The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

Despite the cover, and that it doesn't reflect the main character or plot at all, I had high hopes for this book due to the response from Ellen Hopkins. Many of her stories are gritty and edgy - these focus on real, difficult issues facing teens and usually involve illegal activities simply to survive.

      Unfortunately, I was disappointed with The Vast Fields of Ordinary, since the story didn't seem plausible at all. Dade is gay, and during this summer before college, he finally comes out to a new, trustworthy friend and, eventually, to his parents.

      He has an unhealthy relationship with Pablo, a football player at school who hangs with football players and also has a girlfriend. Pablo, though, is unable to admit he is gay nor treats Dade with respect. Dad simply takes the harrassement he receives at school, and there is no support.

      Dade develops a healthy relationship with a guy slightly older, but they both know it's just for the summer. How they meet and are able to have such an open relationship among so many other gay and lesbian individuals in a small town just does not seem to be something that would or could really happen.

      I probably won't recommend this book because of the lack of substance of characters, realism of plot, and the cover that few guys will select to read.

novels of LGBTQ

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher looks at many facets of life for a transgendered teenager. While the story wasn't "perfect" for me, I do appreciate that the characters are composites of many real people.
Almost Perfect adds to a genre that many teenagers (and adults) need to explore or learn about in order to help him/herself and/or to support others. I would pair this book with She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan.

However, I like the teen characters in Almost Perfect. As an adult, I enjoyed She's Not There, and I will recommend it to teens. If I have a student read it, I'll be eager to know if he/she can appreciate the story since the focus is more on adulthood of Boylan rather than childhood. I also hope to have students read Almost Perfect, as I wonder if students know someone like Logan. He seemed almost too sophisticated emotionally.

I wonder, though, if a book like Almost Perfect will be read by a male audience. The cover lends itself to a female audience. While we should not judge a book by its cover, we do. This is one of several books I've read that has male characters, yet I doubt the cover would be read by many males. I know so much time is spent on book jackets, and would like to see something more suited for male readers.

I do hope that these stories are being read by those who really need these stories. To know that all the Sages out there are accepted by others, embraced wholeheartedly, and supported in the process would be such a statement towards cultural diversity.