Is He or Isn't He?

by John Hall

In the glittering world of New York City's richest and most famous prep school, best friends Paige and Anthony become equally entranced by the enigmatic, ever–so–cute new guy Max, but in order to snag him, they must first use their charms and wit to discover the truth–is he or isn't he?

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Fiction, Romance, Gay, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

As a teenager, John Hall devoured a diet of classic horror movies such as Halloween, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Some of his more recent favorite horror movies are the Scream and Saw franchises. When he began reading adult horror, his instant favorites were Stephen King, John Saul and Dean Koontz. Most recently he's a fan of dark suspense authors such as Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware, Shari Lapena, B.A. Paris, A.J. Finn, Liv Constantine and Lisa Jackson. John Hall's novels will appeal to fans of Karen McManus, E. Lockhart, Natasha Preston, Lois Duncan, Joan Lowery Nixon, R. L. Stine and Caroline Cooney. John grew up in Brooklyn, with a younger brother and over twenty cousins (yes, it's true!) but now lives in New York City. Readers can email him at johnhallauthor@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Julian Fitzsimons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I definitely enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The young adult gay genre is one that hasn't been much explored, so while other reading options are exercises in existentialism and self-discovery (some do this extremely well, others, not so much), some merely have gay characters and don't worry much about the fact. This is definitely one of the latter. What a huge relief, because if anything, media has made being gay an incredibly dramatized experience, when in reality, the "issues" that Anthony and Paige, Manhattan high school seniors, face are very much realistic of the era and ages. These issues are fluffy, insubstantial, over-the-top, and the pair take much pleasure out of them. Their unwillingness to simply end the debate over Max's sexuality is proof of this, and this touch makes the book FAR more realistic than its sappy competition. Vapid people exist. Drama queens are real. Campy gay guys? Prissy NY gals? Incorporating truths does not a bad writer make! Teenagers love to wallow in superficial angst, and while not all will enjoy this book, for those of us who have ever been incredibly stupid about a crush, had a really good best friend, or aren't ashamed of their own simplicity, you will like this book. The characters are quite likable, I find, and really, disliking them because they have money seems very much reverse-elitist. Their naivety is fairly charming, and while the plot is pretty easy to predict, this doesn't make the story any less enjoyable. To summarize, if you want a moody read about a sad gay boy and his edgy best friend, this is NOT it. If you want a fun, light read, a feel good novel that will make you laugh, then this is definitely for you.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was another uncorrected proof that I'm reviewing for Harper Collins Teen First Look Program.

The story is about two best friends Paige and Anthony who have crushes on the new boy at school. They both want to date him, but before they can they have to find out: Is he or isn't he?

This was a terrible book. The characters were inflated stereotypes. Anthony was over the top campy drama queen with few chances for real character development. Paige had a bit more development through having conflicts with her mother, but still felt unrealistic, especially in her arguments with another character Paolo.

The plot of the book was very predictable and lackluster. If this had been a book about two girls who wanted to date the same boy it would have never been published. The characters behave in completely predictable and stereotypical ways. Scenes in which Paige ruminates on Anthony's perfect gaydar and how everyone gay can instantly tell when someone else is gay were poorly thought out and almost insulting.

The handling of sexuality was unrealistic as well. Sometimes a book can be enjoyable and be totally ridiculous but this book failed to deliver. About half way through the book you can already predict how the book will end and I have a hard time imagining that even the younger audience that this book is intended for will not see the resolution coming a mile away.

This might have been a decent episode on a teeny bop television show, but as a YA novel it was pretty poor. I don't recommend it to anyone.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise involves two friends; one a male and one a female whom each have a crush on the same new guy in their group of upper class friends. The problem? They don’t know if he is gay or straight! They put him through a series of tests to see which way he leans but both are left with no answers!
This book doesn't quite fit in the dystopian trend we have hitting the shelves now. It definitely brings me back to my high school days (which is approximately when I read it the first time). This book is light, funny, and based on high school crushes. The characters are simple and fairly stereotypical, but I felt the stereotypical characteristics made them believable. However, there are no heavy hitting issues in this book despite the fact that it appears to be about LGBT issues. The fact that the "new kid" is gay is only a plot mask rather than something that causes any sort of story or character development.

Although this book had very little educational value and no real adventure, it was simply a fun read. The end seemed to come very abruptly, but it did leave me smiling. If you need a quick read before you go back to school (or one to help your brain DURING the school year) this could be an easy one! If you put it down you won't have to worry about where you left off, but if you enjoy lighthearted books you will want to pick it up again.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun cute book for a nice summer day.
About two best friends one a straight girl one a gay guy who both like the new kid in school and they're trying to figure out whether he is gay or straight. It's a cute read but i feel like there were things that were set up just to be basically left out of the story and I feel like the end was a bit rushed. For one thing the main girls relationship with her mom was emphasized throughout the book and kind of rushed through in the end. There was also some backstory about some of the side characters, the friends of the main characters, and after telling us about them the author never really said any more about it which I felt he should have.
It was still a nice fun book though if you want something to just relax and get through to entertain you.

[Chris Burd · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star means I hated it, right? I've read a lot of vapid, pointless fiction in my life... You know what, my parents taught me that if you don't have something nice to say, zip it.

(I'm ignoring whatever it says about me that I actually read the entire book.)

[Amanda]

i thought this book was alittle pointless. it dragged on and until the very end we fimd out the answer to the question. i didnt really like it. it wasnt such a good read

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is rediculously funny that will leave a good impression on you. Besides the laugh it also had an exceptionally peculier finish. I apploaud

[Isaiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.

So turns out that I have two copies of this book, but I have never bought it. I would not have spent money on it if I had seen it in a book store. The book has one of the classic YA novel plots: two friends fight to win the affections of one person. This time it just happens that a gay guy and a straight gal are fighting for a kind of douche-y spoiled brat.

I did not like any of the characters, except one minor character. The main three people are all spoiled, rich, and completely out of touch with reality. It was like watching the Real Housewives of New York instead of reading about teenagers. They all went to a beach house with a Jacuzzi for a weekend without parental supervision. None of the parents were involved at all, except one scene where the main love interest is complaining about how messed up his home life is because of his dad (the dad is talking to someone nearby, but there is no actual interaction). All of the characters are vain (save one, who is obnoxiously under whelmed with herself which just comes across as “pay attention to me”).

The only character I like is the plus sized teen model that barely has any air time. Her only trait is that she is fat. Literally. That is it. Every time she is around she talks about being fat or about eating or about being a plus size model. That’s great, finally a bigger girl being seen as beautiful in a YA book. The book then over sexualizes gay boys and muscles. So the plus sized model is beautiful, but only the really thin guys who hit the gym can actually get dates. Only the really thin girls who wear push up bras are the ones who get the guys. It is a half-assed attempt at diversity that I could have easily fallen for if the blatant sexualizing of thinness was a little more subtle.

So I wanted to like this book because it sounded dorky and really bad, but it was bad in all the wrong ways. It wasn’t the worst book I have ever read, but yet again it was one that I am tempted to just throw away instead of donating.

[Victor Vazquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hall, John. Is He or Isn’t He. HarperTeen. 2006. 304 p.

The novel Is He or Isn’t He by John Hall is a novel about two friends named Paige and Anthony, a homosexual guy. The novel takes place in New York. The plot is about two best friends that are seeking for a relationship. Then, a guy named Max comes to town and they have this to find out if he’s gay or not. If he’s gay, then Anthony gets to stay with him; if he’s straight, then Paige gets to stay with him. So in order to find out if Max is gay or not, Paige and Anthony start a series of tests. There is this time when Anthony was rehearsing for a play, and in this play he had to kiss a woman. He invited Max to play the scene, until they got to the kiss part. There was another test where Anthony tells Paige to sneak into his room (they were on a field trip) in the middle of the night, as a “sleep walker” to see if Max does anything to her. The whole plot revolves around trying to find out of Max is gay or not. In the end, Anthony and Paige are surprised by the answer Max gives. I think it’s difficult to analyze this novel. Basically, sexual orientation is not a black and white thing (as many people see it). Moreover, when it comes to someone’s sexual orientation. I think that Max represents that icon of respect in regards of sexual identity. Anthony’s brother plays an important role in this because he is straight, and yet he allows all of this to happen.

I think that the characters were really fleshed out. Anthony was very well optimistic about his future with Max. And he tells himself at some point in the novel that it would be OK to not be with Max is Max ends up being straight. I saw him as very friendly. Paige was very optimistic about their plan - to them, I think that this all was a positive experience. She was very friendly with everyone. Anthony had a brother, and I saw his brother as very well preserved. At some point in the novel his brother says that he doesn’t like to own a cellphone because he loves to listen to his own thoughts, and having a phone, that feeling would go away. Throughout the novel Max is found as very mysterious, and he only talks when spoken to, or, he doesn’t share much about his past, which makes sense because he’s supposed to be that mystery that needs to be solved.
I think that students should read this book at around the age of middle school because it would give them that sense, that feeling that sexual orientation is not black and white before heading to high school, where their sexuality will be more defined, and the ones that might be confused about their sexual orientation - or unsecure - might solve their problems. I think that this book should be read as a class because it’s very oriented to an audience that might not know about homosexuality and/or bisexuality. The themes that this book could fit would be homosexuality, bisexuality, asexuality, heterosexuality, and a sense that society is very opened to these labels in this novel.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this book is all about two friends crushing on the same guy and doing wacky things to try and figure out if he’s gay or straight. Not a bad concept. But I didn’t like down it was done.

First, just as they’re scheming on how to start, another character poses the option of just asking the guy. I’m not saying it shouldn’t have been brought up at all, just not when they’re first coming up with this crazy idea. Maybe after two schemes didn’t work or closer to the middle of the book, it could’ve been brought to their attention to just ask. Because once it was suggested, it seemed repetitive when it kept being suggested and the characters kept not shooting the idea down.

Second, I don’t like the theme of having a guy being mean to you meaning he actually likes you. Both the main characters had a guy being mean to them only for it to be revealed the guy actually liked them. The girl even starts dating the guy at the end of the book! At least Anthony got with a guy who was actually nice to him, but Paige is with his brother who does nothing but tear her down and argue with her.

So, I didn’t enjoy the book the way I wanted to.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

written by a straight cis guy???? which explains why the personality of the main characters are based off on stereotypes which infuriates me. 2 stars for paolo since he's a green flag. i liked the ending tho

[Aurorakathrin12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is definitely geared towards adolescents, an easy read. The typos were distracting at times, that they were so frequent, and pulled me out of the story. Otherwise it was a great book geared towards teens, with a story easy to follow and kept you turning the page to see what would happen next.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It also I believe got me out of my reading slump

[Shannon Vanderhyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun but predictable.

[Ceara · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of my favorite books as a teen, still an absolute silly delight

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the representation of the LGBTQ+ community. This book had charm and comedy, overall I think it was a good book

[Tessa Federico-Maietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely recommend this book to anyone deciding whether or not to read it. If you love drama then this book is definitely the one for you. The plot of the book is very interesting although being such a basic idea and being very juvenile. I personally loved that through the whole book that Anthony and Paige stayed the best of friends and the moral of the story is very important. The story being based in a Prep school in New York City led to me having to look up many brands and things that these extravagant high school students have. Without a doubt everyone should read this book.From high class objects to differences in the main characters, upbringings, and exciting drama this book has it all. There is something in it for everyone!

[H. Bentham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Earlier this year, I donated a bunch of my LGBT YA books away for more eyes to read but I left a few favorites and this book is one of them. I didn’t particularly remember why I liked it so much and why I didn’t let it go but rereading it for the first time answered that question: this is a riot!
Paige and Anthony are best friends and they vowed to snag boyfriends to take to the Prom otherwise they’d go with each other. In comes the hot new guy, Max, and both of them are instantly smitten. This is the story of how they try to find out if Max is gay or straight and how they try to make him their boyfriend.

That premise might sound like an attempt to overlap tropes in straight YA (if they were two girls, this book won’t see publication at this day and age) and turn it into LGBT, and well, that’s exactly what it did. But it’s so much more! It’s super funny without being mean, it plays on stereotypes but do not perpetuate it, and it hands out life lessons for younger readers (i.e. don’t jump to conclusions, my god!) without being preachy.

The characters are realistic, and I read some GoodReads reviews saying otherwise, but clearly they have never been a gay teenage drama queen. Paige and Anthony’s relationship is healthy, and while there is a competition for Max’s affection, the story doesn’t turn into a catfight and they’re both supportive of each other’s efforts. The relationships on their home front is unusual in the way that their parents do not figure much in their growing years, but it was not demonized, nor was it tolerated (I loved that scene where Paige confronts Camille!) Paolo as an older brother is also a wonderful supporting character. He is realistic and he’s a gentleman. Even Colleen and the Twins. Their group seems like a clash of personalities but it doesn’t matter because their friendship is genuine.

Paige’s character development is commendable because there wasn’t a dramatic makeover scene here, and still her life changed for the better. And Anthony, *sigh*, he’s probably the reason why I held onto this book for as long as I did. Anthony is…well, he’s me at that age, if I was richer, smarter and braver. To hell with anyone who thinks he’s campy, he’s an actual gay teenager and I would’ve done all the scheming and plotting and elaborate planning to coax out an answer from Max. And I love that despite this whole mess he created for himself, he never forgot about Paige and he wasn’t selfish and self-centered and, most importantly, he didn’t allow himself to cry in front of other people while still acknowledging that he needed to cry and that it’s okay.

*I am going in circles because I have so many feelings about this*

TL;DR: it’s a fun book, easy to read and it’s one of the best LGBT YA finds I’ve been lucky to spot.

5 of 5 Stars. I’m revoking my earlier rating of 4 Stars because this is 10 +years old but it’s still fresh and relevant. You’re missing out if you’re not reading this.

*This review also appears on my personal blog: bentchcreates.tumblr.com

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce for TeensReadToo.com

Paige and Anthony are two best friends who are both rather desperate to find boyfriends before they end up going with each other to their Senior Prom. When Max moves to New York and becomes a part of their social circle (made up of rich New York teenage children of famous people), they are both entranced.

One of them has got to end up with this super-cute and charming guy. Who, though? It all comes down to answering one question: is he or isn't he? If he's gay, Anthony and he will certainly end up together. The same holds true of he and Paige if Max is straight. Right? It would be too simple to just ask, though, so Paige and Anthony come up with a number of entertaining schemes to figure it out, from buying new clothes to asking him to star in a movie as a gay character. The truth has got to come out sometime!

IS HE OR ISN'T HE? is a fun read, although predictable; from the first couple of chapters it will be pretty obvious how it's all going to turn out. It's still fun, though, and Paige and Anthony's schemes had me laughing out loud at points. The characters themselves, however, are a little flat. But if you're looking for a few hours of entertainment, you'll definitely enjoy this book!

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was given to me by a friend, fittingly; she had a crush on a guy for almost a year and was asking herself this very question. This book is light and funny and based on our simple curiosity and high school crushes. There are no real heavy hitting issues in this book, it is one of the first books I have personally read that does not deal with LGBT issues head on, and only deals with it from a community that is fully supportive.

Here is the premise; Two friends one a male, one a female, each have a crush on the same guy who is new to their group of high class friends. The problem? They don’t know if he is gay or straight! They put him through a series of tests to see which way he leans but to no avail they are left with no answers!

The ending of this book was my favourite. It shows that loves comes from the least expected places and although I was a little unsure of my feelings for this book, the ending definitely left me smiling.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

School is never easy for homosexuals, whether you’re in or out of the closet. What happens when you try to hook up with someone when you’re not even certain for which team they’re playing?

Is He or Isn’t He? is a delightful, nail-biting mystery that takes its own sweet time answering the question. The characters of Anthony and Paige are wonderful to read, making you wish that either or both could be your BFF. Their friends (and enemies) are equally fetching; even the rancid Felix contributes to the verbiage zinging off the page.

The mystery of Max is finally solved but, like Anthony and Paige, the reader comes to realize that sexuality is the least important aspect about sexual connections and human interaction. But what matters isn’t the solution to the puzzle but the journey two best friends make to find the answer. Is He or Isn’t He? manages to be a book that can be enjoyed by any adolescent—regardless of what gender you pick as your romantic interest.

[Corine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty interesting...First of all, it's a story about a girl name Paige, and her gay best friend Anthony, who are both interesting in this guy named Max. They both start hanging out with him, and start producing feelings for him. Throughout the rest of the book, Anthony and Paige are trying to figure out, whether this guy is gay or stright.
I thought this book was very good. I liked the way the author wrote the book, where every chapter switched off from Paige's perspective to then Anthony's perspective. This book was way more intriging with 2 main character's with 2 different views.

[Winnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about two best friends, Paige and Anthony that are both interested in a guy named Max. They have so many things in common and one of them is that they're both interested in guys. So when this new guy named Max comes along, they both try to get him. Their mission is to figure out if Max is interested in guys, or girls.
This is such an interesting book. And it like it because there's nothing wrong with being gay and even though things can be hard when you can't approach people because you don't know if their orientation is the same as yours, it can be way better if you have a best friend to guide you through it all.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

My rating pretty much says it all; it was ok. There is nothing either way that creates any stronger feelings than just okay. The characters are fine and decently developed for a book that should never be read with more seriousness than a beach read. The constant references to brand names and labels drove me nuts but it is the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It just didn't seem much like reality. The ending was all neatly packaged up complete with a bow-that you predicted by the way since its obvious who is going to end up with who in this story. Oh well, that's kind of what this whole genre is about.

[Leonel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends Paige and Anthony start pining for the new boy in school, but they are unsure of what team he pitches for. So the whole book is spent fleshing out this "mystery," something that could have been solved by the third page had one of the characters the common sense to just ask. But this is a YA novel, and I am forgiving. Who knows, a younger version of me may have had the same dilemma. Hall knows how to keep the suspense, and if you just try to get into the novel, you will have as good a time. Though the end is a bit bitter, there's a lot of sweet along the way.

http://luhathoughts.blogspot.com/2013...

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Is He or Isn't He?" was a very funny, quck read. I loved the main characters Anthony and Paige. The plot was a little predictable but I really liked it. It was interesting at the beginning and Anthony and Paige made the story very realistic. The other minor characters were well developed and added more to the story. I enjoyed reading this book a lot and I think it was a good read that didn't involve much thinking; but even though it is a light read, I couldn't put it down! It was really good.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cait mentioned this book as her introduction to a certain spoiler-y trope dating your best friend's sibling, so I wanted to give it a try. It was okay, but I thought it had too many stereotypes about gay people and there was this really weird exchange where the main female character went on about how women shouldn't be allowed to be boxers.

But it had a pretty nice cast of characters. And I thought it was interesting that the book ended with characters just starting relationships. Instead of, like, being super in love or something.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

CHARACTERS: 3/5
PLOT: 3.5/5
WRITING: 2.5/5

Is He or Isn't He? by John Hall is a YA Novel about a pair of best friends, Paige and Anthony, who fall for the same guy, Max. Anthony, a gay man and Paige, a straight woman, are both determined to have him, and so they help each other find out if Max is or isn't gay.

It's a quick, easy read, and a good one. Personally, the writing was a little too elementary for me, and that's why I gave the writing 2.5 stars. But it's a cute book.

The characters lack depth, though, which could be improved, but overall it's a nice read.

[Marta]

This book was about a girl name Paige, and her gay best friend Anthony. Both of them have crushes on this guy named Max.First They both start hanging out with him,and after hanging out with him they both start to produce feelings towards him, and they think Max is developing feelings back to them. Keep in mind Paige is stright and Anthony is gay. Throughout the rest of the book, Anthony and Paige are trying to figure out, whether this guy is gay or stright.

[Bekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was bored at home with no new reading material when I grabbed this off my aunt's bookshelf. I thought it'd be an interesting read.
Besides some frustrating, small details, it really was.
I was hooked very quickly on this book.
I can't say that it is an AMAZING book, but something about it has kept me always thinking fondly of it. I often reread this book to treat myself when I just want an easy, fun (for me) read.