Geoff Laughton (1)

Growing up is hard, and doing it while realizing you’re different from most people around you makes it even more difficult. Shane and William are two boys about to become men when they meet at summer camp, and while their personal backgrounds and families are very different, they have one thing in common: they are beginning to realize they are attracted to each other. With his trademark sensitivity, Geoff Laughton has created an amazing story about coming of age, dealing with the realities of life, and the beginnings of a love that will hopefully grow and mature as these young men develop into well-adjusted adults.

Shane works as a life guard to earn some money for college. He is very enthusiastic about his job, takes his duties seriously, and truly cares about all the boys. When he manages to pull one of the more reluctant campers out of his shell by teaching him to swim, a friendship begins to form and even the tragic accident that costs Shane a large part of his hearing can’t stop him and William from reconnecting a year later. Things have changed. Shane is a counselor in training, seventeen, and only a year away from college. William has really grown and is much wiser than the average sixteen-year-old. They want to be together all the time to explore the feelings between them, but they need to be careful about not crossing the line between Shane being a staff member and William a guest. The realities of life are tough for both of them to deal with.

This is a warm, gentle story in a great setting, a slowly unfolding romance between two young men about to grow up, and a fascinating character study all at the same time. Shane deals with his hearing loss in a very adult way by acknowledging his anger, then dealing with the consequences rather than focusing on “what could have been”. William learns that people exist who love and accept him just the way he is. And the book is filled with wonderful supporting characters; from the boys’ parents to Shane’s fellow counselors, as well as some of the younger boys at the camp. A group of truly stunning people—even the weird and nasty ones!

If you like young adult romances that center around dealing with who you really are, if you want to know what it’s like for two young gay men to figure out their place in the world and what they want to do with their lives, and if you’re looking for a sweet read with a lot of tenderness and some very loving moments, then you will probably enjoy this novel. I loved it and, like with all of Geoff Laughton’s Young Adult books, can only hope there will be a sequel to see what life is like for these young men once they make it to college.


NOTE: This book was provided by harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
… (mais)

In a wonderful variation on “City Kid meets Country Boy”, this story is about sixteen-year-old Ethan from Chicago who is “forced” to go on a family vacation on a dude ranch. He is out and proud, likes to dress well, and cannot imagine having to live in a primitive cabin and “do stuff outside” for two weeks. Jason is the dude ranch owners’ son, also sixteen, and loves the countryside, never expecting to live anywhere else. And voilá, the stage is set for conflict, a very reluctant friendship, and the slow blossoming of something more between two young men who couldn’t be more different. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to find out Geoff Laughton’s plans for these two.

Ethan has never hidden who he is, well not beyond a couple of unsuccessful attempts when he was very young. He came out when he was fourteen, and has extremely supportive parents. He is a bit of a fashion addict, likes his creature comforts, and I don’t think he knows what to do with himself without some sort of electricity-based toy at his disposal. Life without WiFi is his idea of a nightmare. When Ethan first arrives on the dude ranch he expects life to be pretty bad for the next two weeks, but when he meets Jason, a boy his age, all of that slowly begins to change.

Jason has no idea what it is like to be out. He knows he is gay, but his parents are pretty homophobic (his father more openly than his mother), and anyway, he doesn’t believe he’ll ever live anywhere else than on the ranch. He is upset about the fact he is being used as cheap labor, while his slightly older cousin is being paid for his efforts since “he has to save up for college”. When Jason begins to get to know Ethan, his view on life, and who he might be when he grows up, slowly begins to change.

This is a charming story in a spectacular setting, a burning romance between two young men on the threshold of becoming men, and so much longing and sweetness between them as they fight seemingly impossible odds that I came close to tears several times. If you like young adult romances that are just as intense as some more adult versions, if you want to know some of what it’s like for two young gay men to figure out who they are and what they want from life and each other, and if you’re looking for a sweet read with a lot of angst and some very loving moments, then you will probably enjoy this novel. I totally adored it and can only hope there will be a sequel to see what life is like for Ethan and Jason at college.… (mais)

I have no idea why it took me so long to get around to reading this amazing book, and can only blame my humongous TBR (To Be Read) mountain of books. The only person I deprived of a wonderful story is me, and I really should have known better. It is no secret that I love Andrew Grey’s books, and since Geoff Laughton is his pen name for YA novels, I was bound to like this book.

And what a story this is! Two teenage boys from very different backgrounds meet and begin to explore what it means to grapple with being different, deal with potential rejection by their families, and making the first decisions about who they want to be when they grow up. Their two worlds collide, and since being Amish and being “English” (i.e., not Amish) is mutually exclusive, it can only be one or the other. This is a book about growing up, dealing with being gay, and finding your way in a world that is not very forgiving toward those who are different – no matter whether you’re Amish or American.

David moves to a new town with his mother, and he hates everything about it before he even gets there. He is going to be a high school junior at his new school, so moving away from his friends and everything he knows is a huge blow. He feels disoriented and sort of drifts along without much direction. To make matters worse, there is no TV to speak of with only three stations, and he has nowhere to go during the few weeks before school starts. But then he discovers the swimming hole and the creek behind the house and begins to explore his surroundings. He also runs into Benjamin, an Amish boy who is not even supposed to talk to him. David is very attracted to Benjamin, and ignores any and all cautions abut staying away from him so he won’t get into trouble. David has a lot to learn about cultural sensitivity and respecting other people’s limits!

Benjamin, on the other hand, has a lot of guidance about what is right and wrong as well as many rules to follow. Hs upbringing has been strict, and his father’s word is law. Thinking for himself is a new concept for him, and he feels very uncomfortable about it. But talking to David is fun, and when he begins to discover that they share an interest in boys rather than girls, the real conflict begins for Benjamin. If he wants to be who he is, if he wants to be honest about himself, he has to leave the Amish community. Blindly following his father’s rules is no longer an option for him now that he has begun to think for himself. But how can he do that when everyone he knows and loves is a member of that group?

If you’re looking for a story about growing up and choosing your own values, if you want to find out about two boys who deal with questions of conscience and issues that many adults have problems with, and if you’re looking for a read that is as sweet and gentle as it is honest and fascinating, then you should read this novel. It shook me up, pulled me in, and I loved every page.


NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review.… (mais)