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Boy Girl Boy: A Wry and Insightful YA Novel of LGBTQ Teens and Self-Discovery
Larry, Teresa, and Elliot are so tight, there's no room in their circle for more than boy, girl, boy. And when they graduate, they plan to move to California to start their real lives--together.
But who are they fooling? Larry is gay and trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Teresa is tired of hanging out with boys she loves who don't want to be her boyfriend. And Elliot is realizing that he may like himself more if he isn't always in the shadow of his friends. This is a wry, surprising, and insightful story about three best friends who each learn how tough it is to be yourself.
Includes an interview with the author.
But who are they fooling? Larry is gay and trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Teresa is tired of hanging out with boys she loves who don't want to be her boyfriend. And Elliot is realizing that he may like himself more if he isn't always in the shadow of his friends. This is a wry, surprising, and insightful story about three best friends who each learn how tough it is to be yourself.
Includes an interview with the author.
180 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
7 people are currently reading
580 people want to read
About the author
Ron Koertge
71 books103 followersAsk Ron Koertge what he brings to the realm of young adult fiction, and the seasoned author responds matter-of-factly. "I write dialogue well, and I'm funny," he says--an assessment few would argue with. "I like iconoclasm and practice it in my fiction. I don't like pretense or hypocrisy. I'm almost always irreverent."
A faculty member for more than 35 years at Pasadena City College, where he has taught everything from Shakespeare to remedial writing, Ron Koertge is the author of several acclaimed novels, most of them for young adults. That Ron Koertge is a master at capturing teenagers' voices--often in witty repartee--is fully evident in MARGAUX WITH AN X, the story of a sharp-tongued beauty and a quirky, quick-witted loner. "MARGAUX WITH AN X started as a short story, but the heroine wouldn't let me alone," the author says. "She had a story to tell, and she wanted a whole novel to tell it in." Another unlikely pairing is found in STONER & SPAZ, Ron Koertge's funny, in-your-face tale of a young cinephile with cerebral palsy and the stoner who steals his heart. "My wife works with the disabled," the writer says of his inspiration for the novel, which quickly garnered critical acclaim. "One night she came home and told me about a young man she'd been working with. He had C.P. and a terrific sense of humor. Coincidentally, that day I had talked to a former student of mine who'd recently been in rehab for substance abuse. What would happen, I wondered, if those two knew each other?"
In addition to his young adult novels, Ron Koertge writes poetry, and has been dubbed "the wisest, most entertaining wiseguy in American poetry" by poet-laureate Billy Collins. SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is narrated by a straight-talking, fourteen-year-old first baseman who has been benched by mono and decides to take a swing at writing poetry. Written entirely in free verse, with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix--including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum--SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is a veritable English teacher's dream. "The interest in SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is less with the arc of the plot than with the individual poems, some of which demonstrate poetic form, some of which tell the story," the author says. "One of my biggest challenges was to write like a fourteen-year-old who has a knack for writing poetry, and not just sound like a sixty-one-year-old pretending to be one!"
The author's first book with Candlewick, THE BRIMSTONE JOURNALS, is also a novel written in free verse, with 15 different teenage characters narrating four or five poems each. "The book started to nag me a few months before the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, and I started to make notes in the form of poems," he says of the hauntingly prescient work. "BRIMSTONE needed to move at high velocity, and this form is perfect for that: no tail fins, no leather seats, no moon roof. Just get in and go."
Ron Koertge grew up in an agricultural area in an old mining town in Illinois, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis, Missouri. There he learned to "drive a tractor and buck hay bales, which are clearly useful skills in Los Angeles," he quips. He and his wife live in South Pasadena, California.
A faculty member for more than 35 years at Pasadena City College, where he has taught everything from Shakespeare to remedial writing, Ron Koertge is the author of several acclaimed novels, most of them for young adults. That Ron Koertge is a master at capturing teenagers' voices--often in witty repartee--is fully evident in MARGAUX WITH AN X, the story of a sharp-tongued beauty and a quirky, quick-witted loner. "MARGAUX WITH AN X started as a short story, but the heroine wouldn't let me alone," the author says. "She had a story to tell, and she wanted a whole novel to tell it in." Another unlikely pairing is found in STONER & SPAZ, Ron Koertge's funny, in-your-face tale of a young cinephile with cerebral palsy and the stoner who steals his heart. "My wife works with the disabled," the writer says of his inspiration for the novel, which quickly garnered critical acclaim. "One night she came home and told me about a young man she'd been working with. He had C.P. and a terrific sense of humor. Coincidentally, that day I had talked to a former student of mine who'd recently been in rehab for substance abuse. What would happen, I wondered, if those two knew each other?"
In addition to his young adult novels, Ron Koertge writes poetry, and has been dubbed "the wisest, most entertaining wiseguy in American poetry" by poet-laureate Billy Collins. SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is narrated by a straight-talking, fourteen-year-old first baseman who has been benched by mono and decides to take a swing at writing poetry. Written entirely in free verse, with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix--including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum--SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is a veritable English teacher's dream. "The interest in SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is less with the arc of the plot than with the individual poems, some of which demonstrate poetic form, some of which tell the story," the author says. "One of my biggest challenges was to write like a fourteen-year-old who has a knack for writing poetry, and not just sound like a sixty-one-year-old pretending to be one!"
The author's first book with Candlewick, THE BRIMSTONE JOURNALS, is also a novel written in free verse, with 15 different teenage characters narrating four or five poems each. "The book started to nag me a few months before the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, and I started to make notes in the form of poems," he says of the hauntingly prescient work. "BRIMSTONE needed to move at high velocity, and this form is perfect for that: no tail fins, no leather seats, no moon roof. Just get in and go."
Ron Koertge grew up in an agricultural area in an old mining town in Illinois, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis, Missouri. There he learned to "drive a tractor and buck hay bales, which are clearly useful skills in Los Angeles," he quips. He and his wife live in South Pasadena, California.
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December 5, 2011
I think it's pretty fucking ridiculous to give a swearing warning at this point, because I swear in almost every review I write, but okay, I'll give it anyway. I will be swearing, alright?
Okay. So.
I did two things today.
First, I went to the library. Let's start there.
I was actually running my fingers up and down the spine of a David Levithan book, contemplating whether or not to get it. You see, there was the risk of my parents checking to see which books I would check out or not. And seriously, did I want them to flip open one of my books and be "assaulted" with pages of teh ghey lurve? Here's a hint: NO. I did not want those looks, I did not want that conversation, I did not want that...everything. But there was a chance I would be able to sneak the book into the house, a small chance but a chance nonetheless, that I would be able to read it and return it without them knowing of the subject matter.
Then, as I was sitting there next to the bookshelf, I thought to myself: The frick? I don't even like David Levithan. WellbesidesthatonebookBUT. So why am I even the slightest bit willing to compromise my feeling of safety at home for this shit?
I put the book down.
Then, I came across Boy Girl Boy.
The title made me think it was about a love triangle. Well, I thought, I don't exactly want to read something like this but fuck, okay. At least if my parents see it they'll think I'm just another vapid fourteen year old girl idealing another heteronormative relationship. (Okay, now I see that thought was mean. You don't have to be vapid and fourteen to ideal a heterosexual relationship. I myself don't ideal any relationship at all. But moving on...)
I looked through the jacket. Le gasp! Mentions of a main character being unsure about his sexuality. But, you see, unlike the Levithan book I wanted to read, these mentions were subtle enough so that my parents could read it without giving me that look I often dreaded. It may not appease my LGBT lit wanting, but it's better than nothing, thought me.
Then, this happened: my parents didn't even look at my books when I went to check them out. THEY. DID. NOT. CARE. (This time, anyway.)
I could have checked out that Levithan book if I wanted to. I COULD HAVE CHECKED OUT A STEAMY YAOI MANGA AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE NOTICED. (Not that I would want to, but you get my point, okay?)
But it was too late to run back to get the Levithan book. I was stuck with Boy Girl Boy.
I started it, and it was okay. A little slow at first, but you know what? It was okay.
And then I got around, I don't know, to the middle of the book.
If my parents had looked over my shoulder, I would have died.
Faggot faggot faggot faggot...
THE FUCK?
Thankfully I was in the car, and there was no chance my parents were going to suddenly stop the car and pry the book from my hands to see what I was reading. But, seriously? I was...*sigh*...scared. Okay? I was scared. There are three things I do not want anyone to look over my shoulder and see me reading:
1. An intense makeout scene.
2. Any scene of a sexual nature.
3. A (villainous) character of the novel screaming out obscene slurs in a rather random nature.
It's just, up until that point, the "issue" (quotes because in all actuality, the only issue is moronic twits being...well, moronic twits) of one of the main characters being gay had been touched on but not a major concern.
But suddenly, the page exploded and I was being harassed by these violent slurs.
And that's when the novel suddenly started to revolve around Larry (said main character) being gay.
Now, I will move on to the second thing I did today. Of course, I'm not done with the first thing yet, but I'll get to that in a moment.
So everyone's heard of the It Get's Better campaign.
I have, too. I just haven't...you know, become active. Translation: I haven't actually watched any of their videos.
But today, I got my headphones out and I searched YouTube, and I watched. And I watched. And I fucking watched.
(I also watched some Amazing Atheist videos. They were really funny. But, anyway...)
There is one thing I would love to say to those wonderful, wonderful people doing the It Get's Better thing.
Two words.
If I could ever, by the life of me, get to say these words to them it would tickle me with delight:
Fuck. You.
FUCK YOU.
FUCKKK. YOUUU.
Or, alternatively: SCREW YOU.
Or: YOU ASSHOLES.
That has been building up in me for a long time.
You know, you know what? The fucking reason why I never bothered to watch those fucking videos is because I suspected it was all bullshit. I thought to myself, Mello, you should NOT watch those videos because they're probably bullshit. And you get ANGRY at bullshit. Those people are just trying to help, you don't want to get angry at them, okay?
But, you know what? Today, I thought, Well I'm kind of feeling like crap for automatically thinking everything these people are saying is bullshit. So I'll see for myself.
I did.
WH-WHY? JUST FUCKING WHY IS ALL I WANT TO KNOW.
Why would you do that? Why? TELL ME WHY! Tell me why any sensible human being who is not a STUPID FUCKING BULLSHITTER would even...
GODDAMNIT. GOD. DAMN. IT.
You know what? This is having nothing to do with the book so I think I should get to the point.
Basically, the point of the It Get's Better campaign is...wait...you guessed it! That it fucking get's better.
What kind of delusional fuck would even fucking say that?
So, in Boy Girl Boy, Larry is gay, right? So he, naturally, gets targeted by an asshole and his assholish cronie. Billy, I think, and Mark? Or something. No, no it's Drew.
Larry is playing a mock game of basketball with his friend Elliot and like five or so other guys who really have to relevance to the plot beyond this point, so I didn't remember their names. Billy drives up and is like, "You faggoty faggot! I'm going to uncreatively slur at you because I can! Yeahhh! Faggot! You're all faggots! And I literally need a thesaurus at this point because this is just fucking ridiculous -- faggot! Ahahaha!"
This is where I gain all my respect for Larry.
And this is why I give this book an extra star. (I was originally going to give it one.)
Larry walks up to Billy (who's sitting in his car) and does a...well, whatever that thing is called when you grab someone's nose and pull until they submit to your whims. Anyway, it was badass. Billy drove away practically in tears, clutching his nose (uh, poor narration on that part, he can't exactly do both at the same time...) and swearing he would get Larry back for this, and his little dog, too!
Damn. That scene was so badass.
Anyway.
So, not even a night after this, Billy catches Larry driving somewhere alone, drives in front of his car to block him from driving away -- and beats the shit out of him. Larry is literally left in a fucking coma. Albeit, the coma lasts for only like three days, BUT STILL.
And I'm thinking to myself: okay. So. When do they get Billy back and live happily every after? (Or, in this case, run away to California like they always wanted.)
Here's a hint: THEY FUCKING DON'T.
The book ends right fucking after Larry gets out of the coma. I'm pissed off because:
1. It's only mentioned in like, a page in passing, that Elliot (Larry's Big Strong Male Cis White Ally Friend) beats up Billy for what he did. LARRY GOT HIS BRAINS FUCKING KNOCKED OUT FOR NO FUCKING REASON, YOU'D THINK YOU'D PUT MORE SIGNIFICANCE ON THE REVENGE PART.
2. Remember Drew, Billy's cronie? Well, fucking apparently, we're supposed to give this guy the Ally Award because he stopped Billy from killing Larry and got Larry to the hospital. WHAT THE FUCK? NO.
I will only say this once: never, ever, in any world ever, should any humanoid creature be rewarded or praised for fucking doing things that ANY HUMANOID CREATURE WITH A BASIC LEVEL OF COMMON SENSE AND DECENCY WOULD DO. NO. That is a given, you should do that because you were fucking born on this earth. If you wouldn't, you are slime, you are disgusting and vile and DO NOT DESERVE TO BREATHE MY FUCKING AIR, OKAY? If you would not try to help someone who was getting killed for NO REASON, or if you would do it and then feel like you deserve some kind of award for it, you are scum. Plain. And. Fucking. Simple.
AND THE NOVEL ENDS RIGHT THERE.
Which brings me back to the It Get's Better bullshit. It gets better? IT GETS BETTER? If you're going to fucking lie to someone that bad, do it with some goddamn dignity you fuckwads. Go on. Go on, I want to see any of the It Get's Better campaign go and look into the eyes of some gay kid getting knocked around, pushed into dumpsters and tell that poor bastard that it gets better. And then, you know what I want that person to do? I want them to watch TV with that kid. I want them to watch Michele Motherfucking Bachman up there campaigning against gay rights, I want them to turn on their fucking computers and read the fucking news, on how some priest or what the fuck ever is giving away marriages for free to straight couples to just rub it fucking in.
And when they do that, then I want them to read the Wikipedia articles on all of the organizations dedicated to "curing" gay people. And then I want them to fucking google Westboro Baptist church. I think you get the idea.
And then, I want that fuckwad to look at that kid again. And I want them to say it. I want them to tell that kid that, holy fuck, despite the adults that are still pushed off fucking bridges and drowned, despite the trans women who are beat to death in parking lots, the lesbians who are raped, despite the fucking, what, the fucking men who are kidnapped and tortured for no reason other than the fact that they are sexually attracted to their same gender -- IT GETS BETTER. IT GETS MOTHERFUCKING BETTER.
I have been psychologically scarred reading the news, do you know that? DO YOU KNOW THAT? And if you can tell me, honestly, that it gets better and then have me read the news and believe that, then I will give you everything I fucking own. All of it. Give me your address, and I will ship it to you.
UNTIL THEN STOP FUCKING LYING, YOU TREMENDOUS DICKS.
And to anyone who thinks that I rated this book so low because it didn't have my fantastically gay ending where everyone lived happily ever after and certain assholes were fucked the hell up for trying to kill other normal people, FUCK YOU YOU'RE WRONG.
This book had it's other problems. Like for instance, why do I have to skim long passages of it just to get to a part that I care about? And for instance, why did I not give a shit about Elliot's story, feel that Larry's was milked dry and want more of Teresa's, which was pushed to the background despite it's obviously more interesting core? And it had very, very awkward prose.
And, look, I know I made a Huge Fucking Deal about the faggot thing earlier, but to be honest, I don't give a shit. A. Shit. Not a singular shit is given. It's just that this was thrown at me before I had a chance to react, and I pretty much emotionally shitted myself. This paragraph has a lot of mentions of shit in it, doesn't it? Anyway, the point is that at first the book had little to nothing to do with Larry being gay. Then, suddenly, it was a Problem of All Problems. And then it was The Problem of All Problems. I had no idea which direction the book was going to go in several times.
Also, I think I've typed the word faggot in this review more than I ever have in my entire life. Well, fuck it all. I'm tired, angry and depressed, so I'll just blame it on that, okay?
I don't exactly know how to explain the way It Gets Better and Boy Girl Boy really connect to me, but let me try since the entirety of this review so far has just been really angry and really random, I'm sure: It really doesn't get better. And I'm sick of being bullshitted into thinking that it could be. It gets fucking worse. Because guess what, just like that stupid fuck Jennifer whatever running for class president in high school, we have a stupid fuck Michelle Bachman running for president now.
Which, but I may be wrong on this, is a little more serious.
So you may have had a small solace that Jennifer whatever wouldn't be able to close down the GSA despite her obsession with that "Jesus" fellow, Michelle Bachman would be able to do that as president. Go on, say all you want that she would have to get votes or she would have to do this and that it's highly unlikely, but let's face it: the bitch would. She would and she would and she would. And that creepy as fuck husband of hers would host the Ungayify Yourself Institution for Troubled Youths or something.
Fuck, I'm making myself vomit thinking of these sick scenarios.
And as for this book, it was awful despite a few badass moments. But even it, even it helped to cement my long lasting depressing belief: the majority of adults are just bigger teenagers, so to even fucking delude yourself into believing that anything could get better just because you're getting out of high school is beyond hilarious.
AND NO, I AM NOT SAYING THAT BECAUSE IT NEVER GETS BETTER YOU SHOULD JUST OFF YOURSELF AND BE DONE WITH THE WHOLE FUCKING THING ANYWAY. Despite the fact that sometimes I feel like that, sometimes I feel that the human race is just too fucking disgusting to live with and there's just no reason to put up with this shit anymore, don't. Don't. You see, undoubtedly pissed off pro-It Get's Better people? I said DON'T.
You know why? BECAUSE I SAID SO. Okay, actually, no, that's not why. Because, despite what the world seems to be trying to feed you, you are awesome. And badass. In this sea of idiots that surround every normal person today we need more normal people to help raise the population of Those Who Are Not Fuckwads. That is you. You are not other. You are not out of the ordinary. That's why I hate queer. It makes it seem like it's all weird. For fuck's sake, to me, it's just another word to distance everyone. No, just, no, okay? We're all the same. Nobody's stranger than anyone else. I'm not saying we're all not original in our own ways. I'm just saying that nobody here, except for the fucking idiots that would try to make anyone seem so, is weird. We all have quirks, sure, but that's not the point, damn it. It's just that whenever someone uses the words "special", "weird", "queer" it's not helping. It's making it worse. How about instead of the "It's okay to be different!" we go with the "Really, nobody's all that different!"
It would make a lot more sense.
And you know, before you try to actually fucking tell someone that it's going to get better -- why don't you make sure that it will, first, okay?
And I still seem to be straying from the topic of this book. See, this is why I should not merge something that makes me very emotional with something that makes me less but still very emotional. I ALWAYS LOSE TRACK OF THE POINT.
Goddamnit.
Now to go finish A Monster Calls...
And that concludes Another Probably Half Psychotic Rant with Random Capitalized Things...
Okay. So.
I did two things today.
First, I went to the library. Let's start there.
I was actually running my fingers up and down the spine of a David Levithan book, contemplating whether or not to get it. You see, there was the risk of my parents checking to see which books I would check out or not. And seriously, did I want them to flip open one of my books and be "assaulted" with pages of teh ghey lurve? Here's a hint: NO. I did not want those looks, I did not want that conversation, I did not want that...everything. But there was a chance I would be able to sneak the book into the house, a small chance but a chance nonetheless, that I would be able to read it and return it without them knowing of the subject matter.
Then, as I was sitting there next to the bookshelf, I thought to myself: The frick? I don't even like David Levithan. WellbesidesthatonebookBUT. So why am I even the slightest bit willing to compromise my feeling of safety at home for this shit?
I put the book down.
Then, I came across Boy Girl Boy.
The title made me think it was about a love triangle. Well, I thought, I don't exactly want to read something like this but fuck, okay. At least if my parents see it they'll think I'm just another vapid fourteen year old girl idealing another heteronormative relationship. (Okay, now I see that thought was mean. You don't have to be vapid and fourteen to ideal a heterosexual relationship. I myself don't ideal any relationship at all. But moving on...)
I looked through the jacket. Le gasp! Mentions of a main character being unsure about his sexuality. But, you see, unlike the Levithan book I wanted to read, these mentions were subtle enough so that my parents could read it without giving me that look I often dreaded. It may not appease my LGBT lit wanting, but it's better than nothing, thought me.
Then, this happened: my parents didn't even look at my books when I went to check them out. THEY. DID. NOT. CARE. (This time, anyway.)
I could have checked out that Levithan book if I wanted to. I COULD HAVE CHECKED OUT A STEAMY YAOI MANGA AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE NOTICED. (Not that I would want to, but you get my point, okay?)
But it was too late to run back to get the Levithan book. I was stuck with Boy Girl Boy.
I started it, and it was okay. A little slow at first, but you know what? It was okay.
And then I got around, I don't know, to the middle of the book.
If my parents had looked over my shoulder, I would have died.
Faggot faggot faggot faggot...
THE FUCK?
Thankfully I was in the car, and there was no chance my parents were going to suddenly stop the car and pry the book from my hands to see what I was reading. But, seriously? I was...*sigh*...scared. Okay? I was scared. There are three things I do not want anyone to look over my shoulder and see me reading:
1. An intense makeout scene.
2. Any scene of a sexual nature.
3. A (villainous) character of the novel screaming out obscene slurs in a rather random nature.
It's just, up until that point, the "issue" (quotes because in all actuality, the only issue is moronic twits being...well, moronic twits) of one of the main characters being gay had been touched on but not a major concern.
But suddenly, the page exploded and I was being harassed by these violent slurs.
And that's when the novel suddenly started to revolve around Larry (said main character) being gay.
Now, I will move on to the second thing I did today. Of course, I'm not done with the first thing yet, but I'll get to that in a moment.
So everyone's heard of the It Get's Better campaign.
I have, too. I just haven't...you know, become active. Translation: I haven't actually watched any of their videos.
But today, I got my headphones out and I searched YouTube, and I watched. And I watched. And I fucking watched.
(I also watched some Amazing Atheist videos. They were really funny. But, anyway...)
There is one thing I would love to say to those wonderful, wonderful people doing the It Get's Better thing.
Two words.
If I could ever, by the life of me, get to say these words to them it would tickle me with delight:
Fuck. You.
FUCK YOU.
FUCKKK. YOUUU.
Or, alternatively: SCREW YOU.
Or: YOU ASSHOLES.
That has been building up in me for a long time.
You know, you know what? The fucking reason why I never bothered to watch those fucking videos is because I suspected it was all bullshit. I thought to myself, Mello, you should NOT watch those videos because they're probably bullshit. And you get ANGRY at bullshit. Those people are just trying to help, you don't want to get angry at them, okay?
But, you know what? Today, I thought, Well I'm kind of feeling like crap for automatically thinking everything these people are saying is bullshit. So I'll see for myself.
I did.
WH-WHY? JUST FUCKING WHY IS ALL I WANT TO KNOW.
Why would you do that? Why? TELL ME WHY! Tell me why any sensible human being who is not a STUPID FUCKING BULLSHITTER would even...
GODDAMNIT. GOD. DAMN. IT.
You know what? This is having nothing to do with the book so I think I should get to the point.
Basically, the point of the It Get's Better campaign is...wait...you guessed it! That it fucking get's better.
What kind of delusional fuck would even fucking say that?
So, in Boy Girl Boy, Larry is gay, right? So he, naturally, gets targeted by an asshole and his assholish cronie. Billy, I think, and Mark? Or something. No, no it's Drew.
Larry is playing a mock game of basketball with his friend Elliot and like five or so other guys who really have to relevance to the plot beyond this point, so I didn't remember their names. Billy drives up and is like, "You faggoty faggot! I'm going to uncreatively slur at you because I can! Yeahhh! Faggot! You're all faggots! And I literally need a thesaurus at this point because this is just fucking ridiculous -- faggot! Ahahaha!"
This is where I gain all my respect for Larry.
And this is why I give this book an extra star. (I was originally going to give it one.)
Larry walks up to Billy (who's sitting in his car) and does a...well, whatever that thing is called when you grab someone's nose and pull until they submit to your whims. Anyway, it was badass. Billy drove away practically in tears, clutching his nose (uh, poor narration on that part, he can't exactly do both at the same time...) and swearing he would get Larry back for this, and his little dog, too!
Damn. That scene was so badass.
Anyway.
So, not even a night after this, Billy catches Larry driving somewhere alone, drives in front of his car to block him from driving away -- and beats the shit out of him. Larry is literally left in a fucking coma. Albeit, the coma lasts for only like three days, BUT STILL.
And I'm thinking to myself: okay. So. When do they get Billy back and live happily every after? (Or, in this case, run away to California like they always wanted.)
Here's a hint: THEY FUCKING DON'T.
The book ends right fucking after Larry gets out of the coma. I'm pissed off because:
1. It's only mentioned in like, a page in passing, that Elliot (Larry's Big Strong Male Cis White Ally Friend) beats up Billy for what he did. LARRY GOT HIS BRAINS FUCKING KNOCKED OUT FOR NO FUCKING REASON, YOU'D THINK YOU'D PUT MORE SIGNIFICANCE ON THE REVENGE PART.
2. Remember Drew, Billy's cronie? Well, fucking apparently, we're supposed to give this guy the Ally Award because he stopped Billy from killing Larry and got Larry to the hospital. WHAT THE FUCK? NO.
I will only say this once: never, ever, in any world ever, should any humanoid creature be rewarded or praised for fucking doing things that ANY HUMANOID CREATURE WITH A BASIC LEVEL OF COMMON SENSE AND DECENCY WOULD DO. NO. That is a given, you should do that because you were fucking born on this earth. If you wouldn't, you are slime, you are disgusting and vile and DO NOT DESERVE TO BREATHE MY FUCKING AIR, OKAY? If you would not try to help someone who was getting killed for NO REASON, or if you would do it and then feel like you deserve some kind of award for it, you are scum. Plain. And. Fucking. Simple.
AND THE NOVEL ENDS RIGHT THERE.
Which brings me back to the It Get's Better bullshit. It gets better? IT GETS BETTER? If you're going to fucking lie to someone that bad, do it with some goddamn dignity you fuckwads. Go on. Go on, I want to see any of the It Get's Better campaign go and look into the eyes of some gay kid getting knocked around, pushed into dumpsters and tell that poor bastard that it gets better. And then, you know what I want that person to do? I want them to watch TV with that kid. I want them to watch Michele Motherfucking Bachman up there campaigning against gay rights, I want them to turn on their fucking computers and read the fucking news, on how some priest or what the fuck ever is giving away marriages for free to straight couples to just rub it fucking in.
And when they do that, then I want them to read the Wikipedia articles on all of the organizations dedicated to "curing" gay people. And then I want them to fucking google Westboro Baptist church. I think you get the idea.
And then, I want that fuckwad to look at that kid again. And I want them to say it. I want them to tell that kid that, holy fuck, despite the adults that are still pushed off fucking bridges and drowned, despite the trans women who are beat to death in parking lots, the lesbians who are raped, despite the fucking, what, the fucking men who are kidnapped and tortured for no reason other than the fact that they are sexually attracted to their same gender -- IT GETS BETTER. IT GETS MOTHERFUCKING BETTER.
I have been psychologically scarred reading the news, do you know that? DO YOU KNOW THAT? And if you can tell me, honestly, that it gets better and then have me read the news and believe that, then I will give you everything I fucking own. All of it. Give me your address, and I will ship it to you.
UNTIL THEN STOP FUCKING LYING, YOU TREMENDOUS DICKS.
And to anyone who thinks that I rated this book so low because it didn't have my fantastically gay ending where everyone lived happily ever after and certain assholes were fucked the hell up for trying to kill other normal people, FUCK YOU YOU'RE WRONG.
This book had it's other problems. Like for instance, why do I have to skim long passages of it just to get to a part that I care about? And for instance, why did I not give a shit about Elliot's story, feel that Larry's was milked dry and want more of Teresa's, which was pushed to the background despite it's obviously more interesting core? And it had very, very awkward prose.
And, look, I know I made a Huge Fucking Deal about the faggot thing earlier, but to be honest, I don't give a shit. A. Shit. Not a singular shit is given. It's just that this was thrown at me before I had a chance to react, and I pretty much emotionally shitted myself. This paragraph has a lot of mentions of shit in it, doesn't it? Anyway, the point is that at first the book had little to nothing to do with Larry being gay. Then, suddenly, it was a Problem of All Problems. And then it was The Problem of All Problems. I had no idea which direction the book was going to go in several times.
Also, I think I've typed the word faggot in this review more than I ever have in my entire life. Well, fuck it all. I'm tired, angry and depressed, so I'll just blame it on that, okay?
I don't exactly know how to explain the way It Gets Better and Boy Girl Boy really connect to me, but let me try since the entirety of this review so far has just been really angry and really random, I'm sure: It really doesn't get better. And I'm sick of being bullshitted into thinking that it could be. It gets fucking worse. Because guess what, just like that stupid fuck Jennifer whatever running for class president in high school, we have a stupid fuck Michelle Bachman running for president now.
Which, but I may be wrong on this, is a little more serious.
So you may have had a small solace that Jennifer whatever wouldn't be able to close down the GSA despite her obsession with that "Jesus" fellow, Michelle Bachman would be able to do that as president. Go on, say all you want that she would have to get votes or she would have to do this and that it's highly unlikely, but let's face it: the bitch would. She would and she would and she would. And that creepy as fuck husband of hers would host the Ungayify Yourself Institution for Troubled Youths or something.
Fuck, I'm making myself vomit thinking of these sick scenarios.
And as for this book, it was awful despite a few badass moments. But even it, even it helped to cement my long lasting depressing belief: the majority of adults are just bigger teenagers, so to even fucking delude yourself into believing that anything could get better just because you're getting out of high school is beyond hilarious.
AND NO, I AM NOT SAYING THAT BECAUSE IT NEVER GETS BETTER YOU SHOULD JUST OFF YOURSELF AND BE DONE WITH THE WHOLE FUCKING THING ANYWAY. Despite the fact that sometimes I feel like that, sometimes I feel that the human race is just too fucking disgusting to live with and there's just no reason to put up with this shit anymore, don't. Don't. You see, undoubtedly pissed off pro-It Get's Better people? I said DON'T.
You know why? BECAUSE I SAID SO. Okay, actually, no, that's not why. Because, despite what the world seems to be trying to feed you, you are awesome. And badass. In this sea of idiots that surround every normal person today we need more normal people to help raise the population of Those Who Are Not Fuckwads. That is you. You are not other. You are not out of the ordinary. That's why I hate queer. It makes it seem like it's all weird. For fuck's sake, to me, it's just another word to distance everyone. No, just, no, okay? We're all the same. Nobody's stranger than anyone else. I'm not saying we're all not original in our own ways. I'm just saying that nobody here, except for the fucking idiots that would try to make anyone seem so, is weird. We all have quirks, sure, but that's not the point, damn it. It's just that whenever someone uses the words "special", "weird", "queer" it's not helping. It's making it worse. How about instead of the "It's okay to be different!" we go with the "Really, nobody's all that different!"
It would make a lot more sense.
And you know, before you try to actually fucking tell someone that it's going to get better -- why don't you make sure that it will, first, okay?
And I still seem to be straying from the topic of this book. See, this is why I should not merge something that makes me very emotional with something that makes me less but still very emotional. I ALWAYS LOSE TRACK OF THE POINT.
Goddamnit.
Now to go finish A Monster Calls...
And that concludes Another Probably Half Psychotic Rant with Random Capitalized Things...
December 19, 2009
You know, when I checked out this book from the library, the librarian asked me who had recommended in to me. She said a lot of people had been talking about it lately. Truth be told, I had just grabbed it, more or less at random, on my way to class, mainly because it had a cool-looking cover. But hey, if people were talking about it, that was a good thing, right? At the very least, it meant the book had to be worth talking about.
Now that I've read it, I'm wondering if my librarian wasn't confused. To me, this book doesn't seem particularly worthy of discussion. Its basic premise- three colse friends at a crossroads in their lives- offers plenty of material, and Ron Koertge adds in plenty of interesting subplots. But then he doesn't DO anything with them. The book doesn't same to have an overreaching plot, and I don't know what, in the end, the author was trying to say. The book just sort of meanders on to an ending- and honestly, I'm not even sure why it ends where it does. Even that seems rather arbitrary.
I think my main issue with the book is that everything about it just feels so rushed. The short length, the complete lack of character development, the inconclusive ending, the way Koertge just, in general, seems unsure of what he's doing and what he wants to say. All of it smacks of his needing to meet a deadline. And if that's the case, then it's a shame, because the author had some good ideas here, and I would liked to see them explored in much more detail.
Now that I've read it, I'm wondering if my librarian wasn't confused. To me, this book doesn't seem particularly worthy of discussion. Its basic premise- three colse friends at a crossroads in their lives- offers plenty of material, and Ron Koertge adds in plenty of interesting subplots. But then he doesn't DO anything with them. The book doesn't same to have an overreaching plot, and I don't know what, in the end, the author was trying to say. The book just sort of meanders on to an ending- and honestly, I'm not even sure why it ends where it does. Even that seems rather arbitrary.
I think my main issue with the book is that everything about it just feels so rushed. The short length, the complete lack of character development, the inconclusive ending, the way Koertge just, in general, seems unsure of what he's doing and what he wants to say. All of it smacks of his needing to meet a deadline. And if that's the case, then it's a shame, because the author had some good ideas here, and I would liked to see them explored in much more detail.
October 23, 2024
Nice little book, exploring about three teen Boy Girl Boy
October 9, 2009
This book is very short, but it is by no means a light read. It deals with some very heavy issues right from the beginning.
Elliot is a confused guy. He wants to get away from his town as soon as possible, but his parents have something more for him. They want him to go to the University and major in Engineering, Elliot definitely doesn’t think he is smart enough for that, and he doesn’t want to tell them that he is moving to California. And his parents especially wont be thrilled to hear that when they find out it’s with his two best friends, Larry and Teresa.
Teresa is a broken girl. Her mother left her when she was 13 years old, and ever since then she barely eats and does nothing unless it’s with Larry or Elliot. She is a smart girl and could get into so many schools with scholarships, but what she really wants is to get away. To get away from all the looks and stares people give her, the one whose mother left her.
Larry is… different. He is gay. He found out when he was 13 and when people around his town started finding out he was gay, they started treating him like he had an incurable disease, and he hates that. He wants to get away to a place where people accept his lifestyle choice and don’t put him down because of it. He is a smart guy and has so much potential, but no one will let him show it. Except Teresa and Elliot.
Three best friends deal with issues of real life, and its very interesting to see the paths they take.
This book is a quick read and I think it is a decent book. It got a B- mainly because I think the author could have gone into detail more about what each character was going through, but I also liked how it was straight to the point and no fluff around the edges. It was a book that dealt with issues that some people shy away from and I think it teaches you a little something about what people go through.
I say, give it a try. It isn’t that long of a book anyway. You’ll be done with it in 3 hours, tops.
Elliot is a confused guy. He wants to get away from his town as soon as possible, but his parents have something more for him. They want him to go to the University and major in Engineering, Elliot definitely doesn’t think he is smart enough for that, and he doesn’t want to tell them that he is moving to California. And his parents especially wont be thrilled to hear that when they find out it’s with his two best friends, Larry and Teresa.
Teresa is a broken girl. Her mother left her when she was 13 years old, and ever since then she barely eats and does nothing unless it’s with Larry or Elliot. She is a smart girl and could get into so many schools with scholarships, but what she really wants is to get away. To get away from all the looks and stares people give her, the one whose mother left her.
Larry is… different. He is gay. He found out when he was 13 and when people around his town started finding out he was gay, they started treating him like he had an incurable disease, and he hates that. He wants to get away to a place where people accept his lifestyle choice and don’t put him down because of it. He is a smart guy and has so much potential, but no one will let him show it. Except Teresa and Elliot.
Three best friends deal with issues of real life, and its very interesting to see the paths they take.
This book is a quick read and I think it is a decent book. It got a B- mainly because I think the author could have gone into detail more about what each character was going through, but I also liked how it was straight to the point and no fluff around the edges. It was a book that dealt with issues that some people shy away from and I think it teaches you a little something about what people go through.
I say, give it a try. It isn’t that long of a book anyway. You’ll be done with it in 3 hours, tops.
September 1, 2021
I didn’t really love this book, but the author, Ron Koertge, did a great job showing us in the story how sometimes life does not or is not always what we think it is or is going to become. The story follows three teenagers who have big plans and big problems. Larry wants to be a filmmaker and is struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality. Elliot is a jock who doesn’t really seem to be ‘caught up’ with the group. Teresa is a photographer and has lots of family issues. The three friends had a plan to move to California together, but that plan was deflated after many challenges and changes faced the group. From all of the issues and problems the group drifted apart from each other, while apart they were able to rethink their independence and dependence on each other. One problem was the fact that Elliot was going to a different college then the other two. The story was kind of confusing because there was not a strict plot-line, and I wasn’t really able to connect with any of the characters. I don’t think that I would recommend this book to any of my friends, but it wasn’t too bad.
July 17, 2016
Though I loved the book, I didn't like the ending. I felt that the book just ended too fast. I wanted another three chapters at least just to sum things up instead of one person doing that.
April 23, 2019
Teenage plans for three long time friends after graduation come into question as they grow, find their true selves and live life in a small town. A tight knit trio of senior high students with family issues, the longing for excitement they believe can be found elsewhere....not in their podunk town of course, make their way through what they hope is their last year in Wendelville. Larry, Teresa (don't ever call her Terri) and Elliot don't need anyone but each other(or so they think).
The issues they have with family and society could have been looked into deeper. I thought the book just touched on things that could've been expanded. I wanted to know more about their history. But it was a good read with a good story and characters.
The issues they have with family and society could have been looked into deeper. I thought the book just touched on things that could've been expanded. I wanted to know more about their history. But it was a good read with a good story and characters.
January 12, 2020
I almost feel like I meet three teenagers who all tried to start a project then quit for no apparent reason other then they got bored....
I do appreciate the heavy topics but I didn’t feel
Any backstory to make these topics actually deep more so just random acts of the teenage life that are all thrown in with half ass context.......
I do appreciate the heavy topics but I didn’t feel
Any backstory to make these topics actually deep more so just random acts of the teenage life that are all thrown in with half ass context.......
November 30, 2022
This book was okay very dull and basic but it wasn't terrible some parts were good but the rest was just bland to read I recommend it for a book to read on the side like for when you have nothing to do you should read this book but I wouldn't go out of my way to read this, unfortunately, Just not my type of book.
September 14, 2025
You can 100% tell that this is a book written about teenagers by a 66 year old man. Not saying it’s not good in some parts but not saying it is. It is written well and I’ll give it that. Absolute ass of an ending.
August 10, 2017
*4.7 I wish there was more to read about these three!! I loved the confusing yet loving friendships these three have with one another. I wish there was more to grasp; still loved it!
February 14, 2019
This is one of the best books I’ve read this month. It tells the exhilarating and exhausting tale of three best friends who want to move to California after high school.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2011
At first I was a bit put off by this book. Boy Girl Boy is told through three different characters, and I make no qualms in saying that I am not a big fan of this format at all. I think that it is very difficult to pull off. Rarely does an author capable of creating three distinct voices. Koertge is not an exception here.
Elliot, Teresa, and Larry are three very different teens who have all been friends with one and another since they were kids. Elliot is the gorgeous jock, Teresa is the brainy chick who’s been hot for Elliot for a couple of years, and Larry is the token gay boy living in a small town that believes his gayness is a sin.
OK, I realize so far this book doesn’t seem like it would be worthwhile, right? I mean, already, I’ve snubbed the writing convention and then I rolled my eyes at the stereotypical teen characters. But here’s the thing. I don’t know why it works, but it does!
Elliot, Teresa, and Larry all plan on escaping their small town immediately after graduation. California seems like just the place to start a new life. Their motivations are all quite different – Teresa’s father has become emotionally empty since the mother ran away and Larry knows that as an out gay man, he needs to go to a larger city where acceptance is closer to the norm rather than prayers. Only Elliot is reluctant about the move. He’s pretty okay with being in the small town for the most part. Sure, he won’t go to college, but he could take over his father’s butcher business. He happens to be pretty good at that, even if he’s not so good at being smart.
It’s interesting to see how the three friends change over the course of a couple of months. Between Larry meeting someone, Teresa fighting her feelings of Elliot, and Elliot caught in the middle of his friends’ dreams and his, Boy Girl Boy is a quick read.
[Side note 1] On the GLBT focus, Larry truly is a great character. Although he is casted as the token gay kid in a small town, there is much more to his personality. He’s clever and caring…you know, essentially believable and a person that I’d probably want to hang out with IRL. The attacks on Larry are also portrayed in a realistic manner without going over and beyond to illustrate a point.
[Side note 2] Terresa got on my last bloody nerve. What is up with me not connecting with the female ladies lately? Sheesh. I have personality, why can’t they?
Elliot, Teresa, and Larry are three very different teens who have all been friends with one and another since they were kids. Elliot is the gorgeous jock, Teresa is the brainy chick who’s been hot for Elliot for a couple of years, and Larry is the token gay boy living in a small town that believes his gayness is a sin.
OK, I realize so far this book doesn’t seem like it would be worthwhile, right? I mean, already, I’ve snubbed the writing convention and then I rolled my eyes at the stereotypical teen characters. But here’s the thing. I don’t know why it works, but it does!
Elliot, Teresa, and Larry all plan on escaping their small town immediately after graduation. California seems like just the place to start a new life. Their motivations are all quite different – Teresa’s father has become emotionally empty since the mother ran away and Larry knows that as an out gay man, he needs to go to a larger city where acceptance is closer to the norm rather than prayers. Only Elliot is reluctant about the move. He’s pretty okay with being in the small town for the most part. Sure, he won’t go to college, but he could take over his father’s butcher business. He happens to be pretty good at that, even if he’s not so good at being smart.
It’s interesting to see how the three friends change over the course of a couple of months. Between Larry meeting someone, Teresa fighting her feelings of Elliot, and Elliot caught in the middle of his friends’ dreams and his, Boy Girl Boy is a quick read.
[Side note 1] On the GLBT focus, Larry truly is a great character. Although he is casted as the token gay kid in a small town, there is much more to his personality. He’s clever and caring…you know, essentially believable and a person that I’d probably want to hang out with IRL. The attacks on Larry are also portrayed in a realistic manner without going over and beyond to illustrate a point.
[Side note 2] Terresa got on my last bloody nerve. What is up with me not connecting with the female ladies lately? Sheesh. I have personality, why can’t they?
Read
January 10, 2013Boy girl boy is definitely a teenage book. Its about three best friends that are in high school living in between a bunch of drama and problems. Problems like how teresa's mom abandoned her and her dad, Larry is insecurely gay, and eliot feels as though he is in the shadow of them. All of this makes them be closer and unite. Their life plan is to move to California after high school all together and live their dreams together over there. They already planned what car they're going to have, what house they're going to live in, even how rich they are going to be.
The book is mainly about Larry. Everybody knows hes gay and make his life a living hell. Billy and his little follower Drew hate him, anywhere they see Larry thy give him crap about being gay. Larry tries to not let them get to him and stands up for himself. They're were several times that Larry gets bullied by them, mainly everyday.To the point where he actually gets put in coma for 3 days, but of course he has his two best friends at his side to make him feel comfortable, secure and strong.
Teresa is very sexual, in the book it shows how she kisses Larry and Elliot, which is kind of weird because Larry in supposably gay. Teresa is built up with stress because of her mom abandoning them. Her way out of this is running and being athletic. She is also extremely smart, she checks Elliot's work for him.
Elliot is a basketball star, a gorgous jock, and even though he is all of this he is still very insecure with himself. He feels that his friends, Teresa and Larry are smarter and better than him. He has a girlfriend you could say named Mary Ann. When Larry gets beat up by billy and gets put in coma, Elliot fights Billy. He was tired of seeing larry get bullied and this was the stoping point to all of that. Elliot's family is also very religious. He feels bad because he lies to his dad about going to college in town.
Boy girl boy is a really good book to read. I enjoyed reading it, i think everybody can relate to this because its something that could really happen in high school or that is happening in high school today.
The book is mainly about Larry. Everybody knows hes gay and make his life a living hell. Billy and his little follower Drew hate him, anywhere they see Larry thy give him crap about being gay. Larry tries to not let them get to him and stands up for himself. They're were several times that Larry gets bullied by them, mainly everyday.To the point where he actually gets put in coma for 3 days, but of course he has his two best friends at his side to make him feel comfortable, secure and strong.
Teresa is very sexual, in the book it shows how she kisses Larry and Elliot, which is kind of weird because Larry in supposably gay. Teresa is built up with stress because of her mom abandoning them. Her way out of this is running and being athletic. She is also extremely smart, she checks Elliot's work for him.
Elliot is a basketball star, a gorgous jock, and even though he is all of this he is still very insecure with himself. He feels that his friends, Teresa and Larry are smarter and better than him. He has a girlfriend you could say named Mary Ann. When Larry gets beat up by billy and gets put in coma, Elliot fights Billy. He was tired of seeing larry get bullied and this was the stoping point to all of that. Elliot's family is also very religious. He feels bad because he lies to his dad about going to college in town.
Boy girl boy is a really good book to read. I enjoyed reading it, i think everybody can relate to this because its something that could really happen in high school or that is happening in high school today.
August 16, 2012
Ron Koertge seems like that writer who has an opinion on everything and has a witty way of proposing them if ever asked to state said opinion. And that's how it sort of felt when reading Boy Girl Boy, as if each character was a subtle form of projecting what Koertge was trying to say.
Frankly, I just picked this book at random at my library. It looked like an interesting read since I am always a sucker for a good young adult friendship/possibility-of-a-romance novel. However, this wouldn't even be considered a novel to me since the book is so freaking short that it was lightest of all light reads.
The book is written in three POVs: Teresa, Larry, and Elliot's, best friends who are all completely different but have the one thing in common which is that they are all legging it to California after they graduate from school in the tiny little town of Wendelville. Teresa is what you could call a tomboy who has a knack for saying the right retorts, running nonstop and not eating nonstop. Larry is the movie-watching fanatic who we find out is gay but not the flamboyant ones. Elliot is the one with the good looks, the girls, the athletic ability, yet none of the brains that Teresa or Larry have.
Reading this book, felt like trying to understand an inside joke basically. The majority of the chapters were filled with terms and sentences that you just had to scramble to understand. It was like Koertge was expecting readers to understand what these subliminal replacements for simpler words meant. It was like the author was saying everything but nothing at all (if you catch my drift). All the stories seemed jumbled up and we never got a well detailed background of the many important characters.
Given that it was so short and that the plot was sort of going nowhere, the ending was also flat. Okay, I already knew that they would stick together and that they were not going to California. I just expected a sort of closure and not just Larry driving into the sunset giving a rundown of minor happy endings for each character.
Frankly, I just picked this book at random at my library. It looked like an interesting read since I am always a sucker for a good young adult friendship/possibility-of-a-romance novel. However, this wouldn't even be considered a novel to me since the book is so freaking short that it was lightest of all light reads.
The book is written in three POVs: Teresa, Larry, and Elliot's, best friends who are all completely different but have the one thing in common which is that they are all legging it to California after they graduate from school in the tiny little town of Wendelville. Teresa is what you could call a tomboy who has a knack for saying the right retorts, running nonstop and not eating nonstop. Larry is the movie-watching fanatic who we find out is gay but not the flamboyant ones. Elliot is the one with the good looks, the girls, the athletic ability, yet none of the brains that Teresa or Larry have.
Reading this book, felt like trying to understand an inside joke basically. The majority of the chapters were filled with terms and sentences that you just had to scramble to understand. It was like Koertge was expecting readers to understand what these subliminal replacements for simpler words meant. It was like the author was saying everything but nothing at all (if you catch my drift). All the stories seemed jumbled up and we never got a well detailed background of the many important characters.
Given that it was so short and that the plot was sort of going nowhere, the ending was also flat. Okay, I already knew that they would stick together and that they were not going to California. I just expected a sort of closure and not just Larry driving into the sunset giving a rundown of minor happy endings for each character.
January 10, 2013
boy girl boy its a book about three really close friends, they all have diferent problems but theyr friendship is stronger, theyr main dream is to go to california and build theyr real life togheter teresa its really athelic she loves to run, she look pretty happy but the idea of her mom living her it really hurts her, she trys to find someone that can love her becuase her mom is gone, thats why she kisses and look for love in her best friends, larry look really happy whit his life, and hes a smart guy, but at the middle of the book we found out that he has a secret that his gay, he told teresa about that when he was 13, elliot know about the secret too thats why there friendship its so inseparable because they all accept their mistakes they character their life and there feelings, elliot its more a happy guy he works whit his dad and he has a really good relation whit his dad, he feel good when his around hes three best friends because he feel smarted then the others, they all have a dream that also keeps them together that its go to california and start a real life ove there all together but there kinda scare because their parents dont know a lot about of what there planing, this book its really hard to follow but i liked a lot because its talk about friendship and real problems of teenagers that they we have every day.
when larry get bit up and people start bulling him he finish in †he hospital teresa cares alot about him and theyr friend ship comes more insepareble because they relice what they have and what reallly maters in a friend ship, teresa gets really stress and start eating alot, she kisses elliot because alll this problems, and a t end of the book teresa also kisses larry they dont end up going to california because they found that they have a lot of differences and they dont want to losse their friendship.
when larry get bit up and people start bulling him he finish in †he hospital teresa cares alot about him and theyr friend ship comes more insepareble because they relice what they have and what reallly maters in a friend ship, teresa gets really stress and start eating alot, she kisses elliot because alll this problems, and a t end of the book teresa also kisses larry they dont end up going to california because they found that they have a lot of differences and they dont want to losse their friendship.
November 14, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Graduation offers the promise of the future, but that same future offers the promise of uncertainty and fear. Three friends are about to graduate. They have plans. There are the plans made with the support and dreams of their families. There is the secret plan known only to the three of them, of an escape to California. And then, there are the separate plans, sometimes made privately, even subconsciously.
Boy - Larry is smart, but he's also gay. His friends understand, but others - not so much. Struggling to be sure he really is what he is takes up most of Larry's time and effort. Maybe California would answer his questions. Maybe not ...
Girl - Teresa is a straight student, but she struggles with issues from the past. She's never totally understood why her mother left her. Doesn't a girl need a mother? Her father is too busy with his "Tiny Town" hobby project in the basement to really understand what she needs. Her friends understand her pain. Maybe California would offer her a fresh start. Maybe not ...
Boy - Elliot is going to play ball for U of I. It's his father's dream. Elliot's dream is being a butcher in his father's store. Since he is not the student that his friends are, the academic side of college scares Elliot. Maybe going to California would take U of I out of the picture. Maybe not ...
Koertge tells his story from alternating viewpoints, allowing readers to see into the minds and fears of the trio. The struggle to understand one's life in the past, present, and future is reflected in Larry, Teresa, and Elliot. There is something for everyone in BOY GIRL BOY.
Graduation offers the promise of the future, but that same future offers the promise of uncertainty and fear. Three friends are about to graduate. They have plans. There are the plans made with the support and dreams of their families. There is the secret plan known only to the three of them, of an escape to California. And then, there are the separate plans, sometimes made privately, even subconsciously.
Boy - Larry is smart, but he's also gay. His friends understand, but others - not so much. Struggling to be sure he really is what he is takes up most of Larry's time and effort. Maybe California would answer his questions. Maybe not ...
Girl - Teresa is a straight student, but she struggles with issues from the past. She's never totally understood why her mother left her. Doesn't a girl need a mother? Her father is too busy with his "Tiny Town" hobby project in the basement to really understand what she needs. Her friends understand her pain. Maybe California would offer her a fresh start. Maybe not ...
Boy - Elliot is going to play ball for U of I. It's his father's dream. Elliot's dream is being a butcher in his father's store. Since he is not the student that his friends are, the academic side of college scares Elliot. Maybe going to California would take U of I out of the picture. Maybe not ...
Koertge tells his story from alternating viewpoints, allowing readers to see into the minds and fears of the trio. The struggle to understand one's life in the past, present, and future is reflected in Larry, Teresa, and Elliot. There is something for everyone in BOY GIRL BOY.
July 27, 2008
This book was about three friends and the point of view of the narrative switched between the three of them quite rapidly. This did not work as the only character development the author was capable of was the character that was speaking. Hence, the reader gets to know each of the the three main characters in choppy bits leaving the secondary characters as flat and static. This was my first experience with this author, who writes young adult literature. I am now curious if it is always his style to introduce a bevy of secondary quirky characters, family friends and parents, that the reader gets to meet for about one second each.
Over all the concept of the plot was a good one. A coming-of-age story of three friends in a small farming-type town who have bigger dreams than their surroundings. Where this book fell short was that the author added in drugs and sex simply to add "edginess" to his story, perhaps thinking that woudl entice teen readers to pass his book around.
I felt the characters' use and dealing of pot was superfluous. It didn't fit in with the rest of the plot.
In the end, this book was a bit of a dissapointment and left me wishing someone else would take and develop this plot and characters into a book that was longer than 162 pages -- OH WAIT, someone did, Michael Cunniham's "Home at the End of the World"!
January 19, 2015
I just finished reading Boy Girl Boy , it was a really quick read--seriously this book was really short, I think it would be considered a novella, not sure. So after reading it, it wasn't what I expected.
The book is told through three perspective, Teresa, Elliot, and Larry. The three of them have been friends since they were kids. Teresa has developed feelings for Elliot, which he isn't aware of and is infatuated with some other girl and himself. Then there's Larry who has come to terms with his sexuality. All three plan on leaving their small town together, and moving to California after graduation, or so it seems.
Well, I actually didn't enjoy reading this book, I sometimes found myself spacing out and wondering what just happen. Also during the beginning of the book, there are a lot of flashbacks between the characters, which kind of made it a little difficult to keep up. Like were they in the present now? or the past?
As I said in the beginning, the book was really short. I assumed because it was short it would speed up the plot, it didn't.
And lastly none of the characters had any impact on me, I found it really hard to connect with them--even with Larry, someone who struggled with his sexuality.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book, it wasn't that enjoyable, characters were bland, and the plot lagged--horribly.
The book is told through three perspective, Teresa, Elliot, and Larry. The three of them have been friends since they were kids. Teresa has developed feelings for Elliot, which he isn't aware of and is infatuated with some other girl and himself. Then there's Larry who has come to terms with his sexuality. All three plan on leaving their small town together, and moving to California after graduation, or so it seems.
Well, I actually didn't enjoy reading this book, I sometimes found myself spacing out and wondering what just happen. Also during the beginning of the book, there are a lot of flashbacks between the characters, which kind of made it a little difficult to keep up. Like were they in the present now? or the past?
As I said in the beginning, the book was really short. I assumed because it was short it would speed up the plot, it didn't.
And lastly none of the characters had any impact on me, I found it really hard to connect with them--even with Larry, someone who struggled with his sexuality.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book, it wasn't that enjoyable, characters were bland, and the plot lagged--horribly.
Read
October 9, 2013Elliot, Teresa and Larry have been BFFs…and swear to remain so after they graduate in a few months. The plan is: graduate, leave for California immediately, rent a cool spot and only let new friends into the group if all three agree, unanimously. Otherwise, asta la vista, baby, to the new, wanna-be-friend.
It sounds good, and ANYONE in school will tell you that graduation day your senior year is something you look forward to for a long, long, time, but sometimes, the way you look forward to it changes.
Like with Elliot, who's mom asks him to help take the bedding off the line before he goes to meet Larry and Teresa. She makes comic shadow figures behind the drying sheets, and Larry is rolling on the ground, literally rotfl-mao, as he calls out the figures she is making from Fright Night or Night of the Living Dead. She grabs the sheet down - and Larry folds and she tugs, he steps right and she left - it's like the dance of the folding sheets and they do it perfectly - maybe even for the last time.
Thank you - his mom says - and it hits Larry - she realizes - I'll be gone soon. And that's when he realizes it too, and it's a bit more bittersweet now when he thinks of graduation day. But it's still gonna rock when the three BFF's hit the road for California...isn't it?
It sounds good, and ANYONE in school will tell you that graduation day your senior year is something you look forward to for a long, long, time, but sometimes, the way you look forward to it changes.
Like with Elliot, who's mom asks him to help take the bedding off the line before he goes to meet Larry and Teresa. She makes comic shadow figures behind the drying sheets, and Larry is rolling on the ground, literally rotfl-mao, as he calls out the figures she is making from Fright Night or Night of the Living Dead. She grabs the sheet down - and Larry folds and she tugs, he steps right and she left - it's like the dance of the folding sheets and they do it perfectly - maybe even for the last time.
Thank you - his mom says - and it hits Larry - she realizes - I'll be gone soon. And that's when he realizes it too, and it's a bit more bittersweet now when he thinks of graduation day. But it's still gonna rock when the three BFF's hit the road for California...isn't it?
May 22, 2009
I was often confused in Boy Girl Boy. I didn't know what the characters were referring to, or else I wouldn't know until much later. The story progressed much too fast, and I feel that the characters never had time to fully develop. I learned minimal characteristics about them all, enough to know that at the end they changed. So they weren't truthfully flat characters, but I felt like they were flat. Know what I mean? Nearly the opposite of Twilight--where you feel like the characters aren't flat, but looking back you realize they are. Also, there's a plot and climax, but they're both lacking, probably from the limited descriptions. I think Koertge had a good idea, but he needed to expand on it. I feel bad only rating it one star for that reason, but it simply didn't appeal to me.
December 21, 2010
This book just did not do it for me. I thought it had some potential at the beginning, but the further I got along the worse it got. So much of the book was just choppy and certain things and situations were just sort of thrown out there and then done nothing with. The characters were kinda interesting, but that whole drug and sex thing just seemed unnecessary and was just sort of there to make things even more awkward. I think the worse thing about this book, though, was the ending. I...don't even understand what he was going for with that. It abrupt and strange, leaving me with a great dissatisfaction and a great wish that I had not bothered reading this book at all. The only thing I really liked about this book were Larry and that whole limbo scene. That was basically it.
December 22, 2011
Yet another book I'd heard about often but never picked up to read. Borrowed this one with five others from the library just yesterday. Two down already!
I enjoyed the book being told through three different perspectives. Each one was unique and all of the characters had their own issues they were working through. I loved all of their complex relationships with each other and the feelings. And it's amazing how one tragic event could change their world and plans so much. They seemed so set on going out into the world together, but this breaks them apart in a way. It wasn't surprising that they mature and grow after it, but they were so convinced that these were their plans that I believed them as well.
I enjoyed the book being told through three different perspectives. Each one was unique and all of the characters had their own issues they were working through. I loved all of their complex relationships with each other and the feelings. And it's amazing how one tragic event could change their world and plans so much. They seemed so set on going out into the world together, but this breaks them apart in a way. It wasn't surprising that they mature and grow after it, but they were so convinced that these were their plans that I believed them as well.
March 14, 2012
koertge has this way of going off on abstract tangents and losing me from time to time in some of his books. this one does it frequently but briefly and i am quickly able to catch back up with the story once the riffing has ended. that doesnt effect my evaluation though because he did it alot in margaux too and i loved that book. this ones not grabbing in the same way (im not quite done yet). ive noticed that books that flip from viewpoint to viewpoint often fall short of engrossing me in the story. i think it cheats the viewer from dropping into one voice/paradigm and this keeps us from getting emotionally involved. just a theory but it does seem to be the case whenever i read a book that flips between multiple viewpoints.
August 1, 2008
One good thing...this was a fast read. Otherwise....eh.
It tells a story from 3 points of view, once each chapter. It seems these kids are looking forward to HS graduation so they can run away to California. It seemed like, at first, that the run away would be the main focus...yet it never happened.
One of the boys got the crap beaten out of him and almost died, and it took me a couple chapters to realize something bad had even happened because I wasn't focussing.
In an an author's note at the end, the author says he was experimenting with the changing POVs, even though he says the story doesn't need it. <--- I think that says it all.
168 pages
It tells a story from 3 points of view, once each chapter. It seems these kids are looking forward to HS graduation so they can run away to California. It seemed like, at first, that the run away would be the main focus...yet it never happened.
One of the boys got the crap beaten out of him and almost died, and it took me a couple chapters to realize something bad had even happened because I wasn't focussing.
In an an author's note at the end, the author says he was experimenting with the changing POVs, even though he says the story doesn't need it. <--- I think that says it all.
168 pages
August 20, 2008
Larry, Elliott and Teresa are in their senior year of high school and they have a plan: immediately after graduation they are going to leave their small town in Iowa and move to California where everything will be better.
Elliot’s the captain of the football team, but his friends have pulled him through school.
Teresa has a huge crush on Elliot, but he goes through girls like Kleenex, and he doesn’t notice her crush.
Larry also has a crush on Elliot, but since he’s been out since he was 13, it hardly matters. In the last quarter of the book, some of the town bullies beat and nearly kill Larry and it causes them all to reevaluate their choices.
Elliot’s the captain of the football team, but his friends have pulled him through school.
Teresa has a huge crush on Elliot, but he goes through girls like Kleenex, and he doesn’t notice her crush.
Larry also has a crush on Elliot, but since he’s been out since he was 13, it hardly matters. In the last quarter of the book, some of the town bullies beat and nearly kill Larry and it causes them all to reevaluate their choices.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2011
Because I love Ron Koertge and because this book features a well-rounded gay teen character, I will keep it on my shelf. That said, I don't feel like I can honestly recommend it to anyone.
The writing felt choppy, though it was often quick-witted. The characters were separate, clear, and self-contained...but I just didn't care very much about them. The traumatic incident at the end served as a plot point to wrap up the novel, not uncover gay bashing in a small town. Nothing sensational (read: edgy) about this book, which I really LIKED, but on the other hand, nothing sensational (read: memorable) about his book which was disappointing.
The writing felt choppy, though it was often quick-witted. The characters were separate, clear, and self-contained...but I just didn't care very much about them. The traumatic incident at the end served as a plot point to wrap up the novel, not uncover gay bashing in a small town. Nothing sensational (read: edgy) about this book, which I really LIKED, but on the other hand, nothing sensational (read: memorable) about his book which was disappointing.
March 10, 2014
I choose this book because it was recommended by my yearbook teacher. The plot of the story is that Elliot, Teresa, and Larry are best friends and they have planned that one they graduate they will move to California. My favorite quote is "Let's practice being happy so we know how to act when we get to California" because it shows that in their minds California is a great place but it reality is just a state with a lot of warmth and sun.The authors writing style is amazing because she writes in all three of the best friends perspectives. I would recommend this book anyone over the age of 12 because not only does it have bad words but also bad images that the person may remember.
July 20, 2009
Another book chosen for my class, this turned out to be golden. Its a story of 3 extremely tight friends that starts out when they're 13 and ends upon their high school graduation. It takes the reader inside their private circle of intelligence, sarcastic humor, fears, hopes, and family-like bonds. One of the friends comes out as gay early in the story and I liked how the author stayed away from the sterotypical characterization and instead used it as an opportunity to discuss different types of relationships for the young adult audience.
August 10, 2016
Yes, another mindless, easy read. I wasn’t overly excited about reading this, mostly because it jumped around from one point-of-view to another, and I’m not overly fond of that.
I feel like this book needed more closure. I kind of wanted to know what happened to the characters after the events we were told about. Instead, we’re given a scene in which the former friends seem to be somewhat uncomfortable around each other, and just kind of go their separate ways.
Basically this book was about what I expected - Okay, but not great.
I feel like this book needed more closure. I kind of wanted to know what happened to the characters after the events we were told about. Instead, we’re given a scene in which the former friends seem to be somewhat uncomfortable around each other, and just kind of go their separate ways.
Basically this book was about what I expected - Okay, but not great.
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