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Don't Let Me Go

by J.H. Trumble (Goodreads Author)

4.37 · rating details · 87 ratings · 47 reviews

Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole...more

Paperback, 344 pages

Published December 27th 2011 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

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2011 Debut Authors (Young Adult and Middle Grade Lit.)

185th out of 239 books — 1,631 voters

Regularly Scheduled Life by K.A. Mitchell

Best MM/Gay romance with cheating hero

38th out of 45 books — 74 voters

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Jan 13, 2012

Lettersalad rated it

Shelves: in-english, best-of-2012

Nate und Adam lernen sich auf der High School kennen und lieben. An sich nichts Ungewöhnliches, wenn man die Tatsache außer Betracht lässt, das sie beide Jungs sind. Gerade für Nate ist dieser Umstand neu, denn er hat sich erst vor wenigen Wochen zu einem Outing entschlossen. Wie man sich nun denken kann, stößt er damit nicht nur bei seinen Mitschülern sondern auch in seiner eigenen Familie auf Unverständnis und muss sich schlimmsten Anfeindungen und Vorwürfen gegenüberstellen.
Doch da ist A...moreNate und Adam lernen sich auf der High School kennen und lieben. An sich nichts Ungewöhnliches, wenn man die Tatsache außer Betracht lässt, das sie beide Jungs sind. Gerade für Nate ist dieser Umstand neu, denn er hat sich erst vor wenigen Wochen zu einem Outing entschlossen. Wie man sich nun denken kann, stößt er damit nicht nur bei seinen Mitschülern sondern auch in seiner eigenen Familie auf Unverständnis und muss sich schlimmsten Anfeindungen und Vorwürfen gegenüberstellen.
Doch da ist Adam, der Nate unterstützt und in gewissen Situationen ganz besonders beschützt. Doch die Anfeindungen und Übergriffe in der Schule werden immer schlimmer, bis schließlich das Unfassbare passiert.

Für Nate und Adam ist danach nichts mehr wie es war und obwohl man als Leser zunächst nicht direkt weiß, was nun genau passiert ist, so ahnt man doch, dass Nate etwas Unglaubliches angetan wurde. Es gibt während der Story mehrere Zeitsprünge, die aus der Gegenwart erzählen, nachdem Adam an einer Schauspielschule in New York angenommen wurde und dann wiederum aus der Vergangenheit, wie Nate und Adam ihre Liebe füreinander entdeckt haben. Adam gerät über lange Strecken des Buches mehr in den Hintergrund, da Nate die eigentliche Hauptfigur in Don’t let me go ist. Ein starker, entschlossener Junge auf den ersten Blick, doch unglaublich verletzt, einsam und unsicher auf den Zweiten.

Man muss mit dem Thema Homosexualität umgehen können, um dieses Buch zu verstehen. Das würde ich interessierten Lesern auf jeden Fall raten und ich meine es nicht nur in sexueller Hinsicht. Sicherlich spielt Sex einen sehr zentralen Part in diesem Buch, doch ab einem gewissen Punkt geht die Story viel tiefer, wird eindringlicher und versucht zu sensibilisieren. Sehr unverblümt, sehr realistisch und somit stellenweisen wirklich ungeheuerlich werden die Reaktionen von Menschen beschrieben, die immer noch nicht im 21. Jahrhundert angekommen zu sein scheinen. Eben Menschen, die man an jeder Straßenecke dabei beobachten kann, wie sie andere Menschen demütigen und dabei nur ihre eigene Schwäche und ihr Unvermögen überspielen wollen. Nate beschreibt seinen Alltag, was er für Adam empfindet und wie er von den Menschen um sich herum wahrgenommen bzw. behandelt wird.

Er führt ein Blog, um anderen Jungs Mut machen zu wollen, rebelliert förmlich gegen die Anfeindungen auf offener Straße. Zunächst wirkte er dabei wie ein Eisberg, an dem alles Negative einfach so abprallt; nur langsam merkt man, wie nahe ihm das alles tatsächlich geht. Das er Angst hat. Vor allem davor, Adam zu verlieren. Dieser scheint in New York so unglaublich weit weg und baut sich ein eigenes, ein neues Leben in der Großstadt auf. Ein Leben in das Nate, in einer texanischen Kleinstadt nicht mehr hineinpasst. So kommt es Nate jedenfalls vor. Die Beziehung wird durch die Distanz auf eine harte Probe gestellt.

Es gibt wenig, was ich an dem Buch auszusetzten habe, denn es wirkt einfach so unglaublich durchdacht und abgerundet. Es ist schockierend, es ist romantisch, es ist sexy, lustig und traurig. Man kann sich eine Track Liste der Songs aus dem Buch bei iTunes runterladen, der Titel des Buches wird zum zentralen Thema und auch das Cover passt perfekt zur Story: ein Junge, der Angst davor hat, sein Gesicht öffentlich zu zeigen.
An gewissen Stellen hatte ich allenfalls das Gefühl, das Nate und Adam ihre Beziehung ein wenig zu sehr über Sex definieren, dass da ein bisschen zu wenig Gefühle rüberkommen. Besonders gegen Ende des Buches gab es eine Stelle, an der ich mit Nates Charakter in einen ziemlichen Zwiespalt geraten bin. Doch im Grunde machte ihn das nur noch menschlicher und zeigte auf, wie verwundbar ein Mensch doch ist. Von dem Ende kann man denken, was man will. Vielleicht war es ein wenig überzogen, doch ich fand, es wurde der Story einfach gerecht.

Ein Buch, das nicht nur junge Leser wachrütteln und für mehr Offenheit und Toleranz sorgen will. Denn wie sagt Nate im Buch so treffend:

„You don’t have to understand. You don’t have to agree. Just leave people alone. “
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Feb 10, 2012

Tamela rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, club-and-challenges, contemporary, first-love, mid-size, mm-or-mmm, romance, recommended

I liked the characters and the story but I did have a hard time with the time jumps. First we're when Adam is leaving. Then we jump to when they met, then to when they came out, back to leaving, to "the event", to the separation, back to their coming out... get the idea. It got very confusing and I would always have to stop and take stock of when Nate was talking about. That was annoying... maybe it's just me though, so I only dropped one star off.

Recommended and enjoy...more

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Jan 08, 2012

Edina Rose rated it

I don't like stories where one person has to give up his dreams for love. I also don't like stories where the two lovers have an unhealthy interdependent relationship. And I can't stand characters who are self-centred, selfish, whinny and weak. You've got all that in this book, and I can't believe it but I liked the book!?! WTH? I guess I'm changing, or it's this author's magic, or both.

Adam and Nate met in their junior year and felt in love. Nate is high maintenance and Adam likes ...more

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Jan 04, 2012

Josh rated it

Shelves: glbt, ebook, ya-lit, favorites

I honestly can't remember where I heard the early buzz for this book. All I do remember is putting it on my wishlist and checking the release date every Tuesday for at least a month before I was finally able to download it to my nook. I gotta say, it was well worth the wait.

Don't Let Me Go is told from the point of view of Nate, a gay high school senior recounting his relationship with Adam, his first and only boyfriend, and the many events that bind them together. When Adam leaves T...moreI honestly can't remember where I heard the early buzz for this book. All I do remember is putting it on my wishlist and checking the release date every Tuesday for at least a month before I was finally able to download it to my nook. I gotta say, it was well worth the wait.

Don't Let Me Go is told from the point of view of Nate, a gay high school senior recounting his relationship with Adam, his first and only boyfriend, and the many events that bind them together. When Adam leaves Texas to work off off-Broadway for a few months, things threaten to fall apart and their love is put through some heavy trials.

Let me just say, I had some worries early on, thinking that this could turn out to be some shallow romance story of young gay love (*cough* Boy Meets Boy *cough*), but the more I read, the more I was hooked. There were more than a few nights that I didn't get in bed until 3AM because I didn't want to stop reading. I was just that involved in the story, which is a rarity for me as most books have to fight for my attention. I don't take the world of fiction very lightly, boys and girls.

What J.H. Trumble managed to do here was capture that teenage passion and emotion so accurately, it was almost unnerving. Multiple times in the book I would catch something all too similar to my own experiences 10 years ago (sometimes less, but let's not go there), whether it be fights with boyfriends, that dramatically unyielding desire to be with someone or simple interactions between former friends. I could see pieces of myself in Nate, Adam and Luke (a closeted gay boy in Nate's school) to the point where I actually felt embarrassed realizing my own past actions were mirrored on the page. I know so, so many readers, gay or straight, will see themselves there too and it's one of the things that make this book such a valuable read regardless of age, gender or orientation.

These characters are so honest and real that their actions can make you sting or your heart melt. I liked these people and enjoyed learning their ins, outs, desires and motivations. Hell, I, the self-professed anti-romance cynic (newly appointed as of Summer 2011) even got misty eyed over moments between Nate and Adam. Granted it didn't make me want to run out and start dating again, but it did remind me of what it felt like to throw yourself into someone heart and soul (read the book, you'll get it), regardless of consequence.

If Goodreads allowed half stars, this would be a 4.5, missing the 5 star mark only because I'm stingy with the stars and I have some minor issues with the last 2 chapters. But hey, that's only due to the fact that I'm a cynical bastard with just a few blocks' walk to Thirtiesville.

But don't let my curmudgeony attitude deter you. READ THIS! I absolutely loved it and will be pushing it on my friends startinnnnng...now.(less)

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Jan 13, 2012

Tina rated it

You know those books that start with a prologue with young characters, maybe in high school or college then the actual book is their story ten years from that point? This wonderful book is exactly the opposite. We get to see Nate and Adam when they are young, just coming to terms with their being gay. We get to see them struggling with family and school and hate crime while coming out. We get to see what happens to them (and many others) when one half of a high school love affair moves away....more

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Feb 11, 2012

Emma rated it

· review of another edition

A 3.5 for sure.

I can’t recall reading a YA so I had no idea what I was coming across. This was an interesting title to loose your self into. The first word that came to my mind after finishing it was “genuine”. The tribulations, dialogues, scenarios and emotions depicted felt genuine and thought provoking. The mistakes they made felt appropriate for their age and environment. Even though I had some idea about young boys going through the turmoil of coming out, I never thought this bo...more

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Feb 13, 2012

Angela Khong rated it

My first romance book that deal relationship with homosexuality and I LOVE IT!!!! Sure I’m bi, but I never read anything like it. I was like “awwww” on every page I turned. I even cried in most of the part. The relationship between Nate and Adam is so intense, complicated, and confused that I just couldn’t let me tears stay where they are.
Nate and Adam struggled the impossible together. Two souls that can never be broken apart, even from bullies, parent, or anything. But Adam move to New...more My first romance book that deal relationship with homosexuality and I LOVE IT!!!! Sure I’m bi, but I never read anything like it. I was like “awwww” on every page I turned. I even cried in most of the part. The relationship between Nate and Adam is so intense, complicated, and confused that I just couldn’t let me tears stay where they are.
Nate and Adam struggled the impossible together. Two souls that can never be broken apart, even from bullies, parent, or anything. But Adam move to New York to follow his dream and Nate was okay with it, even if it hurt like hell for him. Nate struggled his senior year without him and it nice that his friend Juliet and Daniel is there for him. Then as Nate talk to Adam though Skpe, he saw Adam’s naked roommate and many hurtful thought eat his mind. Misleading text, image, and “lies” had put poor Nate in his valuable position...or both of them. The one thing Nate fear most is Adam letting him go. And he fear that it too late. Haven’t call him or talk to him, Nate couldn’t think straight without him, like he lost part of himself. Then he met a guy name Luke and thing become not only better, but also worse. Could Nate move on? Could he set Adam free? But most important, could he set himself free?
Gosh, I never never never read such a book like this! Remind me if I have a change to buy this later...and pray that my parent won’t find out. I guess I love this book because it deals a lot with how other view on gay, lesbian, and bi people. I had experience that feeling; scare to come out and let the whole world see the way you are. And then afterward, experience the pain of denial. Yea, it hurt like you just want to committed suicide. Hey, Hey I’m still alive; I don’t care what other people think about me anymore. They can just fuck off.
What make me attractive about this book is even though Nate and Adam tried hard to make their relationship work and avoiding the hate protest, they still inseparable no matter what. A very tight bond. God, it hurt to read what they’re dealing with; long-distance relationship, betrayal, parent’s issue, lies...God it just too much and I just want to jump into this book and hug them and beat them for being such a idiot to each other. I love the ending and I was glad that everything end amazing! I love the insecure Nate because he’s so confused and growing up to find the answer to his problem (he such a girl in this role). I love Adam because he so tough and doesn’t care about the shit what other said (only Nate matter to him), plus he so protective and funny. Haha, I love (straight) Daniel and he (and Juliet) play such an important friendship role in Nate and Adam life. And I totally love Luke. He so shy and innocent and doesn’t know what going on around him. I just want to hug him and make sure he okay.
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Feb 06, 2012

Helene rated it

I should probably wait until the tears subside to write this review, but you know what...I don't want to.

After all, this is a book about being true to yourself and those you love and being responsible both for and to them. I've been trying to think about whether there has ever been a (literary)relationship I've rooted for harder than I rooted for Nate and Adams's and I can't think of one.

J.H. Trumble has done the most difficult of things: created complex, REAL, characters...more

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Feb 08, 2012

Toni rated it

Shelves: kensington-arcs

All I can say is WOW!! Awakening, discovery, tenderness, heartbreak, betrayal; I could go on and on. This is an amazing novel of first and only love.

Nate is a young man who is at a cross roads. He knows he is dependent on his boyfriend, but he also knows he must let Adam go so that he can fulfill his dreams. Even if it means that they will be separated for months and by countless miles. It tears his young heart apart. Adam has only been in his life for a short time, but without...moreAll I can say is WOW!! Awakening, discovery, tenderness, heartbreak, betrayal; I could go on and on. This is an amazing novel of first and only love.

Nate is a young man who is at a cross roads. He knows he is dependent on his boyfriend, but he also knows he must let Adam go so that he can fulfill his dreams. Even if it means that they will be separated for months and by countless miles. It tears his young heart apart. Adam has only been in his life for a short time, but without Adam, Noah just wouldn’t be.

This is Nate’s story. His past, present and future as told with the confines of this book. It is told in his voice, be it as a young and immature teenager or as man that is wise and strong beyond his years. To be able to experience this with him is a gift.

This is a love story that speaks to anyone who has ever met the other half of their heart or has experienced a long distance relationship. Nate is crushed when Adam leaves for NYC. All his insecurities and jealousies come to play, and truthfully even though Adam is an innocent bystander he does little to alleviate Nate’s feelings. This lack of communication and trust during a long distant relationship can happen between any couple and has. Matters of the heart do not know gender, race or sexual orientation. This story has nothing to do with them being lovers, it has to do with them being human beings with emotions and the games that the mind plays when we are alone and in need of our loved one.

Don’t Let Me Go is told in a unique and well thought out fashion. Flashbacks to the past are wonderfully written to flow flawlessly with the present, giving you an amazing insight into Nate and Adam’s relationship. Though Nate seems childish at times, his feelings are warranted. He has a tragic past and is still raw from the experience. I felt his heartache and his triumphs.

Ms. Trumble’s exceptional writing entranced me and I couldn’t put the book down. Her portrayal of first love and all the pain and anguish that same sex couples go through is spellbinding. The injustice is poignant. Her depiction of how ugly bigotry and hatred can be was perfect. I was enraged during the story, but was also awed and filled with wonder.

Don’t Let Me Go is just simply an extraordinary story that shouldn’t be missed. I can’t praise it enough. Bravo and well done!
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Feb 09, 2012

Yvette rated it

I came across this book when it was recommended to me on Goodreads based on books I had already read. The synopsis intrigued me and I downloaded a sample to my ereader. And boy, am I glad that I did.

Don’t Let Me Go is a story of love and hate. Love, because the two main protagonists are in an all consuming relationship; and hate because of the repercussions the two main protagonists have to face as a result of their sexuality.

Nate and Adam are madly in love with each oth...moreI came across this book when it was recommended to me on Goodreads based on books I had already read. The synopsis intrigued me and I downloaded a sample to my ereader. And boy, am I glad that I did.

Don’t Let Me Go is a story of love and hate. Love, because the two main protagonists are in an all consuming relationship; and hate because of the repercussions the two main protagonists have to face as a result of their sexuality.

Nate and Adam are madly in love with each other. After skirting around the subject that they may have feelings for the other (and with the added complication of Adam’s best friend, Juliet, trying everything in her power to make Nate her boyfriend), they finally come out to each other and, subsequently, to their friends and family. And their coming out is not without its consequences.

Nate falls victim to a horrific and violent attack and is trying to get his life back on track with Adam’s help. Yet when Adam graduates and is offered a part in an off Broadway production (which Nate convinces him to take), it means that Nate has to face his demons on his own. And herein starts the fallout.

Combine Nate’s anger at the abusive attitude of his peers, with the fact that Adam’s roommate is blatantly trying to make a play for him and Nate starts to spiral out of control. What follows is a roller-coaster of emotions as we live through Nate’s pain and anger, his love and jealousy, his loneliness and his feelings of abandonment.

As Nate starts to realise he is losing Adam, he forms a friendship with Danial who ultimately becomes his savior; and Luke who (I felt) Nate recognises as being a younger version of himself.

Told part in flashback and part in present time, the brutality of Nate’s attack is handled sensitively. Whilst it is not told in detail, there is no denying that the events that are hinted at are horrifying and something that no one should have to experience. And, I felt, it was Nate trying to seek closure of some kind on this incident that formed the basis of his relationship with Luke, the younger, more impressionable guy who ‘fan boys’ Nate and (unwittingly or not) causes the fallout at the end of the book.

Throughout this story my allegiances with the four main characters changed with every chapter. I went from loving both Adam and Nate and hating Danial, to loving Nate and Danial and hating Adam, to loving Danial and Adam and being immensely frustrated with Nate; to loving all three of them. As for Luke? I’ll leave let you decide how you feel about him.

The relationship between Nate and Adam is told with tenderness and warmth and there was not one single chapter that didn’t pull at my heartstrings particularly towards the end when the relationship between them breaks down completely. The meeting between Nate and Adam at Juliet’s New Year’s Eve party in particular, had me reaching for my tissues.

J.H Trumble manages to use the perfect words and phrases and just the right descriptions to leave you with the warm and fuzzies and with heartache at exactly the same time - and it is for that reason, that I found myself thinking about this story long after I finished it (so much so that I couldn’t do anything else except read it again immediately!). I cried, I laughed, I swooned and I cried some more.

The content of Don’t Let Me Go isn't for everyone, but if you are willing to think out of this box, then I would ask you to give this a chance. Because above all, this is a story about relationships - falling in love and learning to be loved; being selfish and being selfless; depending on others and others depending on you; passion and fury; give and take; trust and distrust; promises to break and promises to keep.

And as far as promises go, I can assure you this - once you've allowed these characters into your life, you'll never want to let them go.(less)

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Feb 19, 2012

Reggie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age

Book of the Month for Josh Lanyon's Discussion Group

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Nov 05, 2011

Elisquared rated it

Shelves: contemporary, romance, glbt, fiction, ya-middle-grade

Don't Let Me Go was an amazing, heartfelt, intense, hilarious read, and it couldn't come at a better time. With the surge of GLBT-related suicide plaguing our country, a book which empowers GLBT kids is very needed. J. H. Trumble has written such a book.

This is a contemporary novel following the relationship of Nate and Adam, the ups and downs, the good times and the bad times, everything a relationship goes through. These boys aren't in the sidelines but front and center, and mak...moreDon't Let Me Go was an amazing, heartfelt, intense, hilarious read, and it couldn't come at a better time. With the surge of GLBT-related suicide plaguing our country, a book which empowers GLBT kids is very needed. J. H. Trumble has written such a book.

This is a contemporary novel following the relationship of Nate and Adam, the ups and downs, the good times and the bad times, everything a relationship goes through. These boys aren't in the sidelines but front and center, and make me wish for a relationship as full of love as their's. I don't want to constantly say "Wow this is such a rare book", but it really is, and that's what makes it so important and amazing, because it shouldn't be a rare book. The relationship trials that Nate and Adam go through has aspects that everyone can relate to, not just GLBT kids. That's what makes it work so well, because it is a book about love.

As you move through the book, you find out some harsh realities about the world Nate and adam live in. A terrible thing has been down to Nate, but he is working through it the best he can with the love and support from Adam and his friends. But when Adam moves to Manhattan for a chance to work on an Off-Broadway play, they have to deal with a long-distance relationship, and Nate has a hard time dealing with it. It develops organically, and nothing ever feels forced or fake. I can see this happening exactly as it did in real life.

The relationships between the supporting characters are all very organic as well. I loved the side romances going on, and I think that this really helps complete the story. There is so much love throughout that when there is violence (and there is violence) it makes it so much more stark and harsh. This forces you to really examine the rights and wrongs of the characters actions. I think this book would help people see that being gay doesn't mean you deserve to be punished.

The ending was super sweet, and wove the story arch up very nicely, but I don't know if it was too sweet. If I had a problem with any part of the book it would have been the epilogue. But it was a small problem, and one I still liked, just like the ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Overall, Don't Let Me Go was fantastic. I can't say how much! I really really loved it, and if you like to read contemporary romances then you will love it too!(less)

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Jan 17, 2012

Elle rated it

· review of another edition

Loved it. Over the span of the five hours I spent reading this, I went through a gamut of every emotion from grief to joy to frustration to anger. Couched in the often homophobic and bigoted climate of Southern high school life lies an unflinchingly real and honest love story. All in all, I found Nate and Adam's experiences incredibly touching and humbling. The supporting cast of characters were equally amazing and true. Minor marks are deducted for what I felt was an unnecessarily rushed ending...more

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Feb 09, 2012

Danielle rated it

as another reader pointed out, and i whole heartedly agree, i don't approve of unhealthy interdependent relationships,especially during the teen years. regardless, i got swept away. and while i didn't care for nate, i somehow didn't hate him either.

i finished this book in 1 night. i was tempted to give it 3 stars because it started to read like a 'how to come out' book for teens, but i gave it 4 stars, despite the many cliches, because it was so moving.

i will defintely ...more

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Jan 19, 2012

Cialina (Muggle-Born) rated it

Shelves: wishlist, must-buy, 2011

I didn’t believe the hype before I picked up this book. I needed one more book to read in 2011, and Brent urged me to pick up J.H. Trumble’s DON’T LET ME GO. I already knew that Brent was a massive fan of the book, and since I was in the mood for a contemporary novel, I asked Brent to Lend Me his ebook copy of the novel. I read this in less than 24 hours in two sittings. It’s one of those books where I had to force myself to put it down and go to bed.

Trumble is such a talented writer...moreI didn’t believe the hype before I picked up this book. I needed one more book to read in 2011, and Brent urged me to pick up J.H. Trumble’s DON’T LET ME GO. I already knew that Brent was a massive fan of the book, and since I was in the mood for a contemporary novel, I asked Brent to Lend Me his ebook copy of the novel. I read this in less than 24 hours in two sittings. It’s one of those books where I had to force myself to put it down and go to bed.

Trumble is such a talented writer. I loved the alternation between past and present because it gave a lot of insight on how Nate and Adam’s relationship started and progressed. Furthermore, Trumble has that rare ability to make you cry in one paragraph and laugh out loud in the next. I urge you strongly not to read this in public; your reaction may cause other people to give you weird looks.

DON’T LET ME GO is relatable to everyone because the basis of the novel is the relationship between Nate and Adam. It doesn’t matter that the main characters are gay because the characters are so easy to relate to. Trumble puts you in Adam’s shoes and you feel his heart break. Like Nate, as much as I wanted to trust Adam, I just couldn’t do it. A million different scenarios ran in my mind about all the things that Adam could do to hurt Nate while he was in New York City. I didn’t want to think the worst of Adam, but Trumble made it so difficult not to. In addition to Adam, Nate is also so flawed which made him even more realistic. He’s not perfect either, but he works to make himself a better person. Nate has trust issues and he has to learn to accept that people won’t judge him based on his past. Trumble creates such realistic characters and brilliantly captures what it is like to be in a long distant relationship including the insecurities, trust issues, and the reunions.

Furthermore, DON’T LET ME GO reminded me on how lucky I was to live in a liberal area and have attended such a liberal school. It reminded me that there are teens out there who are not so lucky and who do not have the freedom to be who they want to be. Nate is such an inspiring character to read about because despite the fact that he was bullied and abused, it does not stop him from standing up for what he believes in. He’s inspiring not only to the teens in the novel but also to teens reading the novel. Nate made me want to do something to help gay teens who live in more conservative areas.

I’d highly recommend DON’T LET ME GO to those who are fans of David Levithan’s novels and bittersweet contemporaries. I highly urge you to support this fantastic author and buy this book.(less)

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Dec 19, 2011

BookChic Club rated it

Trumble has written a really emotional, funny, realistic debut. It's one of the best books I've read all year, if not THE best. I was a bit wary in the beginning because I didn't like Nate at all. I thought he was being really pissy for no reason and had no idea what an amazing boyfriend he had. Seriously, I was REALLY frustrated so it took me a bit of time to get 100 pages in. But once I got there, and Nate's past got revealed as well as good times between Nate and Adam were shown, it came toge...moreTrumble has written a really emotional, funny, realistic debut. It's one of the best books I've read all year, if not THE best. I was a bit wary in the beginning because I didn't like Nate at all. I thought he was being really pissy for no reason and had no idea what an amazing boyfriend he had. Seriously, I was REALLY frustrated so it took me a bit of time to get 100 pages in. But once I got there, and Nate's past got revealed as well as good times between Nate and Adam were shown, it came together. What Trumble did here is a huge accomplishment- she made a really realistic character who felt like a real person. Nate is an extremely flawed character and there will be times that you like him and times you don't, but in the end, you still root for him. For the whole book, I was like "JUST TALK THINGS OUT!!" and "WHY ARE YOU BEING SO STUPID?!" It doesn't happen often that I get that invested in characters and a story. I felt like I was reading about people I knew and they were telling me everything that was going on. It also made me really want a boyfriend of my own.

I loved the friendship between Nate and Danial (btw, not a fan of his name at all- I'm one of those people who reads the words in their head- like an internal audio book- so everytime I came to his name, I was like "It should be Daniel!"); it's how all relationships should be between gay and straight people, especially men. Sexuality shouldn't be an issue and your friends should be loyal and willing to stand up for you.

I really liked the way Trumble unfolded the story, telling it a bit out of order. It starts out in the present day with Nate driving Adam to the airport for his off-Broadway job and from there, it goes back to when they first met and started dating back to present day then back to a memory. It's like every other chapter was written about an event in the past. Trumble also does not shy away from sex and sex talk- there's nothing graphic but it's also not sanitized in any way. Adam and Nate have a true relationship. There's also a nice epilogue that takes place 10 years in the future, which I loved.

Overall, this is a book I could go on and on about. I loved it that much. It's a stellar debut and I absolutely cannot wait to see what Trumble has in store for us next!!(less)

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Nov 08, 2011

Robyn (Robolobolyn's Universe) rated it

Shelves: dec2011, gbltq, arcs, favorites, favs-of-2011, ya-romance, read-in-2011

I fell in love with this book, the characters, everything! Don't Let Me Go easily made it onto my 2011 favorite reads list. I was so happy to be fortunate enough to get an ARC of this, and was even happier when I realized just how great this book was!

Nate was a wonderful main character. He was loveable and real and a strong person. Nate is funny and talented and a good friend. And Nate is dealing with his past, a past that was horrifying and terrible and very public. Without his boyf...moreI fell in love with this book, the characters, everything! Don't Let Me Go easily made it onto my 2011 favorite reads list. I was so happy to be fortunate enough to get an ARC of this, and was even happier when I realized just how great this book was!

Nate was a wonderful main character. He was loveable and real and a strong person. Nate is funny and talented and a good friend. And Nate is dealing with his past, a past that was horrifying and terrible and very public. Without his boyfriend Adam's help Nate might never have gotten though it.

Adam was one of my favorite characters. He was funny and easy going and talented and a great guy. He had his faults though. He spent most of the novel in New York, while his boyfriend was at home in Texas. Adam living with three other guys, fellow actors, and trying to keep a long distance relationship going strong. But things begin to fall apart between the two with a series of misunderstandings and busy schedules.

Nate deals with this with the help of a new friend, Danial. Danial is comfortable being friends with the schools only openly gay student even though he himself is straight. Danial is my favorite character. He is protective of his friends and will do anything to see that the people he cares about don't get hurt. So it's only fitting that, when Nate starts up a campaign at school, Danial appoints himself as his bodyguard and best friend.

Without revealing too much, Luke was a character I started out disliking, then began to like and feel bad for, then disliked again. Luke was shy and sweet, naive and innocent, but he also got a little annoying and I felt like he was too naive sometimes. He began to boarder on pathetic when he got to chasing Nate around, even though Nate was in love with Adam.

As for background characters. I loved Adam's parents, particularly Ben, and I LOVED Nate's grandma, (I want a grandma like her!) I liked Juliet okay, but felt like she was a little desperate. I liked Mr. Wolf. I pretty much liked the majority of the characters.

I really enjoyed how Nate and Adam's story was written, going back and forth between the past and present. Going back into the past gave readers a chance to get to know Nate before he met Adam, after, and when his relationship with Adam is tested because of the events of one horrifying night. We get to see the boys' coming out stories. But we also get to see what happens after all that, when their relationship is tested this time with distance.

I really loved this book! Don't Let Me Go was one of those books you want to start again the moment you finish it. It was heartbreaking and hopeful, filled with strong and wonderful characters. Tackling strong subjects like homophobia and abuse, this novel was an amazing debut. You couldn't ask for anything more in a book. I have no complaints other than it ended. (less)

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Jan 16, 2012

Emily rated it

Shelves: 4-stars

Gay romance, music, theatre, and a Texas setting all in one book? What's not to love?

I'll confess, I had misgivings before reading because as a homosexual individual myself, I'm wary of LGBT books written by non-LGBT people. (How could they possibly understand, right?) But the author of Don't Let Me Go proved me wrong by showing just what it's like to be a gay teenager, and how it feels to have to fight to have what others take for granted.

One of the elements of this book...moreGay romance, music, theatre, and a Texas setting all in one book? What's not to love?

I'll confess, I had misgivings before reading because as a homosexual individual myself, I'm wary of LGBT books written by non-LGBT people. (How could they possibly understand, right?) But the author of Don't Let Me Go proved me wrong by showing just what it's like to be a gay teenager, and how it feels to have to fight to have what others take for granted.

One of the elements of this book I loved was the theatrical aspect. Adam had been acting since he was a child, and an off-Broadway job was the whole reason he went to New York in the first place. Even though I'm more of a techie, I smiled at all the mentions of rehearsals and cast parties.
Music played an important part in the story as well. It was something Nate and Adam fell in love over, and many important events took place at Mr. Ratcliffe's music store.

Another fun thing for me was that this book was set in the Houston area! It made it easier for me to see the descriptions in my head, because I knew what was being described. I nearly squealed the first time it mentioned Market Street.

I loved reading about how Nate and Adam's spark of romance grew into the love of a lifetime, then felt sad when it flashed forward to the state of their relationship with Adam in New York. They were very codependent, but I don't think that has to be a bad thing. However, they got more and more dysfunctional as the book went on, to the point where you wonder if they could ever go back to being what they once were.

I wasn't fond of the character Danial at first, but I grew to like his snarky, sarcastic personality, and felt sympathy when we learned the truth about his past.

This book wasn't afraid to show the ugly side of dealing with homophobia, for which I was thankful. I wish it weren't true, but people really are that ignorant, and their ignorance can turn into bigoted hate. It wouldn't have been realistic unless Nate and Adam had dealt with hate, even if not on a colossal scale.

Because of where the near end of the book was heading, I was worried that this would become one of those books with a good but sad ending that keeps me up for days. While the words "Ten Years Later" were a relief, this book will be on my mind for the weeks to come.

Bittersweet and honest, Don't Let Me Go is a terrific work of LGBT fiction. I'm looking forward to more from J. H. Trumble!(less)

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Jan 02, 2012

Kiki rated it

Shelves: ya

3.5 Parts of this book wowed me, but two aspects made it a good-but-flawed read for me. First, the skipping around in time narration, which was frustrating and distracting after a while. Second, the abrupt, extremely dramatic, ending and condensing what should have been at least another third of the book in an epilogue. It felt like the writer stopped in the middle of the story.

So, lots of good stuff (great characters, believable relationships) but not entirely satisfying.

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Feb 20, 2012

Betryal rated it

· review of another edition

I can't even begin to tell you about the emotional roller coaster ride with my feeling and emotions that this story took me on. I'm still flabbergasted today when I think about it.

It's a very well written story of young love, heartbreak, finding yourself and just a whole slew of events and circumstances that will have you laughing, super pissed to crying tears. I had my moment that if one of the characters were real I'd wanna kick his arse to the rafters.

This story is ab...more

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Feb 20, 2012

Renee Howell rated it

Shelves: m-m

I did not think I would love this book when I started reading it. But I fell in love with the characters and their relationship with each other. It is true to life about love, fear and the mistakes we make when we are young. For Trumble's first book it was great and Iwould read another.

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Feb 21, 2012

Hollie rated it

The first time I've ever read a book like this. I laughed & cried a tear or two while reading this book. I enjoyed the layout of the story of each character. They were all great. Especially the ending. I am very happy that it ended the way it did. True friendship & true love. Everlasting.

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Jan 07, 2012

Manuela rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

4.5

I loved this book and I would have given it 5 stars if the ending hadn't been so abrupt. There is something happening towards the end of the story that I think deserved to be developed through more chapters instead of tied up quickly as it was. But apart from that, the book is really great.

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Jan 16, 2012

Amy rated it

Shelves: favorites, lgbt, made-me-cry, young-adult, romance

Help, my heart seems to have been shattered into tiny little pieces and stuck back together haphazardly and I can't stop crying and laughing. This damn book. I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind spending an evening with tears streaming down their face & unable to put down a book.

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Jan 29, 2012

Dallison rated it

Where do I begin. Have you ever seen movies directed by Quentin Tarantino? Pulp fiction being one of his most famous movies. Well this is how this book reads, like a Tarantino movie. For a first time writer it is outstanding. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I got mad. I loved it. Well done.

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Oct 12, 2011

Alison Kemper rated it

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of DON'T LET ME GO, and I can honestly say it was one of the best novels I've read this year. Witty, heartbreaking and deeply romantic. Can't wait to read more of JH Trumble's work.

like 4 likes

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Feb 03, 2012

OkayKim rated it

I really enjoyed this one and I agree with my fellow reviewers that this one will stay with me for awhile. Oooh, to be that young again.
A highly recommend read.

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Jan 20, 2012

Veronica / V marked it as stay-away-from-it

This book is part of "Best MM/Gay romance with cheating hero"
If he is a cheater, is not a hero for sure,he is is a freaking loser.

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Jan 16, 2012

Jen Wilson rated it

I love books that make you laugh and cry. And sometimes want to smack someone. Great book!

like 1 like

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Feb 08, 2012

alexandra rated it

Great story, one of the most honest LGBT titles I've read in awhile.

like 1 like

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About J.H. Trumble

J.H. Trumble is a Texas native and graduate of Sam Houston State University. You can visit the author online at http://www.jhtrumble.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

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Quotes from Don't Let Me Go

“Our nights were filled with passion and long soft gazes and sweet words. We weren't behaving ourselves, and we didn't for one moment feel guilty about that.” — 16 people liked it

“I’ll never understand why some people can’t just let others live their lives, you know,” Danial said. “You don’t have to understand. You don’t have to agree. Just leave people alone. When I look at the moon and planets and stars, all that narrow-mindedness and hate seem so petty. The universe is such a big place. One hundred thousand light years just from one end of the Milky Way to the other. One hundred. Thousand. Light years. In the time it’s taken for light to travel from one end of our galaxy to the other, thousands of generations have passed. It really makes you realize how small we are, doesn’t it? How short our time on earth is.” — 6 people liked it

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