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Wallaçonia
High school senior Jim Wallace faces the approaching Christmas holidays with a mixture of hope and dread. To escape the pressure, he imagines the woods and marshes around his home to be an independent country, Wallaçonia, where he is accepted and recognized as the "upright and sterling" young man people expect him to be. And he may make it yet: this could be the week he and his girlfriend Liz finally have sex, putting to rest any lingering doubts Jim has about what kind of guy he really is. But then Pat Baxter, a neighbor, asks him to help out in his bookstore during the holiday rush, and Jim starts making new connections - and rediscovering an old one. Will Jim leave the sanctuary of his imaginary Wallaçonia for the real world? And which real world will it be, the one with Liz or the one that beckons from the bookstore?
255 pages, Paperback
Published March 25, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 2, 2017
Jim Wallace is a young man of 18, on the brink of adulthood, still in some ways clinging to childhood (and his imaginary safe world of Wallaconia) by his fingernails. There's a big risk in crossing that bridge. Because Jim has spent the last ten years trying hard to be, not himself but the son he thinks his parents want, and the stereotypical perfect boy he admires.
He has a folder of photos of nearly-naked young men on his computer that he calls examples, inspiration, role models, ideals - anything but what they truly are. He tells himself that he wants to be like them, to have platonic friendships with them. Sometimes he knows how much of a lie that is, but much of the time he can half-convince himself. He has a girlfriend, Liz, who is the closest person in his life, and he's going to have sex with her, any day now. And once he does, surely he'll be normal. Or at least bi. Not... the other thing.
He has a gay neighbor, twenty years older than himself, a gregarious bookstore owner. Pat Baxter is magnet and mirror, someone who might help Jim figure out his life, but also a target for Jim's father's casual mockery. Jim is drawn to Baxter in complex ways, not primarily sexually, but in some desperate hope for understanding.
The author's skill shows in the painfully recognizable way that Jim vacillates between his choices for his own self image. At one moment, he's reminding himself of how much he loves Liz, and of the fact that he's attracted to her. Like, really. The next, he's trying to put her off to spend time working for Baxter. Jim tells lies big and small, trapping himself in webs of minor deceit as he tries to juggle family, Liz, Baxter, and a future that he can't see clearly at all. The most difficult lies are the ones he tells himself.
Some readers may be put off by a character who tells his girlfriend he can't see her because of a sick aunt so he can spend time with Baxter, and the next minute panics and tells Baxter the same lie. But for me, the morass of petty lying was all too familiar - a bit like the thing that happens at a teen party when you're the weird unpopular one , trying desperately to fit in. Someone asks if you like band X, and you say "yes" with no clue who they are, pretending to be cool, and normal. And then they ask which member you like best, and you say "the drummer" assuming there must be one, and soon you're trapped in a conversation that has no real bearing on reality, but if you admit you were faking it all along, then you're in even worse shape, so you invent a call from a sick aunt... like that, only with stakes so much higher.
Because like many gay kids, Jim's family is straight, and narrow. His father isn't a blatant bigot, but he thinks it's funny to lisp when he says things about Baxter. His mother is so fond of her routines she never wants anything in life to fall outside the norm, to the point where a new flavor of jam is a threat to her comfort. Coming out to these two people is so hard for Jim to imagine that he's almost convinced himself he'll marry Liz and be straight forever and not have to.
Except there's that folder of "exercise examples" - those sterling, golden boys he can't ever quite delete. And there's Nate, the memory of a boy Jim drove away with bullying in middle school because his friendship felt like it would pull Jim down instead of elevating him to straight, sterling status. Nate's memory haunts Jim. Shouldn't he try to make that right, before he hits real adulthood?
The author uses an initially convoluted style and a breathless claustrophobia to the opening narrative that fits very well the space Jim finds himself in. Indecisive, self-absorbed, and yet self-deprecating and afraid, Jim is a hot mess. The narrative simplifies, as Jim gains clarity. Watching him slowly, through this book, walk a path of pitfalls and mistakes on the way to finding himself, is painfully real, and very well done.
There is a small amount of on-page sex (mainly M/F) but it is sketchily described and definitely plot, not erotic. This book would IMO be a good read for most teen readers.
He has a folder of photos of nearly-naked young men on his computer that he calls examples, inspiration, role models, ideals - anything but what they truly are. He tells himself that he wants to be like them, to have platonic friendships with them. Sometimes he knows how much of a lie that is, but much of the time he can half-convince himself. He has a girlfriend, Liz, who is the closest person in his life, and he's going to have sex with her, any day now. And once he does, surely he'll be normal. Or at least bi. Not... the other thing.
He has a gay neighbor, twenty years older than himself, a gregarious bookstore owner. Pat Baxter is magnet and mirror, someone who might help Jim figure out his life, but also a target for Jim's father's casual mockery. Jim is drawn to Baxter in complex ways, not primarily sexually, but in some desperate hope for understanding.
The author's skill shows in the painfully recognizable way that Jim vacillates between his choices for his own self image. At one moment, he's reminding himself of how much he loves Liz, and of the fact that he's attracted to her. Like, really. The next, he's trying to put her off to spend time working for Baxter. Jim tells lies big and small, trapping himself in webs of minor deceit as he tries to juggle family, Liz, Baxter, and a future that he can't see clearly at all. The most difficult lies are the ones he tells himself.
Some readers may be put off by a character who tells his girlfriend he can't see her because of a sick aunt so he can spend time with Baxter, and the next minute panics and tells Baxter the same lie. But for me, the morass of petty lying was all too familiar - a bit like the thing that happens at a teen party when you're the weird unpopular one , trying desperately to fit in. Someone asks if you like band X, and you say "yes" with no clue who they are, pretending to be cool, and normal. And then they ask which member you like best, and you say "the drummer" assuming there must be one, and soon you're trapped in a conversation that has no real bearing on reality, but if you admit you were faking it all along, then you're in even worse shape, so you invent a call from a sick aunt... like that, only with stakes so much higher.
Because like many gay kids, Jim's family is straight, and narrow. His father isn't a blatant bigot, but he thinks it's funny to lisp when he says things about Baxter. His mother is so fond of her routines she never wants anything in life to fall outside the norm, to the point where a new flavor of jam is a threat to her comfort. Coming out to these two people is so hard for Jim to imagine that he's almost convinced himself he'll marry Liz and be straight forever and not have to.
Except there's that folder of "exercise examples" - those sterling, golden boys he can't ever quite delete. And there's Nate, the memory of a boy Jim drove away with bullying in middle school because his friendship felt like it would pull Jim down instead of elevating him to straight, sterling status. Nate's memory haunts Jim. Shouldn't he try to make that right, before he hits real adulthood?
The author uses an initially convoluted style and a breathless claustrophobia to the opening narrative that fits very well the space Jim finds himself in. Indecisive, self-absorbed, and yet self-deprecating and afraid, Jim is a hot mess. The narrative simplifies, as Jim gains clarity. Watching him slowly, through this book, walk a path of pitfalls and mistakes on the way to finding himself, is painfully real, and very well done.
There is a small amount of on-page sex (mainly M/F) but it is sketchily described and definitely plot, not erotic. This book would IMO be a good read for most teen readers.
March 26, 2017
This was a complete surprise for me, beginning this book I was unsure what direction this was going, I though possible light YA.. I was blindsided by the depth of what I was reading & completely invested. It was a a subtly layered story centered around Jim (M/C) and figuring out his choices, it became a very emotional read. More than a coming of age story for Jim, the supporting charactrs, their histories & developing relationship had me hooked. All around the pacing and character growth was so well written. I enjoyed Jim's story and wanted a little more when I finished. It's the next day, and one of those stories that stays with you after completing.
March 16, 2017
This is a beautifully poignant piece of coming of age gay fiction. The writing is perfect for the YA/NA age category yet deep and meaningful for older generations. It's a book that plenty of gay men will relate to, they'll know some of the struggles and the people, yet I'm a woman and I found it moving and charming and honest; and I knew some of the people.
Wallaçonia is heartfelt and moving and immerses you in the mind of an eighteen year old who must be straight, has to be, because that's what makes you right and makes your family happy and proud. Movies, books, the community at large encourages you, urges you, to be manly and upright and dependable. So you have a girlfriend and you aren't at all femmy. You're so unfemmy you may even pick on a softer target to distance yourself, so no one might suspect. And you're going to have sex with Liz, and you're going to keep thinking about how normal you'll be afterwards, and one day you'll settle down with her and have children. Furthermore, you'll go to a more conservative and rural university, not one in Boston where there are social activities for men who aren't upright and sterling. No, that university is a standby measure only.
Life is a process, it's an even bigger one when you're scared of the ramifications of not being who or what your parents expect - maybe your parents won't pay for your education, maybe it will be such an issue you won't have a home to come to.
But a man comes along who nudges you to believe in yourself and to try to see the world through a different lens and narrative. One who knows who you are but doesn't push it. Pat Baxter is kind and caring and shares things that help you have a backstop that wasn't afforded a man now in his forties. You're a mirror and he's a mentor. He'll help you step out of being pretend Jim and out of Wallaçonia and embrace not only the wider world but yourself too, bit by bit.
I loved this book and I was sad when it finished. David Pratt is as talented an author as you will find in (gay) fiction. All of the words and phrases and actions are like jigsaw puzzle pieces, even the cedilla under the title and the use of the sibilant s that Jim's father uses when he is compacting Mr Baxter down into a stereotype carry throughout the book to a conclusion.
While Wallaçonia is meaningful it isn't heavy-handed or miserable, there is understandable and real trepidation in Jim but there is hope and positivity and a life to be embraced.
I hope school libraries pick up Wallaçonia for teenagers and faculty alike. I hope community libraries stock this book for people interested in broadening their horizons. 5 Stars all the way.
Wallaçonia is heartfelt and moving and immerses you in the mind of an eighteen year old who must be straight, has to be, because that's what makes you right and makes your family happy and proud. Movies, books, the community at large encourages you, urges you, to be manly and upright and dependable. So you have a girlfriend and you aren't at all femmy. You're so unfemmy you may even pick on a softer target to distance yourself, so no one might suspect. And you're going to have sex with Liz, and you're going to keep thinking about how normal you'll be afterwards, and one day you'll settle down with her and have children. Furthermore, you'll go to a more conservative and rural university, not one in Boston where there are social activities for men who aren't upright and sterling. No, that university is a standby measure only.
Life is a process, it's an even bigger one when you're scared of the ramifications of not being who or what your parents expect - maybe your parents won't pay for your education, maybe it will be such an issue you won't have a home to come to.
But a man comes along who nudges you to believe in yourself and to try to see the world through a different lens and narrative. One who knows who you are but doesn't push it. Pat Baxter is kind and caring and shares things that help you have a backstop that wasn't afforded a man now in his forties. You're a mirror and he's a mentor. He'll help you step out of being pretend Jim and out of Wallaçonia and embrace not only the wider world but yourself too, bit by bit.
I loved this book and I was sad when it finished. David Pratt is as talented an author as you will find in (gay) fiction. All of the words and phrases and actions are like jigsaw puzzle pieces, even the cedilla under the title and the use of the sibilant s that Jim's father uses when he is compacting Mr Baxter down into a stereotype carry throughout the book to a conclusion.
While Wallaçonia is meaningful it isn't heavy-handed or miserable, there is understandable and real trepidation in Jim but there is hope and positivity and a life to be embraced.
I hope school libraries pick up Wallaçonia for teenagers and faculty alike. I hope community libraries stock this book for people interested in broadening their horizons. 5 Stars all the way.
April 17, 2017
Wallaçonia
By David Pratt
Beautiful Dreamer Press, 2017
Five stars
“I always wanted to be normal.”
With the Kinsey Fives, always a little patience.
This not meant to be snarky. It is, rather, a mantra I repeated to myself as I read this book (cribbed from Jimmy Stewart’s lines in “Philadelphia Story.”) It was hard to read “Wallaçonia” at first. David Pratt’s writing is lovely, his tone is spot on. What made it hard to read was reliving the anguish of a teenager who is struggling to come out forty-two years after I did, and to feel the same loneliness and despair that I and most of my generation suffered, in a modern world that some people talk about as being “post gay.”
“I’m the only son my parents have. I can’t be like this! How could it be? Who can I appeal to?”
Jim Wallace thinks very little of himself. He is not a jock; he is quiet and bookish; he loves his solitude and his shells and maps. He is sure that he is a disappointment to his parents. He feels he is a fraud, and is determined that he will have sex with his girlfriend, Liz, and that his life will finally fall into place.
And this is where my need for patience kicked in. I am a Kinsey six. Gold-star gay. By the time I was thirteen I realized that I was not attracted to girls; only to boys. This did not make coming out any easier (I was twenty before I ever kissed anyone). But this clarity of who I was did reduce the confusion I felt. I knew who I was and what I had to do. I was just too scared to know how to do it, how to be it. This is where I felt so at home in Wallaçonia, the imaginary world of safety and comfort that Jim Wallace has created in his little part of Cape Cod. Many (most?) of my generation felt this same isolation and fear. Fear of disappointing those we loved; fear of loss. Indeed, many of us did lose. For those of us who had even the faintest glimmer of attraction to girls, everything was simply all the more complicated and painful.
Into Jim’s turmoil, Pratt brings Pat Baxter, the “obviously gay” man who owns Bay View Books next door to the Wallace house. Jim’s parents treat Pat with friendly dismissal, as if he’s some harmless eunuch. Jim, of course, is fascinated by him, having created his own fantasy of who Pat is, with no more knowledge of him than his parents have. Pat’s history turns out to be far more complex than either Jim or his parents could have imagined, and he becomes a critically important part of the puzzle Jim has to solve.
“The thing I feared all the time—to be sent outside, with no chance ever to get back in—was happening.”
Pratt’s narrative is carefully crafted. Each character has a purpose in driving the story and in triggering Jim’s behavior. Jim is haunted by his horrible treatment of a fellow student, Nate Flederbaum, back in middle school. Nate reappears in Wallaçonia, after seven years in Jim’s memory, throwing Jim’s carefully constructed plans into disarray.
Finally, Jim’s parents. They seem irritatingly bland and conformist, and yet they, too, offer surprises that their teenaged son can only discover when he opens himself up to seeing them outside of his own inner turmoil. They appear to be parodies of Ward and June Cleaver, but in fact are very much part of the twenty-first century. They are not flawless, nor magical. But, as with all of the characters in this book, they become more than Jim thinks they are once he begins to really see them.
Young adult novels are not just about teenagers. They are about people who used to be teenagers, and who remember what it was. Astonishingly, in spite of everything that has happened in the past 50 years, being a teenager is still a messy, painful, confusing time for a lot of us. Many of us created our own Wallaçonias, our own places of safety, until we understood that in order to grow up, we had to leave them behind.
By David Pratt
Beautiful Dreamer Press, 2017
Five stars
“I always wanted to be normal.”
With the Kinsey Fives, always a little patience.
This not meant to be snarky. It is, rather, a mantra I repeated to myself as I read this book (cribbed from Jimmy Stewart’s lines in “Philadelphia Story.”) It was hard to read “Wallaçonia” at first. David Pratt’s writing is lovely, his tone is spot on. What made it hard to read was reliving the anguish of a teenager who is struggling to come out forty-two years after I did, and to feel the same loneliness and despair that I and most of my generation suffered, in a modern world that some people talk about as being “post gay.”
“I’m the only son my parents have. I can’t be like this! How could it be? Who can I appeal to?”
Jim Wallace thinks very little of himself. He is not a jock; he is quiet and bookish; he loves his solitude and his shells and maps. He is sure that he is a disappointment to his parents. He feels he is a fraud, and is determined that he will have sex with his girlfriend, Liz, and that his life will finally fall into place.
And this is where my need for patience kicked in. I am a Kinsey six. Gold-star gay. By the time I was thirteen I realized that I was not attracted to girls; only to boys. This did not make coming out any easier (I was twenty before I ever kissed anyone). But this clarity of who I was did reduce the confusion I felt. I knew who I was and what I had to do. I was just too scared to know how to do it, how to be it. This is where I felt so at home in Wallaçonia, the imaginary world of safety and comfort that Jim Wallace has created in his little part of Cape Cod. Many (most?) of my generation felt this same isolation and fear. Fear of disappointing those we loved; fear of loss. Indeed, many of us did lose. For those of us who had even the faintest glimmer of attraction to girls, everything was simply all the more complicated and painful.
Into Jim’s turmoil, Pratt brings Pat Baxter, the “obviously gay” man who owns Bay View Books next door to the Wallace house. Jim’s parents treat Pat with friendly dismissal, as if he’s some harmless eunuch. Jim, of course, is fascinated by him, having created his own fantasy of who Pat is, with no more knowledge of him than his parents have. Pat’s history turns out to be far more complex than either Jim or his parents could have imagined, and he becomes a critically important part of the puzzle Jim has to solve.
“The thing I feared all the time—to be sent outside, with no chance ever to get back in—was happening.”
Pratt’s narrative is carefully crafted. Each character has a purpose in driving the story and in triggering Jim’s behavior. Jim is haunted by his horrible treatment of a fellow student, Nate Flederbaum, back in middle school. Nate reappears in Wallaçonia, after seven years in Jim’s memory, throwing Jim’s carefully constructed plans into disarray.
Finally, Jim’s parents. They seem irritatingly bland and conformist, and yet they, too, offer surprises that their teenaged son can only discover when he opens himself up to seeing them outside of his own inner turmoil. They appear to be parodies of Ward and June Cleaver, but in fact are very much part of the twenty-first century. They are not flawless, nor magical. But, as with all of the characters in this book, they become more than Jim thinks they are once he begins to really see them.
Young adult novels are not just about teenagers. They are about people who used to be teenagers, and who remember what it was. Astonishingly, in spite of everything that has happened in the past 50 years, being a teenager is still a messy, painful, confusing time for a lot of us. Many of us created our own Wallaçonias, our own places of safety, until we understood that in order to grow up, we had to leave them behind.
March 26, 2017
‘Raccoons are my “spirit animal.” They don’t hibernate in winter; they sleep all day but come out at dusk.’
New York author David Pratt was born in Hartford Connecticut but now lives in Manhattan where is has become one of the most highly respected authors of gay fiction. He has published short fiction in Christopher Street, The James White Review, Blithe House Quarterly, Harrington Gay Men's Fiction Quarterly, Velvet Mafia, Lodestar Quarterly, and other periodicals, and in the anthologies Men Seeking Men, His3 and Fresh Men 2. David has directed and performed his own work for the theater, including appearances in New York City at the Cornelia Street Café, Dixon Place, HERE Arts Center, the Flea Theater, Theater of the Elephant, and the Eighth Annual New York International Fringe Festival. He has collaborated frequently with Rogério M. Pinto, and he was the first director of several plays by the Canadian playwright John Mighton. David holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School. ‘Wallaçonia’ is his third novel.
Jim Wallace is a high school senior living on Cape Cod. Struggling with his identity and his sexual preference and in order to escape the realities of his family and expectations, Jim has created in his mind a place surrounding his home - a country he calls Wallaçonia, a space where he can be ‘normal, accepted as the young man he is expected to be outside his haven. Jim imagines that the definition of normal is the ability or history of having sex with a girl. Christmas is coming and Jim imagines this could be the week he and his girlfriend Liz finally have sex, dispelling any lingering doubts Jim has about his identity and sexuality. His neighbor, Pat Baxter, asks him to come to work in his bookstore, Bay View Books, during the holiday season. Example of how this is inserted with such meaning – ‘Pat Baxter lived next door and ran a secondhand bookstore in his barn. I would not be calling him. I wasn’t a child. Of course, I wasn’t a man, either, until I straightened out my insecurities and loved Liz the right way. But I might take care of that this very night. They’d come home to a different son, more like what they’d always wanted, and then Mom would be happy. Dad grinned. “Oh, yesssss. Do call Mr. BAXSSSTER!” He chortled. He did that because Mr. Baxter was single and, like, natty, I guess. Gay, I guess. Not that we ever
saw anything. He was just single and into books (but, hey, until recently, I was both of those things) and when he got a little dramatic his fingers got very busy.’ What Jim learns during this period changes him forever and leads him to discover who he really is. As has been summarized, ‘Will Jim leave the sanctuary of his imaginary Wallaçonia for the real world? And which real world will it be, the one with Liz or the one that beckons from the bookstore?’ The camaraderie between Jim and Pat is sensitively written as is the encounter Jim has with a schoolmate Nate Flederbaum which allows the author to explore all aspects of secrecy, confrontation and all the intricacies of the coming out syndrome.
More than simply another coming out story David writes with such clarity and sensitivity that reading ‘Wallaçonia’ becomes a revelation about the radiance of friendship and the true meaning of humanity in dealing with the needs of others – especially acceptance and understanding. It is a luminous book by a master of his craft. Highly Recommended.
New York author David Pratt was born in Hartford Connecticut but now lives in Manhattan where is has become one of the most highly respected authors of gay fiction. He has published short fiction in Christopher Street, The James White Review, Blithe House Quarterly, Harrington Gay Men's Fiction Quarterly, Velvet Mafia, Lodestar Quarterly, and other periodicals, and in the anthologies Men Seeking Men, His3 and Fresh Men 2. David has directed and performed his own work for the theater, including appearances in New York City at the Cornelia Street Café, Dixon Place, HERE Arts Center, the Flea Theater, Theater of the Elephant, and the Eighth Annual New York International Fringe Festival. He has collaborated frequently with Rogério M. Pinto, and he was the first director of several plays by the Canadian playwright John Mighton. David holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School. ‘Wallaçonia’ is his third novel.
Jim Wallace is a high school senior living on Cape Cod. Struggling with his identity and his sexual preference and in order to escape the realities of his family and expectations, Jim has created in his mind a place surrounding his home - a country he calls Wallaçonia, a space where he can be ‘normal, accepted as the young man he is expected to be outside his haven. Jim imagines that the definition of normal is the ability or history of having sex with a girl. Christmas is coming and Jim imagines this could be the week he and his girlfriend Liz finally have sex, dispelling any lingering doubts Jim has about his identity and sexuality. His neighbor, Pat Baxter, asks him to come to work in his bookstore, Bay View Books, during the holiday season. Example of how this is inserted with such meaning – ‘Pat Baxter lived next door and ran a secondhand bookstore in his barn. I would not be calling him. I wasn’t a child. Of course, I wasn’t a man, either, until I straightened out my insecurities and loved Liz the right way. But I might take care of that this very night. They’d come home to a different son, more like what they’d always wanted, and then Mom would be happy. Dad grinned. “Oh, yesssss. Do call Mr. BAXSSSTER!” He chortled. He did that because Mr. Baxter was single and, like, natty, I guess. Gay, I guess. Not that we ever
saw anything. He was just single and into books (but, hey, until recently, I was both of those things) and when he got a little dramatic his fingers got very busy.’ What Jim learns during this period changes him forever and leads him to discover who he really is. As has been summarized, ‘Will Jim leave the sanctuary of his imaginary Wallaçonia for the real world? And which real world will it be, the one with Liz or the one that beckons from the bookstore?’ The camaraderie between Jim and Pat is sensitively written as is the encounter Jim has with a schoolmate Nate Flederbaum which allows the author to explore all aspects of secrecy, confrontation and all the intricacies of the coming out syndrome.
More than simply another coming out story David writes with such clarity and sensitivity that reading ‘Wallaçonia’ becomes a revelation about the radiance of friendship and the true meaning of humanity in dealing with the needs of others – especially acceptance and understanding. It is a luminous book by a master of his craft. Highly Recommended.
May 20, 2017
Wallaçonia is a good read, with some interesting characters with great developments. It was difficult to like or understand the main character, as we learn about him through his struggles to accept himself, atone for mistakes, and become a better person, we start to find out how damaged and strange he is.
I wanted much more Nate in this book. Always leave them wanting more, I guess, but I felt this was a missed opportunity. He is such a complex and intriguing person, I wanted him to elevate to starring role. Pat was a good catalyst character and the college trip was a good way to help him bond with family.
It's well written and engaging. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was not disappointed.
I wanted much more Nate in this book. Always leave them wanting more, I guess, but I felt this was a missed opportunity. He is such a complex and intriguing person, I wanted him to elevate to starring role. Pat was a good catalyst character and the college trip was a good way to help him bond with family.
It's well written and engaging. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was not disappointed.
April 17, 2017
Top-notch writing. Jim's coming out/coming of age story is full of emotions, depth, and told in a very believable voice. I asked myself if I was that confused at 18... I was, including the sexual orientation bit. The character development was beautifully made. I just loved Jim and Pat, and I loved the ending: we know how it ends but we don't actually see it on page.
See also the beautiful review by Kazza.
See also the beautiful review by Kazza.
June 8, 2017
I finished the Wallaçonia. I was reminded many times of similar experiences with my coming out. Although compared to Jim - and many LGBT folks my coming has been rarely uneventful.
I loved the writing style of David Pratt.
I've never hoped and wished for things and situations for someone in a book like I did for Jim.
I would love to see a sequel and "see" more of Jim's life in college and beyond.
I loved the writing style of David Pratt.
I've never hoped and wished for things and situations for someone in a book like I did for Jim.
I would love to see a sequel and "see" more of Jim's life in college and beyond.
March 21, 2019
Breathe with me
This is my first outing with David Pratt. I’m glad his work found a way into my life. Told in first person, Jim’s “coming of age” tale is extremely personal. I felt all of his anxiety, pain, confusion and wishes. My only complaint about this book is I wanted more. To keep walking with Jim. I spilled a lot of tears over the father/son pages. Definitely a book I’ll remember and want to revisit. So beautifully flawed. 5.0 for raccoons.
This is my first outing with David Pratt. I’m glad his work found a way into my life. Told in first person, Jim’s “coming of age” tale is extremely personal. I felt all of his anxiety, pain, confusion and wishes. My only complaint about this book is I wanted more. To keep walking with Jim. I spilled a lot of tears over the father/son pages. Definitely a book I’ll remember and want to revisit. So beautifully flawed. 5.0 for raccoons.
October 9, 2017
Having a teenager myself, it's sometimes hard to get into the mind of them. There are so many pressures to be a certain way. The boys have to grow up to be 'men’: strong, a 'family’ man, blah, blah, blah. The girls have to be ladies but independent or whatever the mindset of the parents are. And to veer from the mindset of what the parents or society thinks that these teens should be is almost like disgrace. Teens are shunned, kicked out, the list is endless. This book gets into the mind of a teen boy who is discovering who he really is, as opposed to what everyone thinks he should be. And it's a good look into the mind of a teen. The opening lines of the book tells it all.
Jim is a teen boy who seems to have his act together by outward appearances. He does alright in school. He's getting ready to go to college. He has a girlfriend he loves. Overall, the boy next door type. The only thing is, he hasn't had sex with his girlfriend yet, but he's hoping that will change real soon. The problem with all this is Jim doesn't feel like the boy he is supposed to be. He is actually quite lost. And to escape it all he imagines a world, Wallaçonia, where his life is different. He often thinks of himself and others as person One or person Two. The face people show and the face that is true. Just when he thinks that he is somewhat ok though, he really gets to know the bookstore owner next door and suddenly everything is as confusing as it originally was.
Jim’s character could be any teen in this world and as I read this book my heart would break many times for him. No matter what he may seem like on the outside, on the inside he is a mess. He is struggling with his identity in so many different ways. He loves his girlfriend but can't quite let go of the fact that he often checks out guys. He even has a file hidden on his computer where he can peruse men in different ways. He is struggling with the fact that even though his girlfriend arouses him, he can't help but wonder what if. Add to that the pressure of trying to find the right school and every other pressure teens go through and it tugs at your heartstrings. He catches himself in lies as he tries to appease everyone in the way they think he should and often takes it upon himself to take blame for anything wrong if someone is unhappy. I hate that. I hate that he often feels guilty for stuff he doesn't even do. Yes, sometimes he gets himself in his own mess but who doesn't. And Jim meeting Pat from next door just pulls at him in ways he has never felt before. Or ways he has felt but more strongly.
I had to hug my teen after reading this book. Although she isn't gay or struggling to come out, she is still a teen with pressures. So often parents themselves are pressured to make sure their kids grow up to be a certain way and it is awful the way we push those views on our kids. Jim just wanted to be normal, whatever that is. But there is no normal as he is soon discovering. He is who he is, whether that meets with approval or not. And as heartbreaking as his story often was, it also showed how brave Jim really is. How admirable he is. He stands up for himself in so many ways, when all he wanted to do was run and hide in his make believe land. He makes decisions that sometimes I don't think adults could make. Or make well.
David Pratt wrote a book that will make you think, and if it doesn't, you need to evaluate your own brain. The writing is one of a kind to me. He truly captures the mind of a teen and I'm so glad I read this book. This is definitely a book to be read, especially if you have kids or are around them. Even if you don't, it gives you a perspective on life that we often take for granted or don't think about.
Jim is a teen boy who seems to have his act together by outward appearances. He does alright in school. He's getting ready to go to college. He has a girlfriend he loves. Overall, the boy next door type. The only thing is, he hasn't had sex with his girlfriend yet, but he's hoping that will change real soon. The problem with all this is Jim doesn't feel like the boy he is supposed to be. He is actually quite lost. And to escape it all he imagines a world, Wallaçonia, where his life is different. He often thinks of himself and others as person One or person Two. The face people show and the face that is true. Just when he thinks that he is somewhat ok though, he really gets to know the bookstore owner next door and suddenly everything is as confusing as it originally was.
Jim’s character could be any teen in this world and as I read this book my heart would break many times for him. No matter what he may seem like on the outside, on the inside he is a mess. He is struggling with his identity in so many different ways. He loves his girlfriend but can't quite let go of the fact that he often checks out guys. He even has a file hidden on his computer where he can peruse men in different ways. He is struggling with the fact that even though his girlfriend arouses him, he can't help but wonder what if. Add to that the pressure of trying to find the right school and every other pressure teens go through and it tugs at your heartstrings. He catches himself in lies as he tries to appease everyone in the way they think he should and often takes it upon himself to take blame for anything wrong if someone is unhappy. I hate that. I hate that he often feels guilty for stuff he doesn't even do. Yes, sometimes he gets himself in his own mess but who doesn't. And Jim meeting Pat from next door just pulls at him in ways he has never felt before. Or ways he has felt but more strongly.
I had to hug my teen after reading this book. Although she isn't gay or struggling to come out, she is still a teen with pressures. So often parents themselves are pressured to make sure their kids grow up to be a certain way and it is awful the way we push those views on our kids. Jim just wanted to be normal, whatever that is. But there is no normal as he is soon discovering. He is who he is, whether that meets with approval or not. And as heartbreaking as his story often was, it also showed how brave Jim really is. How admirable he is. He stands up for himself in so many ways, when all he wanted to do was run and hide in his make believe land. He makes decisions that sometimes I don't think adults could make. Or make well.
David Pratt wrote a book that will make you think, and if it doesn't, you need to evaluate your own brain. The writing is one of a kind to me. He truly captures the mind of a teen and I'm so glad I read this book. This is definitely a book to be read, especially if you have kids or are around them. Even if you don't, it gives you a perspective on life that we often take for granted or don't think about.
August 3, 2017
This realistic look into the mind of a confused, anxious teenager is sure to resonate with questioning teens or men who’ve experienced coming to terms with their sexuality and its effect on loved ones. Being privy to a teenager’s thoughts can be exhausting, though. And I didn’t totally connect with the ways Jim & other characters think and act. It was often at odds with what I would’ve done or expected or hoped would happen. The discrepancy was unsettling.
March 19, 2019
Wallaçonia is a perfect rendition of the struggle that a gay kid goes through as part of growing up. The raw depiction of turmoil is emotional and poignant. Overall a great coming of age book. Should be turned into the next ‘Love Simon’.
August 13, 2019
Remarkable book of finding self and what influences what we choose to become.
April 19, 2017
This is a sweet and touching book. I guess I'm lucky in that I never questioned my (hetero)sexuality. And with Het privilege, knew that no one would question me about it. I didn't have to "come out" as straight or any of the other crap that LGBTQ folks have to go through. Jim is a really nice guy, well developed character, very easy to relate to. I actually wouldn't mind a book about Pat Baxter, who seemed cool as hell. :)
April 13, 2017
This is actually the first YA book I read as a, well, not-so-young adult. I was a bit hesitant because of that, but I actually really enjoyed it. It's somehow bittersweet to be reminded of that formative time of life, and see how far we've come.. And I had no idea YA fiction could be so sexy or moving. I read it on vacation, and it caused me at one point not to be able to stand up on the beach for a while (due to a certain situation in my swimming trunks) and at another to leave the pool (because I was starting to cry).. So perhaps it's best read in private. But no matter where, make sure you read it.
June 27, 2021
"Seducing someone is a lot of work. You have to say and do all kinds of awkward, creepy crap that wouldn’t be me"
Story: 8
First MC: 8
Second MC: N/A
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 1
Sexual tension: 4
Humor: 6
Hotness: 2
Product placement: 1
Ridiculousness: 1
Annoying: 2
Audio: 6 (8h 49min)
To re-read: 6
This is the journey of Jim 18y/o who is dying to be normal and basically straight. He tends to hide in his made up country "Wallaconia". Hiding from the world and himself.
This isn't a romance book, its a self discovery one. I didn't care much for Nate I think he could've found an easier "escape". I thought Pat was awesome.
We spend the length of the book watching him accept who he really is; his sexuality and self-worth.
Story: 8
First MC: 8
Second MC: N/A
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 1
Sexual tension: 4
Humor: 6
Hotness: 2
Product placement: 1
Ridiculousness: 1
Annoying: 2
Audio: 6 (8h 49min)
To re-read: 6
This is the journey of Jim 18y/o who is dying to be normal and basically straight. He tends to hide in his made up country "Wallaconia". Hiding from the world and himself.
This isn't a romance book, its a self discovery one. I didn't care much for Nate I think he could've found an easier "escape". I thought Pat was awesome.
We spend the length of the book watching him accept who he really is; his sexuality and self-worth.
May 26, 2017
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words review
Rating 5 stars out of 5
For the full review, visit http://wp.me/p220KL-aDv
From that review: " Wallaçonia by David Pratt is a beautifully written story of one man's journey to self awareness about his sexuality and adulthood. As you can imagine, it's not an easy journey. Its fraught with the perils of expectations, the hurdles of high school cliques, hormones and feelings of inadequacies and so much more..."
For all our reviews, author interviews, and more, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
Rating 5 stars out of 5
For the full review, visit http://wp.me/p220KL-aDv
From that review: " Wallaçonia by David Pratt is a beautifully written story of one man's journey to self awareness about his sexuality and adulthood. As you can imagine, it's not an easy journey. Its fraught with the perils of expectations, the hurdles of high school cliques, hormones and feelings of inadequacies and so much more..."
For all our reviews, author interviews, and more, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
May 22, 2017
David Pratt's Wallaçonia raises and explores several issues surrounding coming of age and coming out with sensitivity, humor, and insight, among them How can I tell what my orientation if I've never had sex? Even with loving parents, how can I be sure they will understand and accept my decision? If I can't turn to my parents for advice on my orientation, who else is there?
You can't help but cheer as Jim Wallace, the narrator, confronts and overcomes each of these worries and grows into a confident and courageous young adult.
You can't help but cheer as Jim Wallace, the narrator, confronts and overcomes each of these worries and grows into a confident and courageous young adult.
July 14, 2018
Resonant
I lived in New England for 25 years and Mr Pratt got the scene and the mood just right . He got the turmoil and the relationships and the feelings just right too.. Whenever I start thinking that a book must have been written from personal experience --even if or though it wasn't --then I know the author has tapped into truth. Very much enjoyed this book
I lived in New England for 25 years and Mr Pratt got the scene and the mood just right . He got the turmoil and the relationships and the feelings just right too.. Whenever I start thinking that a book must have been written from personal experience --even if or though it wasn't --then I know the author has tapped into truth. Very much enjoyed this book
June 20, 2017
Wonderful book. Well written, heartfelt, and touching, this book is a cut above the usual YA LGBTQ novel. I highly recommend it.
August 12, 2018
“I checked out other guys’ hair because I could never get my own right. Other guys got theirs right, like there was no other way it could be, but I couldn’t figure out how Jim was supposed to look.”
*
“Let’s see—frustrated, alone, can’t be like other guys, must be Jim Wallace!”
*
“I couldn’t bear to think about myself having needs. Needs seemed like awful things to admit. Any need I had would be impossible anyway. I’d say, ‘I want...’ alone on the porch of a locked cabin or in an endless, empty field.”
*
“I know the situation between Liz and me sounds awful. But at the time I thought, If I solve just one last little thing, we’ll be free. Like when you walk through underbrush. Like when you get stuck in beach roses, out on the marsh. They are wicked. One false move and your skin’s scratched everywhere, and they catch your clothes, and suddenly you’re pulled in ten different directions. Like the plants own you. You have to stop and undo the thorns almost one by one. Finally you undo thel ast one, and you run free. How I dealt with my parents seems underhanded, too, but I was trying to be normal. When I got rid of the last thorn I’d be the son they wanted. I guess there was also a Jim One and a Jim Two. I was Jim Two to everyone now, but I would be Jim One, soon. Just a few more thorns to go.”
*
“I thought how I had finally joined the human race.”
*
“On the Cape time flows all around you. Birds migrate, leaves turn, stores selling flip-flops, and beach plum jelly close, cottages empty, creeks freeze. Guys who come from someplace better, whose money and muscles make our little Cape better, leave. They’ll come back Memorial Day, taller, more confident, or they won’t. They’ll have fellowships in New York or Zurich or someplace. But there’ll be new guys, and next summer will be their summer. No summer was mine. No one said, ‘Here is all the world, for you.’”
*
“I decided that, however much a straight guy is your friend and wants to help you, however much he might be willing to ‘do something’ under whatever circumstances, basically straight guys live in their own world. They run pretty much everything, and they’re not going to let any of it go.”
*
other than that this needed some stylistic editing, my only real complaint is that I wanted more of Wallaçonia itself — it was always in the background but never quite foregrounded the way the title suggests, and I think as a result the novel didn’t quite cohere; there was what it was, and there was what it identified itself as being (Wallaçonia Two and Wallaçonia One, we might say), and then there was the gap between them, but with each always aware of the other.
*
“Let’s see—frustrated, alone, can’t be like other guys, must be Jim Wallace!”
*
“I couldn’t bear to think about myself having needs. Needs seemed like awful things to admit. Any need I had would be impossible anyway. I’d say, ‘I want...’ alone on the porch of a locked cabin or in an endless, empty field.”
*
“I know the situation between Liz and me sounds awful. But at the time I thought, If I solve just one last little thing, we’ll be free. Like when you walk through underbrush. Like when you get stuck in beach roses, out on the marsh. They are wicked. One false move and your skin’s scratched everywhere, and they catch your clothes, and suddenly you’re pulled in ten different directions. Like the plants own you. You have to stop and undo the thorns almost one by one. Finally you undo thel ast one, and you run free. How I dealt with my parents seems underhanded, too, but I was trying to be normal. When I got rid of the last thorn I’d be the son they wanted. I guess there was also a Jim One and a Jim Two. I was Jim Two to everyone now, but I would be Jim One, soon. Just a few more thorns to go.”
*
“I thought how I had finally joined the human race.”
*
“On the Cape time flows all around you. Birds migrate, leaves turn, stores selling flip-flops, and beach plum jelly close, cottages empty, creeks freeze. Guys who come from someplace better, whose money and muscles make our little Cape better, leave. They’ll come back Memorial Day, taller, more confident, or they won’t. They’ll have fellowships in New York or Zurich or someplace. But there’ll be new guys, and next summer will be their summer. No summer was mine. No one said, ‘Here is all the world, for you.’”
*
“I decided that, however much a straight guy is your friend and wants to help you, however much he might be willing to ‘do something’ under whatever circumstances, basically straight guys live in their own world. They run pretty much everything, and they’re not going to let any of it go.”
*
other than that this needed some stylistic editing, my only real complaint is that I wanted more of Wallaçonia itself — it was always in the background but never quite foregrounded the way the title suggests, and I think as a result the novel didn’t quite cohere; there was what it was, and there was what it identified itself as being (Wallaçonia Two and Wallaçonia One, we might say), and then there was the gap between them, but with each always aware of the other.
July 15, 2018
Great thoughtful read
The basic storyline is a high school student coming of age with self discovery, however there is a lot more to it than this. The insight into going through life opportunities with honest loving friends and family who suggest but do not push, allowing one to learn for oneself is here. It is not nearly as heavy as this would seem, but a fun story that should appeal to everyone.
The basic storyline is a high school student coming of age with self discovery, however there is a lot more to it than this. The insight into going through life opportunities with honest loving friends and family who suggest but do not push, allowing one to learn for oneself is here. It is not nearly as heavy as this would seem, but a fun story that should appeal to everyone.
August 17, 2017
The real strength of this book comes from the platonic relationship between the main character and his mentor, bookstore owner. The girlfriend is also treated as a real person and not just an obstacle. No easy HEA--left open--which seems right. It's about the main character's personal growth.
March 29, 2019
This novel charts a young gay man's crossing from insecurities to awareness, and eventually self-acceptance. Growing up on the outer Cape Cod, Jim Wallace creates his own fantasy kingdom, called Wallaconia, in which he is the fantasy hero. It is a survival strategy because in real time he never quite measures up, is never quite what his dad would label 'sterling'.
As Jim begins to trust his own person, the kingdom of marsh and sand recedes with the aid of a former high school guidance counselor, who happens to live next door. That trust comes about through some key relations, which are explored and captured with tenderness, even when they're bleeding (metaphorically).
Yes, it could have been edited, and yes, it could have been better copy-edited in a few places. But the charm of the hero, with all his weaknesses and self-doubts on display, is how palpable his pain and growth and pleasures are, and how honest:
Early the next morning I got up and went running for the first time.
I stopped, gasping for air, after less than a mile.
A marathon, by definition, is 26 miles, 385 yards.
It's harder to measure the distance between being straight and being gay. Between who you thought your parents wanted you to be and thought you were, and who you really are. And whatever the distance between those things, there's no way to say how fast you should run it. No signs telling you you're halfway or in the home stretch. You can even cross the finish line and find out there's more to run, or a piece to go back and run again. And it might be hard to tell who the winners are.
So you just start.
As Jim begins to trust his own person, the kingdom of marsh and sand recedes with the aid of a former high school guidance counselor, who happens to live next door. That trust comes about through some key relations, which are explored and captured with tenderness, even when they're bleeding (metaphorically).
Yes, it could have been edited, and yes, it could have been better copy-edited in a few places. But the charm of the hero, with all his weaknesses and self-doubts on display, is how palpable his pain and growth and pleasures are, and how honest:
Early the next morning I got up and went running for the first time.
I stopped, gasping for air, after less than a mile.
A marathon, by definition, is 26 miles, 385 yards.
It's harder to measure the distance between being straight and being gay. Between who you thought your parents wanted you to be and thought you were, and who you really are. And whatever the distance between those things, there's no way to say how fast you should run it. No signs telling you you're halfway or in the home stretch. You can even cross the finish line and find out there's more to run, or a piece to go back and run again. And it might be hard to tell who the winners are.
So you just start.
April 20, 2020
Book focuses on high school senior 18 year old Jim who lives on Cape Cod and has a girlfriend he thinks he loves, but knows he's been attracted to men since age 6. He thinks having sex with his girlfriend will cure him of his attraction to men. But Jim is very insecure and has extremely low self-esteem. Through all the loquacious conversations with his girlfriend and gay next door neighbor, he finally (after 200 pages) comes out. Author Pratt describes with great geographically detail parts of Cape Cod and Boston. Jim's father finally realizes his son is gay but has not revealed this knowledge to Jim. Jim and his father decide to drive to Boston to again look at Boston University. Leaving the fictional town of West Sicasseet MA, they drive up the Cape to Provincetown to catch the car ferry to Boston. I can't figure out why Pratt threw this in when there is no car ferry and he fails to use the trip through Provincetown to have the father broach the subject of homosexuality with his son. Finally, while walking in Boston, the truth comes out to the great relief of Jim. After returning home, all goes well with his mother and gay neighbor and the book ends on a good note.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2018
An enchanting and moving coming out story. In a field littered with such tales, this one packs an authenticity that helps it stand out above the others. The voice of the main character is so real, with dreams, fears, and particularly his exposing the adults for their nonsense. I could not put this novel down, and read it in one day while by the pool on vacation. One spot near the end troubled me, where you get yanked out of the narrative and he talks directly to the reader, but that is a small issue in an overall great book.
July 31, 2024
I found this book compelling. I loved the way David lets Jim's thoughts explode on the page. At times you can feel that this is a bit of a word jumble. Things just flowing onto the page. But for me, they reflected Jim. His ongoing confusion with who he is and where he will go. His confusion and it took me back to my own experiences. Love the way the story slowly unfolds allowing me to find out if Jim finds the courage to be himself or stays locked behind the closet door.
Thank you for the "good read".
Thank you for the "good read".
January 4, 2019
Wallaconia is a YA novel, which I am way too old to read, but what the hell. I enjoy the story about a young man's coming out progress, his relationship with his girlfriend, and with an older man who owns a bookstore. Well done, David!
December 30, 2017
More like 3.5/5.
December 10, 2017
A very disappointing book, this character is so insecure it's hardly believable. He struggles with who he is but it was too long and it seemed like it went no where.
Two stars only.
Two stars only.
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