was behaving, and like i said before it all became rlly exhausting. but i did like the political stuff (even tho it didnt rly go anywhere & im bummed we didnt get to see barclay's big reveal) and barc and christopher's relationship and romance (even if it only felt like 10% of the book), so i don't hate this at all but i wish it couldve practiced what it preached and let barclay have some more damn joy.
thank you to nttbf and simon & schuster for providing this arc i took a year to read !
i felt like giving this book some grace by putting 4 stars, bc i rly get and appreciate what it was trying to do, but the more i think abt it the more i realize the way it was executed didnt come off quite the right way, soo im rounding down. despite all the book's talk of joy, there wasn't that much of it, with barclay's situation and behavior becoming worse and worse, leaving no room for much joy. it felt a bit suffocating and exhausting constantly having to read abt the horrible things ppl said and did to him all the time w no real consequences given for a majority of the book. idek if im making sense lol but i feel like it didn't live up to the heartstopper comparison bc this book did not feel safe like that series does. it's more abt barclay's journey, but even then i feel like he was done dirty in his own damn book! almost everyone was putting him down, even his own supposed best friend, without really trying to understand where he was coming from, while he had to understand everyone else. even i had a hard time liking him as a character near the last ~25% bc i hated how he was behaving, and like i said before it all became rlly exhausting. but i did like the political stuff (even tho it didnt rly go anywhere & im bummed we didnt get to see barclay's big reveal) and barc and christopher's relationship and romance (even if it only felt like 10% of the book), so i don't hate this at all but i wish it couldve practiced what it preached and let barclay have some more damn joy.
thank you to nttbf and simon & schuster for providing this arc i took a year to read !
April 22, 2023
3.5 Stars
This book starts at a very different spot, emotionally, than many other "coming out" stories. Barclay starts at a different spot. Sure, he knows that no everyone will be on board, but he's confident that people like him, love him, accept him. That confidence is key, because he just wants to get it over with, to get the whole truth out in the open so he can live without secrets. Of course, things don't go as he planned. If they went off without a hitch, there wouldn't be a story, right? But I love that he was so confident to begin with, and I also love that this book isn't about finding confidence in yourself but getting back to that place again. That's important, too.
Was this the best book ever written? No, not particularly. But its easy to read, and it does what it sets out to do. My full review will be available May 19, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
This book starts at a very different spot, emotionally, than many other "coming out" stories. Barclay starts at a different spot. Sure, he knows that no everyone will be on board, but he's confident that people like him, love him, accept him. That confidence is key, because he just wants to get it over with, to get the whole truth out in the open so he can live without secrets. Of course, things don't go as he planned. If they went off without a hitch, there wouldn't be a story, right? But I love that he was so confident to begin with, and I also love that this book isn't about finding confidence in yourself but getting back to that place again. That's important, too.
Was this the best book ever written? No, not particularly. But its easy to read, and it does what it sets out to do. My full review will be available May 19, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
September 25, 2024
no. just no. this was shit
June 28, 2024
Książkę czyta się naprawdę szybko i przyjemnie. Dawno żaden ebook nie sprawił mi takiej płynności. Bałam się, że sport zostanie potraktowany po macoszemu, ale nie! Mamy minimalne opisy meczów, a koszykówka dla głównego bohatera jest bardzo ważna i wierzę w to. Zdecydowanie pozycja godna uwagi.
September 26, 2024
Fairly typical coming out sorry but I liked that it began with that and didn’t dwell on any of the characters internal wrestling with coming out - also loved all the HSM references.
July 6, 2023
Trigger Warnings: cursing, past death of a grandparent, past car crash, coming out, parental abandonment, homophobia, depression/grief, underage drinking, drinking/alcohol, vomit, fighting, antisemitism, voter suppression, gun, hate crimes, bullying, cyber bullying, assault
Representation: Gay, Jewish
Time Out is a high school romance between a boy and his passion for basketball. In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town’s history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.
Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn’t even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn’t have basketball?
His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other’s biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he’s been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.
As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he’s ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?
This ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Another high school story but I actually loved this book! I’ve never read a book that made me cringe and love it all at the same. Barclay and his friends are so real and relatable but so dumb, ugh high schoolers! While I love a happy ending, I hate a bandaid at the end to quickly fix things. This is not the case for this book. I love to see gay athletes because we live in such a heteronormative world. I thought that the characters had pretty good character development. I also like how the book focused on different types of relationships and not just romantic ones. I liked Barclay’s friendship with Amy, Zack, and Tabby. I also liked the chemistry between Christopher and Barclay. I did hope for more romance though, rather than very good friends.
Representation: Gay, Jewish
Time Out is a high school romance between a boy and his passion for basketball. In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town’s history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.
Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn’t even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn’t have basketball?
His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other’s biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he’s been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.
As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he’s ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?
This ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Another high school story but I actually loved this book! I’ve never read a book that made me cringe and love it all at the same. Barclay and his friends are so real and relatable but so dumb, ugh high schoolers! While I love a happy ending, I hate a bandaid at the end to quickly fix things. This is not the case for this book. I love to see gay athletes because we live in such a heteronormative world. I thought that the characters had pretty good character development. I also like how the book focused on different types of relationships and not just romantic ones. I liked Barclay’s friendship with Amy, Zack, and Tabby. I also liked the chemistry between Christopher and Barclay. I did hope for more romance though, rather than very good friends.
June 18, 2023
“The great thing about showing up is there’s plenty to do if you want to start now."
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: homophobia, grief, violence, bullying
Out of the gate, Time Out starts off with action as Barclay comes out as gay to his entire community in a pep rally speech. And the drama just escalates from there. What I enjoyed most about this book was the character development, especially when it came to Barclay. As he navigated the many challenges surrounding coming out in a very homophobic town, he made mistakes along the way but also strengthened his relationships with his friends and family. Barclay learned a lot about himself as a person and what it truly meant to be there for someone. However, I would have liked to see a bit more development when it came to the side characters like Tabby and Amy.
The atmosphere of the small town setting really came through in the writing and little details such as Barclay knowing the names of local business owners. With the fast-paced plot and short chapters, Time Out is a quick read. I'd recommend it as a fun beach read, or for anyone who loves binge-reading books. Barclay and Christopher's relationship was a very slow burn but worth the wait! I was rooting for them from the first chapter. While there is a cute romance in Time Out, there was also a political activism aspect that I enjoyed. Barclay and his friends worked diligently to encourage their classmates and fellow members of the community to sign up to vote in their town's elections. It was definitely inspiring!
Time Out is a quick read with a lot of depth, covering topics like grief and corruption while also delivering an adorable romance story!
I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
Content Warnings: homophobia, grief, violence, bullying
Out of the gate, Time Out starts off with action as Barclay comes out as gay to his entire community in a pep rally speech. And the drama just escalates from there. What I enjoyed most about this book was the character development, especially when it came to Barclay. As he navigated the many challenges surrounding coming out in a very homophobic town, he made mistakes along the way but also strengthened his relationships with his friends and family. Barclay learned a lot about himself as a person and what it truly meant to be there for someone. However, I would have liked to see a bit more development when it came to the side characters like Tabby and Amy.
The atmosphere of the small town setting really came through in the writing and little details such as Barclay knowing the names of local business owners. With the fast-paced plot and short chapters, Time Out is a quick read. I'd recommend it as a fun beach read, or for anyone who loves binge-reading books. Barclay and Christopher's relationship was a very slow burn but worth the wait! I was rooting for them from the first chapter. While there is a cute romance in Time Out, there was also a political activism aspect that I enjoyed. Barclay and his friends worked diligently to encourage their classmates and fellow members of the community to sign up to vote in their town's elections. It was definitely inspiring!
Time Out is a quick read with a lot of depth, covering topics like grief and corruption while also delivering an adorable romance story!
October 27, 2024
Typowy średniak
Ważna i przyjemna książka, ale czuje, że szybko o niej zapomnę
Ważna i przyjemna książka, ale czuje, że szybko o niej zapomnę
January 9, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest, spoiler-free review!
Themes: Coming out, Finding yourself, Definition of a team
Representation: LGBTQ+, Grief
Content Warnings: Homophobia, Bullying, Violence
Premise: When basketball legend Barclay Elliot comes out in his small Georgia town, everything changes. And he must decide whether to fight back or cower.
Characters
I thought that the characters were well-represented. The majority of the main characters and side characters (excluding the antagonists) were pretty loveable while still remaining realistic. They also had pretty good character development.
I also like how the book focuses on many different types of relationships rather than just romantic ones. For example, I liked the emphasis that the author placed on Barclay’s relationship with his mom and siblings. I also liked Barclay’s relationship with Amy, Zack, and Tabby, his friends and how, although he is good friends with all of them (or eventually becomes good friends with all of them), their relationship looks different.
I also liked the chemistry between Christopher and Barclay and it is clear that they care for each other as Barclay even opens up to him. However, I wish there was a bit more since, from reading the story, I get the vibes that they are best friends rather than “more than friends.”
Rating: 4.5/5
Plot
I thought the plot was generally well-structured. I could clearly see where the exposition begins, where the climax starts, and where the falling action ends. I also thought that each part of the story had appropriate elements that correlate to the structure.
For example, a general introduction of the setting and characters in the exposition. A third-act conflict that makes Barclay realize important things in the climax. A tense rising action with twists and turns. And a falling action that resolves the problems that are tackled in the story.
However, I do wish that there was a bit more of a resolution in the denouement. I thought that if the reader got a chance to see how Barclay and his friends and team are doing sometime after the end of the book, it would’ve wrapped up the story more nicely.
Rating: 4.5/5
Style, Themes, Representation
I liked how the themes were represented in the book. I thought it was done fairly well. With the theme of homophobia and finding yourself represented realistically rather than only positively. Because unfortunately, even in the 21st century, there will be A-holes who see you differently if you come out as gay.
However, this book shows that with your friends, your family, and your support system, you can make the best of this situation, and educate the A-holes, while still changing things for the better (like fighting for a better town council.)
Finally, even though some portions of the book were a bit awkward, which makes sense considering it is an ARC, I enjoyed the overall formatting. I liked how there is a different font and format when the text type changes which makes the story easier to follow.
I also like that there are lots of pop culture references!
Final Rating
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Formatting: 4.7/5
Final Rating: 4.6/5 (round up to 5 stars)
Personal Rating: 4/5
Date Read: April 22nd, 2023
Date Reviewed: April 24th, 2023
Themes: Coming out, Finding yourself, Definition of a team
Representation: LGBTQ+, Grief
Content Warnings: Homophobia, Bullying, Violence
Premise: When basketball legend Barclay Elliot comes out in his small Georgia town, everything changes. And he must decide whether to fight back or cower.
Characters
I thought that the characters were well-represented. The majority of the main characters and side characters (excluding the antagonists) were pretty loveable while still remaining realistic. They also had pretty good character development.
I also like how the book focuses on many different types of relationships rather than just romantic ones. For example, I liked the emphasis that the author placed on Barclay’s relationship with his mom and siblings. I also liked Barclay’s relationship with Amy, Zack, and Tabby, his friends and how, although he is good friends with all of them (or eventually becomes good friends with all of them), their relationship looks different.
I also liked the chemistry between Christopher and Barclay and it is clear that they care for each other as Barclay even opens up to him. However, I wish there was a bit more since, from reading the story, I get the vibes that they are best friends rather than “more than friends.”
Rating: 4.5/5
Plot
I thought the plot was generally well-structured. I could clearly see where the exposition begins, where the climax starts, and where the falling action ends. I also thought that each part of the story had appropriate elements that correlate to the structure.
For example, a general introduction of the setting and characters in the exposition. A third-act conflict that makes Barclay realize important things in the climax. A tense rising action with twists and turns. And a falling action that resolves the problems that are tackled in the story.
However, I do wish that there was a bit more of a resolution in the denouement. I thought that if the reader got a chance to see how Barclay and his friends and team are doing sometime after the end of the book, it would’ve wrapped up the story more nicely.
Rating: 4.5/5
Style, Themes, Representation
I liked how the themes were represented in the book. I thought it was done fairly well. With the theme of homophobia and finding yourself represented realistically rather than only positively. Because unfortunately, even in the 21st century, there will be A-holes who see you differently if you come out as gay.
However, this book shows that with your friends, your family, and your support system, you can make the best of this situation, and educate the A-holes, while still changing things for the better (like fighting for a better town council.)
Finally, even though some portions of the book were a bit awkward, which makes sense considering it is an ARC, I enjoyed the overall formatting. I liked how there is a different font and format when the text type changes which makes the story easier to follow.
I also like that there are lots of pop culture references!
Final Rating
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Formatting: 4.7/5
Final Rating: 4.6/5 (round up to 5 stars)
Personal Rating: 4/5
Date Read: April 22nd, 2023
Date Reviewed: April 24th, 2023
June 19, 2023
“It’s not about what’s easiest. It’s about what’s authentic.”
cw: homophobia, f-slur, gun violence, underage drinking, death threats
No because why did I think this was going to be a cute YA sports romance based off of the cover… lmao, it wasn’t (the mmc and captain of the basketball team immediately quits after everyone else didn’t react to his coming out the way he wanted).
Time Out is a coming-of-age/coming out story set in Georgia.
Barclay’s 16th birthday and the Wildcats pep rally land on the same day, and he chooses this day to make his coming out announcement, though everyone is silent and blindsided by it.
For some of Barclay’s teammates, getting noticed by scouts and recruiters for scholarships is their only option, and this change in the dynamic of the team might really put securing a championship win in jeopardy… but no worries right, because Barclay just abandons them all?!
Barclay has barely been out, and already the narrative in the story has been shifted to focus on a political agenda and voting.
This was so angsty, and not in a cute way. The romance was such an afterthought, and quite predictable and one-note when you only happen to write one other openly gay kid into the story.
Also, the way Barclay thought on multiple occasions that Christopher was immune to any homophobia just because he’s been out longer, is so selfishly unaware.
Even all of the rallying as an advocate for lgbt+ rights were only encouraged by his best friend Amy, and not by Barclay himself.
Overall, didn’t really care for any of the characters.
cw: homophobia, f-slur, gun violence, underage drinking, death threats
No because why did I think this was going to be a cute YA sports romance based off of the cover… lmao, it wasn’t (the mmc and captain of the basketball team immediately quits after everyone else didn’t react to his coming out the way he wanted).
Time Out is a coming-of-age/coming out story set in Georgia.
Barclay’s 16th birthday and the Wildcats pep rally land on the same day, and he chooses this day to make his coming out announcement, though everyone is silent and blindsided by it.
For some of Barclay’s teammates, getting noticed by scouts and recruiters for scholarships is their only option, and this change in the dynamic of the team might really put securing a championship win in jeopardy… but no worries right, because Barclay just abandons them all?!
Barclay has barely been out, and already the narrative in the story has been shifted to focus on a political agenda and voting.
This was so angsty, and not in a cute way. The romance was such an afterthought, and quite predictable and one-note when you only happen to write one other openly gay kid into the story.
Also, the way Barclay thought on multiple occasions that Christopher was immune to any homophobia just because he’s been out longer, is so selfishly unaware.
Even all of the rallying as an advocate for lgbt+ rights were only encouraged by his best friend Amy, and not by Barclay himself.
Overall, didn’t really care for any of the characters.
July 17, 2023
Ummm the forgiveness of the team??? Somehow this kid in rural Georgia is the most forgiving high schooler ever, and that’s coming from a high school teacher. I wanted to like this so much but it just felt like there were too many big topics with not much closure.
I wonder how having 3 authors impacts it. I will say I would read a second book if there was one because I can see paths forward for a story.
I wonder how having 3 authors impacts it. I will say I would read a second book if there was one because I can see paths forward for a story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
"Time Out"? Yes. Thank God I'm done reading this book. I don't normally leave long reviews, but this book has summoned Mother Hen, and she's here to gather her chickadees. Every character is irredeemably unlikable. Every adult is a qualified POS, and there isn't a single one that steps in to help or mentor the MC. Where's the wise and lovable mentor? Nonexistent. The main thing that irritated me was the CONSTANT and incessant grieving for the MC's grandfather (AKA Scratch or sometimesas Gramps). It was brought up on almost EVERY page. MC goes to school: "I remember when Scratch used to drive me to school, but he's dead." MC goes out to eat: "I remember when Scratch used to eat eggs for breakfast, but now he's dead. The MC waking up from a nap: "I remember when Scratch used to take naps, but now he's dead." FFS it was annoying. The title for this book should have been "High School Junior Loses Grandfather AKA 'Scratch' AKA 'Gramps' And Uses that as the Main Plot Device...Oh, and He's Gay and Is Tortured the Entire Book For It." The second thing that annoyed me was that the MC is LITERALLY tortured the entire book, and then ends up back where he was in the first place and apologizes to everyone as if he has Stockholm Syndrome. He's called every single name you can call a gay person, and the ONLY time that anyone suffers consequences is only after there's video proof of someone trying to run him over with a car. And the punishment: that person can no longer play basketball. GMAFB, ok? This book is the equivalent of a time wasting tiktok video that you watch and then wonder, "Why did I waste 30 secs watching that?" There's no moral to the story or takeaway. This is the entire book summed up in a single sentence: "High school junior comes out to his basketball team, leaves the team, does random things like help get the townsfolk registered to vote (wtf?), and then rejoins the team at the very end, and even so, the coach still thinks he's a degenerate and doesn't apologize, and his mother is still an aloof POS and the MC borrows a tissue to weep over his dead grandfather for literally the 183732838th time." The END. I have read LOTS of queer YA, and this is one of the worst books that I've read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2024
WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD
I have to be honest, I had much higher hopes for this book than what it gave me. I LOVE a good gay romance, and a sports romance? Um. Don't mind if I do! But it just kind of fell flat for me. It started out with this kid stressing about this clock, basically a death clock counting down the days until he dies, but that kind of has nothing to do with the rest of the story? I mean, it started the emphasis of what his grandfather meant to him and the town and everything, but I feel like this ominous death clock was just weird, especially when it's not really mentioned much during the rest of the book.
Barclay's story was interesting though, I will give you that. His beginning of coming out at a pep rally was a LOT, and I didn't even *really* experience it, you know because it's a book. But that was such a big, public way to go about it, especially in this predominantly ignorant-thinking town (seems like at least). I mean the reaction of the people at the pep rally by itself set this just depressing tone for the rest of the book. I honestly wasn't sure what all was going to happen to get to the happy ending we all knew it was destined to be.
Enter: Christopher, basically the saving grace of Barclay's life in this book. I mean their little flirt-mance was cute for most of the book, but can I just say I wish they would've just gotten together sooner? Even if the kiss was just a few chapters earlier, I feel like we could've gotten a lot more out of this story.
Everything with Ostrowski was dramatic and very much nepo-baby-esk considering who his father was during this book and all of that. Honestly, these authors could've RAN with that topic and again, it just kind of fell flat. Yes, Barclay did set the truth free and such, but there was so much of the story missing in the middle. It just felt like there could've been SO much more throughout this book and there just... wasn't.
Again, I had such high hopes for this and I did enjoy some of it but the more I think about what I just read and how it all worked out, the less impressed I am with the whole thing. Just ended up being meh.
I have to be honest, I had much higher hopes for this book than what it gave me. I LOVE a good gay romance, and a sports romance? Um. Don't mind if I do! But it just kind of fell flat for me. It started out with this kid stressing about this clock, basically a death clock counting down the days until he dies, but that kind of has nothing to do with the rest of the story? I mean, it started the emphasis of what his grandfather meant to him and the town and everything, but I feel like this ominous death clock was just weird, especially when it's not really mentioned much during the rest of the book.
Barclay's story was interesting though, I will give you that. His beginning of coming out at a pep rally was a LOT, and I didn't even *really* experience it, you know because it's a book. But that was such a big, public way to go about it, especially in this predominantly ignorant-thinking town (seems like at least). I mean the reaction of the people at the pep rally by itself set this just depressing tone for the rest of the book. I honestly wasn't sure what all was going to happen to get to the happy ending we all knew it was destined to be.
Enter: Christopher, basically the saving grace of Barclay's life in this book. I mean their little flirt-mance was cute for most of the book, but can I just say I wish they would've just gotten together sooner? Even if the kiss was just a few chapters earlier, I feel like we could've gotten a lot more out of this story.
Everything with Ostrowski was dramatic and very much nepo-baby-esk considering who his father was during this book and all of that. Honestly, these authors could've RAN with that topic and again, it just kind of fell flat. Yes, Barclay did set the truth free and such, but there was so much of the story missing in the middle. It just felt like there could've been SO much more throughout this book and there just... wasn't.
Again, I had such high hopes for this and I did enjoy some of it but the more I think about what I just read and how it all worked out, the less impressed I am with the whole thing. Just ended up being meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2024
Despite the bad reviews I read, I still wanted to give this book a chance, but I really did not like it. I have many criticisms that other low-star reviews have already mentioned, so I won’t repeat those points. However, I do want to express my frustration with literally every character in this book. None of their actions felt natural or appropriate for the situations they were in. Everything, including the depiction of homophobia, felt extremely forced. The main character especially seemed like a hollow shell with no personality. His sole motivation for everything he does is his deceased grandfather, and while that is understandably sad, none of this would’ve happened if he had just gone to therapy.
The reason I’m giving this book 2 stars instead of 1 is because I did see some potential. I liked Christopher in the first half of the book, and it is a queer story, so I appreciate the diversity. However, there were too many flaws and aspects that were deeply frustrating. The chemistry between characters was nonexistent, and the way everyone just accepted blatant homophobia and abuse as everyday occurrences was unsettling. Moreover, there is absolutely no character development. I definitely do not recommend this book, and despite what the back cover claims, it is not a book for “Heartstopper” fans.
The reason I’m giving this book 2 stars instead of 1 is because I did see some potential. I liked Christopher in the first half of the book, and it is a queer story, so I appreciate the diversity. However, there were too many flaws and aspects that were deeply frustrating. The chemistry between characters was nonexistent, and the way everyone just accepted blatant homophobia and abuse as everyday occurrences was unsettling. Moreover, there is absolutely no character development. I definitely do not recommend this book, and despite what the back cover claims, it is not a book for “Heartstopper” fans.
June 2, 2024
It's certainly A Book™
No es malo per se, la verdad me gustó mucho la forma de narrar en común a la que llegaron los autores y me gustó bastante el trabajo del narrador del audiolibro. Pero es un libro corto que trata las temáticas homoodio, corrupción, traumas, duelo por una muerte, militancia... y es demasiado corto para tratar todas esas cosas y poder desarrollarlas lo suficiente para que no sea todo una mezcolanza.
Pasan las cosas del principio, de repente son dos meses después y hay cosas mucho más desarrolladas de lo que sabe el lector porque se desarrollaron en esos dos meses que los autores no narraron. Por eso cosas como la relación romántica que se da parece súper random y poco creíble, por ejemplo, lo cual hace que no puedas disfrutar del todo la historia. Además, el tema de la militancia y la corrupción quedan medio colgadas justamente porque le dan mucha importancia pero, si vamos al caso, las escenas de partidos de básquet se sienten mucho más importantes que las de esas temáticas.
Leería de nuevo esta historia si fuera más largo y los autores tuvieran más espacio para desarrollar las ideas. Lo que sí, ese final lo cambiaría. This ain't a 90s romance after all así que el discurso final... mmmmmmmm...........
(Aguanten las HSM vibes!)
⇝ ᴇʟ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʟɪʙʀᴏ ʟᴏ ᴇꜱᴄᴜᴄʜᴇ ᴀ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇꜱ ᴅᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀᴀɴᴅ (ꜱɪ ᴛᴇ ʀᴇɢɪꜱᴛʀᴀꜱ ᴄᴏɴ ᴇꜱᴇ ʟɪɴᴋ ᴛᴇɴᴇꜱ 60 ᴅɪᴀꜱ ɢʀᴀᴛɪꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʀ ᴇʟ ꜱᴇʀᴠɪᴄɪᴏ 🥳)
No es malo per se, la verdad me gustó mucho la forma de narrar en común a la que llegaron los autores y me gustó bastante el trabajo del narrador del audiolibro. Pero es un libro corto que trata las temáticas homoodio, corrupción, traumas, duelo por una muerte, militancia... y es demasiado corto para tratar todas esas cosas y poder desarrollarlas lo suficiente para que no sea todo una mezcolanza.
Pasan las cosas del principio, de repente son dos meses después y hay cosas mucho más desarrolladas de lo que sabe el lector porque se desarrollaron en esos dos meses que los autores no narraron. Por eso cosas como la relación romántica que se da parece súper random y poco creíble, por ejemplo, lo cual hace que no puedas disfrutar del todo la historia. Además, el tema de la militancia y la corrupción quedan medio colgadas justamente porque le dan mucha importancia pero, si vamos al caso, las escenas de partidos de básquet se sienten mucho más importantes que las de esas temáticas.
Leería de nuevo esta historia si fuera más largo y los autores tuvieran más espacio para desarrollar las ideas. Lo que sí, ese final lo cambiaría. This ain't a 90s romance after all así que el discurso final... mmmmmmmm...........
(Aguanten las HSM vibes!)
⇝ ᴇʟ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʟɪʙʀᴏ ʟᴏ ᴇꜱᴄᴜᴄʜᴇ ᴀ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇꜱ ᴅᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀᴀɴᴅ (ꜱɪ ᴛᴇ ʀᴇɢɪꜱᴛʀᴀꜱ ᴄᴏɴ ᴇꜱᴇ ʟɪɴᴋ ᴛᴇɴᴇꜱ 60 ᴅɪᴀꜱ ɢʀᴀᴛɪꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʀ ᴇʟ ꜱᴇʀᴠɪᴄɪᴏ 🥳)
May 21, 2023
This book reminded me A LOT of the tv show Love, Victor if you added politics and made almost everyone an asshole. The main focus was our main character coming out as gay, wanting to play basketball and trying to reconcile the two.
I don’t think any of the characters were 100% likeable but some were better than others. I thought most of the plot was fairly stereotypical and predictable but I think that also made it quicker to read. I did enjoy this book but it’s not one I see myself rereading in the future.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I don’t think any of the characters were 100% likeable but some were better than others. I thought most of the plot was fairly stereotypical and predictable but I think that also made it quicker to read. I did enjoy this book but it’s not one I see myself rereading in the future.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
July 4, 2024
Gahhhh.....
I wanted to like this so so bad. I love Dean Hayes so so much. But man... This book was SO bad. For having 3 writers you would think that the story would flow better. All of these characters are so unlikable and obnoxious. Listen, I may not like this because it is FULL of teen drama which is something I hate, but it just comes off as writers who are too old to be writing this kind of book.
This was not for me.
I wanted to like this so so bad. I love Dean Hayes so so much. But man... This book was SO bad. For having 3 writers you would think that the story would flow better. All of these characters are so unlikable and obnoxious. Listen, I may not like this because it is FULL of teen drama which is something I hate, but it just comes off as writers who are too old to be writing this kind of book.
This was not for me.
March 19, 2023
nah I’m still pissed off at the entire team(minus Zach he was okay) Barclay is a much more forgiving person than me
I love Christopher though and yay for some Jewish rep
I love Christopher though and yay for some Jewish rep
June 18, 2023
Hmm. 3.5? For sure thought the main premise here (coming out at a pep rally) was a bit over the top.
January 15, 2024
so damn corny i loved it
July 9, 2024
jakie to było piękne 🥹🥹 uwielbiam prawdziwość tej książki i to jak wszystko jest ładnie, realnie przedstawione 🤞 dziękuję że powstała taka wspaniała historia!
October 13, 2023
I think my biggest problem with this book was the fact that all the issues were kept on the surface. While Barclay struggles to come out to his small town, there were deeper issues in this southern community that were hinted at but would have benefited from something more. Christopher was a great character who really wasn’t allowed to shine as much as I’d have liked.
I liked it. But I wanted more from the story. Maybe that’s the issue when there are 3 authors…too many cooks and all that?
I liked it. But I wanted more from the story. Maybe that’s the issue when there are 3 authors…too many cooks and all that?
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