Review by Booklist Review
Seventeen-year-old Wes is Stonebridge High's leather-jacket-wearing bad boy with anger issues. He's also deeply closeted and terrified that his best friends, Tony and Brad, might find out. Things become complicated when his mother drags him to a production of The Nutcracker Suite and he is fascinated by the Black male dancer who, according to the program, is named Tristan and is out and proud. The two meet awkwardly after the show and then several times later, gradually getting to know each other. When Wes comes out to Tristan, it's obvious that they're falling in love, but what will that mean for his friendship with Tony and Brad, who, Wes is sure, will realize he's gay? His fears about their reactions soon begin to take a toll on the nascent relationship. Nerada's well-written, character-driven first novel is a compelling read with highly empathic characters who will resonate with readers. Getting to know them keeps the pages turning to the satisfying ending.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A closeted teen navigates family trauma, first crushes, and messy friendships in Nerada's introspective debut. White 17-year-old Wesley MacKenzie--who has a well-deserved bad-boy reputation in Valentine, Ohio, stemming from his destructive, bullying shenanigans with his two best friends--is nearly failing senior year. He's mostly fine with that, though, since he plans to stay close to support his mother, who recently fled his physically abusive cop father. When Wes's mother drags him to a performance of The Nutcracker, he feels an immediate attraction to Tristan Monroe, the Black star of the show and a student at a posh private school. After Wes and Tristan start hanging out, Wes--who fears ridicule if he were to come out--anxiously looks for signs that proudly gay Tristan might like him back. But when Brad, one of Wes's friends who is struggling with a burgeoning alcohol dependency, kisses Wes at a party, it causes a fissure in their group. Unmoored, Wes pursues his interest in photography by joining a club and launches a halting, semi-secret relationship with Tristan. Nerada sensitively depicts the lingering effects of Wes's father's abuse, and how the trauma from those experiences informs his complicated relationship with himself and others, as well as with opening up. Ages 14--up. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Feb.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Wesley "Big Mac" Mackenzie hides his feelings and identity behind his tough reputation, until he meets Tristan Monroe, an out-and-proud ballet dancer with big dreams for the future. When the faculty and students at Stonebridge High take in Wes' skateboard, leather jacket, and baggy clothes, they see nothing but a lowlife. The guidance counselor nags Wes about college and warns him that if his grades don't improve, he won't graduate on time, but as much as Wes can't stand the idea of repeating his senior year, he also can't imagine going to college. His single mom, whom he'd do anything to support, and his two best friends, Tony and Brad, are the only people who care about him. During a night out at the ballet, the last place Wes wants to be, his heart stops when Tristan dances onto the stage. As these two opposites attract, Wes confronts his fear of rejection, his past traumas, and his future. This coming-out story surrounds the white protagonist with a racially diverse cast of secondary characters, including his love interest, Tristan, who is Black. Nerada portrays characters with caring complexity, particularly Wes' mother, and presents readers with multifaceted relationships. While Tristan encourages and challenges Wes, Wes' character growth is, refreshingly, not dependent on their relationship, and healthy friendships are as central to the story as the boys' romance. An endearing and nuanced debut. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
