Boys Like Kevin: A Coming of Age Novel

by D.J. Ciccarello

A struggling teen confronts his past secrets and hidden desires for a second chance at love and happiness.

Nineteen-year-old Kevin Summers returns to his hometown as an unemployed college dropout, broke and nearly homeless. Hoping for a fresh start, he must come to terms with his mistakes before rebuilding his life. The past he's running from isn't finished with him yet.

Beneath Kevin's carefully constructed facade lies a storm of guilt, longing, and self-doubt. As he reconnects with old friends and someone new, his past and present collide in powerful, unexpected ways. Grappling with betrayal and disillusionment, a chance encounter with an old friend changes everything. Kevin faces a pivotal choice: continue living a lie or risk everything to embrace his true self. Trust is fragile, and authenticity comes at a price.

Boys Like Kevin, is a moving LGBTQ+ coming-of-age novel about desire, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to live with authenticity, even when it hurts.

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 29, 2024

About the author

D.J. Ciccarello writes tales of conflict and change (spiced with secrets and second chances) across multiple genres. Boys Like Kevin was his debut novel. He is also the author of The Lucky Chip and No Time for Duplicity, both psychological thrillers. His fourth novel entitled Boys Like Daniel is a sequel to Boys Like Kevin and will be released September 30th, 2025. When not writing, D.J. enjoys competitive tennis and traveling the world in search of delicious cuisine with his husband.

Follow at https://www.djciccarello.com/

Reviews

[Val Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

D.J. Ciccarello’s first novel, ‘Boys Like Kevin’, came as a welcome surprise. His novel has all the maturity of a seasoned writer. We follow Kevin through several stages of his transition from youth to teenager to becoming a man. We are with him on his journey as he makes mistakes, marries for all the wrong reasons, and has to ultimately accept responsibility for his actions.

From beginning to end, Ciccarello’s writing effortlessly carried me on the journey with Kevin. His prose drew me in, and there were times when it was difficult to put the book down.

I can happily recommend this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book, but was surprised that I got drawn in so quickly because it is unusual. Kevin has just returned to his home town after it seems his life has imploded. What follows is the story of his life from a young age against the backdrop of the notable events of the succeeding decades in counterpoint to his experiences as he goes through the various stages of school, his friendships, and interests. It is about life choices and their consequences, values instilled growing up, feelings of right and wrong, curiosity and experimentation, accepting responsibilities, and assessing what is really important in life, set within the society of the 1960s, 70s and 80s in central and southern Florida.

The topic of homosexuality in those decades in America runs through the story, its acceptance or lack thereof, misinformation, curiosity, questioning, experimentation, and personal growth when trying to discover one’s own sexuality and identity.

It is the story of a young man seeking the meaning in his life, what he wants and doesn’t want, mistakes and how he handles them, discovering who he really is and what more he can become.

An interesting and thought-provoking read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stu Worthington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Kevin's journey to self-realisation. An intricate novel about how and why someone might choose a path that is opposite to what they really want and convince themselves that they made the right decision. Many of those choices are told in great detail and sometimes the detail can slow the pace a little but then the novel regains its speed again. We get to understand how Kevin's interactions with others and his need for approval and recognition shapes his way forward and how hard it can be to break free. A powerful read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Grant King · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️✨

I would certainly read a second book from this author. I enjoyed the story, overall. Now, while the story definitely has good bone structure, the narrative is far too descriptive about things that serve little to no purpose to the advancement of the plot. Authors have to walk a fine line between telling a story and showing a story; this book is mostly telling, and it doesn’t truly give the reader a chance to sink deeper than what’s already on the page. Lastly, for a book that’s supposed to be about a young man struggling with his sexuality, there’s surprisingly little on that subject throughout the book. The way it’s handled feels quite abrupt and less organic.

[Miles K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking

I generally liked it for the most part; I DO sort of wish that the start of something with Daniel had been pursued to some kind of conclusion, whether their friendship stayed the same, changed, or disappeared completely.
All in all, an entertaining and well written book.
I tend to read- particularly e-books- with some advance reservations, since so many novice authors seem to have no clue regarding the proper use of the English language; grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling seem to have no importance anymore. Of course, this is also increasingly evident in newspapers, magazines, and other forms of public writing by people who supposedly are professionals. So I am a non-professional, closet proofreader attempting to single-handedly (it sometimes seems) the correct use of the language.
This writer, however, did very well, in my opinion, particularly with his debut novel. If he writes another true-to-life book
(paranormal subjects dont interest me) I will probably want to read it.

[David W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced readers copy of this book and am happy to voluntarily leave this review.

First, let me say that I have known the author for about 25 years and am proud to be his friend.

Second, I am a recently retired public librarian who spent 33 years in the field, including oversight of library collections in several positions.

Boys Like Kevin rang true to so much of my own journey in learning to accept myself as a gay man. I laughed. I reflected on my own life. And I cried more than once, both for the heartbreak and for the incredible tenderness in Kevin’s self-discovery. The book is filled with insight and true kindness as Kevin takes responsibility for his mistakes and moves forward with a willingness to open himself to truth and the possibility of love.

I loved this book!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. When I would start reading, I found it hard to put down. There were so many ways that I indentified with Kevin. However, I was never the athletic fit type lol.

I feel like the beginning and middle were written very well. You may be thinking, “Then the end was bad?” My answer would be, not bad, it just felt rushed to me. I feel like we spent time on Kevin’s young life, on the time he was married, and then toward the end it felt like the author was rushing to tie it all up.

I wish we had a little more to feast on there at the end, but it was well written. It was a great story. I just wanted a little more. For a debut novel though, this was fantastic!

[JMDL79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading this book! We all go through those coming-of-age years, I could relate to what Kevin felt and experienced as he navigated the expectations and complexities of being true to one-self, leaving your childhood home as a young adult. At its heart, the story is about a struggling young man who returns to his hometown to confront his mistakes and secrets. I really felt for the character and what he went through while trying to build a life for himself. It also speaks to resilience and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I am voluntarily leaving a review after having received a free copy of this book.*

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I wasn't expecting it to take the path it did, starting near the end of Kevin's story and circling all the way back to the beginning. I enjoyed the descriptions of the time periods as Kevin grew up; they helped me picture everything better in my head. All the characters who come and go throughout Kevin's life are well fleshed-out, as well. As another reviewer mentioned, it almost felt like reading a biography. Occasionally I would get a little bogged down in the descriptions, because everything is described in such great detail, but the story would quickly pull me back in. Overall I enjoyed this heartfelt novel about self-discovery, making mistakes, and forgiving oneself. Also I wish I had a cool aunt like Alice.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5** This was a hard one for me to review. I couldn't connect with Kevin. The story begins with Kevin coming back to his hometown, now divorced & unsure where he stands in life. I know it was a telling of his history as a young man but he seemed very arrogant & to me he felt like the world owed him. He's closeted to the point where as a young adult, he used women as beards to the excess & doesn't treat them fairly. Now an adult & back he wants to try to live a life that he's always wanted but is still afraid. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mike Strong · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boys Like Kevin is billed as a coming-of-age novel, but the character never really wrestles with any of the emotional pains he clearly has. The story is written as a series of actions: Kevin did this, then Kevin did this, then Kevin did this. The chapters jump in time without proper context and the narrative remains the same despite Kevin getting older. It felt like a fully fleshed out draft for a book rather than a final work.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is now back in his old home where he feels lost and lonely. His life changes as he has secrets which may affect his future. He will new people and old friends but which ones will help him better? Will he find love? Will his life get better? See how he gets on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I had such a good time reading this book. We follow Kevin's story of selfdiscovery. The author's writing is simple and beautiful and makes it so easy to read. It was beautiful.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is extraordinary!! From the very beginning, this story had me engaged and filled with anticipation! Kevin's journey from childhood to adulthood is completely relatable so the story just flowed easily! Fantastic read! I cannot wait for the next novel!!

[Urszula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Interesting story about finding yourself and your needs. Good reality and background that adds to the story. Well developed characters and relationships among them. Definitely pleasurable read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[James Sheehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coming of age journey

It’s not a destination. The lead character travels through growing up, making mistakes, and discovering who he is and what he wants. It’s not simple or easy. But like for me, it’s a journey. The destination is still out there.

[Shawn E Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!!

This was an awesome story and could totally relate to Kevin's life. I'm probably two years older than Kevin, so I lived a lot of the same emotions and events. So I had trouble putting the book down 🙂

[Rafael Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Great read.

[Keith OByrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun honest read

I throughly enjoyed the story. The characters were very relatable and the ending was not necessarily predictable. I definitely plan to read more by DJ

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the author's debut novel, so I will try to be kind. But there's very little originality or depth to the story of another middle-class white boy struggling to mask his homosexuality. This book should really be identified and marketed as Young Adult; it may speak more fully to those dealing with this situation in their own life, as opposed to those of us who lived it long ago.

Like Kevin, I cycled through friends and activities in teen years - even some of the same ones as our feckless hero, taking up tennis and chess to make me more attractive to my peers. But Kevin's story is painfully thin. Much of it centers on his sexual awakening with women, with very little abut how this conflicts with his underlying homosexual desires. Once he decides to stop looking at other boys in the shower, we hear no more about his buried sexual identity until years later. He makes disastrous choices, but spends no real time reflecting on why he makes these choices, or what he's hiding.

In like fashion, the author is squirrelly about Kevin's education. Growing up in a military family in the same period as this novel (Kevin's father is a veteran and a firefighter), it was expected - no, required - that we children would attend college. Kevin, the eldest of his siblings, seems to face no such pressure. Instead, he gets married (disastrously) and takes a job far removed from home (equally disastrously). Only when he has crawled home (this is not a spoiler) do we learn he's been taking classes all along??? To my mind, this is deeply flawed plotwork.

This really shortchanges Kevin's character; his editors should have insisted that the character have greater depth than just another teenage boy working a stockroom and banging chicks. His "coming of age" as straight is prosaic, and his coming out as gay flies by the last 30 or 40 pages. Bada boom, he's got a job, an apartment, a sweet guy friend, and life is hunky dory. Most of us went through a few more rough spots than that - and I had a loving and (eventually) accepting family.

Feels a lot like a first draft.