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Absolute Brightness
Darkness: Where light is not. Light: Brightness or illumination from a particular source. Absolute brightness: The mystery of Leonard Pelkey.
This is the story of a luminous force of nature: a boy who encounters evil and whose magic isn't truly felt until he disappears.
Phoebe’s life in Neptune, New Jersey, is somewhat unremarkable. She helps her mom out with her hair salon, she goes to school, and she envies her perfect older sister. But everything changes when Leonard arrives.
Leonard is an orphan, a cousin who Phoebe never knew she had. When he comes to live with Phoebe’s family, he upsets the delicate balance of their lives. He’s gay and confident about who he is. He inspires the people around him. He sees people not as they are, but as they hope to be.
One day, Leonard goes missing. Phoebe, her family, and her community fight to understand what happened, and to make sense of why someone might want to extinguish the beautiful absolute brightness that was Leonard Pelkey.
This is the story of a luminous force of nature: a boy who encounters evil and whose magic isn't truly felt until he disappears.
Phoebe’s life in Neptune, New Jersey, is somewhat unremarkable. She helps her mom out with her hair salon, she goes to school, and she envies her perfect older sister. But everything changes when Leonard arrives.
Leonard is an orphan, a cousin who Phoebe never knew she had. When he comes to live with Phoebe’s family, he upsets the delicate balance of their lives. He’s gay and confident about who he is. He inspires the people around him. He sees people not as they are, but as they hope to be.
One day, Leonard goes missing. Phoebe, her family, and her community fight to understand what happened, and to make sense of why someone might want to extinguish the beautiful absolute brightness that was Leonard Pelkey.
472 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2008
24 people are currently reading
974 people want to read
About the author
James Lecesne
9 books34 followersFor over 25 years I've been telling stories. Whether I'm writing, acting, producing or trying to create social change, it's usually the story that got me involved. But in the process of getting things done and trying to make the world a better place, I've also been telling the story of my life. This website is my best effort to provide the general gist. But my hope is that you find something here that will inspire you to live your life more fully and continue to tell your story.
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September 12, 2024
While trying to find quality LGBTQIA+ books, I have met disappointment after disappointment. Absolute Brightness, despite glowing reviews, joined the list of disappointing queer YA novels written by authors who clearly do not know how to write good queer characters and whose novels are riddled with issues.
There are several brief instances of racism. The story of "the chocolate man" was incredibly irrelevant (the author could have come up with a different inside joke rather than "lick me, bitch"). Every time Jimbo was mentioned, she had to describe him as African or talk about his hometown, which she assumed was very primitive, even calling the villagers "natives" and making fun of their lack of technology (although much of Africa is as advanced as the US is). There's a difference between good POC representation and the way Lecesne described his POC characters.
Most of the book feels like exposition, which makes reading it strange and uncomfortable. She's often summarizing something that had happened in an awkward, unpleasant-to-read style or asking herself series of rhetorical questions that go on for several paragraphs at a time.
Furthermore, the characters are poorly written. In a novel like this, we expect to grow fond of the characters and hurt when they're hurting. But we don't. Because of Leonard, people's outward appearances may change, but on the inside they remain the same as when they began. Leonard was meant to be "absolute brightness" but seeing him through Phoebe's pessimistic eyes make it easier for the readers to focus on his flaws and how irritating he was in life.
Phoebe, the narrator, is constantly critiquing everything and everyone around her...except those which require harsh critique. She sympathizes with a rapist and a murderer, making it seem as if the author himself is asking us to do the same. (More on this later.) Travis Lembeck has the least character development yet readers are asked to sympathize with him the most. He is introduced as a homophobic bully and even when he becomes romantically involved with Phoebe, we see no character change. He is someone she makes out with and uses for a ride, leaving the readers confused when Phoebe's sister later describes their relationship as "love" and Phoebe agrees. Travis never shows any remorse for his actions.
Which leads me to my next point: characters do bad things with little to no consequences. Phoebe is a terrible person towards Leonard: she hates him and makes that fact clear; she tries to tell him to not be himself; she only stands up for him once, and that was only to prove that she was not a lesbian. Every other time she hears people throw slurs at Leonard, she does nothing. She never apologizes for this and nobody acknowledges it, even Leonard. Several people say that Phoebe was the best friend Leonard had, when she was hardly a friend at all. She barely reflects on how terrible she was towards him, even after his death. The next case of wrongdoing without consequence: Phoebe's father is a rapist and is never reported or punished. He lives happily with his girlfriend. Phoebe never even sees him as a truly awful person. Though she plans to confront him about it, she doesn't, and her sister Deirdre angrily takes Phoebe from his home. After the scene where Phoebe asks why Deirdre never told her, the fact that their father raped Deirdre is mentioned only in passing and in such a way that makes it seem as if Deirdre and her father simply had an argument. Worst of all, he is excused by the author and narrator:
"I figured she was probably thinking about Dad. No matter what had happened between them, he was her father, always had been, always would be. And even though he didn't deserve her love, she loved him anyway. That's just the way it worked."
And of course, Travis. Though he is tried and proven guilty, he escapes the death penalty because he's a human too, all humans deserve life, even those that brutally murder 14 year old boys just because they're different from everyone else. It seems as if the author, James Licesne, is condoning hate crimes. Phoebe's friend tells her to help her family see that Leonard's murderer is just as human as Leonard was so they can persuade the jury to give Travis a lighter sentence.
"You got to get your uncle to know Travis. Somehow you got to make Travis a real, living, breathing person to him. More real than even Leonard was. Then your uncle can't possibly consider offing him."
Right, because Phoebe describing how great it is making out with Travis is going to make her uncle forgive the fact that Travis tied Leonard to an anchor and left him to drown. Again, Travis expresses no remorse. When he writes to Phoebe from prison, he acts as if everything is alright between them. If he didn't mention that he was in prison, out of context one would assume that he was an old friend come to town again, and they should meet up and discuss their lovely past activities over coffee. At the end of the novel, Phoebe finds a note Travis wrote to Leonard, thanking him for the money clip that Leonard gave him even though that was the last thing Leonard had left of his mother. Why did the author include this? To prove that people who commit hate crimes are redeemable? That they too can have friends, even if they end up murdering those friends? The note is never elaborated upon.
A very important part of a queer YA novel is the queer characters. So let's look at the queer characters in Absolute Brightness.
1. Leonard Pelkey. Surprise, he dies one third of the way through the book. Despite his stereotypical gay attitude and appearance, he is never confirmed to be gay and has much less impact than one would expect.
2. Mr. Buddy. Described as getting flustered around and constantly ogling high school boys. He is described repeatedly as a pervert. Then, unnecessarily, at Leonard's funeral he announces his engagement to a woman. Was he actually gay or did everyone just assume so? Is he bi? It's never addressed.
3. Jodi. A very minor character who is barely talked about. She's an LGBTQ+ activist who talks about Leonard's death as a hate crime. Only shows up for a few pages.
4. Chuck. Introduced about a third of the way through the book. His sexuality isn't brought up until ten pages till the end of the book, when it's completely irrelevant and nobody cares anymore.
5. Chuck's boyfriend Craig. Introduced 10 pages before the book's end, talked about for two pages, entirely irrelevant.
This book is advertised as queer lit yet the queer characters are dead, undeveloped or, in Chuck's case, not confirmed or even implied queer until the last minute.
This book had no redemptive qualities and despite the fact that the author claimed to be a LGBTQ activist and cofounded a suicide prevention help line, it offered nothing to the vast queer population who is desperately searching for quality representation in queer young adult books.
There are several brief instances of racism. The story of "the chocolate man" was incredibly irrelevant (the author could have come up with a different inside joke rather than "lick me, bitch"). Every time Jimbo was mentioned, she had to describe him as African or talk about his hometown, which she assumed was very primitive, even calling the villagers "natives" and making fun of their lack of technology (although much of Africa is as advanced as the US is). There's a difference between good POC representation and the way Lecesne described his POC characters.
Most of the book feels like exposition, which makes reading it strange and uncomfortable. She's often summarizing something that had happened in an awkward, unpleasant-to-read style or asking herself series of rhetorical questions that go on for several paragraphs at a time.
Furthermore, the characters are poorly written. In a novel like this, we expect to grow fond of the characters and hurt when they're hurting. But we don't. Because of Leonard, people's outward appearances may change, but on the inside they remain the same as when they began. Leonard was meant to be "absolute brightness" but seeing him through Phoebe's pessimistic eyes make it easier for the readers to focus on his flaws and how irritating he was in life.
Phoebe, the narrator, is constantly critiquing everything and everyone around her...except those which require harsh critique. She sympathizes with a rapist and a murderer, making it seem as if the author himself is asking us to do the same. (More on this later.) Travis Lembeck has the least character development yet readers are asked to sympathize with him the most. He is introduced as a homophobic bully and even when he becomes romantically involved with Phoebe, we see no character change. He is someone she makes out with and uses for a ride, leaving the readers confused when Phoebe's sister later describes their relationship as "love" and Phoebe agrees. Travis never shows any remorse for his actions.
Which leads me to my next point: characters do bad things with little to no consequences. Phoebe is a terrible person towards Leonard: she hates him and makes that fact clear; she tries to tell him to not be himself; she only stands up for him once, and that was only to prove that she was not a lesbian. Every other time she hears people throw slurs at Leonard, she does nothing. She never apologizes for this and nobody acknowledges it, even Leonard. Several people say that Phoebe was the best friend Leonard had, when she was hardly a friend at all. She barely reflects on how terrible she was towards him, even after his death. The next case of wrongdoing without consequence: Phoebe's father is a rapist and is never reported or punished. He lives happily with his girlfriend. Phoebe never even sees him as a truly awful person. Though she plans to confront him about it, she doesn't, and her sister Deirdre angrily takes Phoebe from his home. After the scene where Phoebe asks why Deirdre never told her, the fact that their father raped Deirdre is mentioned only in passing and in such a way that makes it seem as if Deirdre and her father simply had an argument. Worst of all, he is excused by the author and narrator:
"I figured she was probably thinking about Dad. No matter what had happened between them, he was her father, always had been, always would be. And even though he didn't deserve her love, she loved him anyway. That's just the way it worked."
And of course, Travis. Though he is tried and proven guilty, he escapes the death penalty because he's a human too, all humans deserve life, even those that brutally murder 14 year old boys just because they're different from everyone else. It seems as if the author, James Licesne, is condoning hate crimes. Phoebe's friend tells her to help her family see that Leonard's murderer is just as human as Leonard was so they can persuade the jury to give Travis a lighter sentence.
"You got to get your uncle to know Travis. Somehow you got to make Travis a real, living, breathing person to him. More real than even Leonard was. Then your uncle can't possibly consider offing him."
Right, because Phoebe describing how great it is making out with Travis is going to make her uncle forgive the fact that Travis tied Leonard to an anchor and left him to drown. Again, Travis expresses no remorse. When he writes to Phoebe from prison, he acts as if everything is alright between them. If he didn't mention that he was in prison, out of context one would assume that he was an old friend come to town again, and they should meet up and discuss their lovely past activities over coffee. At the end of the novel, Phoebe finds a note Travis wrote to Leonard, thanking him for the money clip that Leonard gave him even though that was the last thing Leonard had left of his mother. Why did the author include this? To prove that people who commit hate crimes are redeemable? That they too can have friends, even if they end up murdering those friends? The note is never elaborated upon.
A very important part of a queer YA novel is the queer characters. So let's look at the queer characters in Absolute Brightness.
1. Leonard Pelkey. Surprise, he dies one third of the way through the book. Despite his stereotypical gay attitude and appearance, he is never confirmed to be gay and has much less impact than one would expect.
2. Mr. Buddy. Described as getting flustered around and constantly ogling high school boys. He is described repeatedly as a pervert. Then, unnecessarily, at Leonard's funeral he announces his engagement to a woman. Was he actually gay or did everyone just assume so? Is he bi? It's never addressed.
3. Jodi. A very minor character who is barely talked about. She's an LGBTQ+ activist who talks about Leonard's death as a hate crime. Only shows up for a few pages.
4. Chuck. Introduced about a third of the way through the book. His sexuality isn't brought up until ten pages till the end of the book, when it's completely irrelevant and nobody cares anymore.
5. Chuck's boyfriend Craig. Introduced 10 pages before the book's end, talked about for two pages, entirely irrelevant.
This book is advertised as queer lit yet the queer characters are dead, undeveloped or, in Chuck's case, not confirmed or even implied queer until the last minute.
This book had no redemptive qualities and despite the fact that the author claimed to be a LGBTQ activist and cofounded a suicide prevention help line, it offered nothing to the vast queer population who is desperately searching for quality representation in queer young adult books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2008
I really wanted to like this book, and in the beginning I did. I think it is an important topic, I liked narrators voice, I liked that her reaction to Leonard seemed realistic, Leonard was adorable. I liked that it was set up as a mystery. HOWEVER. This book needed an editor more than any book I have ever read. There is no reason it needs to be almost 500 pages. I felt like the author was trying to cram in way too many topics that were not important to the core story of a hate crime (the Iraq war? Check. Death penalty? Check. Sexual abuse? Check.) At one point toward the end, he spent 4 paragraphs discussing the items on a priests desk! I almost threw the book across the room.
*spoiler* Also, the "mystery" is a little ridiculous. There was only one character in the book that could possibly be the killer.
I would still recommend this book to teens, but damn was it frustrating.
*spoiler* Also, the "mystery" is a little ridiculous. There was only one character in the book that could possibly be the killer.
I would still recommend this book to teens, but damn was it frustrating.
June 6, 2016
US Giveaway going on over at Lekeisha the Booknerd for a finished copy of this amazing, heartbreaking story. Ends 6/13 at midnight CST! Go enter!
I am still trying to find the right words for this book. It’s absolutely one of the most heavily issued books I’ve read in the YA genre. It not only deals with a character who embraces his sexuality, but also the power of love and hate. By the end of the book, I didn’t know what I wanted to happen. That’s a first for me because I always know how I want a story to end. This story is more on the dark side of contemporary, so be prepared for the not so happy moments.
What I Liked
-I absolutely love Leonard Pelkey. He’s a colorful character, and full of life to be so young. He’s like sunshine on a cloudy day. His personality made it hard for most people he encounters to hate him. There was bullying from his peers, but there was also admiration from older people he came across. He made you question your moral integrity, in a society that is not comfortable, or even understands, the lives of the LGBTQ community. Leonard never really says “I’m gay”, and that is what this whole plot boils down to in the end. The mystery behind his disappearance, and subsequent finding, was really heartbreaking. I did not see any of the things that happened in the last half of this book coming.
– There are some great moments leading up to the mystery that I love. And, yes, they all revolve around Leonard and his vibrancy. I love his fashion, his wisdom, his everything. I love the way that his step-aunt opened her home to him. I love how he fit in so well helping out at her salon.
-Seeing Phoebe change at the end was really what I wanted, so that was a great aspect of the story. She clearly had to in order to come to grips with what happened. That’s not to say I loved her character in the beginning. Which brings me to my dislikes.
What I Disliked
-Phoebe as a narrator was interesting, yet annoying. I don’t like the way she thinks. Clearly it’s all about her and her standing in the household. She already pales in her sister’s Deirdre shadow. So having Leonard come to town, in all his flamboyant glory, was unsettling for her. I just don’t like the way she wanted to stuff him in a box and forget he was even there. Kinda hard to do when he stands out.
-The mystery wasn’t that hard to crack. It was pretty clear about the whodunit. I would prefer for it to be NOT SO CLEAR, and harder to crack.
Recommend?
Yes. Hell yes. This is more on the shady side of humanity, but it is a story that needs to be read. As a reader, you get to decide what the ending should be by hearing all the arguments. As I’ve said, I’m not even sure how I wanted this book to end. This story makes you think, and I am glad that I read it. If you are looking for a great book to read for Pride Month, this is that book.
I am still trying to find the right words for this book. It’s absolutely one of the most heavily issued books I’ve read in the YA genre. It not only deals with a character who embraces his sexuality, but also the power of love and hate. By the end of the book, I didn’t know what I wanted to happen. That’s a first for me because I always know how I want a story to end. This story is more on the dark side of contemporary, so be prepared for the not so happy moments.
What I Liked
-I absolutely love Leonard Pelkey. He’s a colorful character, and full of life to be so young. He’s like sunshine on a cloudy day. His personality made it hard for most people he encounters to hate him. There was bullying from his peers, but there was also admiration from older people he came across. He made you question your moral integrity, in a society that is not comfortable, or even understands, the lives of the LGBTQ community. Leonard never really says “I’m gay”, and that is what this whole plot boils down to in the end. The mystery behind his disappearance, and subsequent finding, was really heartbreaking. I did not see any of the things that happened in the last half of this book coming.
– There are some great moments leading up to the mystery that I love. And, yes, they all revolve around Leonard and his vibrancy. I love his fashion, his wisdom, his everything. I love the way that his step-aunt opened her home to him. I love how he fit in so well helping out at her salon.
-Seeing Phoebe change at the end was really what I wanted, so that was a great aspect of the story. She clearly had to in order to come to grips with what happened. That’s not to say I loved her character in the beginning. Which brings me to my dislikes.
What I Disliked
-Phoebe as a narrator was interesting, yet annoying. I don’t like the way she thinks. Clearly it’s all about her and her standing in the household. She already pales in her sister’s Deirdre shadow. So having Leonard come to town, in all his flamboyant glory, was unsettling for her. I just don’t like the way she wanted to stuff him in a box and forget he was even there. Kinda hard to do when he stands out.
-The mystery wasn’t that hard to crack. It was pretty clear about the whodunit. I would prefer for it to be NOT SO CLEAR, and harder to crack.
Recommend?
Yes. Hell yes. This is more on the shady side of humanity, but it is a story that needs to be read. As a reader, you get to decide what the ending should be by hearing all the arguments. As I’ve said, I’m not even sure how I wanted this book to end. This story makes you think, and I am glad that I read it. If you are looking for a great book to read for Pride Month, this is that book.
September 1, 2016
Another #ARCAugust read complete!
For some reason, that I cannot imagine now, I thought Absolute Brightness would be different.
I may have been wrong about the main plot and outcome, but it was certainly heartbreaking. That's a win for the #ReadThemAllThon Cerulean City's Cascade Badge and I'm glad I finally read it but...
Well, you'll see. If you're willing to brave the spoilers below the fold. For non-spoiler-y glory, here's a preview:
Absolute Brightness is a story about Phoebe’s life briefly before Lenard moves in, the short time he lives with them, and after his disappearance. It’s about her, a straight white female growing up, discovering romance and different people.
It’s not really a book for gay teens, as it is for straight people. Leonard isn’t the protagonist. Phoebe grows up, becomes less homophobic but still has very gender-normative mentality. It’s a hand-holding exploring middle grade book for white straight people to experience knowing gay and black people without needing to know any.
It will be heart wrenching for QUILTBAG teens especially, seeing their identity attacked again and the see the best friend be self-centered, sheltered, clueless and callous. At first, she calls him sissy boy. While later she acknowledges how her language has changed because of Leonard, she doesn’t ever get him.
Phoebe tells Leonard to stop being himself, so ~flamboyant~ and obvious but he never comes out as gay. He says he’s only being himself, nothing more. This really comes into play towards the end when people are describing Leonard during the trial. They dance around labeling him because of this so they use words like flamboyant and different while Phoebe whips out ‘sissy boy’ again.
Leonard disappears because she didn’t fall under his spell like the rest of the town and she needed to learn a lesson. It’s a better use of the trope than Winger but it’s disheartening to read all the same.
I’m not saying stories like this shouldn’t be told, but if I’d know this going in I’d have been hesitant (at the least) instead of ecstatic. After all the high praise reviews and the non-spoiler reviews, I was expecting something else; Instead of the same old ‘stereotypical safe special snowflake gay that’s too good for this world’ as new tearful journey. I’m sure if my expectations matched the content, my experience would’ve been improved. Somehow.
It’s been 8 years since Absolute Brightness was published, but it feels more dated than that. We aren’t past media killing their gays, but there’s so much push back now. Would Absolute Brightness get a pass for being written by a gay activist today? Is there something I’m missing?
It makes me wonder if I read it years ago, would I feel the same way? Was I this clueless then? Absolutely possible. Probably. Absolutely. Fuuuuuuck.
Thankfully, that cannot be said today. But considering where you are is a good idea before delving in is a good idea so it’s not such a letdown.
Romance:
Phoebe’s romance is a strange thing. Their first kiss is in public, spur of the moment, the onetime Phoebe defends Leonard, and in defense of being called a lesbian. From there, nothing happens until his makeover and Phoebe needs help. It isn’t really thought of as a relationship until the end when the implications are made public. Yet that’s when it’s called love…
While it becomes plenty weird and gross and scary in the end, I loved Phoebe’s realizations. She grasps for something to hold on to, finding his hand to hold. Her internal turn of events rings true to me. And realizing she played him up in her mind, her feelings muddling her perception and thinking…ouch. That’s something I dealt with during my first relationship that turned abusive and haven’t read something that nails it so well before.
In the end…
We have a non-gender conforming teen who disappears for most of the book, a mystery with an obvious perpetrator and an unclear chain of events, arguments against the death penalty, child rape by a parental figure that’s dealt with by ignoring said figure and the victim not receiving help, an Iraq war vet coming home heralded as a hero then ignored and a romance with a perpetrator that’s mostly imaginary and called ‘love’.
None of the issues are really dealt with in a meaningful way. They are brought up, acknowledged, and swept away by the next problem. There isn’t a conclusion or follow through. How was the war vet’s family handling his return and disability? Is the rape victim going to get counseling? Why isn’t her family doing anything about her mental health issues? What was between Phoebe and her…make-out partner? What the hell happened that night?
Some will love it for being as messy and inconclusive as life while others will hate it. Not just the content, but the time skips and Phoebe’s train of thought. I liked the tangents about the characters to bring them alive and her voice. Except when she was being a clueless brat, but she’s sheltered, young, and learning at least.
For me, I was engrossed while reading and now don’t know what to think. I’m hardly satisfied but enjoyed reading it while it lasted. It’s a thick book, but it flew by quickly and felt much shorter.
Rating:
Ehhh.....For the writing and flow, for engrossing me despite it all, Absolute Brightness earns a falling, crashing 3.5 stars.
Everything else ranks it, at best, a two. And since I've stewed on it, 2 stars sounds and feels better.
I hope that makes sense because I have to go with my gut on this one.
If anyone has or wants to read a "too good for the world so kill your gays" tale, this is the best I've read so far.
Recommended For:
Recommending Absolute Brightness is hard because how straight people perceive the QUILTBAG community within and how preachy-shallow it becomes with the death penalty while ignoring child rape.
I think it could be a great introduction for middle-schoolers, especially in white areas, but this cannot be the end. If it is, they’re likely to be the unhelpful allies and continue terrible tropes and thinking while proclaiming otherwise.
If you’re in the right spot with the right expectations, I think Absolute Brightness could be a great world-expanding, emotional, thoughtful read.
But for me, it felt flat after finishing and even engrossed during the book, I was very aware of what I was reading.
Note: The author, James Lecesne, is a member of the GLBT+ community and activist. This review in no way, shape, or form disparages his identity or work. I applaud him for everything he has accomplished. This is just my honest reaction and feelings about Absolute Brightness. It’s nothing personal.
For some reason, that I cannot imagine now, I thought Absolute Brightness would be different.
I may have been wrong about the main plot and outcome, but it was certainly heartbreaking. That's a win for the #ReadThemAllThon Cerulean City's Cascade Badge and I'm glad I finally read it but...
Well, you'll see. If you're willing to brave the spoilers below the fold. For non-spoiler-y glory, here's a preview:
Absolute Brightness is a story about Phoebe’s life briefly before Lenard moves in, the short time he lives with them, and after his disappearance. It’s about her, a straight white female growing up, discovering romance and different people.
It’s not really a book for gay teens, as it is for straight people. Leonard isn’t the protagonist. Phoebe grows up, becomes less homophobic but still has very gender-normative mentality. It’s a hand-holding exploring middle grade book for white straight people to experience knowing gay and black people without needing to know any.
It will be heart wrenching for QUILTBAG teens especially, seeing their identity attacked again and the see the best friend be self-centered, sheltered, clueless and callous. At first, she calls him sissy boy. While later she acknowledges how her language has changed because of Leonard, she doesn’t ever get him.
Phoebe tells Leonard to stop being himself, so ~flamboyant~ and obvious but he never comes out as gay. He says he’s only being himself, nothing more. This really comes into play towards the end when people are describing Leonard during the trial. They dance around labeling him because of this so they use words like flamboyant and different while Phoebe whips out ‘sissy boy’ again.
Leonard disappears because she didn’t fall under his spell like the rest of the town and she needed to learn a lesson. It’s a better use of the trope than Winger but it’s disheartening to read all the same.
I’m not saying stories like this shouldn’t be told, but if I’d know this going in I’d have been hesitant (at the least) instead of ecstatic. After all the high praise reviews and the non-spoiler reviews, I was expecting something else; Instead of the same old ‘stereotypical safe special snowflake gay that’s too good for this world’ as new tearful journey. I’m sure if my expectations matched the content, my experience would’ve been improved. Somehow.
It’s been 8 years since Absolute Brightness was published, but it feels more dated than that. We aren’t past media killing their gays, but there’s so much push back now. Would Absolute Brightness get a pass for being written by a gay activist today? Is there something I’m missing?
It makes me wonder if I read it years ago, would I feel the same way? Was I this clueless then? Absolutely possible. Probably. Absolutely. Fuuuuuuck.
Thankfully, that cannot be said today. But considering where you are is a good idea before delving in is a good idea so it’s not such a letdown.
Romance:
Phoebe’s romance is a strange thing. Their first kiss is in public, spur of the moment, the onetime Phoebe defends Leonard, and in defense of being called a lesbian. From there, nothing happens until his makeover and Phoebe needs help. It isn’t really thought of as a relationship until the end when the implications are made public. Yet that’s when it’s called love…
While it becomes plenty weird and gross and scary in the end, I loved Phoebe’s realizations. She grasps for something to hold on to, finding his hand to hold. Her internal turn of events rings true to me. And realizing she played him up in her mind, her feelings muddling her perception and thinking…ouch. That’s something I dealt with during my first relationship that turned abusive and haven’t read something that nails it so well before.
In the end…
We have a non-gender conforming teen who disappears for most of the book, a mystery with an obvious perpetrator and an unclear chain of events, arguments against the death penalty, child rape by a parental figure that’s dealt with by ignoring said figure and the victim not receiving help, an Iraq war vet coming home heralded as a hero then ignored and a romance with a perpetrator that’s mostly imaginary and called ‘love’.
None of the issues are really dealt with in a meaningful way. They are brought up, acknowledged, and swept away by the next problem. There isn’t a conclusion or follow through. How was the war vet’s family handling his return and disability? Is the rape victim going to get counseling? Why isn’t her family doing anything about her mental health issues? What was between Phoebe and her…make-out partner? What the hell happened that night?
Some will love it for being as messy and inconclusive as life while others will hate it. Not just the content, but the time skips and Phoebe’s train of thought. I liked the tangents about the characters to bring them alive and her voice. Except when she was being a clueless brat, but she’s sheltered, young, and learning at least.
For me, I was engrossed while reading and now don’t know what to think. I’m hardly satisfied but enjoyed reading it while it lasted. It’s a thick book, but it flew by quickly and felt much shorter.
Rating:
Ehhh.....For the writing and flow, for engrossing me despite it all, Absolute Brightness earns a falling, crashing 3.5 stars.
Everything else ranks it, at best, a two. And since I've stewed on it, 2 stars sounds and feels better.
I hope that makes sense because I have to go with my gut on this one.
If anyone has or wants to read a "too good for the world so kill your gays" tale, this is the best I've read so far.
Recommended For:
Recommending Absolute Brightness is hard because how straight people perceive the QUILTBAG community within and how preachy-shallow it becomes with the death penalty while ignoring child rape.
I think it could be a great introduction for middle-schoolers, especially in white areas, but this cannot be the end. If it is, they’re likely to be the unhelpful allies and continue terrible tropes and thinking while proclaiming otherwise.
If you’re in the right spot with the right expectations, I think Absolute Brightness could be a great world-expanding, emotional, thoughtful read.
But for me, it felt flat after finishing and even engrossed during the book, I was very aware of what I was reading.
Note: The author, James Lecesne, is a member of the GLBT+ community and activist. This review in no way, shape, or form disparages his identity or work. I applaud him for everything he has accomplished. This is just my honest reaction and feelings about Absolute Brightness. It’s nothing personal.
December 22, 2008
15-year-old Phoebe lives with her mother and older sister Deirdre in a house attached to her mother's beauty salon. Leonard, their uncle's stepson comes to live with them and neither of the girls is ready to give him even the slightest chance. It doesn't help that Leonard is unusual. He doesn't seem to care that his behavior may get him beat up or at the very least ignored by everyone. He goes ahead and wears the clothing he wants to, which include platform sneakers that he made himself. Leonard quickly makes a place for himself, catering to the ladies who come to the salon, much to Phoebe's relief and dismay. When Leonard disappears, he leaves behind a huge hole in everyone's lives, Phoebe's most of all.
The writing here is nearly incandescent with beauty. It is writing that makes one pause, sometimes gasp, reread and then think for awhile. It is writing one reads aloud to another person just to hear the words spoken. It is the writing that makes this book so exceptional and such a gem of a novel. Here's just one passage amongst so many that shine:
I had suddenly realized that I didn't have the slightest idea who Travis was. For the past month, I'd been making up a picture of Travis in my head, and in the process I had refused any information about him that came to me from the real world. If it didn't fit with the picture of Travis that I already had in mind, I had no use for it. Travis Lembeck was my creation, my Frankenstein. Even the very real business of kissing him, smelling him, being pressed up against him in the dark couldn't disturb my fine-tuned, half-baked fantasy. Now with the revelation that he was going to join the service, that he blew up cyberpeople and destroyed cybervillages just for fun, the Travis I'd been cherishing in my heart suddenly seemed trumped-up. Like those life-size, cardboard cutouts of presidents and movie stars that you can stand beside and have your picture taken with so you can give everyone the impression that you hobnobbed with the genuine article.
Lecesne crafts realizations and sudden insights with such care. The novel is filled with corners that you round just to come upon a moment like this. It is appropriate that a novel that starts as a character study becomes a mystery and then a court drama. As Lecesne leads us through these conventional novel settings, he continues to write a book that surprises, quite an accomplishment. His characters are unconventional, interesting and thoroughly complex. They act like real humans, people you would know, and the joy is that you get to experience things through their eyes.
Highly recommended for teens ages 14-17, this novel is piercingly intelligent and will reflect your own life and choices back on you.
The writing here is nearly incandescent with beauty. It is writing that makes one pause, sometimes gasp, reread and then think for awhile. It is writing one reads aloud to another person just to hear the words spoken. It is the writing that makes this book so exceptional and such a gem of a novel. Here's just one passage amongst so many that shine:
I had suddenly realized that I didn't have the slightest idea who Travis was. For the past month, I'd been making up a picture of Travis in my head, and in the process I had refused any information about him that came to me from the real world. If it didn't fit with the picture of Travis that I already had in mind, I had no use for it. Travis Lembeck was my creation, my Frankenstein. Even the very real business of kissing him, smelling him, being pressed up against him in the dark couldn't disturb my fine-tuned, half-baked fantasy. Now with the revelation that he was going to join the service, that he blew up cyberpeople and destroyed cybervillages just for fun, the Travis I'd been cherishing in my heart suddenly seemed trumped-up. Like those life-size, cardboard cutouts of presidents and movie stars that you can stand beside and have your picture taken with so you can give everyone the impression that you hobnobbed with the genuine article.
Lecesne crafts realizations and sudden insights with such care. The novel is filled with corners that you round just to come upon a moment like this. It is appropriate that a novel that starts as a character study becomes a mystery and then a court drama. As Lecesne leads us through these conventional novel settings, he continues to write a book that surprises, quite an accomplishment. His characters are unconventional, interesting and thoroughly complex. They act like real humans, people you would know, and the joy is that you get to experience things through their eyes.
Highly recommended for teens ages 14-17, this novel is piercingly intelligent and will reflect your own life and choices back on you.
May 25, 2016
Omdat het verhaal vanuit de verleden tijd is geschreven, weet Phoebe (ik-persoon) al wat er is gebeurd. Ze heeft daarmee de tijd om veel details toe te voegen en dat doet ze dan ook uitgebreid – te uitgebreid naar mijn mening. Gedetailleerde beschrijvingen van kleding bijvoorbeeld. Ik moest m’n aandacht er goed bijhouden en heb vaak een pagina voor de tweede keer moeten lezen omdat ze afdwaalde door herinneringen en beschrijvingen.
(...)
Phoebe vertelt dus een verhaal dat eigenlijk vooral draait om Leonards verdwijning. Het is duidelijk hoe de invloed op haar gezin is, maar ik ben wel meer benieuwd naar Leonard. Hoe komt het dat hij zo was in de tijd dat hij nog bij de familie was? Dat volg ik niet helemaal. Ik denk dat ik Leonard en zijn verdwijning beter had kunnen begrijpen als ik ook vanuit zijn perspectief las; het gaat immers over zijn afwezigheid.
Verder lezen? Je vindt de recensie op mijn blog; https://femkel33st.wordpress.com/2016...
(...)
Phoebe vertelt dus een verhaal dat eigenlijk vooral draait om Leonards verdwijning. Het is duidelijk hoe de invloed op haar gezin is, maar ik ben wel meer benieuwd naar Leonard. Hoe komt het dat hij zo was in de tijd dat hij nog bij de familie was? Dat volg ik niet helemaal. Ik denk dat ik Leonard en zijn verdwijning beter had kunnen begrijpen als ik ook vanuit zijn perspectief las; het gaat immers over zijn afwezigheid.
Verder lezen? Je vindt de recensie op mijn blog; https://femkel33st.wordpress.com/2016...
February 17, 2012
When Phoebe learns that her cousin Leonard is going to move in with her family, she is less than thrilled. When Leonard arrives and Phoebe discovers that Leonard is what some psychologists have called "pre-gay" (exhibiting all the signs of being gay without admitting to it), she is horrified. Leonard soon makes friends with Phoebe's mother's clients at her hair salon, transforming the way they look so that they feel beautiful. At school, however, Leonard is picked on. He is an outcast everywhere, except in drama club, where he is picked for the role of the fairy in the upcoming Shakespeare play.
Then one day Leonard disappears. The police search for weeks, and when they do discover a lead, it creates more complications than Phoebe and her family can handle. Soon Phoebe is dealing with conflicting desires of revenge and mercy, and she finds that she misses Leonard more than she thought possible.
Once I started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. A book that is so obviously pro-gay isn't something I generally pick up. But I will admit that I liked the fact that Leonard decided to be himself, whatever "himself" really was, no matter what his classmates thought of him. And I was really pleased with Phoebe's choices toward the end of the story as she battles a decision far beyond her years. I thought it took guts on the author's part to argue both for the rights of gay teens and against the death penalty. This was an intriguing book, and it forced me to think about things from a different perspective.
Then one day Leonard disappears. The police search for weeks, and when they do discover a lead, it creates more complications than Phoebe and her family can handle. Soon Phoebe is dealing with conflicting desires of revenge and mercy, and she finds that she misses Leonard more than she thought possible.
Once I started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. A book that is so obviously pro-gay isn't something I generally pick up. But I will admit that I liked the fact that Leonard decided to be himself, whatever "himself" really was, no matter what his classmates thought of him. And I was really pleased with Phoebe's choices toward the end of the story as she battles a decision far beyond her years. I thought it took guts on the author's part to argue both for the rights of gay teens and against the death penalty. This was an intriguing book, and it forced me to think about things from a different perspective.
July 28, 2018
I am disgusted. I am appalled. I am FURIOUS.
Why? Just...why?
This book was infuriatingly annoying and disappointing for a vast number of reasons. Even the ending, no, ESPECIALLY the ending!! Where the author seemingly attempts to justify Leonard's murder because hey, Travis and Leonard were apparently friends, but not good enough friends so that Travis didn't MURDER Leonard. Also the last paragraph...where the author basically says being murdered is all good, as long as you put a "glint" in your murderer's eye. Just WHAT? Also....this book was not centered around the LGBTQ+ community whatsoever, murdered gay cousin or not. The main character seemed homophobic, racist, and just an overall shite person. Her supposed love for Leonard garnered after his brutal murder? Not buying that load of nonsense--she practically foamed at the mouth with her hatred of Leonard!!! The revelation that the police officer investigating Leo's death was *gasp* gay the whole time (!) within the last 10 pages seemed a last-ditch attempt at a show of activism for the LGBTQ+ community, and one the author failed at pulling off. I felt like the book was more focused upon anti-capital punishment than anything else, and I feel betrayed. I truly feel as if I were led on. More to come later.
I will not be recommending this book to anyone, lest I wish them almost 500 pages of why-is-this-all-happening and a lackluster ending. *siiiigh*
Why? Just...why?
This book was infuriatingly annoying and disappointing for a vast number of reasons. Even the ending, no, ESPECIALLY the ending!! Where the author seemingly attempts to justify Leonard's murder because hey, Travis and Leonard were apparently friends, but not good enough friends so that Travis didn't MURDER Leonard. Also the last paragraph...where the author basically says being murdered is all good, as long as you put a "glint" in your murderer's eye. Just WHAT? Also....this book was not centered around the LGBTQ+ community whatsoever, murdered gay cousin or not. The main character seemed homophobic, racist, and just an overall shite person. Her supposed love for Leonard garnered after his brutal murder? Not buying that load of nonsense--she practically foamed at the mouth with her hatred of Leonard!!! The revelation that the police officer investigating Leo's death was *gasp* gay the whole time (!) within the last 10 pages seemed a last-ditch attempt at a show of activism for the LGBTQ+ community, and one the author failed at pulling off. I felt like the book was more focused upon anti-capital punishment than anything else, and I feel betrayed. I truly feel as if I were led on. More to come later.
I will not be recommending this book to anyone, lest I wish them almost 500 pages of why-is-this-all-happening and a lackluster ending. *siiiigh*
April 14, 2014
Honestly I read this book as a sixteen year old girl and I've never had a character speak for teenagers as well as Phoebe does.
I know a lot of people complain about the multiple theme, but to be honest it had no clear message about war, sexuality, or anything like that. It was more about Phoebe coming to grips with people not thinking the same way she thinks or her mind changing as we read. She's not use to change and she's still adjusting to her families divorce. When her cousin, Leonard, comes to live with her she's clearly bugged and hates him.
As a teenager you can relate a lot to Phoebe, because when your in her mind you understand what she's going through. Change is hard and the biggest changes happen during your teen years. Morals change, people change, and you just have to learn to deal with it and move on.
The novel dealt with so many themes that I had no idea where it was going and I was kind of a shocked, but at the same time it was beautiful.
I know a lot of people complain about the multiple theme, but to be honest it had no clear message about war, sexuality, or anything like that. It was more about Phoebe coming to grips with people not thinking the same way she thinks or her mind changing as we read. She's not use to change and she's still adjusting to her families divorce. When her cousin, Leonard, comes to live with her she's clearly bugged and hates him.
As a teenager you can relate a lot to Phoebe, because when your in her mind you understand what she's going through. Change is hard and the biggest changes happen during your teen years. Morals change, people change, and you just have to learn to deal with it and move on.
The novel dealt with so many themes that I had no idea where it was going and I was kind of a shocked, but at the same time it was beautiful.
October 31, 2018
Finding something good in someone
I wasn’t sure if I was going to appreciate this book in the beginning. The story is told by Phoebe, and I was expecting it to focus on Leonard. But Phoebe’s voice was the perfect narrator. Whether she knew it or not, she knows how to find something good in the people in her life. Leonard, beyond a shadow of any doubt, would be someone who would get on my nerves, but the world would be a better place with him in it.
Sad at times, this is still an uplifting story about acceptance and forgiveness. 4.0 for a money clip.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to appreciate this book in the beginning. The story is told by Phoebe, and I was expecting it to focus on Leonard. But Phoebe’s voice was the perfect narrator. Whether she knew it or not, she knows how to find something good in the people in her life. Leonard, beyond a shadow of any doubt, would be someone who would get on my nerves, but the world would be a better place with him in it.
Sad at times, this is still an uplifting story about acceptance and forgiveness. 4.0 for a money clip.
August 7, 2009
Written by an activist for the gay community, Absolute Brightness is a story about tolerance (or lack thereof) and learning to choose love over hate even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Leonard Pelkey comes to live with his cousin, Phoebe, upon the death of his mother. Having never met Leonard, Phoebe has no idea what to expect. Leonard arrives packing all of his obvious flamboyance in tow. Though he never actually admits to being gay, his clothing, sense of style and fashion, love of women's hairstyles, and colorful personality exhibit an effeminate personality.
Through Phoebe's perspective, we learn to dislike Leonard for all his annoyances. He won't fight back when someone calls him a name, he runs for help when he gets picked on, and he spends most of his time telling women what they could do to look better. When Leonard goes missing, though, we get a deeper insight into his real impact in Phoebe's life and the lives of people in Neptune, New Jersey.
Though a sad story with an ending that leaves the reader in question, this is a unique novel with resounding life lessons for us all.
Leonard Pelkey comes to live with his cousin, Phoebe, upon the death of his mother. Having never met Leonard, Phoebe has no idea what to expect. Leonard arrives packing all of his obvious flamboyance in tow. Though he never actually admits to being gay, his clothing, sense of style and fashion, love of women's hairstyles, and colorful personality exhibit an effeminate personality.
Through Phoebe's perspective, we learn to dislike Leonard for all his annoyances. He won't fight back when someone calls him a name, he runs for help when he gets picked on, and he spends most of his time telling women what they could do to look better. When Leonard goes missing, though, we get a deeper insight into his real impact in Phoebe's life and the lives of people in Neptune, New Jersey.
Though a sad story with an ending that leaves the reader in question, this is a unique novel with resounding life lessons for us all.
June 30, 2008
The main plotline "You Don't Know What You've Got 'Til It's Gone" works well, but it's a loooooooong book that meanders quite a bit, with digressions aplenty. I had trouble buying into the voice of the protagonist suburban teen girl; I heard the author himself coming through regularly. On a couple of pickier notes: New Jersey doesn't allow self-serve gas stations and the Roman Catholic Priest would have likely been Eritrean not Ethiopian (with a less Swahili-sounding name!). The subplot involving the girl's father seemed unresolved without hearing both sides of the story.
That having been said, I can recommend the book, though not at full price for the hardcover (I read the APC).
That having been said, I can recommend the book, though not at full price for the hardcover (I read the APC).
August 29, 2010
This was a difficult book to read and not because of the content. In an effort to make his characters more real for the reader, Lecesne would veer off into long narrative back stories about people encountered in the book. This often made for long sidetracks in the narrative and, I'm sure, added to the lengthy page count.
Yet, while some characters receive lengthy descriptions, other characters, even those more important to the story aren't given the same treatment. At one point towards the end, a gay couple is revealed and, to me at least, it came out of nowhere. There was nothing to suggest that the somewhat big player in the story was gay, much less that he had a partner. It almost felt as though this bit of information was tacked on at the end as an afterthought.
The story, however, is engaging. At times you think you know where the story is going to go and then things shift just enough so that even if you think you have things figured out, they aren't quite what they seem.
As a narrator, Phoebe is very detailed. As positive and engaging as Leonard is, Phoebe is almost exactly the opposite. She's almost always negative and her descriptions of other characters are often hurtful. Her characterizations of Leonard are particularly harsh. Even if you know someone like Leonard, it is sometimes hard to like him in the story because Phoebe works so hard to show why she doesn't like him, and perhaps why we shouldn't either.
As much as there are vast back stories for minor characters, there aren't as many details into Leonard's life. Maybe this is because Phoebe doesn't understand him, but when the tragedy befalls him, it can be hard to feel for him, even though we know we are supposed to. There just isn't the needed investment in him as a character for us to see him as little more than a cardboard cutout.
This is unfortunate because the story that evolves around his tragedy is an interesting one. The moral questions raised are enticing and how they are handled within the context of the story is engaging. I was drawn into the story, but only later into it, once those issues were starting to be raised. I appreciated where the author took me, but I felt that sometimes the journey there was a bit cumbersome.
Yet, while some characters receive lengthy descriptions, other characters, even those more important to the story aren't given the same treatment. At one point towards the end, a gay couple is revealed and, to me at least, it came out of nowhere. There was nothing to suggest that the somewhat big player in the story was gay, much less that he had a partner. It almost felt as though this bit of information was tacked on at the end as an afterthought.
The story, however, is engaging. At times you think you know where the story is going to go and then things shift just enough so that even if you think you have things figured out, they aren't quite what they seem.
As a narrator, Phoebe is very detailed. As positive and engaging as Leonard is, Phoebe is almost exactly the opposite. She's almost always negative and her descriptions of other characters are often hurtful. Her characterizations of Leonard are particularly harsh. Even if you know someone like Leonard, it is sometimes hard to like him in the story because Phoebe works so hard to show why she doesn't like him, and perhaps why we shouldn't either.
As much as there are vast back stories for minor characters, there aren't as many details into Leonard's life. Maybe this is because Phoebe doesn't understand him, but when the tragedy befalls him, it can be hard to feel for him, even though we know we are supposed to. There just isn't the needed investment in him as a character for us to see him as little more than a cardboard cutout.
This is unfortunate because the story that evolves around his tragedy is an interesting one. The moral questions raised are enticing and how they are handled within the context of the story is engaging. I was drawn into the story, but only later into it, once those issues were starting to be raised. I appreciated where the author took me, but I felt that sometimes the journey there was a bit cumbersome.
August 22, 2016
See this review and more on my blogThe Book Return Blog
"He had simply been courageous enough to be himself in the face of everything that had tried to persuade him be something else."
Leonard Pelkey is central character of 'Absolute Brightness'. Leonard is a gay fourteen year old boy who goes to live with his cousins and newly divorced aunt.Leonard is a larger than life character who doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. A main example of this is when Leonard makes his signature rainbow high tops by glueing together several pairs of flip-flops.
Phoebe,who is the younger of Leonard's cousins, tells the story from her point of view. Phoebe, in true teenager fashion, is initially annoyed by Leonard's presence but they soon become close friends.
Leonard soon also endears himself to the community of elderly clients that come to his aunts home hair salon. So when Leonard suddenly goes missing, the whole town of Neptune, New Jersey is devastated.
The premise of 'Absolute Brightness' is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I did love the main outline of the story and Leonard as a character was amazing. That being said I think there were many side tangents that were not important to the story and just didn't seem to fit. They just seemed to be thrown into the story (i.e. the war in Iraq, the sexual abuse, the one incident where Leonard was crying, the choking incident, shoplifting, etc). I also was disappointed with the ending. It almost seemed as if the ending of the book was missing .
I did notice on good reads that 'Absolute Brightness' was previously released as a much longer book titled 'The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey', with a different cover. So I imagine the edition I read maybe a reworked edition.
I really think this would be an amazing book, if it was structured differently. I was torn between three and a half and four stars but because of the amazing character development I am settling of four.This review was originally posted on The Book return...
"He had simply been courageous enough to be himself in the face of everything that had tried to persuade him be something else."
Leonard Pelkey is central character of 'Absolute Brightness'. Leonard is a gay fourteen year old boy who goes to live with his cousins and newly divorced aunt.Leonard is a larger than life character who doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. A main example of this is when Leonard makes his signature rainbow high tops by glueing together several pairs of flip-flops.
Phoebe,who is the younger of Leonard's cousins, tells the story from her point of view. Phoebe, in true teenager fashion, is initially annoyed by Leonard's presence but they soon become close friends.
Leonard soon also endears himself to the community of elderly clients that come to his aunts home hair salon. So when Leonard suddenly goes missing, the whole town of Neptune, New Jersey is devastated.
The premise of 'Absolute Brightness' is both beautiful and heartbreaking. I did love the main outline of the story and Leonard as a character was amazing. That being said I think there were many side tangents that were not important to the story and just didn't seem to fit. They just seemed to be thrown into the story (i.e. the war in Iraq, the sexual abuse, the one incident where Leonard was crying, the choking incident, shoplifting, etc). I also was disappointed with the ending. It almost seemed as if the ending of the book was missing .
I did notice on good reads that 'Absolute Brightness' was previously released as a much longer book titled 'The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey', with a different cover. So I imagine the edition I read maybe a reworked edition.
I really think this would be an amazing book, if it was structured differently. I was torn between three and a half and four stars but because of the amazing character development I am settling of four.This review was originally posted on The Book return...
May 11, 2009
phoebe is not wild about her cousin leonard. he appears from nowhere to live with her family, and disrupts her life with his enthusiasm, positivity, and rainbow platform sneakers. no matter how hard she tries to be indifferent to him- his flamboyant ways embarrass her- he sees the best in her, and loves her.
but just as quickly as he appears, he disappears without a trace. and phoebe finds out that her grudging attention was the best that leonard ever had, and tries to do better by him in his absence. namely by finding him.
there are many issues in this book- a great many- and without giving away any plot twists, i have to say that i don't think the part with phoebe's father was necessary. i also felt like lecesne made it difficult to get to know phoebe. i appreciate that he shows rather than telling, but i was frequently wondering why she did the things she did. still, the suspense is palpable and the book truly unique. teens might get more out of it than i did. recommended.
but just as quickly as he appears, he disappears without a trace. and phoebe finds out that her grudging attention was the best that leonard ever had, and tries to do better by him in his absence. namely by finding him.
there are many issues in this book- a great many- and without giving away any plot twists, i have to say that i don't think the part with phoebe's father was necessary. i also felt like lecesne made it difficult to get to know phoebe. i appreciate that he shows rather than telling, but i was frequently wondering why she did the things she did. still, the suspense is palpable and the book truly unique. teens might get more out of it than i did. recommended.
December 6, 2009
I love this book so so so so so much. I've read it at least three times. The first time I read it, I finished it in a day. It made me laugh, and cry (well, inside anyway. I'm too tough for actual tears ;) ), and feel generally ashamed of humanity*...but also kind of hopeful for the future. Maybe we'll become more accepting/compassionate...? The one thing that bugged me though is the main character, Phoebe, falling for the complete creeper/homophobe/bully, Travis. I kind of felt like that took away from her intelligence--it seemed like she should've realized he wasn't a good person. But anyway, this is a GREAT book, and is appropriate for teens+
*Ironic, isn't it, that we are called humanity, yet most of us have none? I don't remember where I read that, but it seems applicable in this situation, yes?
*Ironic, isn't it, that we are called humanity, yet most of us have none? I don't remember where I read that, but it seems applicable in this situation, yes?
February 10, 2013
I liked the message of this book--never be afraid to be who you are or to try to be someone you are not--but, I just thought the book was kind of slow and had an overwhelming amount of details that were not necessarily needed. I would not suggest this to a "book hater" simply because it just doesn't capture you from the very start and/or it is not a page turner. I typically refuse to finish books I do not like, so that says something about me finishing this one. I did feel a need to find out how the story ended and there were some twists and turns in the plot, but I felt that the "murder mystery" part lacked detail and I wasn't happy with the sort of open ended ending. This wasn't a horrible book, but it's not one of my favorites either.
February 19, 2009
A fairly good novel. About 3/4 of the way through, Lecensne makes the point of what he's trying to do: not all stories of crimes need to have that strong find clues, have trial, bring criminal to justice narrative line--real life isn't as clear cut as an episode of CSI. It's a good point. The problem is that some of the writing lacks energy, and there is an imbalance between exposition and dialogue. That's not necessarily a bad thing to everyone, I just like to have more dialogue in a novel than what I found here. Overall, a pretty good read.
December 24, 2010
When I was in the library, this book really stuck out at me. The striped binding, the title, and the boy's cute face on the cover. Leo was a really weird boy, but I liked that. It just...fit him. He pulled it off. I can't believe the way that some people treated him that way. It's wrong; gay or not. Overall, this book was pretty good. The narrator, Phoebe, wasn't all that interesting to me. Leo, however, was another story. I was sad that I didn't get to know more about him...
This book showed me that you just need to be yourself, stick up for yourself, and don't let others get to you.
This book showed me that you just need to be yourself, stick up for yourself, and don't let others get to you.
April 13, 2009
This book was intriguing in its use of ambiguity, but in many ways it was just trying too hard to explore too many topics: gender, identity, social acceptance, family dynamics, loyalty, guilt, innocence and the extent to which we're confined by others' definition of us.
September 27, 2011
The Quote on the back is what drew me to it.....
"this book will encourage you to be exactly who you are"
"this book will encourage you to be exactly who you are"
December 10, 2011
Phoebe has such an authentic voice. This is a great read for lovers of heavy issues and how we are often forced to deal with them.
November 4, 2020
I'm struggling with what to say about this one. For 75% of the book, I thought it was phenomenal. Great, believable, and engaging characters with powerful, worthwhile themes and scenes. Fantastic writing and pacing. I couldn't put it down, and didn't want to.
And then, in the last portion of the book, that shifted. All of a sudden, it felt like the story was being pulled in a lot of different directions, and the pacing was more frenetic and rushed than engaging. I also got less comfortable with the story--it was believable, but what had felt so natural to the first half of the book felt almost... left behind? As if what the reader cared most about and most engaged with was being pushed aside as less important. It's difficult to write about this without giving away the plot, which I don't want to do, but I can only compare it to the feeling when you're watching a beloved tv show, and all of a sudden the focus leaves one of your favorite characters behind in order to focus on someone else who you find a lot less engaging, interesting, or worthwhile. It's not that the turn isn't believable, but it's a certain weighting of priorities that might come across as annoying, or might, as it does here, come closer to feeling slightly offensive.
There's no other way to say it than for me to state simply that I was uncomfortable with the direction of the ending, and the way priorities/themes were showing up. It wasn't that it all wasn't believable... but it was disappointing.
At the same time, for 75% of this book, I couldn't get enough, and I'm sure others will read the ending differently (and more positively) than I did. I'll absolutely read more of Lecesne's work, and this book will stay with me for a while.
And then, in the last portion of the book, that shifted. All of a sudden, it felt like the story was being pulled in a lot of different directions, and the pacing was more frenetic and rushed than engaging. I also got less comfortable with the story--it was believable, but what had felt so natural to the first half of the book felt almost... left behind? As if what the reader cared most about and most engaged with was being pushed aside as less important. It's difficult to write about this without giving away the plot, which I don't want to do, but I can only compare it to the feeling when you're watching a beloved tv show, and all of a sudden the focus leaves one of your favorite characters behind in order to focus on someone else who you find a lot less engaging, interesting, or worthwhile. It's not that the turn isn't believable, but it's a certain weighting of priorities that might come across as annoying, or might, as it does here, come closer to feeling slightly offensive.
There's no other way to say it than for me to state simply that I was uncomfortable with the direction of the ending, and the way priorities/themes were showing up. It wasn't that it all wasn't believable... but it was disappointing.
At the same time, for 75% of this book, I couldn't get enough, and I'm sure others will read the ending differently (and more positively) than I did. I'll absolutely read more of Lecesne's work, and this book will stay with me for a while.
December 21, 2023
Not an amazing representation of LGBTQ+ community. Where this is an older book (written 2008) it was probably controversial at the time but not really now. The main character, Leonard is a stereotypical flamboyant gay but never confirms that he is in fact gay, just heavily points to that being the case. He is then murdered a third of the way through the book and not much else is said for the LGBTQ+ community except for maybe 10 pages throughout the rest of the story. The main character, Phoebe is hateful towards him and her way of “helping” him is by telling him to act “normal” which is basically saying pretend to be straight. She stands up for him once but was also for defending herself when she is called a lesbian so isn’t exactly redeeming for her. The murder trial was fine, nothing crazy to speak on except for the fact that Travis is really not put on stand to speak on what really happened. He somehow gets away with not telling exact details of why he killed Leonard. Then the ending with Phoebe getting a letter from Travis and finding one from him that was sent to Leonard was kind of dubious. Trying to redeem Travis’s character in the last 10 pages seemed ridiculous and then Phoebe contemplating whether he’s good or evil is wild. An ending like that felt unnecessary and incomplete.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2021
Found this book in a thrift shop & didn't realize it was a young adult novel until I started reading it. From reading the reviews on Goodreads, I think the author must've edited down the book. My edition was 338 pages, not too long at all. It did have a lot going on in it and the topics switched up quite a bit but I didn't lose interest.
Am I the only one who thinks Leonard and Travis were romantically involved? To me, there's a lot of evidence pointing to this.
Phoebe's character seemed like a typical teen to me and her relationships with her mom & sister & best friend, Electra, seemed normal and typical to me. She's just trying to figure out who she is and her opinions and beliefs change accordingly. Example the scene when the curtain was pulled back on her dad. She thought her mom was at fault and that her parent's divorce was caused by Chrissie the younger woman when in fact, she realized she'd read the scene all wrong. Phoebe does a lot of growing and growing up in this book. In scene after scene, things aren't what they appear and she learns and grows from it.
If there's one flaw, I'd say it was I wish Leonard's character had developed more before he disappeared. But, this book isn't about Leonard, it's about Phoebe and growing up. Solid 4.75 stars for me.
Am I the only one who thinks Leonard and Travis were romantically involved? To me, there's a lot of evidence pointing to this.
Phoebe's character seemed like a typical teen to me and her relationships with her mom & sister & best friend, Electra, seemed normal and typical to me. She's just trying to figure out who she is and her opinions and beliefs change accordingly. Example the scene when the curtain was pulled back on her dad. She thought her mom was at fault and that her parent's divorce was caused by Chrissie the younger woman when in fact, she realized she'd read the scene all wrong. Phoebe does a lot of growing and growing up in this book. In scene after scene, things aren't what they appear and she learns and grows from it.
If there's one flaw, I'd say it was I wish Leonard's character had developed more before he disappeared. But, this book isn't about Leonard, it's about Phoebe and growing up. Solid 4.75 stars for me.
May 14, 2018
I saw this on a whim as I was shelving at work (I work in a library for those of you that don't know). I'm in the middle of reading the final book in the Grisha Trilogy, so the fact that this book grabbed my attention during that amazing series means a lot.
I won't go on and on because words cannot describe how hard this book was. Leonard, a homosexual teenager who is very flamboyant, goes missing and turns out to have been murdered. The author, an activist, knows how to hit ya in the feels. The main character is okay, but I was more focused on the plot. I give this 4 stars because this is a story that needs to be told. One star is gone because of the main character. It was just a "its not you, its me" type of thing.
Reading this made me do some research to learn about hate crimes against homosexuals, trans, ect. Its definitely an eye-opener. People in the LGBTQA community have been, and still are, treated like they're beneath others. They're condemned for loving others of the same sex, for being born in the wrong body, for their beliefs and their lives. They're human beings, too. No one person has the right to judge others.
I won't go on and on because words cannot describe how hard this book was. Leonard, a homosexual teenager who is very flamboyant, goes missing and turns out to have been murdered. The author, an activist, knows how to hit ya in the feels. The main character is okay, but I was more focused on the plot. I give this 4 stars because this is a story that needs to be told. One star is gone because of the main character. It was just a "its not you, its me" type of thing.
Reading this made me do some research to learn about hate crimes against homosexuals, trans, ect. Its definitely an eye-opener. People in the LGBTQA community have been, and still are, treated like they're beneath others. They're condemned for loving others of the same sex, for being born in the wrong body, for their beliefs and their lives. They're human beings, too. No one person has the right to judge others.
October 10, 2018
Pheobe lives in Neptune, NJ with her mom, a hairdresser, and her sister. One day her mom informs them that their uncle's step-son, Leonard will be coming to live with them. His arrival changes everything in their house. His shining personality and ability to help others see the best in themselves starts to get him a positive reputation in the town. Leonard becomes very active in the school play, getting home later in the day, but one day he doesn't come home. The family starts a search for him, with the community stepping in to help. As the search timeline continues they start to think the worst, but hold out for the best.
Leonard's impact goes far beyond helping the town ladies find a better appearance for themselves, the lesson of Leonard's time in Neptune stretches to Pheobe's life and her outlook on the world, especially how she plans to live her life moving forward. A pretty good book, though I found it slow moving at times. Due to some content I would recommend for grades 8 and up, but mainly high school.
Leonard's impact goes far beyond helping the town ladies find a better appearance for themselves, the lesson of Leonard's time in Neptune stretches to Pheobe's life and her outlook on the world, especially how she plans to live her life moving forward. A pretty good book, though I found it slow moving at times. Due to some content I would recommend for grades 8 and up, but mainly high school.
June 17, 2019
I enjoyed the majority of the book, hence the 3 star rating. But I feel as though something, ok lots, was missing.
I found it hard to keep up at times with the switching between present and past, especially when it had nothing to do with the story being told.
Something else that bothered me was the excessive detail in describing the settings. Like when Phoebe went to visit Father Jimbo, a simple statement of the rectory being worn or threadbare was all that was needed not 2 paragraphs describing the whole setting.
And while we may have gotten the who and how about Leonard's death we get no answers to the why. Sure it may have been hate, or an accident. But to me there was no real closure to most of the story. In many ways it felt as though I was reading a summary that was sent to the editor in hopes of getting a novel published, not a complete story.
I found it hard to keep up at times with the switching between present and past, especially when it had nothing to do with the story being told.
Something else that bothered me was the excessive detail in describing the settings. Like when Phoebe went to visit Father Jimbo, a simple statement of the rectory being worn or threadbare was all that was needed not 2 paragraphs describing the whole setting.
And while we may have gotten the who and how about Leonard's death we get no answers to the why. Sure it may have been hate, or an accident. But to me there was no real closure to most of the story. In many ways it felt as though I was reading a summary that was sent to the editor in hopes of getting a novel published, not a complete story.
April 20, 2018
I’m getting to a point where I don’t trust any book from before 2010 honestly. I give this story props for its bit of representation and being by the co-founder of the Trevor Project, and the writing style honestly wasn’t horrid. It’s even cooler this is a play. I think my main problem was Phoebe. I simply didn’t like her. She got on my nerves often and I so wish she badly blindly hated Leonard like she did bc I truly would have loved to know more about him, though I guess that’s the point. A for effort, 2.5 for Leonard
November 19, 2020
This book battles many difficult topics but I thought these topics are ones everyone needs to hear about. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! I would research trigger warnings because it does talk about sexual assault, sexual abuse, racism, homophobia, and blatant prejudice. I thought the author did a great job at painting a picture of what lgbtq+ children have to face. Leonard Pelkey was able to be his true self- his bright self- in this coming of age novel. The author was a little repetitive but his ending was not predictable and well written!
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