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77th out of 172 books
—
230 voters
If I Told You So
The summer you turn sixteen is supposed to be unforgettable. It's the stuff of John Hughes movies and classic songs, of heart-stopping kisses and sudden revelations. But life isn't always like the movies. . .
For Sean Jackson, sixteen is off to an inauspicious start. His options: take a landscaping job in Georgia with his father, or stay in his small New Hampshire hometown,...more
For Sean Jackson, sixteen is off to an inauspicious start. His options: take a landscaping job in Georgia with his father, or stay in his small New Hampshire hometown,...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 28th 2012
by Kensington
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Hovering between 3.5 and 4 - there are some solid moments in here, and it mostly surprised me in good ways. Sean, when he came out to various characters, was always accepted. It flip-flopped between being about this "learning about gaydom" storyline and the romance between Jay and Sean, although I found myself liking the non-romance portions more as the story concluded. It follows a pretty standard YA summer romance path, with Jay being a first love that doesn't treat Sean well as the storyline...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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A sweet summer romance/a blazingly honest look at teenage infatuation. Full review here: http://www.lambdaliterary.org/reviews...
Sean is a high school student who opts to spend his summer vacation working at the ice cream shop in his small New Hampshire town rather than across the country with his father. A new friend and a crush on his male supervisor (Jay) lead to a lot of changes in Sean's life.
None of the plot elements are anything new: distant relationship with parents (check), closer to mother than father (check), girlfriend thats more like a good friend (check), new best friend / gay mentor (check), first love that...more
None of the plot elements are anything new: distant relationship with parents (check), closer to mother than father (check), girlfriend thats more like a good friend (check), new best friend / gay mentor (check), first love that...more
Pleasant, but in the end, unremarkable summer love story. I guess that's progress? It kind of reads like a gay Sweet Dreams or Horizons book. I would have been a bit more generous but I think there were some glossings over and plot holes that could have been addressed. For example, I get that the kid is scared of telling his dad he's gay because his father has said some pretty homophobic things, but by the end he's all lah-di-dah and dad will be fine with it even though there has been nothing to...more
I had the pleasure of reading this novel pre-publication. It's a great summer story of young love and ice cream! Honest and satisfying.
This is a really good coming of age, summer of love, first love book.
The characters are likable and believable, the settings are realistic. The conflicts and the story line keep you reading.
The only problem I have, where I feel things suffer, is in the romance itself and how it plays out. The author does a good job with the internal dialog of the main character, but the love / romance seems so weak that when things happen it just didn't seem true.
Now, the way the story plays out with the boyfrie...more
The characters are likable and believable, the settings are realistic. The conflicts and the story line keep you reading.
The only problem I have, where I feel things suffer, is in the romance itself and how it plays out. The author does a good job with the internal dialog of the main character, but the love / romance seems so weak that when things happen it just didn't seem true.
Now, the way the story plays out with the boyfrie...more
This is a terrific addition to the growing YA LGBT genre. Sean's journey is well documented, without being too preachy or cliched. Yes, there are a few predictable plot devices (the older first love, the slightly homophobic father, etc), but these work well to allow Sean to express his concerns about coming out realistically.
Becky the new friend from New York adds a much needed element of humour and wit - It's important these sorts of stories don't get booged down with Very Important Messages, s...more
Becky the new friend from New York adds a much needed element of humour and wit - It's important these sorts of stories don't get booged down with Very Important Messages, s...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Mar 11, 2013
Nichole (Dirty H)
marked it as m-m-to-read
This trope is a weakness of mine, and the sample was really good. So why am I not at this very moment sitting somewhere with my hot little hands on my kindle (or phone, as the case may be) devouring this puppy?
Because it is priced at 12.99. Twelve-fucking-ninetynine for an e-book. So I'm supposed to feel like I'm getting a deal when it's on sale at Amazon for $9.39. Fuck that noise.
If I can get this cheaper, I'll be reading it. It's not on ARe, so I can't even save it for my free book. :(
Because it is priced at 12.99. Twelve-fucking-ninetynine for an e-book. So I'm supposed to feel like I'm getting a deal when it's on sale at Amazon for $9.39. Fuck that noise.
If I can get this cheaper, I'll be reading it. It's not on ARe, so I can't even save it for my free book. :(
4 likes · like · see review
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I also had the honor of reading this wonderful book pre-publication. I have and will continue to recommend it to everyone I meet. It is an amazing coming of age story, whether gay, bi, straight or questioning... this story is about growing into who you are truly meant to be. Plus, ice cream!
If I Told You So made me smile a lot and reminded me of my first boyfriend in Vancouver (he was like Jay). I found myself really empathizing and connecting with the protagonist, Sean. The book was well written and I really enjoyed reading it. First book I read with a gay protagonist - definitely one of my favorites.
A great title for YA LGBT readers. Sean's voice comes through realistically. His journey is a little predictable, but that makes it identifiable and authentic.
Great secondary characters - particularly the two girls, Becky & Lisa.
Great secondary characters - particularly the two girls, Becky & Lisa.
Step aside Rainbow High books, there is a new contender in LGBT YA Lit! Timothy's novel captures the essence of coming of age in a small New Hampshire Lakes Region town. As a matter of fact, at times this novel so echoes my family's experience that it is eerie; he's written something true here. I cannot wait to recommend this book to my school's librarian, to CHS's GSA, and to GLSEN!
I loved aspects of this book; I hated aspects of this book. The ending was random and felt extremely rushed. Regardless, I would still re-read it.
Fantastic novel, light and fun with some serious thrown in for good measure. Hope there is a follow up novel.
My 2 star rating doesn't mean that this was a bad book; it just didn't grab my attention and hold it.
Sep 20, 2012
Alyssa
marked it as to-read
Just met the author of this book tonight at Las Vegas Writer's Group. So excited to read this!
Kind of juvenile, but interesting. Target audience is high schoolers.
Sep 15, 2012
Jess Candela
marked it as probably
Totally predictable. But an enjoyable read.
A cute coming-of-age story that was unfortunately really predictable (as many stories in this genre are). The writing was a little weak but it didn't slow down. All the major characters are there: the female best friend, the first love, the wise girl who's always right, etc. Overall it's a nice read, but it's not one of my favorites.
Loved it
Jun 15, 2013
Ross H
marked it as to-read
Jun 10, 2013
Vishous * Minion needs only Rach as Queen *
marked it as to-read-m-m
Jun 06, 2013
Taylor Garff
is currently reading it
Jun 03, 2013
Polly
marked it as to-read
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