SAME LOVE

A gay boy is sent away to a summer camp for bad Christian teens.

Shy, Christian closet case Adam Lethbridge, a white 17-year-old, is discovered by his mom’s nosy, gossipy best friend shopping at The Gap with his secret bestie, Mike, a fast-talking boy who describes himself as brown and who often dresses in drag. She leaks the story to his uber-Christian parents, who have also discovered the gay-themed graphic novels he drew and hid in his bedroom. Unsurprisingly, drama ensues, with his dad calling him “faggot” repeatedly, and as a result of the outing, Adam is shipped off to a Christian summer camp for bad teens in the middle of nowhere, British Columbia. Once there, he falls for Korean, karaoke-loving Paul, who is also struggling to strike the balance between what he feels and what his religion tells him he should feel. Though fast-paced and entertaining, Correia’s latest rarely dives below the surface. The action is usually predictable, but what stands out are Correia’s characters’ abilities to throw some serious shade: “Beneath that good Christian girl act beats the heart of a hussy.” Readers may be somewhat disappointed to discover that nothing really new or provocative is revealed about what happens at the camp itself, but the budding romance between Adam and Paul and Mike’s and another minor character’s one-liners keep the pages turning.

A quick, entertaining read.