A coming-of-age LGBTQ+ novel rich in both emotion and insight.
In Peeples’ YA novel, a blossoming romance leads a gay teen to explore his sexuality in the decidedly intolerant 1980s.
Fifteen-year-old Clayton Wheeler knows he’s different from most other guys. He prefers comic books to sports and likes Wonder Woman, which, according to his despicable stepfather, James, makes him a “sissy.” He’s a regular target for bullies—specifically, jocks who bombard him with homophobic slurs. Clayton isn’t openly gay; he knows what and whom he likes, but he seems to be the only boy who feels this way in his California town. He’s reunited with Derek Barlow, an old friend whose family, after moving to New York several years earlier, has returned. Derek isn’t quite the same boy Clayton once knew. He’s the one who got Clayton into comic books, but now he’s on the football team, hobnobbing with the same guys who bully Clayton. Nonetheless, the closeness the two shared hasn’t entirely dissipated, and Derek and Clayton start hanging out again. This unfortunately cuts into Clayton’s time with his loyal friends and fellow nerds, the fashion-obsessed Ronee Jones and aspiring comic-book artist Alister McNamara. While Clayton hopes that his relationship with Derek can become something much more, he also worries about coming out to the people he loves. Will his mother be happy for him, or is she too busy with his toddler half brother? Will he find the right words to tell Ronee and Alister, and, if so, how will they react when they learn he’s gay?
Peeples’ multilayered characters give this earnest story real depth. Ronee, for example, is a delightfully “bossy” girl who takes guff from no one, but there’s no doubt she’s hurt when bullies mock her for her vitiligo. Similarly, while Clayton’s mom seems oblivious to things her son is going through, she has troubles of her own, thanks in large part to James. The romance between Clayton and Derek unfolds organically; they’ve known each other for years, so it’s understandable that they would reconnect quickly, but there’s still the question of whether Derek feels the same way Clayton does, or if he’s willing to act on it. This often-gloomy narrative puts Clayton through the emotional wringer—he often dreads being at home (with his mother and stepfather constantly arguing), and at other times, home is his only refuge. There’s a welcome reprieve in the form of Betty Hernandez, who works at the local 7-Eleven where Clayton buys his comic books. She’s someone he can always confide in, a tenderhearted woman who only grows more engaging as the story rolls along. Clayton gradually comes to terms with the cards he’s been dealt, and his confidence surges. The author drops ’80s pop-culture nods and healthy servings of nostalgia throughout the story, as in this description of Ronee’s bedroom: “There’s not an inch of bare wall—or ceiling—left anywhere in her room. Fashion magazine spreads, comic book covers, movie posters, and other images of every shape and size overlap in all directions…one big, continually evolving, colossal collage.”
A coming-of-age LGBTQ+ novel rich in both emotion and insight.Pub Date: May 8, 2026
ISBN: 9780369513687
Page Count: -
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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