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Gemini Bites

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 317 ratings · 78 reviews

One of the strangest (and funniest) love triangles ever to hit YA fiction, when a pair of twins (one boy, one girl) both fall for the boy who moves in with themwho may or may not be a vampire.

Judy and Kyle Renneker are sixteen-year-old fraternal twins in a rambling family of nine. They have a prickly history with each other and are, at least from Judy's perspective, const...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Scholastic Press (first published February 24th 2011)

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Oct 02, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbtq, young-adult, 2012

The first chapter started out with Kyle's POV. And I liked him. He was a fun quirky character and I was enjoying him. Then the next chapter was about his twin sister, Judy. I loathed everything about her. And not in a fun-to-hate sort of way, either. There was nothing about the writing to make me be on her side one little bit. Not even Kyle's chapters could get the taste out of my mouth.

I wanted to know more about Garrett, but sadly we didn't get any chapters devoted to him, and he was the most...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: slis-5425

The only problem I had with this book is that there are too many people. There are seven Renneker siblings, too many to easily keep track of, especially when they don’t add anything to the story. Trisha, as the youngest at four, does not add much to the story. Dexter and Tommy seem almost interchangeable as the older brothers, and Dawn and Suzie are both younger sisters, again nearly interchangeable. But it is because they don’t add much to the story that it is easy to ignore them. Especially as...more The only problem I had with this book is that there are too many people. There are seven Renneker siblings, too many to easily keep track of, especially when they don’t add anything to the story. Trisha, as the youngest at four, does not add much to the story. Dexter and Tommy seem almost interchangeable as the older brothers, and Dawn and Suzie are both younger sisters, again nearly interchangeable. But it is because they don’t add much to the story that it is easy to ignore them. Especially as the story focuses on the twins, Judy and Kyle.

And Garret.

Judy and Kyle used to be close, as most twins are. But when their parents went through a trial separation – ultimately resulting in a renewal of their vows and their three younger sisters – something changed and now Judy seems to despise Kyle. It’s been over six years, and eventually something has to give.

Enter Garrett Johnson, who may or may not be a vampire, may or may not be gay, and is definitely going to be living with them for his final month of the school year, as his parents have moved because of his father’s job. He is mysterious and unusual, and both Judy and Kyle vie for his attention – Kyle because he has recently come out as gay and wants to find a boyfriend, Judy because she feels she is always in competition with Kyle.

While technically Garret serves the purpose of foil for the twins to finally get their act together and figure out their problems, he also serves another purpose – that of someone for many teens to identify with. He is bisexual, not gay or straight. He isn’t Goth, but uses it as a way to both get people’s attention and yet keep them at a distance. He is, in short, somewhere in the middle of many categories, not fitting easily into any one – as most teens are, though they often categorize and stereotype both themselves and others. For the many teens who find those labels, self-applied or otherwise, ill-fitting or constraining, Garret shows them that it is okay to not just color outside the lines, but live outside them.
(less)

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Jun 10, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult-literature, sibling-rivalry, glbtq

"In our family, competition is the rule. It has to be.

If dinner is pork chops and there are nine pork chops on the serving plate, one of them, according to physics, is the smallest - but it isn't the smallest kid who gets it; it's the slowest. On Christmas Day, it isn't the most well-behaved kid who gets the best presents; it's the one who's been the loudest about what he or she wants in the months leading up to the holiday. And Monster was the worst of all - especially when it came to competing...more "In our family, competition is the rule. It has to be.

If dinner is pork chops and there are nine pork chops on the serving plate, one of them, according to physics, is the smallest - but it isn't the smallest kid who gets it; it's the slowest. On Christmas Day, it isn't the most well-behaved kid who gets the best presents; it's the one who's been the loudest about what he or she wants in the months leading up to the holiday. And Monster was the worst of all - especially when it came to competing with me."

Judy and Kyle are twins, and are not particularly fond of each other. They've had a rivalry going ever since their parents reunited, after a brief separation. But in their household, with nine family members, their bickering sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Kyle refers to Judy as "The Monster," and Judy teases Kyle endlessly about his homosexuality (he came out to his family earlier). Then, their father announces that they'll be taking in a house guest for the rest of the school year, a classmate of Judy and Kyle, who acts strangely, dresses in black, and claims he's a vampire. Garret's arrival at the Renneker house leads to adjustments, but even worse relations between the twins. Garret proves strange and alluring to both Kyle, who has been wondering if he'll ever be able to find a real boyfriend, and Judy, who has always pretended to be something she isn't, in order to get what (or who) she wants.

This was a quick, funny read, with a good message about the value of honesty vs. "faking it." The snarkiness between Kyle and Judy is hilarious, and the dynamics within the large household offer an entertaining backdrop to the love triangle between the twins and Garret. I really enjoyed Ryan's Saints of Augustine, and this title tackles some of the same GLBTQ issues, with a much lighter tone. The vampire element seems out-of-place, though, and when Kyle and Judy finally get to the root of their competition, it falls a little flat. Overall, though, it's a fun read, and one that will definitely elicit a laugh or two. (less)

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Dec 17, 2010 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

I've rewritten this review a dozen times and only been able to keep that one word--brilliant. Ryan is a genius writing from both a male and a female perspective as the twins navigate the murky emotional waters of high school relationships. The characters, whether they are featured or merely secondary, are richly realized and read as absolutely authentic and endearingly flawed. (Including, thank all the gods, some gay characters (plural!) who are neither distressed...more

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Aug 08, 2011 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review originally posted on The Book Smugglers: HERE

Judy and Kyle are 16 year-old fraternal twins in a noisy family of nine. They have a bumpy relationship ever since their parents had a trial separation years ago and are always competing against each other, trying to best the other while they go about their lives. Kyle has recently come out to his family and close friends and is the self-proclaimed biggest exaggerator in the history of the universe and will tell you that his sister is a Monster...more Review originally posted on The Book Smugglers: HERE

Judy and Kyle are 16 year-old fraternal twins in a noisy family of nine. They have a bumpy relationship ever since their parents had a trial separation years ago and are always competing against each other, trying to best the other while they go about their lives. Kyle has recently come out to his family and close friends and is the self-proclaimed biggest exaggerator in the history of the universe and will tell you that his sister is a Monster, always mean to him (and perhaps even to everybody else). Judy will tell you that she is not mean, that she is actually the nicest girl you could ever meet. She has recently found religion – or rather, has found that religion will perhaps help her land her a new boyfriend as her most recent crush is a very serious Christian guy. Thus, she pretends to be a born-again Christian and since she is doing it for love, because she likes the guy, that is totally ok.

In the meantime, the family is getting ready to welcome Garrett Johnson, a student from the twin’s school who is going to spend the last month of his junior year with their family while his parents relocate to another state. Kyle and Judy find Garrett strangely alluring with his goth-like manner, suspicious behaviour and above all, his mind-blowing claim that he is in fact, a vampire. AND he might be into both twins which just amps the competition between Kyle and Judy to the max.

Well, Gemini Bites took me completely by surprise. It had been sitting on my TBR shelf for a while and I picked it up now because I was looking for something short and funny to read and this seemed just like the thing. And yes, it was short and funny and exactly what I wanted to read right now but it was also so much more. It is much more than just its funny parts and the story goes way beyond its zany premise to include really poignant and serious moments.

The chapters alternate between Kyle and Judy’s narrative and at first, Kyle comes across as the most sympathetic of the twins. He is charming, funny, friendly and extremely frank and open about his sexuality: not just about being out and proud but also how so freaking horny he is all the time. Sometimes, when reading YA novels, I get the feeling that the vast majority of stories have these weirdly chaste, PG-like teens and I appreciated how this book shows a bit more of the other side as well in a honest, up-front way. The chapter where Kyle describes getting his first ever blow job is quite possibly, one of the most hilarious things I ever read.

Judy on the other hand, is one of those teenagers that are angry, mean and extremely self-centred. Judy is not nice despite what she might tell the reader, she is not likeable ( at least not to start with) but she is a great character, I thought. Her arc is a bit more serious than Kyle’s because she has some real growing-up to do. It becomes clear later on that Judy falls into a pattern every time she has a new crush and this falls back into the biggest theme of the book: identity. From pretending to be something you are not, not knowing exactly who you are and why you do the things you do. Although not necessarily original I never felt the story fell into clichéd territory.

Speaking of clichéd: one of the greatest dangers, I feel, in writing such a short book with so many characters is that it would have been easy to fall into stereotypes. Garrett could have been the Lone Goth Kid; Kyle could have been simply the Gay Twin and Judy the Mean Twin and the entire family just background noise to support the story. However, the author avoided this brilliantly – all the characters had depth and even each member of the family had a striking personality. One of the things that I thought was so beautifully executed was how both Kyle and Judy felt they were simply just another kid in a huge family and felt they could get away with things because of that but it was clear that the parents had an eye out for every single of them without being particularly intrusive. It was just the right balance for me.

Having said that, even though its shortness did not mean necessarily lack of depth, it did mean that some things were perhaps dealt with too easily or too lightly (I am thinking about the secondary character who had serious psychological issues and was really and truly dangerous) and the ending was a bit too perfect.

But none of these things mattered: Gemini Bites is just the sort of Contemporary YA I love to read. Great story, great characters, with strong, varied LGBT kids without making it an Issue book, romance (kisses and making-out, NOM), a winner. (less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt

Overall, a cute, funny, not-so-serious story about two siblings fighting for a mysterious guy who might have supernatural abilities. Here's a quote I liked:

"I stared out at the dark orange field surrounding us, and my heart was in my ears now, whump, whump, whump, and I had this totally moronic sequence of thoughts: Something gay is about to happen here. This spot will forevermore be the place where you had your first gay encounter. People will live here one day, in a nice big house, and never k...more Overall, a cute, funny, not-so-serious story about two siblings fighting for a mysterious guy who might have supernatural abilities. Here's a quote I liked:

"I stared out at the dark orange field surrounding us, and my heart was in my ears now, whump, whump, whump, and I had this totally moronic sequence of thoughts: Something gay is about to happen here. This spot will forevermore be the place where you had your first gay encounter. People will live here one day, in a nice big house, and never know they're living on a sacred ground of gayness."

Judy and Kyle Renneker, sixteen-year-old fraternal twins in a family of nine, have competed with one another throughout their lives. Judy has always been a jerk, and her latest scheme involves seducing an attractive, religious boy by pretending to be Christian. Kyle recently came out to his family and more or less desires a boyfriend. Things get shaken up when Garret Johnson, a strange and slightly vampiric guy their age, decides to reside in the attic of their house for a short amount of time.

Patrick Ryan could have taken Gemini Bites in many different directions. He could have made it a dark, serious story about a dangerously sexy vampire guy who takes over Kyle and Judy's lives. Instead, he wrote a light, humorous book that didn't reach deeply but still made me laugh. The relationship between Kyle and Garret was sweet, and Judy did grow by the end of the book.

However, there was room for further development. Garret's character possessed much untapped potential, and the entire vampire plot line itself felt uncomfortably ambiguous. A lot of telling occurred, especially during the ending, and I am still curious about what happened to Coover (and why he did what he did in the first place.)

Recommended for those searching for a decent GLBT/vampire story, and for those who don't mind a male/female split narrative. Here's a more insightful quote that I marked:

"Of course, it had happened before. In school, for instance, just because a guy was a bully or a jerk, that didn't change the fact that he was awesome looking. It should have. If there was any justice in the world, behaving like a bully or a jerk wouldn't just change the way other people saw you; it would make you grow an elbow out of your forehead or an extra ear on your chin. It would make you gross."

*cross-posted on my blog, the quiet voice.(less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Stacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hs-copy

Kyle and Judy, seventeen-year-old fraternal twins, tell two sides of the story of the last month of junior year, when Garret, who claims to be a vampire, moves in their house to finish the school year after his parents move for a job. Both Kyle and Judy have a crush on Garret, who will he chose, and is he really a vampire?

I was tempted to skip Judy’s chapters, because she was not a likeable character at the beginning of the book. Kyle calls her “Monster” and it fits. I was glad I didn’t skip the...more

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May 04, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, psc-reviews, vampire, young-adult, lgbt

Judy and Kyle are twins with a very competitive relationship. They also come from a huge family (7 children), so things get even more complicated when their parents decide to take in another kid for a few months. Garrett is a very mysterious person who seems to manipulate both of the twins and their recent life-style revelations for his own ends. Kyle has just come out to his family while Judy is pretending to be born-again in an effort to get a boyfriend.

Although written in alternating chapters...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Novel Novice rated it 3 of 5 stars

t was the copy on the back of the ARC for Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan that initially convinced me this was a book I wanted to read:

Boy? Girl? Vampire?

Gay? Straight? Twisexual?

Prepare to be seduced.

But what I found inside these pages was less about whether or not mysterious loner Garrett was really a vampire — and more about the relationship between a brother and sister during their tumultuous teenage years. And this is a very good thing.

Because as much as I love a good vampire story (and I r...more t was the copy on the back of the ARC for Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan that initially convinced me this was a book I wanted to read:

Boy? Girl? Vampire?

Gay? Straight? Twisexual?

Prepare to be seduced.

But what I found inside these pages was less about whether or not mysterious loner Garrett was really a vampire — and more about the relationship between a brother and sister during their tumultuous teenage years. And this is a very good thing.

Because as much as I love a good vampire story (and I really do), I was charmed by the surprise focus on this pair of siblings. Not only was it a fresh approach in general, but it resonated with me personally, having gone through some tumultuous times with my own brother over the last few years.

Gemini Bites alternates chapters between fraternal twins Judy and Kyle — who have had a rocky relationship over the last few years, much of which has been spent in petty competition with each other. And individually, neither is in exactly a solid place: Kyle’s only recently come out to his family and is wondering if he’ll ever know what it’s like to date a guy, while Judy is pretending she’s been born again to snag the cute, uber-religious guy she’s been crushing on.

Then Garrett — that mysterious loner from their class — moves in with them for the last month of school, and both twins take notice. Is he gay? Straight? Which of the twins is he into more, and which one of them will “win” him in their competition? Adding to his intrigue, Garrett claims he’s a vampire. Uh … what?

But the “vampire” issue is so minor in comparison with the rest of the story. It’s really about something every reader can relate to: the uncertainty of being a teenager. Our teen years are filled with moments of self-discovery, making mistakes, (learning from those mistakes), exploring our world and learning who we are as an individual. Gemini Bites follows both Judy and Kyle as they go through these experiences — and shows that the siblings might be better off if they could stick together, instead of competing against each other.

Garrett is merely the catalyst to help each of the twins embark towards maturity and adulthood — and whether or not he’s a vampire is a fairly moot point when you consider the grand scheme of things.

In a sea of YA books that feature teens with absentee or substandard parents, it’s nice to see a book that not only features a rich, colorful family — but a book that focuses on the family as an important part of a teen’s formative years. Because that’s what Gemini Bites is really all about: family and growing up.

Gemini Bites is a charming tale about discovering what kind of person you want to be, and not being afraid of embracing your own identity.(less)

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Apr 06, 2011 Debrarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-aka-teen, queer

16-year-old twins Judy (angry, vindictive, and faking a born-again conversion to attend bible study with the boy she has a crush on) and Kyle (milder, gay, out to his family, the object of Judy's hatred) narrate alternating chapters in this tale of siblings beginning to come of age. Garrett Johnson, a goth boy who claims to be a vampire, is to live with the family of 9 for a month before joining his parents who have moved out of state. Kyle has a crush on Garrett; Judy, who flails about in pursu...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Kira Harp rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, glbtq-m-m

This book began very well, with the tale of a gay teen boy, Kyle, and his straight twin sister, Judy. Told in alternating first person POV's, the twins deal with crushes, family issues, each other, and the unusual kid who comes to live in the room in their attic, who may or may not be a vampire. Kyle is a likable character with an engaging voice. Judy is a little more shallow and self-centered, and it is harder to sympathize with her. And for the first 5/6 of the book that was the only thing tha...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-coming-of-age-boy, teen-coming-of-age-girl, teen-family, teen-lgbt, teen-paranormal-romance, teen-romance, teen-sexual-issues, teen-vampire

In this delightfully bizarre take on the paranormal love triangle, warring fraternal twins Judy and Kyle both begin to fall for their odd goth house guest who may be a vampire. Sexual tension builds and sparks fly as the born again Christian sister and Bob Dylan obsessed brother via for the attention of the mysterious Garret. Simultaneously irreverent and earnest, this slim novel tackles the many and varied ways in which teens try to create and discover their identities. Refreshingly, Kyle seems...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Sean Dewar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-and-new-adult, contemporary

I initially became interested in the book from the Tumblr page Hey Teen Books Hey (who I recommend following if interested in young adult fiction). Anyway, the story follows twin siblings, Judy and Kyle, who are at each others throats in competition (e.i. when he came out as gay, she apparently became a born-again christian). When Garret, a kid at school who claims to be a vampire, moves in for a month, the competition is heightened, and a love triangle ensues.

Now, unlike most love triangles, th...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Dana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult

3.5 stars.

This book is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Judy and Kyle, twins who don't get along or see eye-to-eye on much of anything these days. Enter Garret, a mysterious boy from their school who will be staying with them (and their large, raucous family) for the remaining month of their junior year of school. I think the jacket of the book gives away too much of the plot, personally, so I will refrain.
There was a point about two-thirds through this book at which I thoug...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Sue rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is told in alternating chapters by Judy & Kyle Renneker. They are fraternal twins in high school. Kyle has announced to his family that he is gay. Judy has started carrying around a bible and going to a bible study once a week. Neither of these things makes much of an impact in their family. They are 2 of 7 kids and their parents go with the flow. They both have issues and they work through their issues during the course of the story. This book covers the end of their junior year w...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Matt Mead Teen Programming Specialist rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, lgbt-fiction, realistic-fiction, ya-fiction, reviewed

Judy and Kyle are twins... they also sort of hate each other. Kyle has just come out, Judy has just been "born-again" (but only to impress a guy). The book is told from both teens' perspectives in alternating chapters. Throughout the course of the book we are introduced to a number of very likable and well written characters including the rest of Kyle and Judy's siblings and their friends. Most interesting is the character of Garret Johnson. Garret and his family are moving, but since the school...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Alana Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just HAD to check out this book after reading The Book Smuggler's review. I'm always on the lookout for books with LGBT protagonists and even though I don't generally like contemporary fiction, this book seemed quirky enough for me. And boy did Ryan deliver. Though this book was fairly short and straightforward, Ryan's writing was wonderful to read. Kyle was by far my favorite twin and I found him surprisingly funny and honest. While Judy is the one who really shows the most growth, Kyle stole...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I read this book as an ARC through work. Positives: It took me three and a half hours total to read it. It's a well-done analysis of young adult relationships of all kinds. Patrick Ryan has a great, sarcastic voice. It's hilarious. Negatives: Even though it's not a paranormal, it has to have a vampire, which makes me crazy right now. It's going to be marketed for ninth grade and up, but as a mother I don't think freshmen should be reading any sexually explicit material without a parent's express...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

The story it told in alternating voices of Kyle and his twin sister Judy. Kyle had a charming sweet authentic voice. Judy's chapters were wooden and ill-plotted. The mysterious vampiric house guest that moves in is an interesting foil for them, but I still had serious problems with Judy. Her faking interest in religion to get closer to a guy is a bit of a stretch, but the way she did it was completely un-like any 17 teen girl. I would have liked this better if it was entirely written from Kyle p...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Claudia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-book-challenge-150-books, ya-books

Meh -- My favorite part of the book is the dual voices...Kyle and Judy Renneker, twins who hate each other at the beginning of the book. They're two of seven children in a chaotic family, and they alternate chapters of the last few weeks of their junior year of high school.

Judy, despite her nasty mouth, is horribly insecure...instead of being herself with a boy she has a crush on, she tries to reinvent herself into a female mirror image. Her current crush is an earnest Christian boy who has bibl...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Kricket rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, dual-narrators, glbt, outsiders-and-nerds, teen-fiction, vampires

judy & kyle are twins that aren't particularly fond of each other. judy is pretending to be a born-again christian in hopes that her bible study leader will fall for her; kyle spends a lot of time fantasizing about bob dylan. but when hot classmate garret johnson comes to live with their family for the rest of the semester, both twins find themselves in lust with the same guy. who, interestingly enough, claims to be a vampire.

i thought the premise of this book was really funny, but it failed...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Meadow rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

I found this to be a quick, fun read. Interesting idea - twins (one male, one female) that don't get along both fall for the same guy. This guy claims to be a vampire and proceeds to befriend the both of them. Is he gay, straight, into both of them, actually a vampire? All interesting questions that do get answered. There is some description of guy-on-guy action which may not be for everyone. I find it refreshing when authors don't try to write around these topics. I know it is not for everyone,...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Jacqueline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

And so my quest to find more books written for teens that contain examples of polyamory continues. This is the second book that I have read this year primarily because the description on the book jacket seemed to be leaning that way. It is also the second time that I was disappointed.

Over all, this wasn't a bad story, just a bit preachy for me and no polyamory. So far, Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is the only book with any hint of polyamory that I have found in the young adult section of the...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Figment rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is a must-read for people who enjoy sarcastic and snarky narration. Patrick Ryan (somehow!) makes the quasi-love triangle between a boy, his twin sister, and a sexually ambiguous house guest who claims to be a vampire less interesting than the relationship between the two twins and the internal dialogue of a typical (if typical can include whip-smart and confidently out) high school boy. You can read a preview of Gemini Bites here on Figment.

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Jun 07, 2012 Sarah Sammis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, read-in-2011, exwishlist

I read Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan because I had enjoyed In Mike We Trust. Plus the vampire love triangle parody caught my attention.

Although it's a short book, there's a lot going on. In all honesty, there's probably too much going on. First there is the long time rivalry between fraternal twins Judy and Kyle Renneker. In the last few years Judy's taunting has turned cruel. Kyle has recently come out to his parents and best (and also gay) friend. Judy, meanwhile is pretending to find religion...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com

While it's not certain if Garret is gay or straight - or even bi - Kyle is out and pretty much proud of who he is. He's never dated anyone, but had some experience with guys, and his best friend happens to be gay, as well. Kyle is pretty amusing, as he's a huge exaggerator and yet he finds himself starting to become more and more interested in Garret, who swears that he's a vampire. Well, one of their fellow classmates seems to believe it, and he'll...more Reviewed by Lauren Ashley for TeensReadToo.com

While it's not certain if Garret is gay or straight - or even bi - Kyle is out and pretty much proud of who he is. He's never dated anyone, but had some experience with guys, and his best friend happens to be gay, as well. Kyle is pretty amusing, as he's a huge exaggerator and yet he finds himself starting to become more and more interested in Garret, who swears that he's a vampire. Well, one of their fellow classmates seems to believe it, and he'll do just about anything he can to rid their school of evil...even if that means ridding them of Garret altogether.

As for Judy, whenever she finds she likes a guy, she starts to become "interested" in whatever they like - and her recent conquest is all about the Bible. But when Judy realizes that Kyle is starting to like Garret, she can't let her brother win, can she?

GEMINI BITES is told in alternating chapters, first Judy, then Kyle, and so on. I seemed to enjoy Kyle's storyline a little more, but then again, I did first pick up this book for the LGBT content and that would be Kyle. He's also a funny character and you really do start to care for him and the way he's treated by Judy. This is especially poignant since the twins come from a big family and it's hard to find time with their parents.

Judy is a good character too, though. She really goes through her own progressions and you'll find yourself shaking your head, yet letting laughter slip out, at some of her more mean statements.

In all, both teens are well-rounded and I felt like you got to see a big picture of who they were and what they were interested in. Kyle wasn't just the horny teen guy obsessing over boys, and Judy wasn't just a mean "actress" trying to get a boyfriend. You even see an interesting side of her, good and bad, when it comes to her best friend, Sasha. This girl was an amusing character, but you do feel for her, too. And it reminded me a lot of Brittany on Glee. She's a bit ditsy and clueless and yet can see things that other people overlook sometimes. You just have to love her!

As for their family, they were a lot of fun. The three younger siblings were a bit hard to keep straight sometimes, but the eldest, Tommy and Dexter, seemed to be their own people in the little time they had to "shine." Their parents were also very sweet and you could tell they cared and wanted to be there for their kids as much as they could- even though it's hard with a house full of them.

I'm really thankful I was given the chance to read GEMINI BITES. I would definitely recommend it! (less)

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Jul 07, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teens

This is definitely a case in which the book's cover is a little more over-the- top than the actual story. Much like how the perception of teens can get so removed from what they really are. Ryan does not skimp on his idea of the internal thoughts of teenagers and how much sex occupies their thoughts. It tends to make them a little one-dimensional. However, Ryan does not let them end like that and it's his choice of human qualities over vampire that ultimately makes this book end better than it s...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, lgbtq, reviewed

My review on The Crimson Review of Children's & YA Literature:

Sixteen-year-old twins Kyle and Judy Renner are both attracted to the same student, Garrett, who claims he’s a vampire. Is he? Who is he really attracted to – Judy… or Kyle?! Alternating between the twin’s points of view, the book is wittingly written and has moments of heartfelt understanding for both protagonists. Kyle’s story is stronger and more fleshed out; unfortunately, Judy’s character development is lacking and the reader...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What? Twins, siblings, a vampire...
:) I really enjoyed this book, thought it was pretty humorous too.
I loved the different point of views throughout the story with Kyle and Judy. The humor really brought the twins to life, made them seem realistic. & Garret was just well, a bit awkwardly cool.
I ended up loosing track of the other siblings since there were so many of them, and the ending felt a tad bit rushed. But overall a cute and funny story, worth reading.

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Apr 01, 2011 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a sucker for snarky, witty writing, and Ryan is now one of my new favorites. The sibling rivalry driving the plot meshes well with the "is he, or isn't he" questions of brooding charcoal-sketching houseguest Garret's sexuality and gender preferences. I was a bit worried that the overall snarkiness wouldn't allow for a satisfying ending, but wonderfully, Ryan managed to keep the tone light while wrapping up the stories in a remarkably sweet fashion. Yeah!

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Young Adult

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Paranormal > Vampires

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Glbt

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Romance

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Young Adult > Teen

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Fantasy > Supernatural

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Fantasy > Paranormal

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Romance > M M Romance

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Glbt > Queer

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Contemporary

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About Patrick Ryan

Patrick Eugene Ryan (born 1965), who has also written under the name P. E. Ryan, is an American novelist and short story writer. His previous novel, 2009's In Mike We Trust, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist for LGBT Children's/Young Adult literature,[1] and was named by Booklist to its Rainbow List 2010 (bibliography of young adult books which include significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transg...more Patrick Eugene Ryan (born 1965), who has also written under the name P. E. Ryan, is an American novelist and short story writer. His previous novel, 2009's In Mike We Trust, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist for LGBT Children's/Young Adult literature,[1] and was named by Booklist to its Rainbow List 2010 (bibliography of young adult books which include significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning content).[2]
Patrick Ryan was born in Washington, D.C., in 1965 and raised in Florida.[3][4] He received his bachelor's degree from Florida State University and his Master of Fine Arts in 1990 from the Writing Program at Bowling Green State University.[4][5] He wrote short stories for about 10 years prior to the publication of his first novel.[5] His stories have been published in Denver Quarterly, The Iowa Review, The Nebraska Review, One Story, Ontario Review, The Yale Review, and other journals.[4] His story "Getting Heavy With Fate" received the 2005 Smart Family Foundation Award for Fiction.[4] His story "So Much for Artemis" earned him a National Endowment for the Arts in Fiction[citation needed] and was included in The Best American Short Stories 2006.[citation needed]
His first novel was Send Me, a novel for adults that looks at three decades in the life of a dysfunctional family.[3][6] Send Me is written as a series of stand-alone short stories told out of chronological order. The stories interweave to create a puzzle effect. Each story reveals information the way clues in a mystery novel do. This forms a narrative as it creates a portrait of the Kerrigan family. The character of Joe Kerrigan is loosely autobiographical.[7]
Celebrated author Edmund White compared Ryan's writing to that of John Cheever.[8] Author Ann Patchett chose the third chapter of the book (which had previously appeared in the literary magazine One Story) for inclusion in The Best American Short Stories 2006, an anthology of short stories.[8][9] The Bay Area Reporter called Send Me "a masterfully eventful novel...",[10] while a reviewer at the Seattle Times said it was "a meticulously crafted, immensely satisfying piece of work."[11]
Ryan followed up in 2008 with the young adult novel Saints of Augustine.[7][9] Two best teenage friends, one gay and one not, struggle with family issues, drug abuse, divorce, dating, and a rupture in their friendship. In 2009, he published a second young adult novel, In Mike We Trust, which examines a young man's relationship with his hip, cool, confident con artist uncle as the older man attempts to lure him into a life of crime.
His most recent novel is 2011's Gemini Bites. Gemini Bites explores the world of a pair of twins in competition for the affections of a goth outsider.
Ryan is also an editor at GRANTA.[citation needed]
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