Best known as the first teen novel to address homosexuality, "I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip." is also renowned for its brilliant, tim...
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Dec 10, 2011
Catie
rated it: 
4 1/2 stars
This is a brilliant young adult novel that manages to be hilarious, cynical, heartwarming, and devastating all at once. This book gets a lot of notoriety for being possibly the first novel written for teens to address homosexuality. That’s very interesting, groundbreaking, spectacular, and all that good stuff, but this book deserves to become a classic for so much more than that minor detail.
(Isn’t it great that that seems like a minor detail now? I don’t agr More...
This is a brilliant young adult novel that manages to be hilarious, cynical, heartwarming, and devastating all at once. This book gets a lot of notoriety for being possibly the first novel written for teens to address homosexuality. That’s very interesting, groundbreaking, spectacular, and all that good stuff, but this book deserves to become a classic for so much more than that minor detail.
(Isn’t it great that that seems like a minor detail now? I don’t agr More...
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Apr 05, 2011
Brent
rated it: 
I’ll Get There… is supposedly the gay teen lit book. It’s famous for being the first YA book to address homosexuality. And it was first published in 1969, a time when homosexuality was still considered a mental illness. Pretty groundbreaking, if you ask me. Before even starting I’ll Get There…, I had an immense amount of respect for the author, John Donovan. I mean, HE FREAKIN’ PUBLISHED THE FIRST GAY TEEN BOOK EVEN THOUGH GAY WAS LIKE STILL CONSIDERED A MENTAL DISEASE! I’ma be honest: I wouldn
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Apr 05, 2011
Robbie
rated it:
After the Grandmother who raised him dies, 13-year-old Davy moves to New York City to live with his mother, who is not accustomed to children, let alone Davy's dachshund Fred. In a strange new city, Davy copes with his mother's drinking, learning how to act towards his father's new wife, and attending a private Episcopal school where he meets Altschuler, a distant boy who is at turns friendly and moody.
Upon its initial publication in 1969, John Donovan's I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth The Trip.: 40th Anniversary Edition More...
Upon its initial publication in 1969, John Donovan's I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth The Trip.: 40th Anniversary Edition More...
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Aug 03, 2008
Patrick
rated it: 
The first Young Adult text that addressed homosexuality. Absolutely foundational, but totally censored. The sex/physical scene occurs between chapters, is referenced obtusely by the two main characters (both male teens) afterward and never addressed directly. Still, the author gets points for trying to make this novel work in a time when publishers tamped down any clear engagement with sexual diversity in YA. Nancy Garden's Annie On My Mind was also foundational, and took steps beyond this text,
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Jan 17, 2012
I first read “I’ll Get There, It Better Be Worth The Trip” in 1969, shortly after it had been published. I discovered it while browsing in the Young Adults section of my local public library (it was a recent addition to the library’s collection). It looked interesting so I checked the booked out from the library, but I had no idea of the full content until I got home and started reading it. At the time, I was close in age to the protagonist, Davy (I turned 13 in December of 1969). As I read
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Sep 12, 2011
Tessa
rated it:
Kudos to Ursula Nordstrom for publishing this in the first place, with its ambiguous ending and all. Kudos for the reissue. Davy is so real and funny - he's a 13 year old loner who has lived with his grandma his whole life so far, and he's obsessed with his (wonderful) dachsund, the way teenage boys get obsessed with things. But he has this sardonic little voice that chimes in sometimes. It must be the way that he keeps his loneliness at bay or in perspective. Which makes his friendship with A
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Jul 02, 2011
Bembo
rated it:
It's 1969, and thirteen year old Davy Ross must move from his Massachusetts home following the death of his grandmother with who he had been living to join his Mother in Manhattan. Davy's mother and father are divorced, his father has remarried and his mother has taken to the bottle, and young Davy now has to make a new life for himself with a mother whose moods swing from oppressive love to being put upon, and a father he sees only at weekends.
Davy is a bright boy, but lonely, althoug More...
Davy is a bright boy, but lonely, althoug More...
Apr 30, 2011
Mello
rated it: 
**Contains Spoilers**
Dear Mr.Donovan,
I've heard people say that this book is the gay the Catcher in the Rye. Now, I love the Catcher in the Rye, so you can see that I had to read this book. These people weren't wrong. That is, they weren't wrong about the first 150 pages. Let me explain.
Onto my first complaint,
The Climax
Look, John, you have me wondering if my copy of the book has about fifty pages missing from it. That was the weakest climax More...
Dear Mr.Donovan,
I've heard people say that this book is the gay the Catcher in the Rye. Now, I love the Catcher in the Rye, so you can see that I had to read this book. These people weren't wrong. That is, they weren't wrong about the first 150 pages. Let me explain.
Onto my first complaint,
The Climax
Look, John, you have me wondering if my copy of the book has about fifty pages missing from it. That was the weakest climax More...
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(5 people liked it)
Apr 06, 2011
Phoebe
rated it:
There's no doubt that John Donovan's 1969 young adult novel, I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip is historically significant—charmingly pitched by the author to Harper & Row editor Ursula Nordstrom as a "buddy love" novel, I'll Get There . . . was, in fact, the first teen novel to include "gay" content. In an era when homosexuality was still considered a mental disorder, thirteen-year-old protagonist Davy kisses another boy and then grapples with the fall-out. Though
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Jan 25, 2008
I recently read the afterward of the commerative edition of 'Annie on my Mind,' and this is one of the early gay books for teens that Nancy Garden mentioned. (She remembers it as having a really poignant scene where the boy in the book is playing with his (boy) friend and a dog, and one moment they're playing and the next moment they're kissing. The incident at first scare them, but then they decide that it's just no big deal. I wish someone had given me that wisdom!)
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Feb 12, 2012
Mina
rated it:
** spoiler alert
Right from the first page, I fell in love with Davy. He is a 13 year-old boy who is smart, cynical and mature beyond his age. When the book starts, he has just lost his grandmother who cared for him after his parents’ divorce. He moves in with his estranged mother in New York. She is tempestuous and somewhat unstable, clearly not fit to raise a young boy. And there is the father who seems a bit better but still very randomly relevant, I think. Well except the last epi More...
Right from the first page, I fell in love with Davy. He is a 13 year-old boy who is smart, cynical and mature beyond his age. When the book starts, he has just lost his grandmother who cared for him after his parents’ divorce. He moves in with his estranged mother in New York. She is tempestuous and somewhat unstable, clearly not fit to raise a young boy. And there is the father who seems a bit better but still very randomly relevant, I think. Well except the last epi More...
Nov 19, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
The first thing I had to consider when I started reading this book and several times while reading was the time period when it was written! It was a completely different world then...Homosexuality wasn't even covered in adult literature to any degree much less in the young adult genre. And while MTV certainly has ushered our youth into a world where sex and promiscuity is the norm in real life as well as in literature I don't feel that we have come all that far where gay and lesbian issue's ar
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Mar 13, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I feel a little presumptuous rating John Donovan's ground breaking classic, the first novel for teens that openly addresses homosexuality. It's hard to really like a book that so accurately portrays the stifling social constraints and loneliness of the 1960s. Yet, it's a masterfully written work that opened doors for both the legions of questioning teens at the time, and the authors who would come to revolutionize the genre of lgbt teen fiction in years to come. While modern teens might find
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Jan 03, 2009
Carter
rated it:
First book of 2009! Fantastic writing.
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Aug 05, 2011
Cris
rated it:
I'm not really sure what to say about this one, exactly. I mean, it wasn't BAD by any stretch of the imagination. It's a well written book, and it's aged amazingly well- it's difficult to believe that this was written in the 60's. That being said, the dog was talked about enough that it got on my nerves. I feel like the book kind of... lost steam at the end? The ending feels very cut off, almost as if he'd written more and the editors went "There's no way we're printing that!" and chop
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Jul 21, 2011
Su
rated it:
Very nice writing and an extremely likable and believable main character. I loved getting lost in Davy's life for a while and experiencing his particular challenges, issues, passions and the people in his life in a surprisingly visceral, immersive way. I enjoyed the development of his relationship with his eventual love interest, Altschuler--it felt very real and honest, the way his relationships with all the major characters are.
The story meanders a bit in the middle and we get maybe More...
The story meanders a bit in the middle and we get maybe More...
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Dec 06, 2010
Holyfool
rated it:
very old school. you have to keep reminding yourself that this book was
written 41 years ago and it's theme was very unknown and very unique.
basically, this prose is the pioneer of coming of age modern writing.
i was amazed how creative and limited mr. donovan approach these subjects
and all the implications and turmoils of a young mind dealing with so many
issues and unbalanced family's situations.
the adjectives, the technology and all More...
written 41 years ago and it's theme was very unknown and very unique.
basically, this prose is the pioneer of coming of age modern writing.
i was amazed how creative and limited mr. donovan approach these subjects
and all the implications and turmoils of a young mind dealing with so many
issues and unbalanced family's situations.
the adjectives, the technology and all More...
Aug 03, 2011
Kaylee
rated it: 
This book is suppose to be a gay teen book. It is not. It is a book that adults praise because it's safe for teens to read. It is only safe for homophobic teens who don't know what literature is.
There is also no climax in this story. His grandma dies so he moves into him moms apartment in new York. He brings his dog with him and the dog causes a lot of trouble, he pees in the house and runs a lot. The kid Kisses a guy and they very lamely bring it up in two conversations. then More...
There is also no climax in this story. His grandma dies so he moves into him moms apartment in new York. He brings his dog with him and the dog causes a lot of trouble, he pees in the house and runs a lot. The kid Kisses a guy and they very lamely bring it up in two conversations. then More...
Oct 19, 2011
K.L.
rated it:
This has to be one of my favorite books I've read this year. The voice is stunning. There are so many layers in this book, from the protagonists problems with his parents to the love of his dog. It is purported to be the first teen book to deal with homosexuality, although it is left up to the reader to decide what ultimately happens to the main character and I was left saying, "But hey! Where;s the rest of the story!" I hate books that end that way, especially when there will be no se
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Nov 29, 2010
Anna
rated it:
One of the first YA titles that deal with homosexuality. Published in 1969, the fact that an author even dared to feature homosexuality or even experimentation is daring. However, unsurprisingly, the kiss between the two male characters is brushed under the rug and neither of them broach the subject except to agree to never talk about it again. The ending is so abrupt that I flipped back and forth to make sure that I didn't skip anything, but it looks as if Donovan meant for the novel to end
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Jan 14, 2012
DNF. And I feel kind of bad about it because it's supposed to be this amazing, moving story that was ahead of its time when it was originally published. But I just couldn't take another talk about Davy's dog.
I really liked the voice. It was simplistic in its telling yet carried with it a depth that could only be held by young words looking for ways around the darkness. There's a heaviness to the story that Davy skirts on the edge of, focusing his time on his dog. I didn't feel it dated More...
I really liked the voice. It was simplistic in its telling yet carried with it a depth that could only be held by young words looking for ways around the darkness. There's a heaviness to the story that Davy skirts on the edge of, focusing his time on his dog. I didn't feel it dated More...
Apr 05, 2011
Adam
rated it:
I’ll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip by John Donovan
Final Verdict: 4.0 out of 4.0
YTD: 5
Plot/Story:
4 – Plot/Story is interesting/believable and impactful
What is hardest to believe about I’ll Get There. It Better be Worth the Trip. by John Donovan is that the book takes place in the 1960s (and was written then, too!). I mean, honestly, where was this book all my life? As a teenager, I read a few gay-themed novels, like Dream Boy by Jim Gri More...
Final Verdict: 4.0 out of 4.0
YTD: 5
Plot/Story:
4 – Plot/Story is interesting/believable and impactful
What is hardest to believe about I’ll Get There. It Better be Worth the Trip. by John Donovan is that the book takes place in the 1960s (and was written then, too!). I mean, honestly, where was this book all my life? As a teenager, I read a few gay-themed novels, like Dream Boy by Jim Gri More...
Aug 07, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Davy is thirteen years old and lives with his grandmother and a Daschund named Fred. When his grandmother dies, Davy is forced to move to NYC with his mother, who is a very selfish person that drinks all the time and constantly accuses Davy and Fred of ruining her life just by being there.
Trisha found this book for me at BEA. It’s an ARC that is actually a re-release of a classic YA GLBT novel from 1969. I’d never heard of this book but was happy to snatch up the opportunity to read on More...
Trisha found this book for me at BEA. It’s an ARC that is actually a re-release of a classic YA GLBT novel from 1969. I’d never heard of this book but was happy to snatch up the opportunity to read on More...
Jul 30, 2011
Quite possibly the first queer YA book, written in 1969, but it wears its age well. Despite the VAST differences in daily life for modern teens and the widespread visibility of LGBT in our culture, this book feels timeless. Drunk parents, loving your dog, and mourning your dead grandma never change. Neither does falling in love. Even though it is a product of its time, the characters are so real that you would mistake it for a contemporary novel if only Davey had a cell phone.
Jul 30, 2011
Quite possibly the first queer YA book, written in 1969, but it wears its age well. Despite the VAST differences in daily life for modern teens and the widespread visibility of LGBT in our culture, this book feels timeless. Drunk parents, loving your dog, and mourning your dead grandma never change. Neither does falling in love. Even though it is a product of its time, the characters are so real that you would mistake it for a contemporary novel if only Davey had a cell phone.
Nov 13, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Sep 05, 2011
Raelene
rated it:
Very, very good. I came into it expecting a novel about teen homosexuality, but found that it was really about loneliness and the universal, deperate need to connect and the longing for love and attention. The incidents "in question" were very tastefully articulated and not at all offensive. Instead, this novel gives a lot of opportunity for thought and to talk about very important, of-the--moment, though perhaps also difficult, topics teens face daily.
Sep 16, 2009
Amy
rated it:
This was a very interesting book. It was written in 1969 and I picked it up because we picked it up and are publishing it next year. This was the first YA book to deal with homosexuality so it was a ground-breaker. Poor Davy. He goes through a lot in this book, and his mother is a piece of work. It's an interesting story and isn't dated at all. It was controversial in its time, and today it's so tame you wouldn't even blink an eye. Yay for progress!
Sep 05, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
This book was heartbreaking at times, but it was "worth the trip." Even though the language made me realize it was from an earlier time, the emotions and experiences could be from today. Donovan really captured what life is like with an alcoholic - unpredictable, anxious, and uncertain. I do not know anything about the author, but I wonder if the story is somewhat autobiographical due to the realistic, personal nature of the writing.
Apr 05, 2011
This book is less about Davy's journey of self-discovery and more a portrait of a screwed up family. This book is really well written and touching and heartfelt, but I felt as if it was less about Davy's confusion over his relationship with Altschuler and more about Davy and his family. The "incident" between Davy and the other boy doesn't happen until more than half-way through the novel, and it hardly impacts Davy's life in a meaningful way. That's not to say that this isn't a pow
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