The Dangerous Art of Blending In - Angelo Surmelis

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): Seventeen-year-old Evan Panos doesn’t know where he fits in. His strict Greek mother refuses to see him as anything but a disappointment. His quiet, workaholic father is a staunch believer in avoiding any kind of conflict. And his best friend Henry has somehow become distractingly attractive over the summer. 
Tired, isolated, scared—Evan’s only escape is drawing in an abandoned church that feels as lonely as he is. And, yes, he kissed one guy over the summer. But it’s his best friend Henry who’s now proving to be irresistible. It’s Henry who suddenly seems interested in being more than friends. And it’s Henry who makes him believe that he’s more than his mother’s harsh words and terrifying abuse. But as things with Henry heat up, and his mother’s abuse escalates, Evan has to decide how to find his voice in a world where he has survived so long by avoiding attention at all costs.

MY OPINION: ******

I cannot even put into words how much I loved this book!

It's been on my want-to-read for a little while now but I forgot all about it as I got caught up in other books. However, I went to a bookstore and I saw it on display and I decided to buy the book right then and there. This is something I don't like to do because I generally buy books I've already read because I know that I like them. I feel disappointed when I buy a book and end up not liking it and I don't like the feeling of wasting money on it.

I know that there were a lot of people who disliked this book from reading reviews and I can understand it but when I was reading it, I either overlooked the things that people hated or didn't make a big deal out of it. Sure, some things were "problematic" as some may say, but that didn't make me love the book any less.

This book was yet another novel that dealt with a lot of hard topics. I appreciate books that take the leap to talk about these things and it's really special if you can find a book that can write about it in a serious and not-lighthearted way.

This book was about a boy named Evan Panos who comes from a Greek, Christian family. He has had an exceptionally hard life: his mother abuses him and has beaten him since he was a little kid, and his father does nothing to stop it. He's also gay. And his mother does not like it.

Abuse. It's a hard thing to talk about. This mother was so exceptionally HKFAJLHOEFHLJOJSDLAHSF that I cannot even believe it! She beats her son for ALL sorts of things. She comments about his looks though he can't change those things. She hates how he dresses. She thinks he has the devil in him because she can tell that he's not the same as the other boys. She knows he's gay though neither of them ever fully admits it. She pushes him to be with a FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL while he's eighteen. She tells him that she wishes he was never born and that he would die. She says all sorts of things about him that he can't help and she says that he's a disgrace to their family and to God.

It's all there. And it's horrifying. The worst thing is, the father tries to step in and help but he's weak. He lets it go. He lets his wife beat their kid up. At a couple of points he does to try to restrain her but she manages to get out of his grip and continue to beat Evan up.

Evan does tell a few people, though he's scared. He constantly talks about his fear of his worlds colliding but he finally admits everything about him to his best friend, Henry, by giving him his journals.

Henry admits early on in the book that he is gay and that he loves Evan. However, he kisses Evan though Evan says that he's scared and that he doesn't want to! I do understand the moment: Henry needed to show Evan everything and by kissing him, he let him know how he felt. However, it's never okay to just do something like that without someone else's permission. Consent.

Jeremy is this other character that I wanted to punch in the face. I do not know how Evan put up with him throughout the book because from the first couple of pages that Jeremy appeared in, I was already done with him. He says things to Evan that nobody should have to tolerate.

Bullying. It's another thing in this book that we see Evan have to deal with. At school, there are a couple of boys who accuse him of being gay and make fun of him for it, even though he hadn't come out yet. A fight occurs and a ton of things happen but ultimately, Evan admits to the entire school that he's gay and in love with Henry, though he doesn't remember it ever happening. JEREMY JUST GOT IT ON VIDEO. Of course he did.

The writing in this book was absolutely gorgeous. It didn't go on and on and on and it also wasn't just short choppy sentences that seem childish. It helped push the story along, it made sense, and it was written in a way that people could understand what the characters were going through.

I did want to say that the romance was a little unrealistic. I understand that Evan and Henry were in love but at some points, it didn't really feel like it and instead felt more forced. I don't know if that was just me. However, it did help move the story along. And it wasn't the main topic of the story, which was good, especially because it dealt with so many things.

I loved this book to no end and am glad to add it to my own personal library. I would recommend it to readers who are looking for a mature, more serious novel.

Main Character: Evan
Sidekick(s): Henry, etc
Villain(s): The mom, abuse, bullying, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was real to life.