Exiled to Iowa. Send Help. And Couture.

by Chris O'Guinn

This is the story of me, Collin Murray, a bright, witty and charming L.A. teen who is cruelly transported to a small town in Iowa by parents who delight in my suffering. It tells the tale of my struggles against such obstacles as flannel, packs of bullies, lack of car, hoodies, crazy English teachers and vengeful former friends. It is an epic tale of survival in a savage denim wilderness.

Genres: Young Adult, M M Romance, LGBT, Romance, Contemporary, Gay, Coming Of Age

363 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2010

About the author

I’ve been writing since I was fifteen, not that those stories will ever be allowed out of the dark hole I buried them in. I focused primarily on the Fantasy genre for the first two decades, occasionally diverting into modern fiction. In 2010, I embarked on a self-publishing career, focusing on the young adult novel genre. When I’m not writing, I am contributing to TheBacklot.com, a gay entertainment website.
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Reviews

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3.25 stars ✰

​​“I'm full of contradictions. Sometimes, I even baffle myself.​”

​​

​​​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Chris O'Guinn's Young Adult debut Exiled to Iowa. Send Help. And Couture may not have been as awesome (iykyk) as the previous book I've read of his, but there was something about Collin Murray's attitude and flair for fashion that just worked for me.​ 👍🏻 Moving from the glam of L.A, to the middle of nowhere, he's really not hiding that he really does not want to be here. But, the shocker is that the more time he does spend in his new parental-imposed destination, he starts to see just how much his life has become for the better, since moving here!​ ❇️

​ “It was so much fun, being young and free and … me.” ​

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ O'Guinn really captured Collin's feelings and thoughts in a very engaging light, one that was both fresh and full of snark, but still one that showed that he was not above showing empathy and sympathy even to those who bullied him​, even if unbeknownst to them that he was gay - a notion he worked very hard to keep hidden out of fear of being rejected. ​​I admit, the way he did eventually reveal himself to Becca was poorly handled, not to mention the fallout that occurred after, but there was a genuine heart to him that ​made him an endearing character, and one that you rooted for. 🥹

“I sank into the warm, fuzzy feeling of new friendship. There really is nothing like knowing you have a place in the world.” ​

​​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Speaking to the choir there, Collin. 🙋🏻‍♀️ The friendships captured also felt so organic. Keith was so kind and receptive of Collin's passion and honesty; maybe it was his innate nature that made Collin feel so comfortable and safe in his presence, enough to give those snazzy witty comebacks that just rolled off his tongue as natural as it was being gay. 🫂 His relationship with his parents - while touch and go, at first, due to his determination to make his life as unpleasant as possible because of his reluctance off being here - was also shown in a believable way. Through the ups and downs he faced as a sophomore, he made some sensible choices and shared some poignant and touching moments with them that showed vividly the emotional upheavals a sixteen-year-old goes through. 👌🏻

​ “If this isn’t love, then I don’t know what it is.” ​

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Even the slow dynamic with both his love interest, Austin and his tormentor, Billy felt real. It pained me to see how huddled ​woobie Austin kept himself in the shadows, but with Collin's exuberance lighting up Iowa, he really came out of himself and proved to be a perfect partner for him​ - 'how right, how perfect … how natural it had felt, sharing that with him.'​ 🥰​ The moment Collin was struck starry-eyed by him was so sweet, just as much as how Austin was there for him through the difficult and shockingly outrageous claims that were laid forth when the parents of the school tried to take action against Collin simply for being too gay!​ 😢

​ “You’re really okay with me … being … g-gay?” I had to say the word. For some reason, it was very important to say it out loud.” ​

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ​A prevalent theme​ running throughout is the fear of outing oneself and being accepted and seen as who you are. Collin's penchant for fashion and his heartfelt tendencies of speaking his mind openly definitely is a recipe for trouble and disaster and even seen as disruptive to the learning process​, which 'made me a little sad, as it always did, thinking that the world hated me without even knowing me​. 🥺 It was a realistic portrayal that captured both the acceptance and the rejection; the backlash hurts from parties Collin hoped he would not be on the receiving end of, but there is that once again honesty to it that I liked. But, seeing the gradual change of understanding dawn upon one of his most vicious bullies was impressive and heartfelt. It showed how people are capable of change and it is okay to also not force one to accept, but come to it on their own terms.​ ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

​ “Self-Preservation once again rescued me, chomping on those words and mauling them to death.” ​

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Despite my praises, there were​ some lingering issues (of course there were, Amina! 😅) that bothered me. The pacing felt uneven at times; I was in an angsty scene, and then it would shift to a more upbeat moment that did not transfer well. I would have liked a little more emphasis on certain plot lines; once introduced, they were not as well fleshed out as they could have been - especially Collin spearheading the revolution of trendy fashion. A chance to share a deeper and more meaningful connection with the store owner, Jack, also felt like a missed opportunity. 😔 The ending was also too rushed for my taste; I needed a little more closure, if not a more detailed view of what transpired. It felt as if the author had tired of the story and was in a rush to finish it, thus leading to the tell and don't show dance, which annoys me to no end. But, Collin's whimsical nature and generally good-natured spirit was a breath of fresh air that did have me amused at times, so I do still count it a win for getting to meet someone like him. 💟

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

So reviewing this book leaves me a bit conflicted.

Do I review the book that it was?

Or do I review it for the book that I *wished* it had been?

What the book was:

A well-written story of being uprooted from an urban life and dropped into a cultural wasteland, where 'fabulous' people, i.e. people outside the norm, with a bit of flair, are scorned, ridiculed and sometimes beaten.

Then overcoming that adversity to find 'your people' there and regroup to build a life that makes you happy.

Plus, as what seemed almost more of a sub-plot, along the way you happen to get a boyfriend, even if you've been *dating* the guy for 2 months -- without even REALIZING that you were in a relationship... Ummm, okay.

What I had more *wished* the book to be:

The same as above; however, this book was extremely Collin-centric, concentrating mostly on Colin overcoming the limitations of his new small town existence.

I kept holding my breath for a true romance, where the story was about Colin and Austin falling in love and growing together, with the *side story* being that of their perseverance over small minds and bullying.

I'm extremely romance-oriented, so for me, while an entertaining read, it didn't quite fully engage me to the point of other YA romances have, such as "After School Activities" by Dirk Hunter, where the couple's common goal was firmly focused on their coupledom above all else.

So I longed for chapter after chapter of Collin and Austin getting to know one another more deeply, instead of each simply divulging 'their big secret', then mostly diverting back to the drama at school and with friends.



If you're looking for a gay high school drama, focusing a bit less intensely on the romance, then this one is highly recommended.

4 *puzzle-missing-one-critical-piece* stars from me this time.

** BOOK PIMP: I just wanted to note that Chris O'Guinn's "Fearless" is one of my favorite Top 10 books of all time. Period. So PLEASE do yourself a huge favor and check out "Fearless". Read my review, if you're scared by the blurb or other reviews. ;- )

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This was my own copy of the book and was not provided by the publisher.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and its somewhat mouthy narrator, Collin, who, when forcibly relocated from LA, brings couture and drama to a small-town Iowa highschool. His voice was a nice combination of young, hopeful and snarky, with a little bit of flaming mixed in. He runs into a believable series of stumbling blocks along the way. The characters were great, not everything was black and white, and the resolution was sweet and not perfect. There were some very funny moments, some painful ones, and quite a few quotable lines. The romance part of it was lovely and not too cloying. The missing star is because it didn't grab me emotionally quite as hard as the very best YA stories do, but it was fun, engaging, and definitely worth reading.

[Cole Riann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luci recommended this book to me a couple of weeks ago and I am so happy that she did. It is such a breath of fresh air. Funny and poignant, with characters that I really grew to love (and talk about one sexy, supportive boyfriend to have -- I loved Austin). At times, this book took me back to high school myself, where I'm happy to say I subtly avoided the kinds of situations in this novel. I tended to ghost around my classmates and only spend time with my little circle of friends. Not Collin, though. He is much too bright of a star (well, a flaming, rising one anyway) to avoid being seen and I loved to watch his subtle rise to stardom and his own queer takeover of his small town high school. What is wonderful about this book is that it is a story of one boy's journey on the cusp of adulthood, and how he chronicles that moment that every person has, where they realize that they're strong enough to stand up on their own, and the bittersweet revelation that is when the downside is having to look at the world in a new, harsh light. A beautiful story!

[Emmy B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so this wasn't for me. It wasn't exactly terrible, only it wasn't, er, very good... I don't know, I feel bad writing bad things about it. It was harmless, first of all, and secondly it might be the sort of thing a gay kid who's struggling with bullies at school would like to read. I really don't know. As an adult I am not the target audience for this.

Pro: there is definitely a distinct narrator's voice.
Con: every other character sounds the same.
Pro: the narrator is a gay dude, and his boyfriend is a gay dude, and there's none of that ever-so-popular straight-guy-realises-he's-in-a-gay-for-you-novel angst.
Con: the pacing is all over the place. You have a rather detailed account of the first couple of days in Colin's new school, and then suddenly it's Halloween, and the drama club is ready to perform the big show, which is done away with in a single paragraph, claiming it was great.
Pro: blissfully angst-free and misunderstandings-free gay relationship.
Con: tip for all writers - if you have a character called Shawn, restrain yourself from creating another called Shawna. And if you already have two characters called Jack, you can think of another name than Jackie for a third character.
Pro: it had it's amusing moments.
Con: it was under the impression that those moments were uproariously hilarious.
Pro: it had POC in it.
Con: they were all of them black.

Okay, that's it. I don't want to say mean things about this book. It's not great, but it could be worse. Not my cup of tea, but I didn't suffer reading through it, and it made me smile a few times.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended YA book. Funny and entertaining, with a great cast of chracters.

[Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can snark, irony, Zest for life and coture counteract homophobia and bullies? Will the best attempts at stoicism end in tears? Read how Chris O'Guinn, author of Fearless, once again uses a victorious voice that brings YA into a solid maturity.

Quote: "He was the hardest person to figure out I had ever met, which was saying something. I knew girls, after all…."

One of my all time favorite books.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh dear lord why did I wait so long to read this? Talented author is talented and I'd recommend this to all YA fans.

The star of this book is undoubtedly Colin. Fifteen and uprooted from his LA abode to move to Hickville, Iowa, where plaid shirts and jeans are the order of the day and the gay is not to be mentioned, he has two choices, sink or swim. Kinda thrown in at the deep-end with a disastrous first few hours at school he really has to swim and he does it in style.

Colin, Colin, Colin - I thought he was brilliant. He tries to dampen his flame, but he's not always successful - but that's a good thing, because he's a great person and people love him. Apart from the bullies, he is after all an easy target.

This story, written about the struggles of being a teenager, friendships, first love, families and daring to be different is a fabulous YA read. I'm only disappointed it took me this long to read it - I know I'm a huge fan of this author.

It always amazes me when such brilliant writers are less well known. If you're looking for down and dirty and steamy sex, this isn't for you, it's a proper YA book. That doesn't mean it's any less amazing. It totally made me laugh and cry and I can't wait to read the next Chris O'Guinn novel.

[F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. Liked how his parents were portrayed ie ordinary - not nasty, superhuman, overnice - portrayed just like most are.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was chosen for me by Elci for the YA GLBT Group’s February “pick it for me” challenge – thanks Elci!!

Ok, caveat… I don’t usually do book reviews, mainly because I am never sure that my take on things will be of any use to anybody else but, here goes….

This is the story of 15 year old Collin, who moves with his family from Santa Monica to Burford, Iowa. This is apparently a terrible thing… now I am a Brit who has never been to the US and whilst I know general stuff about the Country I knew nothing about Burford and next to nothing about Iowa, not to mention why moving there might be so terrible…. cue me going off to scour the internet to try find some more info so I can make some comparisons… the best I could come up with was someone being forced to move from somewhere like the glamorous parts of Manchester to, say, Grimsby… and no I’ve nothing against Grimsby

Collin, who is gay and at the start not out to anyone but his brother, narrates his story. He admits to being flamboyant and occasionally flaming, with a love of “couture” and all things shiny, particularly belt buckles…. His dim view of his new town is brightened from the outset by the discovery of a small boutique clothing store, which he eventually locates with the help of new friend Keith and his sister Becca.

The story follows Collin as he settles into his new life and school, where he is subject to bullying, he befriends Alex, the school’s resident “psycho” (who turns out to have secrets of his own), starts a drama club and reforms the entire school’s wardrobe whilst obtaining a job working at the clothing shop. Despite the misunderstanding regarding Becca, the drama of Collin’s first relationship, his coming out and the results of the same I felt that the was somewhat predicable and for me the whole thing was a little too shiny and Glee-esque (ok, that was possibly the whole drama club thing – including the ability to find funding for and put on Moulin Rouge in a matter of weeks).

As much as I liked Collin’s character I found I had more interest in and sympathy with Alex, particularly his back story, I loved that Collin’s parents were so supportive (particularly his mother providing the book on gay relationships) but found that some of the minor characters, particularly the teaching staff were a little one dimensional. The character that shone though for me was Keith, who appears to be on the Autistic Spectrum and has OCD, his calm acceptance and tolerance not to mention his definition of friendship were spot on.

Overall I did enjoy the book and would recommend it to others as a light, quick and easy read that isn’t going to challenge any sensibilities.

I've rated it as 4* but probably 3.5* is closer (I round up!)

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris O'Guinn's "Exiled to Iowa. Send Help. And Couture." is remarkable for the richness of its story, the sharp, laugh-out-loud humor of its writing, and the big-hearted emotions (painful and joyous) of its characters. Young Adult novels can be as appealing to adults as for the teenage audience they presumably target--after all, we were all teenagers ourselves. What is tricky about this genre--one that is a personal favorite of mine--is capturing the perspective and the language of the young protagonists without losing the kind of literary craft that makes a book work as serious writing.

O'Guinn pulls it off extremely well in this, the story of Collin Murray, a gay fifteen-year-old who is dragged away from his urbane Los Angeles adolescence and plopped down in small-town Iowa--the nightmarish heart of Sarah Palin's "real America." Fearing the worst, Collin instead discovers friendship, acceptance, love--and couture--in his new hometown. He also discovers what it means to be loyal, to be courageous, and to be blessed by your family. Collin is smart, but he is not perfect. Like all teens, he is self-absorbed enough that he misses things, and makes mistakes, misjudges and mistrusts. All of the significant characters around Collin become important drivers in the narrative. In fact, the one problem with this book is that it is a little too rich; such a plethora of potential plot material that one wishes that Chris O'Guinn had opted to make it a two-part series.

Actually, there's enough material here to create a second volume. Moreover, at the end of this book, I wanted more: more of the characters, more of the story, more of O'Guinn's wonderful writing. After all, Collin's only sixteen, and there's plenty of trauma ahead of him in high school. As a former teenager, and the current parent of two high-schoolers, I hope we'll see a sequel.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collin, the protagonist in this gay Y/A novel is snarky, funny, self-centered, and like so many teens he is deluded into believing that no-one else has a clue about anything. I enjoyed sharing his life for a while. There was drama, but no melodrama. There was conflict, but no conflagration. Collin was put-upon, but despite what Collin may have felt, this wasn't a tear-jerker.

From the start of the novel, Collin knows he's gay, as do a few others. Furthermore, he's okay with being gay; he just knows that not everyone else will be okay with it. Coming out is a factor in the novel, it isn't a focus. Being gay colors his life, but it isn't everything about him. The story isn't so much about coming out as it is about Collin finding a place where he belongs, which includes belonging as a gay teen.

Collin is fabulous without being flamboyant. But like other boys like Collin whom I've known, he foolishly thinks he's subtle. He's certainly not a gay stereotype, but he's also not a straight-acting jock-boy. And Collin coming to rural Iowa from California accentuates how different he appears to his school mates. Gay teen novels too often vary between the uber-angsty fey boy and the secretly sad behind the straight-boy facade. I can enjoy those too, but it is nice to see a gay boy who feels more like an average gay boy. Collin rather reminds me of my gay teen nephew.

The story is about Collin working his way through a new school in a new town, and finding where he belongs, as well as finding himself. I believe that many of us, gay or straight, can relate (or look back and relate) to Collin and his trials - finding new friends, dealing with bullying, and growing up.

The story was complete, so I don't know that there are more stories to tell, but I liked Collin enough that I would enjoy spending more time with him if the author has more to say in this world.

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I am going with 4 stars with this one.

The beginning was a bit slow for me. The main character seemed shallow and so gay it was annoying. I do not know anyone no matter how gay or what age that uses the word couture the way the MC does and I can't help but think it was used incorrectly but maybe that is just my understanding of the word.

Anyway besides being annoyed every time the word couture popped up, which was a lot the MC did grow on me. Although I never liked him as much as the secondary characters, especially Kieth and Aaron. I am not sure why they even liked the MC, without his pov i never would have gotten past his dramatic shallowness. He wasn't mean or anything he was just so centered around himself he was pretty much oblivious to anyone else around him. He was so conceited I am not even when or why i started liking him. I think I might have liked him simply because Aaron and Kieth did and they were both great so I just decided to trust their judgement. Some of the MC's thoughts did make me laugh so that might have helped warm me up to him also.

So anyway 4 stars because while it did start off slow for me by the end i wasn't ready for it to be over. I think the book takes place over 2.5 to 3 months so I would like to see how the rest of the year plays out

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Thank you so much for the gift, Monica!!

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, other than hating that cover (because that in no way looks like how Collin was described), I really liked this coming of age story.

Funny & yet realistic to so many kids' experiences. LOVED how the move to Iowa was mostly rooted in the 2008 financial crisis (I expect to see quite a few come out in the comings months/years with a similar-ish theme) and that the family dynamic/interactions felt so real.

Collin was at times a bit too precocious, and at other times overly naive and self-centered...but again, as I mentioned in another review of a different book, he's the narrator - and 15! - so not as self-aware as we are when we get older. And I can TOTALLY see this as a made-for-tv movie or whatever; there is SOME romance, appropriate enough with it's lack of details/FTB that I think that it definitely fits the YA audience/genre, but the book doesn't revolve around it. (Which is why I only tagged it as "LGBT" and not "MM Romance.") It's a feel-good story - one I think will resonate well with younger YA readers - with some moderate amount of external angst (bullying, trying to make new friends) and a lot of self-discovery (inner strength & independence).

Would love a sequel (or maybe Jack's story?*) but not necessary, although I do have to say that I think Becca needs to grow up and a follow-up story focusing on the new GSA - and her maybe pulling up her big-girl panties enough to get involved (because I KNOW Billy & Keith would join!) - would be welcome!!

*One of my favorite parts of the book - of which there are MANY quotable moments (Clueless-level quotable) - was a conversation between Collin and his boss, Jack.

"You were in New York City? And you came back? On purpose?"

Jack laughed. "Aw Buford's not that bad. The people here are good people and there's a certain charm to it you won't find in a big city."

"Ah, I see. Student loans?"

"Up the wazoo," Jack conceded...

Definitely recommend reading if you're in the mood for a feel good YA story.

[Aimee ~is busy sleeping~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

~3.8 stars~
Most of my absolute favorite books are YA, and a lot of them are lgbt. I have read and discovered some pretty amazing authors and writing. So any YA book I read, I end up comparing and rating to the best YA I've read (Suicide Watch by Kelly York, Gives Light by Rose Cristo, Collide by J.R. Lenk).

There were niggles, but I really enjoyed this. This was a relatively shorter book compared to what I'm used to reading for YA, and the length did affect the story for me. I felt some things were rushed and skated over, particularly towards the end with the bullying. But overall, I thought the issues and consequences of bullying itself was still handled well enough for what was a light-hearted book. I also did feel things were just a bit too happy-go-lucky, with the successes of the play, the store, B's transformation. Generally, I like my YA stories to be more depressing, or at least emotionally heavier. But this also made it a nice change of pace. What worked for me so much was the MC, Collin, and Austin. I loved Collin's voice. He initially came off as snarky and moody as most teenagers are wont to be, but once he got over his anxieties over the move, he turned out to be a likeable character. A little self-centered, yes, not to mention flamboyant, but also funny and brave. I loved his relationship with Austin, the school outcast, and his family. I might have wished the story went deeper in some areas like the characterizations, but it still made me smile and feel hopeful, even tear up at times, crybaby I am. I think we could always use more stories like this.

[J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, now, Collin's a character I got on very well with. Love a good ole dose of snark, I do. An abundance of laugh out loud moments in this, and plenty sweet and touching ones too. An immensely enjoyable read.

(Would have liked more of Keith, though, cos -bless him -he was adorable).

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun story of a couture-loving teenage boy forced to leave L.A. for Iowa. It was fairly low-angst although the boys faced some bullying at school. The romance was sweet, although there were some dark parts of Austin's backstory that seemed to have been brushed over a little quickly.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? Absolutely loved it!!! It has been a while since I read anything I loved this much :)

[⚓Dan⚓ · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BOOK. THIS REALLY TOUCHED ME.

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is targeted squarely at the junior high/high school audience. In a spirit of full disclosure and since one of the themes of this story is to be honest and up front, I must confess that I am not in that group and have not been for many years. I picked it up because it had “Iowa” (my home) in the title, and it sounded like it could be a fun story to read.

I started reading it as the free sample from Amazon on my Kindle and almost didn’t buy it. The main character’s ego, attitude and manner (not to mention his attitude* toward my home) had me on the brink of hating him. However, that is exactly how kids that age can be: the pendulum swings from completely self-absorbed to something approaching maturity and then back again. Also, I found the description of Iowans as flannel wearing hicks especially annoying. But I soldiered on and bought the book. The character became more likeable and much more mature as the story progressed.

The overall story was pretty good and kept me engaged—I wanted to know what happened next, especially in the latter parts of it. In the end, it embraces the “teen” too much (it even feels as if part of this could have come nearly verbatim from someone’s high school diary). There few similar books I’ve read recently that I think have an appeal beyond the demographic of their main characters: Something Like Summer and The Cranberry Hush: A Novel.

*Coming in to my home and pointing out the short comings that I already know about is not an endearing trait.

[Philip Siegel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book based exclusively on the title. That title is perfection. It's about a closeted gay kid whose family moves from LA to Iowa. It reminded me a little of To Wong Foo, minus the drag. The main character Collin was funny, sassy, and flamboyant, which felt very refreshing. I feel like it's the trend in YA today for gay characters to be more reserved or toned-down, especially gay main characters. EXILED was a nice change of pace, yet Collin was still relatable. Plus he had a cute, quasi-bad boy love interest. While the plot is a little thin and feels rushed -- his mounting of a Moulin Rouge play at school could've been explored more -- overall the book was a cute, funny, enjoyable read.

[Jeff Davault · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I think I liked "Fearless" better, this one would definitely make a better feel-good movie, since the other was bittersweet. It is written in such a way, you can almost see the action as a film. If you are in the mood for a light, enjoyable read, then I would recommend this one.

[Nico Jaye]

Thank you, Mystery Elf! ❤❤❤

[Ayanna]

...*squints at blurb suspiciously* I can't decide if this is going to be brilliant or pretentious as fuck. The blurb isn't enough to go on

[Absynthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, witty, funny and moving.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing not to like about this light hearted read (that apparently I missed on my bookshelf the last ten years...LOL) about a high school student from the big city and his experiences after his family moves to rural Iowa.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars. Liked it fine, but just a bit too predictable.

[Misneach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome feel-good-ish book :)

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, snarky, and brave. I kept reading bits out loud to my husband, and he actually laughed instead of being vaguely uncomfortable this time! So accurate with the awkward high school crap!