THE INSIDE OF OUT

Good intentions have unintended consequences in this tale of a misguided LGBTQ ally.

Daisy, a Charleston, South Carolina, high school junior, dreams big—but has trouble with follow-through. When her best friend, Hannah, tentatively comes out to her, heterosexual Daisy excitedly embraces this new cause, forcing her way into the school’s queer-only student support group. After impulsively lobbying the school board to allow same-sex dates at homecoming, she becomes the public figurehead for an alternative event that attracts attention from international media and traditional-values pressure groups—and she finds her commitment wavering as she faces the enormity of the task. The book loses some momentum as Daisy obliviously makes one rash decision after another, each having a dramatic impact on others’ lives. Unfortunately, all three characters of color in the book conform to well-worn stereotypes: the beguilingly attractive biracial Hannah and her Vietnamese-American mother, whose flirtations with chefs feed the family, and the aggressively intimidating African-American lesbian leader of the school’s LGBTQ club. Also troubling is the premise that a straight, white, upper-middle-class heroine needs to rescue everyone else, pushing them out of the closet whether they feel ready or not.

A light read that overreaches in its attempts to tackle weighty issues of privilege and privacy.