Review: Highly recommended by Lucky
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2013
A Highly Recommended BookI started reading this collection because a friend told me it was his favorite young adult series. I have to be honest, I now understand why.The first few books in the series introduce Brad Greymark and Kyle Stilleno, a budding couple dealing with the harassment of high school life when they come out as gay. Theirs is an epic love story, full of angst and anger, friendship and lovers. <a href="[...] target="_blank"></a><!--more-->This book starts out the same way. Loose ends are tied up. Enemies become friends. Then it starts to change. The world, at least in Foster, opens up, letting Brad and Kyle in for a sneak peek of what lies ahead. It's not a pretty picture. Robbie, a new friend, takes Kyle to a bar and introduces him to some people. It's heartbreaking and harsh and honest. It makes Kyle think.This book has many things going for it. My favorite: The epic showdown between Kyle and "Father Tim". I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the smackdown.The remainder of this book is painful. It's hard to watch what you know is going to happen, but it's real and it's true and I hate that it is. Today's social media can be a boon, but it also can hurt. Mr. Goode shows this in a way that is too awful to consider, but too honest to ignore.What happens at the end of the story may be fantasy to some, but with the strength of young people never to be taken for granted, it's possible and, fingers crossed, people will one day actually `get it'.Lucky's 5 sweet pea review appears at mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=13209