Homo by Michael Harris

Homo by Michael Harris
"I don’t see why I have to become this new person just because I like guys. Most of who I am has nothing to do with who I hump.

Will's never been obvious about being gay. Not like Daniel, who takes the heat -- and the beatings -- at Spencer High. But then Will's best friend outs him on Facebook, and his small-town life starts to spin out of control. If he's not like everyone else, and he's not like Daniel, then who is he?"- summary from Amazon

This was an okay book; I mainly stayed with it because it was a short read. First off, the main character's last name is Federline (I think; it may have been the gay kid Daniel's last name). Right there alone is not a good choice. Anyway, there's a lot going on here and with the short length, it didn't feel detailed or fleshed out enough.

Will is a realistic character though; he's not terribly likable, but he grows throughout the book and learns a few things, so the reader can see a real change in him. Daniel is treated mostly as a simple gay stereotype, but there are glimpses of something more underneath it; his attitude is mostly a front, I feel. The short length of the book though doesn't delve deep enough into his character to make him more than just a caricature.

I did relate a bit to Will's relationship with Riley. While Riley isn't the first gay guy Will meets, he's the first gay guy he's attracted to and so he puts up with a lot because of the circumstances of him being that first. Will kind of latches on and doesn't want to lose him, so he bites his tongue sometimes and lets things slide. That first real connection is intense, and sometimes it can feel like you're not going to find any other gay guys. You don't realize that there's a whole world out there and also that you have a full life ahead of you; that fear of being alone is very realistic until you broaden your horizons more.

Overall, I think this could've been a much better book than it is, perhaps with a longer length and more characterization. Plus, that title is just not good.

FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.