5 stars
Hard-hitting and wonderfully told. Aiden has always felt different. He doesn’t fit in at school. His family life is chaotic. It’s the year before he starts high school and he’s at his favorite place, summer camp. But things aren’t going as well as he’d like. Despite his friendships and interesting camp courses, he also deals with bullies, confusing feelings, and the struggle to suppress pieces of himself for the comfort of others.
A remarkable story of discovery, self-acceptance, and finding the power to move forward. Pulling from some of his own life experiences, Curato tells a story of the conflict between being yourself and fitting in, whether within a school, a camp, a friend group, or a religion. Told with compassion and power, Curato captures the struggle between doing what you want and doing what others expect.
Much of the story centers around themes of Catholicism, bullying, feeling different, sexuality, friendship, and self-identity.
The artwork works wonderfully with the story. Told mostly through black-and-white illustrations, the intermittent emphasis in red/orange/yellow adds a burst of power to the visuals.
At times, the book can be difficult to read. There are difficult but relevant instances of homophobia, racism, self-harm/suicidal thoughts, and issues with body image and weight. The book centers around the lives of teen boys at camp, and there is talk about sex and instances of sexual acts including masturbation and pornography. While there are things included that many adults won’t like thinking about, the content does feel very relevant to teens in terms of navigating sexual situations, sexual attraction, and identity.
A powerful, compassionate, relevant story that shows so many readers that they are not alone, they are not the only ones who feel out of place, and that there is a community of people out there for them.
At the back of the book is an Afterword from Curato that gives some context on the story and resources for support with suicidal thoughts and for LGBTQ youth specifically.
A fantastic book. Though the content won’t work for every reader, it is an essential story necessary for so many.