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Most Popular Guy in the School #1
Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
High school can be some of the best years of life-and some of the toughest. Mark Mitchell's strategy for surviving is to emulate the mighty turtle: pull back inside his protective shell and keep a low profile to avoid trouble. And it works-nobody bothers him. Of course, nobody really knows him, either, even in a town so small it seems like everybody must know everyone else.
Mark certainly knows Bill Cromwell, whom he meets officially when his father volunteers him for manual labor at the school. Bill is his polar opposite: outgoing, gregarious, athletic. But when a massive snowstorm traps the two boys together for three days, Mark learns that being popular doesn't mean you can't be bullied or abused-or gay-and that bullying doesn't stop at the school doors.
Mark isn't na ve. He's seen the news reports of gay teen suicides, and he's determined not to become a statistic. But it's not himself he's worried about.
Mark certainly knows Bill Cromwell, whom he meets officially when his father volunteers him for manual labor at the school. Bill is his polar opposite: outgoing, gregarious, athletic. But when a massive snowstorm traps the two boys together for three days, Mark learns that being popular doesn't mean you can't be bullied or abused-or gay-and that bullying doesn't stop at the school doors.
Mark isn't na ve. He's seen the news reports of gay teen suicides, and he's determined not to become a statistic. But it's not himself he's worried about.
178 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2012
41 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Robbie Michaels
10 books23 followersRobbie Michaels grew up in rural upstate New York, the same setting as the beginning of The Most Popular Guy books. It was not always easy growing up thinking he was the only gay person in the world. He felt like a stranger in a very strange land for most of those years, always having to act a part, play a role, until he later met other gay folks and found out that he was not alone. He was teased and bullied when others suspected that he might be gay. But he survived those days and found that life does get better, even though at the time it sure didn’t seem possible. He wants first and foremost to tell others to hang on and to have hope for a better tomorrow. Life is a wonderful, marvelous thing to be embraced and celebrated. Don’t ever give up. You are the only you there is. You are not alone. There are many, many, many others like you out there and some day you will meet them and together you will change the world in a wonderful, positive way.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 30, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
1.5 stars
I had high hopes for this book, but ultimately I didn't like it for a variety of reasons, mostly because it needed a lot more work before it was ready to be presented to readers. If it weren't for the fact that I accepted this for review, I probably would have stopped reading it.
Mark is decidedly in the closet. He doesn't really have any friends and is a self-proclaimed math nerd. He meets Bill for the first time when they're forced to unload a truck full of candy bars at the high school over a Saturday. He's known of Bill forever -- they live in a tiny town and Bill is a hottest and most popular guy in school. Bill has never talked to him though, as casually and like friends as on that day. Afterwards, they meet again as the last people leaving the school just as a snow storm hits, leaving Bill stranded with Mark's family for several days. There, Mark starts to question if Bill is really what he assumed he was and if he's gay like himself. The two grow into lovers, but outward best friends, as they and Mark's family take up several public causes against bullying and abuse.
What I first noticed that gave me pause was the rather strained dialogue. The way Mark (as well as the other young people) speak doesn't sound like a high school student. The words were off and while I noticed that the syntax and cadence of Mark's speech and narration was at times made to seem quite young, the words and phrases he uses are at odds with how I remember and expect teenagers to sound (like "my peers", for one example of many).
Perhaps what bothered me the most was that the book is really preachy. Mark and his family continually take up cause after cause, which is fine and they mean well. In fact, the message of the book, the golden rule, is fine and well. I found it difficult to read the same pithy sentiments over and over though, often the exact same quotes. Issues are often explained down to every detail (what is wrong with bullying, etc.) and with melodramatic flair that made it all over the top. A crucial point in the story is a scene where Bill confronts others about bullying and what followed was a quite unrealistic, shame on you speech. It mostly made me feel like rolling my eyes because it seemed a bit callous to treat such really serious issues as if the world just needed a talking to and everyone would go on their merry way, a whole culture changed. Despite the fact that I couldn't reconcile the realism brought to the story by the real bullying and abuse and then the unrealistic treatment of it, iI was sad that a nugget of a great story was presented and then not explored.
The characters fell flat to me for a few reasons. Mark didn't act like a consistent teenager. Bill faces some extremely terrible issues that are dropped halfway through the story without any real lasting affect on his character. The way Mark's parents go about their crusade fundamentally bothered me. Both Bill and Mark often say to jocks who make comments about "faggots" seeing them in the shower that they should be proud they're "hot enough to get attention from women and men". I just kept thinking… what?
I kept wondering if I was taking this book completely different than how it was intended because I just didn't get it. I couldn't decide if all these were deliberate choices by the author. On the one hand, I could perhaps see where some of it is satirical, but that didn't completely jibe. Either way, the book needed more work and more editing in my opinion -- not only for content but also to deal with some sentence problems. Some of the information that is presented over and over (several times an event or scene is told from beginning to end in the retelling to other characters, and without altering or adding new information which would give the retelling purpose) should have been taken out.
Like I said earlier, there's a nugget of a good story in here, it just needed a lot more coaxing out before this was really ready for publishing. I probably won't be carrying on with the series, and I can't recommend this book to readers. I can see where other readers will like this, so please, by all means read other reviews and decide for yourself. This is solely my opinion and my reaction to the book.
1.5 stars
I had high hopes for this book, but ultimately I didn't like it for a variety of reasons, mostly because it needed a lot more work before it was ready to be presented to readers. If it weren't for the fact that I accepted this for review, I probably would have stopped reading it.
Mark is decidedly in the closet. He doesn't really have any friends and is a self-proclaimed math nerd. He meets Bill for the first time when they're forced to unload a truck full of candy bars at the high school over a Saturday. He's known of Bill forever -- they live in a tiny town and Bill is a hottest and most popular guy in school. Bill has never talked to him though, as casually and like friends as on that day. Afterwards, they meet again as the last people leaving the school just as a snow storm hits, leaving Bill stranded with Mark's family for several days. There, Mark starts to question if Bill is really what he assumed he was and if he's gay like himself. The two grow into lovers, but outward best friends, as they and Mark's family take up several public causes against bullying and abuse.
What I first noticed that gave me pause was the rather strained dialogue. The way Mark (as well as the other young people) speak doesn't sound like a high school student. The words were off and while I noticed that the syntax and cadence of Mark's speech and narration was at times made to seem quite young, the words and phrases he uses are at odds with how I remember and expect teenagers to sound (like "my peers", for one example of many).
Perhaps what bothered me the most was that the book is really preachy. Mark and his family continually take up cause after cause, which is fine and they mean well. In fact, the message of the book, the golden rule, is fine and well. I found it difficult to read the same pithy sentiments over and over though, often the exact same quotes. Issues are often explained down to every detail (what is wrong with bullying, etc.) and with melodramatic flair that made it all over the top. A crucial point in the story is a scene where Bill confronts others about bullying and what followed was a quite unrealistic, shame on you speech. It mostly made me feel like rolling my eyes because it seemed a bit callous to treat such really serious issues as if the world just needed a talking to and everyone would go on their merry way, a whole culture changed. Despite the fact that I couldn't reconcile the realism brought to the story by the real bullying and abuse and then the unrealistic treatment of it, iI was sad that a nugget of a great story was presented and then not explored.
The characters fell flat to me for a few reasons. Mark didn't act like a consistent teenager. Bill faces some extremely terrible issues that are dropped halfway through the story without any real lasting affect on his character. The way Mark's parents go about their crusade fundamentally bothered me. Both Bill and Mark often say to jocks who make comments about "faggots" seeing them in the shower that they should be proud they're "hot enough to get attention from women and men". I just kept thinking… what?
I kept wondering if I was taking this book completely different than how it was intended because I just didn't get it. I couldn't decide if all these were deliberate choices by the author. On the one hand, I could perhaps see where some of it is satirical, but that didn't completely jibe. Either way, the book needed more work and more editing in my opinion -- not only for content but also to deal with some sentence problems. Some of the information that is presented over and over (several times an event or scene is told from beginning to end in the retelling to other characters, and without altering or adding new information which would give the retelling purpose) should have been taken out.
Like I said earlier, there's a nugget of a good story in here, it just needed a lot more coaxing out before this was really ready for publishing. I probably won't be carrying on with the series, and I can't recommend this book to readers. I can see where other readers will like this, so please, by all means read other reviews and decide for yourself. This is solely my opinion and my reaction to the book.
October 25, 2012
DNF @30%.
Nearly all tell no show. Repetitive. Boring exposition. Stiff and unnatural dialogue. Extremely didactic. Extremely!
Nearly all tell no show. Repetitive. Boring exposition. Stiff and unnatural dialogue. Extremely didactic. Extremely!
November 28, 2012
I liked the tone of Mark's narration - it was simplistic and 'OMG!' in a lot of places, but fit with the perspective you might expect from a teenage boy. I do get very tired of 40-year-old attitudes and opinions coming out of teenage mouths in some YA books. And overall, I thought the plot was creative, and made a sincere effort to address several issues affecting teens and families: alcoholism, domestic abuse, bullying, the vulnerability of those hiding a family secret.
But the plot devolved in several places from 'best case scenario' to 'Disney movie' to 'fairy tale' - as if the author was trying to show ALL the best outcomes for a variety of tough realities.
It's lovely, but coming all together it just got to be too much, and unless someone was looking for a 'how it SHOULD have been' story, I think the improbability of ALL the story lines ending with love and joy and lots of money would cause a lot of eye-rolling.
But the overall take-away is that this is a feel-good story, with a nice break from the realities of life and a 'this is the way the story should end for all of us' tone. I liked it!
But the plot devolved in several places from 'best case scenario' to 'Disney movie' to 'fairy tale' - as if the author was trying to show ALL the best outcomes for a variety of tough realities.
It's lovely, but coming all together it just got to be too much, and unless someone was looking for a 'how it SHOULD have been' story, I think the improbability of ALL the story lines ending with love and joy and lots of money would cause a lot of eye-rolling.
But the overall take-away is that this is a feel-good story, with a nice break from the realities of life and a 'this is the way the story should end for all of us' tone. I liked it!
April 18, 2013
“Bill was happy. My mother was happy. And I’d seen him naked and hard – I was happy too. We were all happy…”
The quote above basically describes this book, pretty much in a nutshell. It was designed to make us happy – everyone in the book was happy, and I am about 99 percent sure the author was happy writing this.
It is your typical feel-good, social outcast/math nerd meets school jock that has it all, and they fall head over heels. In this particular book, the social outcast is in the form of Mark, a gay senior who has made it his life goal to emulate the turtle, to blend in and withdraw, if necessary. You see, he lives in a very small town, and has found anonymity the best way to deal with aforementioned homosexuality – don’t ask, don’t tell. Full review at Greedy Bug Book Reviews- http://greedybug.blogspot.com.au/2013...
January 20, 2015
The first half was really good...then it turned really ridiculous. All those adults butting into Bill's parents lives and they both accepted that? Mark's father has a stern talk with Bill's abusive father and he suddenly decides to leave his wife and son, not to mention his entire life, behind? Then there was the silliness that was the presentation about bullying at school, the principal getting suspended, the protests that Mark's parents arrange...the second half just keeps going like this. Maybe the author should have left it about two teenage boys finding what it means to be gay and fall in love for the first time. The book was great when that was the main focus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2013
So. This book is written two thirds like a journal, with scarce conversations. In fact, I think it would have served the story better to have this in a journal or diary form. I personally would have loved more dialog and interaction between the MC's. Because of the lack of getting-to-know-you dialog, the relationship between the MC's just sort of... was. They found out both of them are gay, and just... got together. I mean from zero to ninety in a heartbeat. From a tentative sort of friendship to an established couple. Sure, it can go this way, I'm not saying it can't. But I just felt deprived of how Mark and Bill actually are together, what they talk about, how they spend time together, what they do with each other. Everything is explained in rather general terms. I wanted more detail. Also, this story was a bit preachy. Yet... considering the importance of the topic, i.e. bullying, coming out, and support or lack thereof by adults, I can understand why the narrative includes all of it.
But where this story ultimately shined the brightest was the hopeful tone running throughout. The positive light that came from leading by example was wonderful. It seems the only way people are going to get used to the idea of differences is to show that they really are no different at all from any other things. Gays are just like heteros: They meet, they date, they fall in love, they marry (fingers crossed to make this a reality for all), and they build a life together. If more people thought of it this way, then they'd realize there is nothing to be afraid of or hate with a vengeance.
Mark is the loner who hopes to blend in. Bill is the popular jock everyone loves and admires. But both harbor a secret: Mark is gay, and Bill is too, but Bill has the added hardship of living in an abusive household. What starts out as a tentative friendship brought on my snowy conditions, turns into a life-altering experience for both of them, and the people around them. Mark takes action when he sees his new friend hurt, and this leads to healing on many levels. If more communities would show the kind of proactive solutions depicted here, the world would be a better place for sure.
If I had gotten to know the characters deeper through interaction and discussion, I would have given this five stars. I am hoping the following books in the series will shed more light on these guys. The support and love they show each other is beautiful to behold. I wish them only the best. Recommended!
But where this story ultimately shined the brightest was the hopeful tone running throughout. The positive light that came from leading by example was wonderful. It seems the only way people are going to get used to the idea of differences is to show that they really are no different at all from any other things. Gays are just like heteros: They meet, they date, they fall in love, they marry (fingers crossed to make this a reality for all), and they build a life together. If more people thought of it this way, then they'd realize there is nothing to be afraid of or hate with a vengeance.
Mark is the loner who hopes to blend in. Bill is the popular jock everyone loves and admires. But both harbor a secret: Mark is gay, and Bill is too, but Bill has the added hardship of living in an abusive household. What starts out as a tentative friendship brought on my snowy conditions, turns into a life-altering experience for both of them, and the people around them. Mark takes action when he sees his new friend hurt, and this leads to healing on many levels. If more communities would show the kind of proactive solutions depicted here, the world would be a better place for sure.
If I had gotten to know the characters deeper through interaction and discussion, I would have given this five stars. I am hoping the following books in the series will shed more light on these guys. The support and love they show each other is beautiful to behold. I wish them only the best. Recommended!
September 9, 2012
Sorry, couldn't finish this one. I am not a fan of the writing style for this book at all...too rambling and although it's written in that 1st person POV and as if he's truly "telling" the story, I think that's what hurt it for me. Telling instead of showing. I wanted to like this and struggled through the first 7 chapters and am calling it quits, sorry.
September 2, 2012
I really wanted to like this book but there wasn't enough dialog between the MC's, we got a whole lot of tell and not enough show, there isn't any conclusion to the bullying story, who did it? There was a lot that went on and at the end everything was perfect.
September 29, 2017
Mark and Bill are high school students who are in different social circles at school. Bill is a "jock" and Mr. Popular, while Mark is an unpopular gay nerd. Bill's car dies at school on a very cold and snowy night, and Mark invites him to stay at his house. When they are together it it revealed -- surprise surprise -- Bill is gay. Well, the two main characters have a chance to be together, and then the weather clears enough for Bill to get a new battery for his car and drive home.
The balance of the story is about how Mark and Bill can find some way to be together considering that their lives have very little interaction. An added fact comes up in the book -- Bill is being abused by his alcoholic father. (This part of the story reads like an old after school special.). There is a big intervention to save Bill and his mother from the drunken father, and then Bill stays with Mark and his family. Bill's mother is first taken to a safe house and then she runs away, but she leaves envelopes of money for Bill's college costs taped to the bottom of all of the drawers in the family house. She also leaves Bill an old steamer trunk that isn't opened until the last few chapters of the book.
Both boys want to be in the same school, and they are both accepted into UCLA. They fly from their small upstate New York town to tour the UCLA campus and to try and find a place to live for the upcoming semester. Surprise surprise . . . The boys meet a stewardess who just happens to gave a filthy rich mother with a guest house on her estate that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is willing to give the boys the guesthouse for free as long as they look in on her every so often. Ahhhh ...... yeah, that's realistic -- a million dollar guest house for free.
When they get back home, the boys finally realize that they never opened the steamer trunk that Bill's mother left for him. What's in the steamer trunk? Again, surprise, surprise . . . A whole bunch of first edition books in mint condition that are all signed by the authors (Mark Twain, Jack London, Edith Wharton, and others). These books were apparently collected by a distant aunt of Bill's more than 100 Years earlier, and there is a note to the person who finds the books from the aunt that they should be sold to further the finder's education. They bring the books to an auction house in New York City to get a price for them. It ends up that, after paying the auction houses commission, Bill ends up collecting more than $100,000 for the books. Enough money for every expense at college, along with anything else he could possibly need. This story is just getting ridiculous.
There is a pat ending between Mark and Bill, that just ties this sicky sweet story with a big ribbon. Although the story is so sweet it could rot your teeth out of your head, it is also very disappointing. I know it's a Harmony Press book, but, overall, a disappointing three star review from me.
The balance of the story is about how Mark and Bill can find some way to be together considering that their lives have very little interaction. An added fact comes up in the book -- Bill is being abused by his alcoholic father. (This part of the story reads like an old after school special.). There is a big intervention to save Bill and his mother from the drunken father, and then Bill stays with Mark and his family. Bill's mother is first taken to a safe house and then she runs away, but she leaves envelopes of money for Bill's college costs taped to the bottom of all of the drawers in the family house. She also leaves Bill an old steamer trunk that isn't opened until the last few chapters of the book.
Both boys want to be in the same school, and they are both accepted into UCLA. They fly from their small upstate New York town to tour the UCLA campus and to try and find a place to live for the upcoming semester. Surprise surprise . . . The boys meet a stewardess who just happens to gave a filthy rich mother with a guest house on her estate that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is willing to give the boys the guesthouse for free as long as they look in on her every so often. Ahhhh ...... yeah, that's realistic -- a million dollar guest house for free.
When they get back home, the boys finally realize that they never opened the steamer trunk that Bill's mother left for him. What's in the steamer trunk? Again, surprise, surprise . . . A whole bunch of first edition books in mint condition that are all signed by the authors (Mark Twain, Jack London, Edith Wharton, and others). These books were apparently collected by a distant aunt of Bill's more than 100 Years earlier, and there is a note to the person who finds the books from the aunt that they should be sold to further the finder's education. They bring the books to an auction house in New York City to get a price for them. It ends up that, after paying the auction houses commission, Bill ends up collecting more than $100,000 for the books. Enough money for every expense at college, along with anything else he could possibly need. This story is just getting ridiculous.
There is a pat ending between Mark and Bill, that just ties this sicky sweet story with a big ribbon. Although the story is so sweet it could rot your teeth out of your head, it is also very disappointing. I know it's a Harmony Press book, but, overall, a disappointing three star review from me.
September 28, 2014
When a snow storm ends up marooning athletic Bill Cromwell, the "most popular boy in school," at the home of (and in the bed of) Mark Mitchell, a gay boy who's made an art of being invisible, a sweet and unlikely relationship is born.
That's the beginning of this book's scenario and it is charming and an intriguing bit of wish fulfillment. The story is told in the first person with Mark as the narrator and voice actor Michael Stellman is a great choice whose voice fits the main character well. The narrator has an odd mix of world weary, angsty teen ennui that Michael Stellman embodies well.
However the book is flawed in a few ways. While it's clear that the POV is that of a high school senior, the sometimes fussy prose sounds too old for the kid narrator. And hearing that youthful voice describing another high-schooler as a "man" so many times felt inorganic somehow.
Also my "willing suspension of disbelief" is challenged again and again. The domestic abuse intervention described in the plot was unlike anything I've ever heard of. The over-earnest anti-hate assembly segment seemed to morph into a wish fulfillment fantasy/fever-dream more typical of a queer-nation refugee than the author that penned the first part of the story.
When the "fever-dream" ends and the story goes on to other topics, it becomes more engrossing again, however I did also have trouble believing that a guy who suffers that level of domestic abuse is popular at school. This kinda thing does damage to the psyche.
Part way through the book I started to become certain that Robbie Williams was a mother & part time author rather than the man that I first envisioned when I read the name.
Another credibility issue... Why doesn't Mom object to her teen son sharing a bed with another boy? Finally, discovering the contents of the steamer trunk made restoring credibility impossible for me. This tale became a complete wish fulfillment fantasy tale.
Only at the very end does the books title become clear. Though I've still not decided who the author is its clear... the author is clearly a book lover."
Overall I enjoyed this book and I'll probably even listen to it again but I can't help but feel that the makings of an even better book were here but unrealized.
One last audio-book note: In this book I encountered what has to be my first audio-book equivalent of a typo... the narrator used the word Sutterfuge. I'm assuming that Subterfuge was intended but it was clearly not what was said. A minor point, but for me, a memorable one.
That's the beginning of this book's scenario and it is charming and an intriguing bit of wish fulfillment. The story is told in the first person with Mark as the narrator and voice actor Michael Stellman is a great choice whose voice fits the main character well. The narrator has an odd mix of world weary, angsty teen ennui that Michael Stellman embodies well.
However the book is flawed in a few ways. While it's clear that the POV is that of a high school senior, the sometimes fussy prose sounds too old for the kid narrator. And hearing that youthful voice describing another high-schooler as a "man" so many times felt inorganic somehow.
Also my "willing suspension of disbelief" is challenged again and again. The domestic abuse intervention described in the plot was unlike anything I've ever heard of. The over-earnest anti-hate assembly segment seemed to morph into a wish fulfillment fantasy/fever-dream more typical of a queer-nation refugee than the author that penned the first part of the story.
When the "fever-dream" ends and the story goes on to other topics, it becomes more engrossing again, however I did also have trouble believing that a guy who suffers that level of domestic abuse is popular at school. This kinda thing does damage to the psyche.
Part way through the book I started to become certain that Robbie Williams was a mother & part time author rather than the man that I first envisioned when I read the name.
Mom led the domestic abuse intervention
Mom led the protest that got Bill reinstated in school after a somewhat preachy anti-hate school assembly
Mom planned the boys' cross country campus visit/trip to UCLA
Another credibility issue... Why doesn't Mom object to her teen son sharing a bed with another boy? Finally, discovering the contents of the steamer trunk made restoring credibility impossible for me. This tale became a complete wish fulfillment fantasy tale.
Only at the very end does the books title become clear. Though I've still not decided who the author is its clear... the author is clearly a book lover."
Overall I enjoyed this book and I'll probably even listen to it again but I can't help but feel that the makings of an even better book were here but unrealized.
One last audio-book note: In this book I encountered what has to be my first audio-book equivalent of a typo... the narrator used the word Sutterfuge. I'm assuming that Subterfuge was intended but it was clearly not what was said. A minor point, but for me, a memorable one.
July 29, 2016
What a perfect title for a novel exploring preconceptions, and the idea that not everyone is what they seem. Who would have guessed, for instance, that invisible Mark Miller would turn out to be such a force to be reckoned with? Certainly no one had any idea that Bill Cromwell, one of the most popular guys in the school, is actually broken inside. Yet, when these two very different boys are thrown together one Saturday morning whilst helping out at school, they forge an unexpected bond and unearth things about one another they never would have imagined.
Mark doesn’t have a problem with being gay. Actually, he’s proud of who he is and only wishes he could be open about his sexuality. Of course, it’s unlikely his fellow high school students would be quite so accepting. Rather than end up the victim of bullying, Mark chooses to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. It works. His classmates are barely aware he exists. Until, that is, he starts hanging around with Bill and finds himself attracting just the sort of unwelcome attention he has worked so hard to avoid.
On the surface, Bill is your typical jock: outgoing, self-confident, and drop-dead gorgeous. Few people know of his unhappy home life, spent with an abusive father and demoralized mother, starved of any kind of affection. Certainly no one has ever suspected he might be gay. In fact, Bill has concealed the truth about himself from the world for so long, he barely knows who he is anymore. So, when he meets Mark and is welcomed into the warmth and generosity of the Miller family, he is completely overwhelmed. Suddenly, he doesn’t feel so alone.
This is a poignant debut novel about courage and learning to live again after years of fear and abuse. First and foremost, however, it is a love story. Not a dramatic love story, perhaps. There are no tragic misunderstandings or bitter betrayals. Instead we have two boys, who, having spent their lives hiding who they really are, finally discover a soul mate in the other. If you’re looking for a sweet teen romance to warm your heart, I would recommend giving this book a go.
Written for Rainbow Book Reviews and Boys on the Brink
Mark doesn’t have a problem with being gay. Actually, he’s proud of who he is and only wishes he could be open about his sexuality. Of course, it’s unlikely his fellow high school students would be quite so accepting. Rather than end up the victim of bullying, Mark chooses to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. It works. His classmates are barely aware he exists. Until, that is, he starts hanging around with Bill and finds himself attracting just the sort of unwelcome attention he has worked so hard to avoid.
On the surface, Bill is your typical jock: outgoing, self-confident, and drop-dead gorgeous. Few people know of his unhappy home life, spent with an abusive father and demoralized mother, starved of any kind of affection. Certainly no one has ever suspected he might be gay. In fact, Bill has concealed the truth about himself from the world for so long, he barely knows who he is anymore. So, when he meets Mark and is welcomed into the warmth and generosity of the Miller family, he is completely overwhelmed. Suddenly, he doesn’t feel so alone.
This is a poignant debut novel about courage and learning to live again after years of fear and abuse. First and foremost, however, it is a love story. Not a dramatic love story, perhaps. There are no tragic misunderstandings or bitter betrayals. Instead we have two boys, who, having spent their lives hiding who they really are, finally discover a soul mate in the other. If you’re looking for a sweet teen romance to warm your heart, I would recommend giving this book a go.
Written for Rainbow Book Reviews and Boys on the Brink
June 16, 2022
A story of how to overcome and be empowered to a new life
This a story that is true and deeply touching. A story of searching, discovery and courage. A story that may turn some people iff, but truly speak to the human adventure in life.
This a story that is true and deeply touching. A story of searching, discovery and courage. A story that may turn some people iff, but truly speak to the human adventure in life.
January 18, 2016
Mark Mitchell isn't one of the popular guys in school. He's not a total pariah, but he's a bit of a nerd and not even the slightest bit athletic. His plan is to just do what he needs to do to get through high school and not make any waves until then. On one cold morning when Mark is volunteered to help unload the chocolate orders for a class fundraiser, he's a bit surprised to be working with Bill Cromwell. Bill's probably the most popular guy in school, and he's incredibly sexy. Mark manages to get through the day without being completely distracted by his attractive classmate and puts all of his thoughts away for later. He stands no chance with a straight jock like Bill. A few nights later, when an unexpected snowstorm hits, Mark finds Bill stranded in the parking lot and offers him a ride home. It seems like an easy enough task, but the chance offer turns out to be something that intertwines the two of them together in very unexpected ways. Mark's vision of Bill's life as being perfect is clearly far from the truth, and they both just might have to stick together to survive until graduation.
I had an idea of the basic concept of this story when I read the blurb. Nerdy gay teen starts crushing on the obviously straight jock. It turns out maybe the obviously straight jock isn't so straight after all. It's a story I've definitely seen before. But there's more to this story--it goes in some unexpected directions and deals with a whole range of other issues. So it stands out as unique for me in terms of the way the story unfolds. And I found myself enjoying reading about the characters and the town where they live.
I did feel like Bill's speech didn't come across as being as inspiring as the characters in the book seemed to think it was. And I also feel like the book could have ended a little earlier than it did. But I definitely think this one is worth a read. I'm looking forward to picking up the second installment in the series.
I had an idea of the basic concept of this story when I read the blurb. Nerdy gay teen starts crushing on the obviously straight jock. It turns out maybe the obviously straight jock isn't so straight after all. It's a story I've definitely seen before. But there's more to this story--it goes in some unexpected directions and deals with a whole range of other issues. So it stands out as unique for me in terms of the way the story unfolds. And I found myself enjoying reading about the characters and the town where they live.
I did feel like Bill's speech didn't come across as being as inspiring as the characters in the book seemed to think it was. And I also feel like the book could have ended a little earlier than it did. But I definitely think this one is worth a read. I'm looking forward to picking up the second installment in the series.
January 30, 2018
Mr. Michaels has crafted a wonderful story of coming of age, of coming to yourself. Two boys becoming men are thrown together from seemingly divergent paths in life to find they have much more in common than they could possibly believe. With the support of Mark's family and the community Bill and his mother are rescued from an abusive relationship. The two soon become more than just friends and soon discover more about themselves and their community than either could have expected. A great page turner from start to finish.
October 19, 2017
I have to say I really liked the first half of the novel; in the second half though, too many amazingly happy outcomes and unbelievably lucky encounters coupled with strong moral messaging spoiled things for me.
July 19, 2012
This is a really cute YA book! Loved it!
July 25, 2012
Great Book.
August 27, 2022
Before saying anything else, let me say that I enjoyed reading this.
When I was a child, I used to read a series of children's books called "The Happy Hollisters". They were published sometime in the 40s or 50s. They were earnest and corny, with stilted dialogue and descriptions...and I loved them. This author's style reminds me very much of "The Happy Hollisters". This book is almost embarrassingly earnest and the writing is so clunky and stilted.
However. This is a very unusual book and the author has a unique and appealing take on gay life. It is safe to say that this book could only have been written by a gay man...I don't have to google this author to ascertain that. The sensibility here speaks for itself. Although this book is corny, it is also at times subversive. For example, this is definitely a coming-out tale, but the two boys never actually come out...nor do they deny who they are, either publicly or privately. They don't agonize. The mc tells us several times that he loves being gay. His comments about straight people are hilariously but also sadly on the mark. The depiction of child abuse can only be described as sober, clear-eyed, and matter of fact. It is not emotionally moving, but it is absorbing and you will be drawn into this story.
It is incredible how a book can have a brutal gay-bashing scene and yet also be such a wonderful affirmation of gay life. This is not gay tragedy put on the page for entertainment. This is a love story, straight up, with no misunderstandings or stupid arguments or phony split-ups to be followed quickly by reconciliations.
I have read two other books by this author, which were written in a very similar style. I compare it to Jay Bell, but less well-written and much shorter and more concise. But the sensibility is similar. If you like reading Jay Bell, you will enjoy this.
When I was a child, I used to read a series of children's books called "The Happy Hollisters". They were published sometime in the 40s or 50s. They were earnest and corny, with stilted dialogue and descriptions...and I loved them. This author's style reminds me very much of "The Happy Hollisters". This book is almost embarrassingly earnest and the writing is so clunky and stilted.
However. This is a very unusual book and the author has a unique and appealing take on gay life. It is safe to say that this book could only have been written by a gay man...I don't have to google this author to ascertain that. The sensibility here speaks for itself. Although this book is corny, it is also at times subversive. For example, this is definitely a coming-out tale, but the two boys never actually come out...nor do they deny who they are, either publicly or privately. They don't agonize. The mc tells us several times that he loves being gay. His comments about straight people are hilariously but also sadly on the mark. The depiction of child abuse can only be described as sober, clear-eyed, and matter of fact. It is not emotionally moving, but it is absorbing and you will be drawn into this story.
It is incredible how a book can have a brutal gay-bashing scene and yet also be such a wonderful affirmation of gay life. This is not gay tragedy put on the page for entertainment. This is a love story, straight up, with no misunderstandings or stupid arguments or phony split-ups to be followed quickly by reconciliations.
I have read two other books by this author, which were written in a very similar style. I compare it to Jay Bell, but less well-written and much shorter and more concise. But the sensibility is similar. If you like reading Jay Bell, you will enjoy this.
November 15, 2022
I’m a huge fan of YA Books and have read many. I had some fundamental issues with this book as I see some others have pointed out. First , the romance between Mark and Bill - not realistic. I had a hard time believing how two boys who never interacted in the past , suddenly bond and fall in love during a snowstorm lock down. And on top of that , I honestly didn’t like how Mark pretty much sees Bill as a sex object for the first half of the book, clearly physical lust. He doesn’t attempt to get to know Bill as a person , and thus it was hard to like Mark. Bill was also quite one dimensional - the readers get that he has an difficult situation at home , but this is dropped after the first half of the book. I would imagine a boy who’s had domestic violence in his family all his life would have some degree of emotional trauma. This wasn’t conveyed. Or - conveyed very superficially. And, second issue- the preaching. It’s just way too much. The message of the book was good but to continuously have it shoved in the readers face , took me out of the novel completely. And finally , what happened to the plot after the first half , it really didn’t have any significant events to propel the story forward. Good attempt by the author but I feel the novel needs quite a bit of work.
August 12, 2022
This is an excellent book. It does however bring up issues such as hate,bullying, domestic violence. But also shows "What goes around Comes Around" in the meaning of helping one another in times of need. I'm glad I read this book! I really hope whomever reads this Review will enjoy it as much as I have!!!😉🏳️🌈🇺🇲🇬🇷
January 2, 2023
Loved this book and the lessons it talks about. The difficult subjects are just that and beautifully told. Definitely worth a read.
January 9, 2023
Well-written 1st person account of being gay in Highschool. Many gay men will see themselves in many of these situations. A quick easy read, full of love, intrigue, family, and learning how to fit in your skin. I can't wait to read the next book in this series of 3.
April 3, 2016
Title: Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover
Author: Robbie Michaels
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
ISBN: 978-1-61372-713-3
Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Most Popular Guy in the School: Book One
High school can be some of the best years of life—and some of the toughest. Mark Mitchell's strategy for surviving is to emulate the mighty turtle: pull back inside his protective shell and keep a low profile to avoid trouble. And it works—nobody bothers him. Of course, nobody really knows him, either, even in a town so small it seems like everybody must know everyone else.
Mark certainly knows Bill Cromwell, whom he meets officially when his father volunteers him for manual labor at the school. Bill is his polar opposite: outgoing, gregarious, athletic. But when a massive snowstorm traps the two boys together for three days, Mark learns that being popular doesn’t mean you can’t be bullied or abused—or gay—and that bullying doesn’t stop at the school doors.
Mark isn’t naïve. He’s seen the news reports of gay teen suicides, and he’s determined not to become a statistic. But it’s not himself he’s worried about.
Summary:
Mark, like many young adults, was just trying to keep a low profile and get through high school without any problems. The issue of his being gay and in the closet make it that much more complicated. His life abruptly changed when he and Bill, a popular jock, first worked together for the school and second forced together during a nasty winter storm. Mark began to realize that being popular had little to do with your home life as he learned that all wasn't was it should be at Mark's home. Issues at school tried to end their friendship, but Bill showed his character by refusing to bow to public opinion when he was confronted by his piers. Life in high school can be difficult to navigate if individuals feel alone and helpless. It only takes one person to make a difference as shown by both Bill and Mark's action. This story shows that being true to yourself may not be the easiest way, but in the end it makes your stronger.
Author: Robbie Michaels
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
ISBN: 978-1-61372-713-3
Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Most Popular Guy in the School: Book One
High school can be some of the best years of life—and some of the toughest. Mark Mitchell's strategy for surviving is to emulate the mighty turtle: pull back inside his protective shell and keep a low profile to avoid trouble. And it works—nobody bothers him. Of course, nobody really knows him, either, even in a town so small it seems like everybody must know everyone else.
Mark certainly knows Bill Cromwell, whom he meets officially when his father volunteers him for manual labor at the school. Bill is his polar opposite: outgoing, gregarious, athletic. But when a massive snowstorm traps the two boys together for three days, Mark learns that being popular doesn’t mean you can’t be bullied or abused—or gay—and that bullying doesn’t stop at the school doors.
Mark isn’t naïve. He’s seen the news reports of gay teen suicides, and he’s determined not to become a statistic. But it’s not himself he’s worried about.
Summary:
Mark, like many young adults, was just trying to keep a low profile and get through high school without any problems. The issue of his being gay and in the closet make it that much more complicated. His life abruptly changed when he and Bill, a popular jock, first worked together for the school and second forced together during a nasty winter storm. Mark began to realize that being popular had little to do with your home life as he learned that all wasn't was it should be at Mark's home. Issues at school tried to end their friendship, but Bill showed his character by refusing to bow to public opinion when he was confronted by his piers. Life in high school can be difficult to navigate if individuals feel alone and helpless. It only takes one person to make a difference as shown by both Bill and Mark's action. This story shows that being true to yourself may not be the easiest way, but in the end it makes your stronger.
May 25, 2014
While it's common for young adult literature to be didactic and guide readers to some sort of truth, this book has all the subtlety of a charging rhino. The messages readers are supposed to take away come in the form of stiff monologues that get redundant by the second or third page. But it's not just the redundant sentences in each speech; the characters often spend five or six pages describing to another character everything that happened in the last few chapters. It makes both the story and the characters agonizingly boring.
Having the characters word-vomit the evils of oppressing gay people, not taking a stand against bullying and abusive households doesn't have the inspirational effect the author probably intended. It feels more like being beaten over the head with a sign that says, "Don't!" while the characters lose their individuality. One moment Bill acts the very image of an abused child, and the next he's on stage in front of the whole school preaching about the wrongness of bullying without displaying any of the characteristics he did before. And Mark? He wants nothing more than to emulate a turtle and never come out as being gay. Yet he gives Bill a speech about how it's okay to be gay, and you need to find people to support you. It's worth noting that we never see Mark come out to his parents, and they never seem to question all the time Bill and Mark spend upstairs behind a closed door.
If you can get past unrealistically well-resolved string of mini conflicts, there is actually one lesson this book does a good job of imparting: lead by example. Mark's parents may have said as much a few dozen times, but the disappointingly happy resolution to each problem comes from people who do the right thing without having to be asked. It's unlikely the average reader will find themselves in as many serendipitous friendships as Mark, but they might try to lead by example so others may enjoy an easier experience. If readers can take that to heart, then reading this book isn't a complete waste of time.
Having the characters word-vomit the evils of oppressing gay people, not taking a stand against bullying and abusive households doesn't have the inspirational effect the author probably intended. It feels more like being beaten over the head with a sign that says, "Don't!" while the characters lose their individuality. One moment Bill acts the very image of an abused child, and the next he's on stage in front of the whole school preaching about the wrongness of bullying without displaying any of the characteristics he did before. And Mark? He wants nothing more than to emulate a turtle and never come out as being gay. Yet he gives Bill a speech about how it's okay to be gay, and you need to find people to support you. It's worth noting that we never see Mark come out to his parents, and they never seem to question all the time Bill and Mark spend upstairs behind a closed door.
If you can get past unrealistically well-resolved string of mini conflicts, there is actually one lesson this book does a good job of imparting: lead by example. Mark's parents may have said as much a few dozen times, but the disappointingly happy resolution to each problem comes from people who do the right thing without having to be asked. It's unlikely the average reader will find themselves in as many serendipitous friendships as Mark, but they might try to lead by example so others may enjoy an easier experience. If readers can take that to heart, then reading this book isn't a complete waste of time.
January 27, 2013
3.5 Stars
I loved the plot of this novel, but there were a few things that did not sit well with me. The story stars Mark Mitchell and Bill Cromwell. Mark is an outcast in his high school since he pulls back and tries to fly under the radar and that actually works for him. No one knows who he is or if he even exists. Bill Cromwell is the opposite of Mark. He’s popular, outgoing, athletic and handsome. What do they have in common? They are both gay teens with unique families. When the two meet one day, there is an instant connection between them. Soon, they become good friends and then lovers.
Mark was a really amazing character just like Bill. The story is solid and there are few twists that I liked. For example, Bill is the one being abused at home by his alcoholic father. The only thing that blew me off was the way the story was written. There were a few times when Mark sounded like a teenager and in others were he sounded like a forty year old man. There wasn’t a constant narrative voice throughout the novel. There were a few scenarios that sounded unreal, but this is YA Fiction so that is fine by me. Besides that, I really loved the plot and characters.
I recommend this novel to anyone who loves YA novels with special little twists that will keep you wanting more.
I loved the plot of this novel, but there were a few things that did not sit well with me. The story stars Mark Mitchell and Bill Cromwell. Mark is an outcast in his high school since he pulls back and tries to fly under the radar and that actually works for him. No one knows who he is or if he even exists. Bill Cromwell is the opposite of Mark. He’s popular, outgoing, athletic and handsome. What do they have in common? They are both gay teens with unique families. When the two meet one day, there is an instant connection between them. Soon, they become good friends and then lovers.
Mark was a really amazing character just like Bill. The story is solid and there are few twists that I liked. For example, Bill is the one being abused at home by his alcoholic father. The only thing that blew me off was the way the story was written. There were a few times when Mark sounded like a teenager and in others were he sounded like a forty year old man. There wasn’t a constant narrative voice throughout the novel. There were a few scenarios that sounded unreal, but this is YA Fiction so that is fine by me. Besides that, I really loved the plot and characters.
I recommend this novel to anyone who loves YA novels with special little twists that will keep you wanting more.
January 17, 2015
This isn't just a poorly-executed narrative that had some real potential, based on the turn of events which unfold. Rather, the portions in which both MCs share anti-harassment messages are problematic, and should not have been allowed. Having characters say things like "So what if someone's checking you out in the locker room? Just feel flattered. No one's going to jump you." is not an anti-harassment message. It's uninformed, ineffective, and downright dangerous. A speaker's bullhorn in the wrong hands can do as much damage as the silence on an issue.
If you want a book that feels like something from Creative Writing 101 - before peer reviews for feedback; if you to spend pages and pages of having a writer TELL you more than show you; or, if you want to feel like you're listening to one long rambling conversation across a dinner table that clearly has some emotional resonance for the speaker, to the point that you feel guilty trying to interrupt, then this one's a winner. I think even my attempt at snark could hold your attention better than this title.
If you want a book that feels like something from Creative Writing 101 - before peer reviews for feedback; if you to spend pages and pages of having a writer TELL you more than show you; or, if you want to feel like you're listening to one long rambling conversation across a dinner table that clearly has some emotional resonance for the speaker, to the point that you feel guilty trying to interrupt, then this one's a winner. I think even my attempt at snark could hold your attention better than this title.
December 29, 2015
Tiresome read. There's so much that happens in what seems to be a short time with these boys and so much of it just seems unrealistic. I like both of the MC's but the story drags with so many events that just don't seem to lead to a conclusion of any kind. I'm not sure if this is because the story actually spans 3 books or I just can't "feel" the story. I just keep reading and thinking "OK already...get to the point." This isn't a good feeling when I've still got 2 books to read. This book reads like diary entries and I never like these books because I never feel pulled into the story. Instead I feel like an outside observer and that isn't why I like to read.
February 21, 2022
A gem among all the precious jewels of the world,
A splendid story of tragic proportions turns into the best read of 2022. It is a stunning piece of entertainment in this book! I love what this book represents in its meaning of finding what’s important in life and what’s what you gonna do about it and what’s the end result it’s gonna be! Bill and Mark are my heroes in this epic love story because the fought for each other love and mental strengths! And that what this life is all about! Way to go!
A splendid story of tragic proportions turns into the best read of 2022. It is a stunning piece of entertainment in this book! I love what this book represents in its meaning of finding what’s important in life and what’s what you gonna do about it and what’s the end result it’s gonna be! Bill and Mark are my heroes in this epic love story because the fought for each other love and mental strengths! And that what this life is all about! Way to go!
October 25, 2012
Don't judge a book by its first chapters! I really loved the first third of this book. It's a beautiful heartbreaking love story that brought tears to my eyes! 5 stars for this part of the story! After that the story became totally unrealistic. It was an odd experience readings this part (1 star). The last third is quite okay again, although it is pretty eventless and partially even boring (3 stars).
Not sure if I'll read the other books of this series.
Not sure if I'll read the other books of this series.
March 16, 2013
a bit of happily ever after quality to it. On the other hand, it's nice to read a story like this now and then, even if it does have more than a bit of a fairy tale quality to it. I've read a lot of books I liked better, but I don't regret having read this one.
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