THE BEST HARDCORE BAND IN PA

In Dallastown, Pennsylvania, 16-year-olds Cyrus and Jeff play hardcore music together.

Cyrus plays drums, while Jeff sings and plays guitar. They’re best friends who are going to need practice—and a name—before they can become the band they need to be to leave their small town behind and start playing shows. Jeff is the only person at their school who knows Cyrus is gay; he doesn’t know Cyrus is in love with him, though. At a house party, Cyrus becomes jealous when classmate Sharane flirts with Jeff. Then, Sharane’s multi-instrumentalist best friend, Mindy, invites herself to join their band. After cops break up the party, Jeff is so inebriated he has to spend the night at Cyrus’ to avoid facing his abusive stepfather. Following an ill-fated date with a closeted Cyrus, Mindy drives them to a concert in Philadelphia. An accident on their way home causes a rift, since Jeff is one indiscretion away from being sent to a Christian boarding school. He isn’t the only boy in Cyrus’ life, however—he’s been video chatting with a surfer he met on vacation in California. This emotionally intelligent story centers Cyrus’ coming to terms with himself and his queerness over the course of two years. The energetic plot is balanced by sweet and intimate moments and buoyed by well-drawn characters, most of whom read white. Sharane has some Puerto Rican ancestry; Mindy is Korean American.

An engaging coming-of-age story with a raging romance and a punk finish.