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Ben Raphael's All-Star Virgins
Sixteen-year-old Jake McCullough and his friends Rider, Brody, Carlton, and Tim are the invisible boys of Ben Raphael Academy, an exclusive coed prep school. Brody decides they need “mystique” to garner attention. “Nobody has more mystique than a desirable virgin,” he declares. Thus is born Ben Raphael’s All-Star Virgin Order or BRAVO.
The boys polish their appearances. Brody launches a subtle but canny publicity campaign. Soon, the boys are being noticed. But they’re emotionally fragile. Two have succumbed to a seductive female teacher. Jake and Rider, roommates and best friends who are attracted to one another, fear the stigma of being gay.
It takes an unspeakable tragedy to make the BRAVO boys realize what’s important in life, and that “virginity” has more than one meaning.
The boys polish their appearances. Brody launches a subtle but canny publicity campaign. Soon, the boys are being noticed. But they’re emotionally fragile. Two have succumbed to a seductive female teacher. Jake and Rider, roommates and best friends who are attracted to one another, fear the stigma of being gay.
It takes an unspeakable tragedy to make the BRAVO boys realize what’s important in life, and that “virginity” has more than one meaning.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2014
57 people want to read
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K.Z. Snow
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 5, 2017
When Joyfully Jay decides to have another reading challenge month this year and opens the first week with TBR Pile Week (or read books that have been in your TBR piles for at least a year) I decided to finally read this one.
K.Z. Snow is one of my favorite authors in the first 5 years of my reading M/M genre (around 2010-2014). She no longer publishes books (*sad face*); this YA novella was her last (released in 2014). I bought it immediately back then but never read it because I couldn't get the right mood to do so.
I must say that this isn't her strongest book. There is quite an important social issue here -- -- and because of the shorter length, I didn't feel like it was adequately explored. Especially because this novella ended with a kind of tragedy, that came out of nowhere. The romance between Jake and Rider also didn't feel explored enough.
Short thought... the length made this one not quite satisfying :(
On the good note, I still LOVE Snow's writing and it reminded me on how much I miss her stories...
Part of my involvement in Joyfully Jay Reading Challenge Month 2017 Week 1: TBR Pile Week
K.Z. Snow is one of my favorite authors in the first 5 years of my reading M/M genre (around 2010-2014). She no longer publishes books (*sad face*); this YA novella was her last (released in 2014). I bought it immediately back then but never read it because I couldn't get the right mood to do so.
I must say that this isn't her strongest book. There is quite an important social issue here -- -- and because of the shorter length, I didn't feel like it was adequately explored. Especially because this novella ended with a kind of tragedy, that came out of nowhere. The romance between Jake and Rider also didn't feel explored enough.
Short thought... the length made this one not quite satisfying :(
On the good note, I still LOVE Snow's writing and it reminded me on how much I miss her stories...
Part of my involvement in Joyfully Jay Reading Challenge Month 2017 Week 1: TBR Pile Week
October 29, 2014
At best, the teenage years are a confusing time of life; on one hand, teens want to be unique and to be noticed; on the other hand, they want to try to fit in and appear like everyone else. Jake, from 'Ben Raphael's All Star Virgins' by K.Z. Snow, is right in the middle of this ambivalence when his friends form an alliance dedicated to improving their images, making them appear intriguing and popular, rather than boring and unnoticed. Jake doesn't care so much, because he's not interested in being noticed by anyone other than his roommate, Rider; but, at the same time, Jake is trying to deny the physical sensations being close to Rider invoke. He's not ready to admit that he may be gay. As their campaign to make them more appealing continues, secrets are revealed which change the lives of Jake and his friends forever.
Jake is a good young man, smart, honest, and almost pretty. As with most of his friends, Jake has distant parents who don't feel like family. At school, he and his friends experience the nurturing they miss at home by banding together as brothers of the heart. Jake has been making excuses for years about his attraction to other men, not wanting to admit the obvious; but, when it comes to Rider, the feelings are so strong they become impossible to deny, only Jake won't take the first step. Their love is just beginning to blossom when Jake accidentally discovers a dark secret about Rider which could tear them apart. Jake is hurt, but the relationship between them is too important for him to ignore it. Jake knows if they are going to continue to be together, he has to know the truth. He confronts Rider which clears the air and gives Rider the courage to finally get out of a bad situation. Getting things out in the open draws Jake and Rider even closer together.
Rider has been attracted to Jake for a long time, but hasn't acted on it because he's not sure that Jake is gay. Finally, he decides to show Jake how he feels and Jake confesses his attraction as well. When Jake finds out about his affair with one of their female teachers, Rider knows he owes it to Jake to be completely honest with him. He explains how it started and how difficult getting out of it is, especially with someone as manipulative and cunning as his teacher is. Rider knows that the consequences of ending things with her could be devastating if the teacher tries to turn it all around to sound like Rider is the one who instigated the affair, but Rider has had enough and, along with Jake's support, is ready to face it.
Although this is a YA story, it concerns itself with some tough issues. KZ handles these with honesty and compassion. Older women preying on children is not a subject anyone wants to think about, but it is one which everyone should be aware of. There are certain signs that adults need to recognize in order to keep our children safe from this emotionally devastating circumstance. Children should never be made to feel ashamed, used, and guilty by adults, particularly ones whose care they are under. Mixed in with all this seriousness is a very endearing love story. I admired Jake for his honesty and Rider for being able to forgive himself and go on to create an even closer bond with Jake.
I recommend this serious, but important story, not only to teens who need to learn how to deal with these kinds of situations, but to adults as well. I think we need to keep our children as safe as we possibly can and this book has some important information about how to accomplish that. Thanks, KZ, for this insightful and informative story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Jake is a good young man, smart, honest, and almost pretty. As with most of his friends, Jake has distant parents who don't feel like family. At school, he and his friends experience the nurturing they miss at home by banding together as brothers of the heart. Jake has been making excuses for years about his attraction to other men, not wanting to admit the obvious; but, when it comes to Rider, the feelings are so strong they become impossible to deny, only Jake won't take the first step. Their love is just beginning to blossom when Jake accidentally discovers a dark secret about Rider which could tear them apart. Jake is hurt, but the relationship between them is too important for him to ignore it. Jake knows if they are going to continue to be together, he has to know the truth. He confronts Rider which clears the air and gives Rider the courage to finally get out of a bad situation. Getting things out in the open draws Jake and Rider even closer together.
Rider has been attracted to Jake for a long time, but hasn't acted on it because he's not sure that Jake is gay. Finally, he decides to show Jake how he feels and Jake confesses his attraction as well. When Jake finds out about his affair with one of their female teachers, Rider knows he owes it to Jake to be completely honest with him. He explains how it started and how difficult getting out of it is, especially with someone as manipulative and cunning as his teacher is. Rider knows that the consequences of ending things with her could be devastating if the teacher tries to turn it all around to sound like Rider is the one who instigated the affair, but Rider has had enough and, along with Jake's support, is ready to face it.
Although this is a YA story, it concerns itself with some tough issues. KZ handles these with honesty and compassion. Older women preying on children is not a subject anyone wants to think about, but it is one which everyone should be aware of. There are certain signs that adults need to recognize in order to keep our children safe from this emotionally devastating circumstance. Children should never be made to feel ashamed, used, and guilty by adults, particularly ones whose care they are under. Mixed in with all this seriousness is a very endearing love story. I admired Jake for his honesty and Rider for being able to forgive himself and go on to create an even closer bond with Jake.
I recommend this serious, but important story, not only to teens who need to learn how to deal with these kinds of situations, but to adults as well. I think we need to keep our children as safe as we possibly can and this book has some important information about how to accomplish that. Thanks, KZ, for this insightful and informative story.
NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
December 3, 2014
Read my review here!
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When one of them comes up with a plan to change that, to make them become noticed and to highlight their “mystique” as virgins who aren't trying to chase tail, a rare breed among boys their age, the rest go along. What starts out as a simple act to try and make a quiet, forgotten group noticed and desired winds its way into a far darker journey of discovery, loss, and love.
Well, I can say for certain that cute and light were not quite what I got out of this. It speaks volumes about the thought process of youth and how they seek to be seen, but more than that seek acceptance. It was all a very sad reality to me. And while there is an element of romance in this between Rider and Jake, I feel the heart of the story lies more in the group of boys themselves.
Reading the blurb again, I think it sounds a bit cheesy toward the end in regards to an unspeakable tragedy, and when I read what this tragedy was, it may have at first seemed over-dramatic and far-fetched, but the more I thought about it, the more realistic it actually was - and that thought made me incredibly sad.
*POTENTIAL SPOILER REGARDING POSSIBLY TRIGGERING TOPIC: I was also surprised at the heaviness of a certain topic in this. I will say that if anyone has a hard boundary line when it comes to relationships between minors and adults of the more manipulative nature, you should steer clear of this. For some reason, I didn't expect it to happen. Granted, this isn't a long book, but it still surprised me when the initial idea was hinted at and then fleshed out.
I do think that the tragedy aspect of it, as well as the taboo relationship part, would've been more impactful in a book of novel length. With this being 134 pages, everything was quick, and the brief glimpses we got of this issues being dug into were quite nice, but just not enough given the weight of them.
In general a good story, but certainly not something I'd suggest if you want a quick, light read. Quick, yes, but light, not so much.
----
Pride that depends on the approval of others is a false pride, layered on from outside yourself like gold leaf. When the leaf begins to flake and chip, you see the base material beneath it. When you see the base material, the shiny deception exists no more. What are you left with?There's something about youth that is so wonderful and yet so sad. This is displayed perfectly in the story of five young boys who attend Ben Raphael Academy, a boarding school, together. They're more than friends, they're family, but in the midst of a chaotic world filled with typical teenage drama, they're virtually invisible.
Soul-crushing disillusionment. A sorrow that seems absolute.
When one of them comes up with a plan to change that, to make them become noticed and to highlight their “mystique” as virgins who aren't trying to chase tail, a rare breed among boys their age, the rest go along. What starts out as a simple act to try and make a quiet, forgotten group noticed and desired winds its way into a far darker journey of discovery, loss, and love.
I forced myself to look at the sky. The stars wheeled thickly overhead. This night, they seemed like a gateway to infinite possibilities, not a glittering veil over a dark, suctioning void.I went into this thinking it was going to be a fun, cute Young Adult story. I'm not typically one for that genre, but this sounded interesting.
Well, I can say for certain that cute and light were not quite what I got out of this. It speaks volumes about the thought process of youth and how they seek to be seen, but more than that seek acceptance. It was all a very sad reality to me. And while there is an element of romance in this between Rider and Jake, I feel the heart of the story lies more in the group of boys themselves.
Reading the blurb again, I think it sounds a bit cheesy toward the end in regards to an unspeakable tragedy, and when I read what this tragedy was, it may have at first seemed over-dramatic and far-fetched, but the more I thought about it, the more realistic it actually was - and that thought made me incredibly sad.
*POTENTIAL SPOILER REGARDING POSSIBLY TRIGGERING TOPIC: I was also surprised at the heaviness of a certain topic in this. I will say that if anyone has a hard boundary line when it comes to relationships between minors and adults of the more manipulative nature, you should steer clear of this. For some reason, I didn't expect it to happen. Granted, this isn't a long book, but it still surprised me when the initial idea was hinted at and then fleshed out.
I do think that the tragedy aspect of it, as well as the taboo relationship part, would've been more impactful in a book of novel length. With this being 134 pages, everything was quick, and the brief glimpses we got of this issues being dug into were quite nice, but just not enough given the weight of them.
In general a good story, but certainly not something I'd suggest if you want a quick, light read. Quick, yes, but light, not so much.
February 16, 2018
K.Z. writes about some very sensitive subjects. And quite well. This book left me happy for the findings of beautiful love but heartbroken over the loss of it as well. For someone to give up on life because of a game someone played with their heart is devastating. Don't be a game player. Be a love.
May 13, 2016
The boys are 5 friends who go to a boarding school and have decided to start the Ben Raphael's All Star Virgin club.
Two of the boys start a relationship but they keep it quiet. Obviously because they are under 18 any sexual activity is fade to black or off the page.
We had several story lines going at once. The female teacher praying on the boys and then the subsequent ending to that story.
I felt that this story was just the opening few chapters, it felt too short to really get going.
Two of the boys start a relationship but they keep it quiet. Obviously because they are under 18 any sexual activity is fade to black or off the page.
We had several story lines going at once. The female teacher praying on the boys and then the subsequent ending to that story.
I felt that this story was just the opening few chapters, it felt too short to really get going.
March 14, 2015
Reviewed by Brandilyn for Prism Book Alliance. High school is tough. Add to that knowing you are unwanted by your family, and you have to rely only on the family you make, aka your friends, to get you through. That is the scenario facing Jake, Rider, Brody, Tim, Carlton, and many of their classmates at Ben Raphael, an elite boarding school in Wisconsin. For Jake and his friends, they are the outcast among the elite outcasts. So, like any goo teenager, they come up with a way to be noticed. Declaring themselves the Ben Raphael All-Star Virgin Order as a way to be noticed.
March 7, 2016
I almost stopped reading a third of the way in because I was bored and really unimpressed with the writing. It did get better but it felt like a very long trip to get to the good stuff.
February 4, 2015
Didn't really work for me. The narrator didn't feel like a 16 year old boy to me.
September 29, 2016
A well written coming of age, and realization of ones sexuality, all tastefully done. A story of 5 very close friends at an elite boarding school, and two very close roommates.
March 19, 2017
Touching
This short story will take you on a long ride. A lot is covered in the pages and you'll share their hope as well by the end. 4.0 for giving it a chance to grow.
This short story will take you on a long ride. A lot is covered in the pages and you'll share their hope as well by the end. 4.0 for giving it a chance to grow.
January 6, 2015
Have tissues handy!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews