REVIEW: This was a really fast and easy read. It reminded me of a gay Mean Girls. I could see this done as a movie with voice overs and fantasy sequences. And it is happening! I hope they keep it to the early 2000s and don't make it modern. I want some music from a decade back! I will definitely watch this in theaters. There are also sequels that I will have to read!
I liked the progression of this book. I thought the main character of Russell went through some interesting changes and they were gradual and believable. I thought the high school environment was believable, although I don't think such bullying went on at my high school, at least not among my friends. I was a freshmen in high school when this book came out. I wish there would have been more pop culture references, but this book could have happened any time in the past 30 years, except any later than the early 2000s and cell phones would have been more prominent.
My favorite aspect of this book was Russ's inner dialogue. I loved being able to see why he did something. there were many actions he went though that wouldn't have had the same impact had I not have known his thought process. I also liked the way he would playfully refer to earlier in the book. I like when books casually break that fourth wall. It was like Russ was sitting there telling a story of his life to me.
This book is full of many characters, representing people of all different kinds. I really enjoyed how the Brian Bund storyline played out.
I give this novel a 4/5. It is a very easy, fast read. If you like coming-of-age high school stories involving the less than popular students, you will enjoy this book.
-PAUL
Nice review! I, too, am looking forward to seeing the movie version of GC when it's released. I have the pleasure of calling Brent Hartinger a friend -- and he even asked me to be a beta reader for his new Russel Middlebrook book -- which I enjoyed very much. I like that you wished there were more pop culture refs in GC... I am a firm believer that pop culture references help when telling a story, esp. a "period piece." With my latest novel, LOST IN THE '90s, I was told by many a NY publisher that I had "way too many" pop culture references, and that "kids today" would want to read a story set in 1994... I highly disagree -- which is why I pubbed the book myself :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am looking forward to reading LOST IN THE 90's, as well as the rest of the Russell Middlebrook novels. Would you recommend any other good LGBT contemporary YA novels or authors I should look up?
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