Rainbow Boys

Rainbow Trilogy #1

by Alex Sanchez

Navigating through an intolerant world and their own insecurities, three teenage boys find each other and the confidence to come out of the closet.

Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the closet. Jason Carrillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend, but he can't stop dreaming about sex...with other guys. Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone—especially his parents. Nelson Glassman is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends...

In a revealing debut novel that percolates with passion and wit, Alex Sanchez follows these very different high-school seniors as their struggles with sexuality and intolerance draw them into a triangle of love, betrayal, and ultimately, friendship.

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

233 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Alex Sanchez is the author of the Rainbow Boys trilogy of teen novels, along with The God Box, Getting It, and the Lambda Award-winning middle-grade novel So Hard to Say. His novel, Bait, won the Florida Book Award Gold Medal for YA fiction. Alex received his master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Old Dominion University and for many years worked as a youth and family counselor. His newest book is a graphic novel from DC Comics, You Brought Me the Ocean. Find out more about Alex at www.AlexSanchez.com

Reviews

[Victoria Resco · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2.5⭐️
Disfruté esta lectura pero es un libro de lo más olvidable, para ser honestos. Gays tiernos y daddy issues y salir del closet. Lo más destacable fue la parte de la trama relacionada al VIH. En el momento de publicación de la primera edición de esta historia, no dudo que fue todo un boom de controversia pero hoy en día hay demasiadas historias LGBTQ+ con excelentes personajes y tramas como para decir que esta es “buena”.

Calificación de este libro: “para pasar el rato”.

[Kai Spellmeier]

The only reason I've read this book is that Matt Bomer's face is on the cover.

[Gabriel · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me gustó nada y no pienso seguir con el resto.

Hay muchas escenas donde decía ¿En serio? no puede ser posible. Hay clichés como en toda novela, ya es casi imposible innovar pero es que me parecen tan mal desarrollados; su exposición es mediocre y tampoco les veo mucha concordancia con la personalidad de los protagonistas. O sea, es que la verosimilitud la tira por un caño. Sobre todo con Nelson y Kyle.

Igual, eso no es lo peor, la verosimilitud fue nada en comparación con lo poco que soportaba a los tres narradores de la novela. Es que encima, yo sé que de adolescentes se cometen muchos errores y se vive todo más personal, no lo sé, quizás la inmadurez pero es que justo por esa razón ninguno me cayó bien y con ninguno pude empatizar por más que sus conflictos me fueran un poco cercanos y del todo reconocibles.

Entiendo que toca temas como las familias disfuncionales, la salida del clóset, la aceptación individual y colectiva, los prejuicios y los estereotipos en torno a la comunidad lgbtq+ importantes para su tiempo y para el día de hoy pero es que no entiendo la necesidad de hacer que todos te caigan mal (bueno, quizás saco del grupo a Kyle por ser menos imbécil). Sin embargo, todos la cagan de manera estúpida en algún punto.

No podía con el fastidioso e intenso de Nelson, con el rancio y homofóbico de Jason (interiorizado pero es lo que hay), no podía con la estupidez y la falta de coherencia de Kyle. La primera mitad del libro se me hizo muy cuesta arriba y luego, pues no mejora mucho, si acaso se me hicieron un poquillo pasable sus actitudes, comportamientos e interacciones... pero nada más. La evolución del libro y sus personajes no es grande ni mucho menos consecuente, primero porque tiene pocas páginas y segundo, porque a lo mejor la prosa del autor tampoco es brillante o tiene algo por destacar.

El problema es ese, yo soy fan de los personajes complejos y problemáticos, de los matices grises pero siempre que sienta profundidad en ellos. Aquí lastimosamente solo me quedo con el enojo y el fastidio, no pude sacar nada bueno de mi experiencia lectora con esta novela y estos personajes. Lo siento.

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys takes me back to those angst-filled high school days...

Jason is a star athlete and has a promising future ahead of him. He’s not above making or laughing at the occasional gay joke or slur with his friends. But why is he having intense dreams about guys? He has a girlfriend and they have sex, so he can’t be gay.

Nelson is openly gay and he’s lucky to have such a supportive mother. It’s tough being out in school, though, facing taunts and bullying and even threats of physical violence, and even the school administration doesn’t care. Luckily he has his best friend, Kyle, to commiserate with.

Kyle has always known he was gay but he’s been afraid to tell his parents. He knows that by associating with Nelson everyone assumes it anyway, but there’s something to actually saying the words out loud. Of course, he has a huge crush on Jason, but Jason is straight. Right?

Rainbow Boys , the first in a three-book series, so perfectly captures the feelings associated with coming to terms with your sexuality. How do you tell your parents? Will it jeopardize your future? Does having sex mean you’ll get HIV? What do you do when you’re in love with your best friend and they don't seem to feel the same way about you?

This book came out in 2003 and I totally missed it then, but it sure did bring back memories for me! I really enjoyed this story and the characters were all pretty authentic for the time period. Even though you pretty much knew what would happen, I was totally hooked, and the emotions it generated were very familiar.

Once again, I’m so glad this generation has books like these to help them feel better about themselves. This was another great selection for Pride Reads!!

(Yes, that’s a before-he-was-famous Matthew Bomer on the cover!)

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.

Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[Camila Ochoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

QUE FUE ESE FINAL😦😦😦😦

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rainbow Boys, a story about three gay teens, was published in 2001. In 2001, not a single state legally recognized gay marriage, and Don't Ask Don't Tell was still accounted as perfectly acceptable. Queer as Folk, my favorite television series about a group of gay friends in Pittsburgh, was just in the middle of its first season.

Allow me to remind everyone that every opinion, review, or comment contains bias: whether that bias be influenced by personal experience, inherent beliefs, or time. If I had been 16 (as opposed to six) in 2001, I probably would've appreciated this book based solely on its existence. On the second page one of our protagonists cannot imagine "that someone could be gay and laugh about it" - it's thanks to this book and myriad other works of art that that has changed.

However, now that it's 2013 and there are several splendid GLBT YA books available (Aristole and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, What They Always Tell Us, Suicide Notes, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, etc.) Rainbow Boys doesn't stand out when compared to the rest of the pack. The characters felt extraordinarily ordinary, which I don't mind, but they didn't pop out of the pages like other YA protagonists - gay or straight. The third person perspective may have distanced us even more from Jason, Kyle, and Nelson. Alex Sanchez's writing had only a surface level quality to it and I couldn't connect to any of the characters or the plot events beyond a mere "aw, I wish that didn't happen to X character" or "aw, Y character and Z character are pretty cute together." Some of the slang was outdated such as "putting the make" on someone and "crank calls." And one strange incident occurred: one of the main characters slept all night with his contacts in but felt perfectly fine the next morning. Trust me, you do not want to sleep with your contacts in. Your eyes will feel like they're on fire the next morning.

Overall, it is with great remorse that I give this book a shoddy summary of my opinions as opposed to a legitimate review. I really do love Alex Sanchez though and I think he's one of the best YA GLBT writers out there; his book Bait, published in 2009, shows that his writing has grown in depth and precision over the years.

[Lily King · Rating 1 out of 5]

This read like an exceedingly bland public service announcement. At some point in time Rainbow Boys would have been groundbreaking in its positive portrayal of gay teenagers, but by 2003 the characters and scenarios are -- at least within queer pop culture -- common at best. A progressive illustration doesn't quite cut it as an excuse for banality.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jason, Kyle, and Nelson are all coming into themselves and coming out of the closest. All three high school students are incredibly different from one another, but all three find themselves struggling with their own identities, relationships, love, and intolerance.

Honestly, I have no idea why I haven't read this already because it's an absolute must read. When this book came out I would have just been going into high school, and I think this novel would be brilliant and do the most good in the hands of those students regardless of the novel's age now. Even though it's definitely dated in some regards and there has been some progress today, it still manages to feel very timely with what Jason, Kyle, and Nelson go through and would still make a wonderful resource for teens. I am planning on continuing this series and seeing where our core cast is taken. I have to admit, I'd want to know how these guys are doing now. If you haven't read this novel yet, what are you waiting for?

By the way, that is Matt Bomer on the cover!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast easy book. Lots of issues for teens: coming out, homophobic bullying at school, alcoholic parent, first love, HIV, GSA Club. All of these were resolved almost too nicely. Good to have a positive story, though. Dated book (2001) with telephones, not everyone has a computer, magazine porn, excessive overt bullying at school (writing on lockers for months, fights at school) that would have zero tolerance (I hope/I think) today.

Kyle was my favorite character, as he finally came out during his senior year. He was smart in math and a swimmer, as well as a great listener.

Jason had the toughest role in the book since he was a star on the basketball team and had the most to 'lose' by exposing that he was bisexual. He starts by initially loving Debra, but realizes that there is a drive inside he can't stop. His poor math grade leads to more interaction with smart-Kyle. Jason is a great character for teens to identify with, that just keep questioning themselves. It is good to see a strong school athlete set the example to allow everyone to find out his secret.

Nelson was a bit whiny, and was excessive in his need to have a come-back to his antagonists. But he was consistent in his character. His very supportive Mom (who was in PFLAG) gave Nelson confidence to really be the first in his grade to be open about being gay. His statements at the school board meeting to vote on GSA were good.

Any scenes of sexual nature were short and brief, so this book is very appropriate for youth.
I listened to an eAudioBook that was well done.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard about Rainbow Boys ages ago. Well now that I think about it—it was probably about 15 years ago. Eek! That’s why I don’t do math. :D So when I mentioned to a couple of friends of mine that I was finally reading this, I wasn’t too surprised to hear the same statement pop out of their mouths—“Oh, I love that book, but it is so dated”. But how can I explain that the dated-ness is one of the biggest reasons why I love this book?

Young adult fiction now contains piles and piles of LGBTQ fiction addressing sexual orientation and coming out, but there was a time that there were none to be found. Some of my favorites like Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe stood on the shoulders of this book! Rainbow Boys is a groundbreaking piece of literary history. I don’t use the word pioneer very often, but in my opinion Alex Sanchez is a pioneer. I think every reader should read this book! A book that forged ahead, fought to be published, and battled for the right to be on our school library shelves so others could follow. Rainbow Boys was first published in 2001 and you will feel the time warp in the slang and technology, but sadly the emotions and issues are as current as ever.

Mr. Sanchez introduces us to three young voices—Jason, Kyle, and Nelson. We hear from each boy in his own voice about his fears and joys of trying to find himself, friends, and love all while trying to survive the horrors of high school. Everything from bullies at home and school to self-esteem and safe sex can be found in these voices. Voices that came to life in simple, direct, realistic lines and words. The language feels simple and easy to read, but the emotions they evoke will bowl you over. I loved all three boys! They made me laugh, grin, proud, and gasp in awe and shock. Nelson—I wanted to hug you and keep you safe, but you had a kickass Mom for that! Kyle—You sweet, big hearted boy. Your love for Jason made me smile so hard. And remember! I remembered the awkwardness and embarrassment and hugeness of first love. I smiled and gazed off into lala-land remembering the joy and adrenaline of holding that special someone’s hand. *sigh* And Jason—Your courage and strength to stand up for yourself and be yourself is an inspiration.

I suspect a few young readers will look at some characters and say—No way! He wouldn’t or couldn’t say that! Like the school official that said—“I have nothing against students who consider themselves gay. My concern is the club would distract others from learning.” But teachers and school officials did say and do unbelievable things at one time and probably still do in areas. I’m not that naïve to think that this ugliness and discrimination has been conquered. But LGBTQ support groups are seen and believed to be a given in high schools now. Kids should know that at one time we had to fight for them! This book shows all that fight here. I can’t emphasize it enough—I think everyone should read this book to see how much has changed and how far we’ve come. But also to see how much hasn’t changed. Will the fear of coming out ever be a thing of the past? Will we always be afraid to be ourselves in this world?

Sorry. I’ll stop preaching now. I just get carried away. Please read this book. This sweet, powerful, important book is filled with love and friendship that will make you smile and think. I’ll leave you with one of my biggest laughs….

“The light turned on. There stood Jason, his lean, muscled body naked in front of Kyle. In that moment Kyle thought contact lenses were the greatest invention ever created.” Haha….”Naked Jason Land!” :D

I find myself wondering where these characters are now in life. All grown up and doing well I hope. I wish them all the love and happiness in the world. Yes, yes, I know—fictional characters. But I can’t help myself. I just know in my heart there are real life Nelsons, Kyles, and Jasons out there right now. Here’s hoping they go out there and conquer the world and find their happiness.

Highly recommended.

[karlé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book in a day! Yes, a day. It was an easy heart-warming read. Alex Sanchez really did an amazing job to entertain and to lecture at the same. This is one of my life changing books cause it really made me realize the facts I am facing today.

Well enough of my problems. Though there might me a lot of parts where it just kept changing from one scene to another it really is a must read for every one!

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is almost 25 years old! It was fun to revisit one of the foundational queer texts of my high school years (and be reminded of the feature of baby Matt Bomber, not yet famous, on the original cover). It was surprising how much of this story still felt current. I think the structure, which features three POV characters, each at a very different point along their journeys of self-knowledge and self-acceptance, really helps keep the story feeling relevant a quarter century after its release.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book, a wonderful resource for teens who are gay, questioning or are simply interested in the perspectives of gay teens and how they can be supportive of their gay peers.

I was recently warned that I may be in danger of hell-fire for promoting books such as these because students may "turn gay" after reading this material. This is ridiculous. A student does not "turn gay" simply by reading a book. There are many factors that contribute to an individual's sexual orientation. There is also an increasing amount of evidence that one of the contributing factors shaping sexual preference is genetic in nature. I read something that was very disturbing to me the other day. A high ranking fundamentalist was posed the question of what he thought should be done when the gay gene is finally isolated. His solution was to actually tinker with people's DNA to eradicate the problem. This is very disturbing to me.

Whether you agree with these lifestyles or not, the truth is that teens (and parents) need resources and support. Teens need to know about things like "coming out" and the risks involved in unprotected sex. Teens need answers, but most importantly, they need to know that they are not alone.

[Deeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved being introduced to these 3 boys. So different yet they each have a connection. Watching their story unfold left me wanting more.

ETA

Second time reading and still as good as the first. I love how we get a look at all three boys and their differences, while seeing them all at the same time.

Its hard to pick a favorite as they all have good and bad points. But I think despite how whinny he can be, Nelson is the one I feel most attuned too. Not the flamboyant sassy Nelson, but the insecure lonely Nelson.

What really makes a change in this book was there was no evil mother, instead we have two dead beat dads lol.

[Anabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho, la verdad es que no esperaba que abarcara tantos temas y tan variados, el principal es por supuesto la LGTBIfobia, que por desgracia aún está presente en la vida de los niños y adolescentes, el transtorno de alimentación, el acoso escolar por ser diferente, el maltrato tanto a mujer como a hijos, el miedo terrible de contarle a tus padres que eres gay, las enfermedades de transmisión sexual... Todos estos temas y más se tratan de forma directa, sin tapujos, tal y como son el día a día de estos adolescentes, además el libro se lee rápido y engancha. Una muy buena apuesta que deberían de tener en todas las bibliotecas e institutos.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I just say that how awesome it is to have Matt Bomer on the cover before he was famous? It goes to show you how people are oblivious to the past because if I knew beforehand that he was on the cover of this book, I would have known and suspected that he is gay.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND TREASURE THIS BOOK! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT FOR TEENS AND ADULTS WHO WANT TO REMEMBER THEIR YOUTH & INNOCENCE

Many years ago when I was in middle school, I was beginning to discover who I am and who I liked. I fought against being bullied around in school but I did not let those who caused me harm, to define who I am and that I had romantic feelings toward men. It was a scary feeling having these abnormal thoughts and feelings when the majority of the students around me were all heterosexual.

Since I felt very single out, and in order to feel not left out, I went through a discovery phase in which I watched anything with gay content whether it be a television show or foreign soap opera, singers who supported gay people, famous gay icons, HIV/AIDS, and countless other things that made me well knowledge towards my new cultural identity. I discovered this book online and remembering reading the first chapter and relating extremely to Jason Carrillo. No one in my family knew who I am (Currently they still don't except for my sister) and I felt like having this secret was like being a spy among my family and friends.

Now that it has been about 7-8 years now since I discover my true identity and this brought back wonderful feelings of my upbringing and couldn't believe how much I could relate to these characters. I thought I was going to read a few chapters the first night but I read the entire book in one night. I kept finding myself enchanted by the writing and beautiful storytelling and realizing that this book is a great book for those who are still in the process of accepting themselves or want a simple book about accepting who you are, romance and friendship.

In the very beginning of this story, if I had to pick a character that could relate to me, no doubt it would be Nelson. When I was growing up, people sense I was very mature for my age and I believe part of it is because since I realize I was gay at an early age, I already went through the steps that countless teenagers are going through in high school and college. Nelson is more in touch with the gay culture, and not to mention is in love with his best friend of two years. I've never been in a relationship with a man yet and I have my fair share of heart breaks from friends and people I have encountered over the years.

What made me relate to him more was the concept that Kyle could not reciprocate his feelings for Nelson and he got extremely mad and I felt those same emotions in the past. Its Nelson's fault that he never made any moves or indication that he was interested in Kyle and the idea of letting go is harder than one can imagine. We get caught up with this fantasy of who we want to be with and in reality there is a reason why things do not work out the way they do. At least Nelson meets a great guy in the end which in my life that was not the case. I related to Nelson in the beginning but felt like a complete stranger midway through because he does dangerous things could have gotten him killed or sick.

I love Jason and Kyle. I love the dynamic between the two and love the innocent moments they shared as Jason was discovering who he truly is and I feel that many could relate to Jason because he was someone who had a great relationship with a girl and yet slowly he started get in touch with his identity, he realized that something is wrong and that being gay is not a choice.

I believe the magical word for this book is innocence. These three characters are discovering who they are, who they love, and what it means to be intimate with another man. I really want to read the rest of the series and I hope it lives up to my expectations from this first book. I am really looking forward to these characters and I felt they have become a part of me. Thank you Alex Sanchez for finding characters I could relate.

[Millard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected Rainbow Boys to be an authentic look at the lives of the three main characters who were all dealing with being gay in their own ways while trying to navigate the high school minefield.
Yep.
The characters were likeable and individual, the narrative alternates perspectives between the three main characters: Jason the unsatisfied jock who has a girlfriend but lusts after men, Kyle the easygoing swim team star who is hopelessly in love with Jason & Nelson the out and proud opinionated best friend of Kyle.
Kyle and Nelson's friendship dynamic was fun and light even though they go through some crap throughout the book.
I wasn't overly keen on Jason if I'm honest. I know he was in a weird place where he's confused about who he is and what he wants and he does have some other issues going on at home but he was just too hot and cold for me.
I will read the others in the series.

[Fiebre Lectora · Rating 4 out of 5]

la trama, con sus respectivas vidas, sus problemas, ilusiones y miedos, relaciones familiares, amorosas... todo eso engancha un montón, pero es que está entrelazado con temas sumamente importantes, como la diversidad sexual, obviamente, pero también otras como el acoso, la aceptación, la tolerancia, la amistad, la sexualidad, las enfermedades de transmisión sexual... Merece muchísimo la pena leerlo. Pero también tengo que avisar de que hay escenas que resultan muy duras, hay drama, y mucho sufrimiento.

En definitiva, Rainbow boys es un libro indispensable para la representación lgtb+, me ha tocado el corazón, y cuenta con unos personajes que no podrían resultar más reales.
Reseña completa: http://fiebrelectora.blogspot.com/202...

[Gareth Jones-Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic read I felt I knew the boys by the end so om going to read ok 2 now

[Patri.Bucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara: 3,5/5⭐️
Me ha gustado bastante, aunque la trama tiene momentos duros, en los que me ha costado no tirar el libro por la ventana, me daba mucha impotencia momentos de homofobia tan heavys, y el pensar que realmente esto aun hoy en día se sigue viviendo en algunos institutos.
Los personajes están muy bien creados, en diferentes etapas de su homosexualidad, y vidas muy diferentes.
Una de las cosas que más me han gustado, es que al final del libro, incluyen páginas con de información de asociaciones, sexualidad, enfermedades, etc y me parece estupendo que esta información exista y pueda ayudar a jóvenes y no tan jóvenes, a saber dónde ir si necesitan ayuda y a como aceptar su condición sexual, y vivir con libertad y sin miedo.

[FranTargaryen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Para entender algunas cosas de Rainbow Boys, hay que tener en cuenta que se publicó en 2001 y que es un libro pionero en hablar de forma tan abierta, y para un público juvenil, sobre la homosexualidad. Por eso, este libro es importante: fue y será un clásico de la literatura con representación LGBT+.
Así, el libro de Alex Sanchez nos presenta a sus tres personajes, que no pueden ser más distintos: Jason, un popular jugador de baloncesto con el instituto en su bolsillo, pero con una situación familiar complicada. Kyle, un joven homosexual que no se lo ha contado aún a sus padres; y Nelson, el chico que está en boca de todos por expresar abiertamente que le gustan los hombres y que no se avergüenza de ello.
¿Pero qué tienen estos personajes en común? El amor, la expresión, la libertad de ser quien eres, sin esconderte y sin mentiras, sin miedo al qué dirán o cuáles serán las consecuencias de decir en voz alta algo tan simple como: soy gay.
Sin embargo, no todo es tan fácil como parece ya que Jason se está dando cuenta de que no solo le atraen las chicas, sino que los chicos también, y decide ir a una reunión de personas del colectivo donde pasa lo peor: se encuentra con Kyle y Nelson. Sin embargo, estos dos no dicen nada en el instituto después de aceptar que hay momentos en la vida que hay que saber guardar silencio. No obstante, la vida de Kyle comienza a cambiar poco a poco después de ese primer encuentro ya que, secretamente —un poco a voces para Nelson—, está enamorado de Jason.
Este es el punto de partida para una trama que a mí, personalmente, me ha gustado muchísimo. Rainbow Boys no es otra cosa que una representación del autodescubrimiento, del miedo que se siente cuando te das cuenta de que te sales por la tangente de lo que la sociedad establece, de los nervios sobre el primer amor y del daño que a veces hace el amor que no se puede expresar en voz alta.
La trama nos muestra la vida de los tres chicos, y son tan distintas que el hecho de que se acerquen entre ellos no deja de ser un recordatorio de que al final todos somos iguales, en mayor o menor medida. Jason no quiere contarle al mundo que es bisexual, y no solo por lo que pueda pasar en el instituto sino por la situación que tiene en casa por su padre. Kyle quiere ayudar a Jason a toda costa, sin darse cuenta de que ese camino a recorrer lo ayudará también a encontrarse a sí mismo. Y Nelson es el objeto de golpes, burlas, pintadas y risas ante los que nadie hace nada, demostrando que a veces es peor quien calla que el que insulta.
Lo que me ha gustado del libro ha sido eso, la forma que ha tenido de demostrar que la orientación sexual cambia nuestras vidas y a veces no para bien, que la sociedad lo ha convertido en una bomba de relojería que cuando estalla afecta a todo el mundo de tu alrededor, porque dejas de ser lo que esperaban y pareces convertirte en alguien extraño y diferente. Por eso me ha gustado, porque es un libro necesario.
No obstante, sabéis que siempre os digo algo que no me ha gustado y lo que tengo que expresar de este libro es por lo que os he contado al principio: la fecha de publicación. Hemos recorrido ya un largo camino, y me gusta pensar que estamos en un momento literario en el que la representación va encaminada a algo grande, y hace que este libro tenga momentos raros, palabras que suenan mal, situaciones que dan rabia porque no deberían ser así.
En conclusión, creo que es un libro con el que podéis empezar a leer historias con representación LGBT+. Estoy harto de escuchar a quien busca libros con representación, pero lo único que quieren es a dos tíos haciéndolo; así que este libro es bueno para empezar, para descubrir las distintas facetas de lo que tiene contarle al mundo quién eres de verdad.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining and realistic account of what it's like to come out and experience your first romance. I have a minor complaint about the weird way in which the boys always omitted descriptions of sex. They would be talking naturally, and occasionally swearing, but whenever they tried to talk to each other about sexual experiences, they would say code words, such as "Well, we didn't S or F." or just say, "Did you...you know?" That was very tiresome and clearly a cop out, though it's hard to say whether it was on the part of Sanchez or the publisher. I'm sure it reaches a broader audience this way, but it killed the realistic feel of the novel, and I can't imagine most young people not finding it silly.

I also found it annoying that Sanchez portrayed every character in the story as being convinced that one unsafe encounter would necessarily lead to becoming HIV positive. I agree that the book should present this as a legitimate concern and emphasize that people should never have unprotected sex with strangers or people you don't trust to be honest about their sexual history. But all of the adults, including doctors, that the boys encountered seemed utterly convinced that the boy who had unsafe sex was now HIV positive. It was reminiscent of the way YA novels and movies tend to assert that a girl will always get pregnant, if she has sex without using protection. No talke about statistical probabilities -- just absolute causation. It was alarmist.

Nevertheless, like everything I've read by Sanchez, this is an important book to have available to young people.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read an Alex Sanchez book before, and enjoyed his style with this piece as well.
Cute story of three senior year boys coming of age and coming to terms with being gay in a largely bigoted high school. Told in turn by the perspective of each boy (properly highlighted at the start of each chapter and throughout at the bottom of each page)... Nelson Glassman, out and proud at home and school; Kyle Meeks, closeted to family and school at first but active in a Rainbow Youth Group; and Jason Carrillo, perhaps the most complex of issues, closeted with a girlfriend, Debra, at the beginning, but falls in love with Kyle by the ending and comes out to family of an abusive father, an enabling mother, and an endearingly innocent 6 y/o sister. Together with help from the Art teacher, Ms. MacTraugh, they petition to start a Gay/Straight Alliance group at their school. I'm feeling that the next book in the trilogy will expand on the outcome of this.
I enjoy quick reads like these, and wish I had something like this to identify with when I was coming of age... Looking forward to the next two in the series

[Matthew Stefan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other books take note... this is how you develop character growth. I gotta say I hated Jason at the beginning... his internalized homophobia and outright denial of what he was dealing with and his cruel attitude towards other gay characters got old really fast... but upon finishing this book, he is now my favorite character of the three. He grows so much throughout this short novel. I can't wait to continue this trilogy!

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a lovely and fast read. Four stars. 7.5 or 8 out of 10.

Found in the LGBTQ section of Foyles at a good price and I new I'd liked it. Three gay character all dealing differently with their coming out. It was interesting and felt very real. Maybe a bit old fashioned but still very good.

[Sergio Guillén · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado muchísimo tanto por cómo está escrito, por los temas tan actuales que tratan. He visto que es trilogía, y veo que es algo innecesario; sin embargo, si Kakao Books los sigue publicando, no dudaré en leerlos porque he quedado satisfecho con esta historia ☺

[Thereadingbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is told through three boys eyes with alternating chapters of each of their perspectives. Kyle, a nice boy, whose a swimmer. He hangs out with Nelson a gay boy who's obviously gay. Also, Kyle is in love with Jason, a basketball player. Through the course of the book Kyle comes out to his parents. So does Jason and him become boyfriends? There relationship is kind of not official at the end of the book. They definitely like each other though. Kyle and Nelson have to deal with violence from a couple of other boys at school. They get picked on, threatened, and prank called. In one fight, Jason defends them.

This is a coming out book and a perfect book for young people to read who are struggling about their identity and coming out. I feel this is a must read for young adults struggling with being gay.

[this_eel · Rating 4 out of 5]

2001 gay ya was built different

[marquitossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Astrid Inge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zeker geen slecht boek, maar het blijft een beetje aan de oppervlakte en de MC´s worden soms wat te veel als karikatuur neergezet. Misschien ben ik te kritisch, maar ik behoor ook niet tot de doelgroep (ya).
Er volgen nog 2 delen, ik denk niet dat ik dat ik er dood aan zal gaan als ik die links laat liggen.