GLBT Dos!

June is still GLBT pride month!

This is the second of two posts to celebrate pride month.  The previous post was two weeks ago here.  Realizing that these are the only four books in my GLBT repertoire I'd better get reading!

Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman

Lethe Press, 2008

ISBN: 9781590211304

204 pages

In a small town, a lonely teen walking along a highway one autumn evening meets the boy of his dreams, a boy who happens to have died decades ago and haunts the road.  Awkward crushes, both bitter and sweet, lead him to face not only the ghost but youthful dreams and childish fears.  With its cast of offbeat friends, antiques and Ouija boards, Vintage offers readers a memorable blend of dark humor, chills and love that is not your typical teen romance.

 The cover of this books is what originally caught my eye.  I was a bit surprised to discover the protagonist was gay.  Somehow I missed that information in the description.  In any case, I'd dub this novel a "paranormal romance" about a somewhat typical mixed up teen, and, oh yeah, he's gay.  Admittedly, the relationship between the ghost and the teen gets a little strange, but that's what you get!

The Blue Lawn by William Taylor

Alyson Books, 1999

ISBN: 1555834930

122 pages

David is 15 and the star player of his school's rugby team.  Sixteen-year-old Theo is an outsider, attractive but not altogether likable, and not particularly interested in making friends.  In this award-winning novel set in New Zealand, initial hostility between the boys turns into an unlikely friendship--which masks a growing attraction that neither boy understands.  In the pages of The Blue Lawn, author William Taylor explores the angst, confusion, and desires experienced by gay teens the world over.  Whether your are a young adult or a not-so-young adult you will identify with and be swept away by David and Theo's engaging relationship.

I originally picked up this novel as a result of my banned books reading spree that I mentioned previously.  This novel follows the lives of two boys.  They start off as boys being boys, but the reader experiences the gradual shift and understanding of the narrator as it becomes something more.  Of the four, this is probably the most honest depiction of the confusion and awkwardness befalling questioning teens.