This book would appeal to teens that are experiencing conflicts with their sexual identity. If they were questioning their homosexuality, this would be a book they might be interested in. It could also be interesting to someone who wanted to read a (rather unconventional) romance, as well.
The book addresses the following developmental markers: establishing life-long relationships, exploring sexual identity, making life-long decisions (college, relationships, etc), and redefining boundaries with adults.
I thought the characters were somewhat believable. I didn’t fully appreciate the main character Liza. She didn’t seem to struggle with her sexual identity in the way I might have expected for someone who experienced what she did. She seemed to be confronted with the question, “Am I gay?” and immediately decided “yes” because it was easier to do than never see Annie again. I would have expected more emotional turmoil. Instead, the book seemed to focus more on the ramifications of her decision, rather than the actual process of making the decision. I would have like there to be more depth to her deliberations.
I don’t know that I would promote this book to teens. I have to say that it really wasn’t one of my favorites. I’m glad that I’ve read it and would be able to direct library patrons to it if they had a specific need, but I don’t know that I would feel comfortable giving a book talk or generically recommending it. It would be good to pair it with other books on similar topics though, perhaps for a book display on questionable/banned books, or something similar.
4Q, 2P, S
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