Before I got any further into persuading you to read this novel, you need (NEED) some trigger warnings: homophobia, internalized homophobia, graphic language, suicide, extreme bigotry, violence, misuse of queer words/phrases, and probably a lot more. I don't have a lot of triggers myself but this really sent my anxiety into a weird loop. So please proceed with caution.
This book...was really hard to read. Just all of the homophobia and bigotry. But that doesn't mean it wasn't excellent. Because it was, extremely excellent. Talk about growth and courage and becoming who you really are (okay, so more like accepting and embracing who you are).
But it needs to be read. It needs to be shared. Because a lot of LGBT books (my own included) don't touch this very real side of the world that we live in. We always focus on the fluffy and pride-filled queer aspects, but never really the very scary truth that so many people still believe in so many harmful things. These harmful things need talked about too.
Because if Mike and Chris can get through it (get out of it), so can you, so can so many other people. They just need support and love (even one individual to be that can change and save so many lives).
["In sixteen-year-old Mike Hernandez’s life, only one thing is clear: Gay is NOT okay. His family’s life revolves around the church, a church run by the vocally intolerant Pastor Myers, so Mike has resolved to spend his life in the closet. His only escape—besides the occasional, anonymous gay make-out session—is his art. He pours his complicated emotions into risqué drawings he keeps in a secret sketchbook. A sketchbook he carries everywhere.
When his sketchbook goes missing in the middle of Sunday school, Mike is sure his life is over. He’s going to be outed, ostracized by their community, condemned by the pastor, maybe even homeless. What’s worse, the pastor’s son, Chris, suddenly seems hell-bent on adopting Mike and his friends and he has no idea why.
When an awkward confrontation with Chris leads to an unexpected kiss instead of a much-expected punch, Mike’s world is turned upside down. As their friendship grows and faith is questioned, Mike may be forced to choose between the comfortable life he's always lived and a chance at the love he never thought he deserved."]
Please, read this book. Read it. Embrace who you are. But know that not everyone can, know that not everyone is as accepting as they should be, know that we need to change the world.
#theregoessundayschool #TGSS #alexanderceberhart #gaydisasters #LGBT #LGBTbooks #pridemonth #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks
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