Randy Ribay

{My Thoughts} – Mari, Sam, Archie, and Dante are the main characters within the pages of this book. When you first begin reading the focus per section is on each individual character, but they do cross over so you get to know them all while getting to know one at a time. These four soon to be seniors in high school have been friends since the sixth grade. They don’t really know each other all that well though, not in a personal sense. They have been playing a game called Dungeons & Dragons and they know each others game characters more then the actual person.

Mari is a sweet girl. She has conflicted feelings and she finds out some sad news about her mom. After her mom tells her the news she tries to get her to reach out to her birth mother, but Mari isn’t sure that’s what she wants. She spends the whole of the book trying to figure out if that is what she wants to do or not.

Archie has had his world torn apart in a sense. His parents divorced a year ago. His dad came out as gay and for his senior year his parents decided that he has to live with his dad. That isn’t what he wants because he hasn’t found a way to accept his dad for who he is. Archie spends the whole of the book trying to find ways to accept his dad and work through the issues with his dad.

Dante is an interesting character. He ends up being forced out of the closet. His family resents him. He isn’t sure how to handle the fact that his family resents him and is afraid to tell his friends that he is gay. He spends the whole of the book trying to figure out how to tell them he is gay while still trying to accept it is the lifestyle he wants to live.

Sam is well Sam. He got his heartbroken when his girlfriend Sarah moved across the country because her dad got a new job. She didn’t tell him though until the day they were moving and claimed she didn’t know how and then broke up with him and said she wanted nothing to do with a long distance relationship. The whole of the book is him working on accepting the break up and trying to figure out if it is for the best or if he has a chance to change things.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters in it are easy to love. They are easy to be one with. I enjoyed getting to know them and being a part of their fictional lives. I rooted for them and called some of them not real pleasant names when they came of as rude and mean. I really like the way the book ended and hope to read more by this author in the future.… (more)

Confident five stars. Definite one for the classroom. Please, just read it. If nothing else, google "Rodrigo Duterte" and understand that this story IS real, for so many people.

See full review and more here!

Recommended: YES, TO EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE
For those who struggle with their identity, their family. For those who have let someone they loved drift away for no good reason. For those who value and seek the truth. For those who are impassioned by injustice. For those who are angry with or horrified by or unaware of government sponsored police brutality around the world. Honestly, it's also just a really powerful, heart-wrenching story.

Thoughts:
I saw this and thought, "Yeah that has some serious potential."
Then I read the 5 chapter excerpt from NetGalley, and was already slavering for more.
FINALLY, release day came, and it was everything I had expected and more.

Our characters are complex, so much so that I felt like I had run into them before in classrooms, meetings, or coffee shops. The truth is complex, and that's what this story grapples with, as well. Every part of this story feels real, like it was torn straight from the author's heart.

The shame Jason feels at letting Jun drift away, and at knowing nothing about his home country across the world. The anger he has toward his father for never reacting, never pushing, never caring. The constant surprises and chagrin at being surprised that he faces during his trip - that people living in slums are still living, and still have happiness within them, faces him to confront his own judgments and the inherent biases he has from only being exposed to what is shown to him by Western media.

God, I could go on forever about this book. It's important, it's real, and it will make you cheer, grimace, rage, and so much more. Please, just read it. If nothing else, google "Rodrigo Duterte" and understand that this story IS real, for so many people. (I put this at the beginning AND end of the review, because it's that important and I want to make sure as many people as possible see it.)… (more)

*I got this book for review from Net galley*

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how this book was told from two boys POV and how it really focused on their friendship and how it changed over the course of the novel. It was such a impactful novel and it was super hard to put down. I thought the racial elements in this book was super well done and it was handled so well. I loved how sports was used to increase tension in this novel. I was equally invested in both POVS and loved the cast of characters that populated this world. I was super impressed by this novel as well! I will def.check more stuff by this author in the future!… (more)

*I got this book for review from Net galley*

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how this book was told from two boys POV and how it really focused on their friendship and how it changed over the course of the novel. It was such a impactful novel and it was super hard to put down. I thought the racial elements in this book was super well done and it was handled so well. I loved how sports was used to increase tension in this novel. I was equally invested in both POVS and loved the cast of characters that populated this world. I was super impressed by this novel as well! I will def.check more stuff by this author in the future!… (more)