Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
Blurb (on back of book):
A funny, honest novel about being out, being proud ... and being ready for something else. Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write.
And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.
So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben ... who doesn't even know that love is possible.
This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate being different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.
MY OPINION: ***
There was a lot that I liked about this book and a lot that I think could have been improved at the same time.
I liked Rafe. He is not a stereotypical, cookie-cutter main character. He had flaws, he had aspirations, he had setbacks. He also makes mistakes and has very valid fears. He often tends to see himself through the eyes of others and thus believes that his sexual identity is his main defining aspect, which I hated for him because he's obviously so much more than that.
The main premise of the plot is that Rafe, an openly gay teenage boy, moves to a new school and chooses to not disclose the information that he identifies as gay. Instead, he chooses to let people think he is straight. It is not a lie, per say, but he is also keeping something about himself from the rest of his school. It makes sense why he would want to start over, though, because once you place a label on yourself that others may see as "different," people begin to look at you differently as well, and I can't blame Rafe for not wanting that extra attention being placed on him.
However, his plan collapses when he meets Ben, a jock who begins to question his identity throughout the book when he meets Rafe. I loved the relationship between these two and seeing them grow, mature, and make mistakes was all beautifully written.
At the same time, I wish there had been more to the book than just the relationship between these two boys. I would have loved to have read things from Ben's point of view (which I do know is in the second book) and seen more about his journey in realizing his sexual identity. I also hated the parent's reactions to Rafe's decision, because although I understood where they were coming from, it was his life and his decision to make ultimately. I am glad they learned to respect that, though. I did love how accepting and liberal they were about their son, because it went away from the devastating reality of many LGBTQ+ teen's relationships with their parents.
I loved Bryce and wished he could have been a bigger character because I definitely wanted to know more about him and his background. He seemed to have a lot going on that I wish we could have known more about, because the book was very Rafe-and-Ben-driven and didn't have very many interesting side characters that we could also learn about.
I loved how this book tackled the effect of labels, teenage adolescence, sexual identity, being different, and falling in love. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a beautifully-written, funny, romantic story. I will definitely be picking up the second book after that ending!
Main Character: Rafe, Ben
Sidekick(s): Bryce, parents, etc
Villain(s): labels, being seen as different, homophobia, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this could have happened in real life.
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