When Frederick shows up at school, Xio is thrilled. The new boy is shy, cute, and definitely good boyfriend material. Before long, she pulls him i...
read full description
reviews
Apr 02, 2011
Rory
rated it: 
It Happened
Here's the thing--this book is by the same author of a well known gay young adult trilogy so the suspense factor surrounding the male lead's possible sexuality is pretty much unimportant. The writing on the wall is there from the first chapter or two so that element of surprise is---
Gone
But what is interesting about the story is that he tells the action between two very distinct and thought out leads. Xio and Fredrick each have a very particular POV when More...
Here's the thing--this book is by the same author of a well known gay young adult trilogy so the suspense factor surrounding the male lead's possible sexuality is pretty much unimportant. The writing on the wall is there from the first chapter or two so that element of surprise is---
Gone
But what is interesting about the story is that he tells the action between two very distinct and thought out leads. Xio and Fredrick each have a very particular POV when More...
Jan 21, 2010
Alex
rated it:
This was a very cute easy to read book. How easy? I picked it up at 5 from the library after work and finished it by 9:45. I also ate dinner and went grocery shopping in there. But then again, this is a young adult book (aimed at 13 year olds, I'd guess).
Having read alot of Sanchez in the past two weeks, I've noticed some patterns in his stories and some psuedo crossovers. Such as in this book the narrator mentions a news article about a basketball player who came out (just like Jason More...
Having read alot of Sanchez in the past two weeks, I've noticed some patterns in his stories and some psuedo crossovers. Such as in this book the narrator mentions a news article about a basketball player who came out (just like Jason More...
Jul 28, 2009
Dianna
rated it:
THIS REVIEW HALFWAY CONTAINS SPOILERS!! (basically it's me talking about the characters but there are a few things you could glean from this that might be considered spoilers, though they're small. but if you're supersensitive about stuff like that, then don't freak out and read it.)
oh my gosh. Xio is SO crazy and a little delusional all because she tells herself he's shy due to his cancerousness. no WONDER she got into that mess, she just didn't get More...
oh my gosh. Xio is SO crazy and a little delusional all because she tells herself he's shy due to his cancerousness. no WONDER she got into that mess, she just didn't get More...
Nov 16, 2011
Wendy
rated it: 
IRB - So hard to say by Alex Sanchez
People are always judged all around the world just because they aren't the same as everyone else. They are looked and known as the “weird ones”. This kind of behavior is unnecessary and unacceptable in this society, but the so called normal ones still continue on picking on them. The Bi, lesbian, travesty and the gay are the ones who are pushed around and many attempt to end there lives because they cant take the bullying anymore. Reading “S More...
People are always judged all around the world just because they aren't the same as everyone else. They are looked and known as the “weird ones”. This kind of behavior is unnecessary and unacceptable in this society, but the so called normal ones still continue on picking on them. The Bi, lesbian, travesty and the gay are the ones who are pushed around and many attempt to end there lives because they cant take the bullying anymore. Reading “S More...
Nov 21, 2011
Lydia
rated it: 
Once again, Sanchez has written a wonderful story of identity confusion and realization, as we4ll as of friendship. He really has a knack for tapping into the psychological and sociological issues that confront LGBT teens as well as their relationships with all other teens in the high school/teen environment. Furthermore, he is also expert at considering how parents may or may not deal with the issue of their teen's identity issues.
I particularly like this novel in its aspect of a fema More...
I particularly like this novel in its aspect of a fema More...
Jun 25, 2011
Kellee
rated it:
I was so glad to find this book. LBGT is not represented enough in middle school libraries (classroom or school) and I've been searching for books that could be put in middle schools. First, I found Boy meets Boy by David Levithan and then someone told me about this book. I was skeptical, because I knew about Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boy books and some of the explicit things in there, but I researched and everywhere said ages 10-15 for this book. So, I got it, read it and LOVED IT!
T More...
T More...
Apr 26, 2011
Karen
rated it:
This book is talk about a girl called Xio comes to a new school, and there is a boy called Frederick always help her, so they become very friend to each other. Therefore, Xio begins love this boy, and they already kiss each other, so it makes Xio feels Frederick loves her too. However, Frederick thinks that just a friend kiss, it makes Xio very sad. Frederick also love a boy and kiss to him, it makes Xio thinks he is gay, and reminds her father is gay too. However, it makes Xio understand to let
More...
Dec 17, 2010
Ashley
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 23, 2008
☆•Käthÿÿ•☆
rated it:
My favorite character of this book is Carmen,and Xio. They are my favorite character because each one of them have different personality. First, Carmen is the type of girl that is not shy on asking or telling people what other thing about them. For example, she asked Frederick if he was gay and he stay shut and she didn't feel like it was a bad moment to ask. Another funny thing about Carmen is that she has this boyfriend his name is Victor and she saw him in the mall holding a girls hand. Then
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 10, 2012
Roxy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Apr 12, 2009
Duane
rated it:
This is a great book for anyone to read. It follows the day to day life of a girl who has a crush on a fellow student who is struggling with his true identity. I like the writing style when the author uses each chapter to explain the viewpoint of each character's thoughts and situations. I really fell in love with both main characters. Frederick who is struggling with his real identity is such a lost soul that you want to wrap your arms around him and make his love himself. Carman, the lively gi
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 04, 2009
Katie M.
rated it:
Super cute and pretty lighthearted but not overly so... this isn't David Levithan's made-up gay high school, but it's not any kind of anguished coming-out story, either. Can we just take a moment to be eternally gratefully that queer adolescent narratives have evolved beyond the days when the only way someone could be gay is if they were miserable and then died at the end? A little bit of whiteness/Latinoness is touched on... not much, but more than you'll find from most white authors. This o
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 30, 2009
Tara
rated it:
I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, I should start by saying that by saying that I've read a few of Alex Sanchez' LBGT books for teens before, and I thought that they were great. that said, I'm a little disappointed that this one fell so far off the mark.
I can imagine that as a Latino male, Sachez probably wanted to inject more of a cultural feel into Xio, a cute, Mexican girl who narrates half of the story. however, in some moments, this "cultural" feel b More...
I can imagine that as a Latino male, Sachez probably wanted to inject more of a cultural feel into Xio, a cute, Mexican girl who narrates half of the story. however, in some moments, this "cultural" feel b More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 31, 2009
Mark
rated it:
From the moment you meet the main character, Sanchez has you feeling protective of him. He's the new kid in school. He's smaller than everyone else. Even the culture in the region of the country he now lives in is unfamiliar to him. He needs the reader to be on his side, ready to care for him, no matter what.
And I did care about this character, even though I thought some of the characteristics were stereotypical. Both the gay teens were neat freaks, well organized, and liked boy More...
And I did care about this character, even though I thought some of the characteristics were stereotypical. Both the gay teens were neat freaks, well organized, and liked boy More...
Nov 15, 2010
Michellel
rated it:
I like how this story has two point of views from a girl and boy.I think this it's unique that the author made a character where he likes hanging out with girls instead of boys.after I finished the book I noticed something.the author has two characters that are gay.I wonder where the author got the idea of it.there's one scene in the book where the two gay people,Frederick and Iggy,were kissing,It was sick!But other than that the book was really interesting.I also wonder why it's called so hard
More...
Jul 01, 2009
Tracy
rated it:
Recommended in Publisher's Weekly by Jordan McAuley, I realized I needed to diversify my reading.
The book was well written. I especially liked the main character viewpoints. Does it stereotype? No more than other coming of age books where all girls enjoy shopping and all guys enjoy sports. I took it in stride that the author was trying to find commonalities as the main character searched for his identity. So Hard to Say is well worth reading.
The book was well written. I especially liked the main character viewpoints. Does it stereotype? No more than other coming of age books where all girls enjoy shopping and all guys enjoy sports. I took it in stride that the author was trying to find commonalities as the main character searched for his identity. So Hard to Say is well worth reading.
Apr 06, 2009
Jain
rated it:
Frederick's a fairly bland character, but Xio's a lot more fun to read about (although her excessive teeniness got a little grating at times). The best parts of the book were the scenes featuring Xio and her girlfriends from school.
Unfortunately, the book as a whole felt too insubstantial; it's the first half of a coming out narrative, with the majority of its scenes revolving around painfully clumsy attempts at (mostly heterosexual) adolescent romance.
Unfortunately, the book as a whole felt too insubstantial; it's the first half of a coming out narrative, with the majority of its scenes revolving around painfully clumsy attempts at (mostly heterosexual) adolescent romance.
Feb 02, 2011
Alicia
rated it:
Xio and Frederick strike up a friendship and relationship until Frederick needs to confront his homosexual feelings. It's a bit cheesy and by the end, I knew everything that was coming, but I liked that in the end Xio had to give up on her "love relationship" with Frederick, but that didn't mean she had to give up on her "love friendship", with Frederick, knowing that he would always be there no matter who he was dating or who she was dating.
Oct 30, 2008
CHEERBUG!
rated it:
OMGOSH THIS BOOK WAS OUT-STANDING IT WAS REALLY DOWN TO EARTH I UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT MEANT AND IT BASICALLY FELT LIKE I WAS IN THE BOOK (BUT INVISIBLE) WALKING AROUND GOING WHERE EVER THE CHARACTERS GO, IT JUST WAS REALLY REAL. MY FAVORITE CHARACTER WOULD PROBALLY HAVE TO BE fREDRICK HE WAS QUITE A CHARACTER TO ME HE MADE THE STORY REAL, 2 HE WAS BEING NORMAL AND REAL TO EVERYONE AND HIM STATING THAT HE WAS.......(YOU HAVE TO READ IT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS)THAT WAS JUST PHENOMINALE? BUT I'M NOT
More...
May 19, 2011
This book was really interesting because this boy was in love with a girl and he was so afraid to tell her that he liked her and he didn't know what to do so he was really confused and it was reallly hard ti express his feelings to her.
i liked this book because it was nice to hear a story like this and i felt sory ffor the boy thta was trying to get at the girl but they end up dating each other and that's cute....
i liked this book because it was nice to hear a story like this and i felt sory ffor the boy thta was trying to get at the girl but they end up dating each other and that's cute....
Apr 08, 2009
Matthew
rated it:
I like how Xio and fredrick come out as friends then become like really close friends and then she kisses him and he doesnt kiss her back I thought Xio was really upset when it happen and i felt bad. I found it really nice when she still found him as a friend at the end and how he went to iggy's to talk to him about being gay and everything and i really liked the book.
Sep 25, 2008
Meredith
rated it:
Alex Sanchez has done it again...a sensitive look at the questions and stresses of adolescent life, especially in regards to budding sexuality of all kinds, and the importance of acceptance. This time, Xio, a 13-year-old girl of Mexican descent falls for the blond new guy, who's just figuring out (thanks to non-stop thoughts of soccer-god Victor) that he might not be into girls. The social atmosphere of homophobia is portrayed in the character of Iggy, who is ridiculed for having all the outwa
More...
Aug 27, 2010
Cheryl in CC NV
rated it:
Possibly only 3.5 stars because it was almost didactic. But we need more books in this genre, so I hope people read it and/or inform me of other related books, especially if they're even better.
Sweet, but not subtle at all, as an eighth-grade boy from Wisconsin moves to California and meets a Mexican-American girl who quickly develops a major crush on him. When Frederick struggles with seeing her as a friend, he realizes he's really struggling with his sexuality. A little kissing, More...
Sweet, but not subtle at all, as an eighth-grade boy from Wisconsin moves to California and meets a Mexican-American girl who quickly develops a major crush on him. When Frederick struggles with seeing her as a friend, he realizes he's really struggling with his sexuality. A little kissing, More...
Aug 05, 2010
lola
rated it:
a great topic, and a great coming out story, in the new sense. but although i thought it was a good book, something about it bothered me, and i'm not sure what it is. xio seemed a little hypersexualized for me. the scene where she pulls out lingerie for her mom's date seemed wrong to me. i can't imagine doing that for my mother, at any age.
Aug 10, 2009
Sps
rated it:
This is maybe sacrilege, but if I had to pick one, I kind of like this better than Boy Meets Boy for a young-teen coming of age/coming out story. I know, I know, they're different books, but I feel like this had both emotional honesty and honesty about the rampant homophobia that currently exists. Believable, well-developed major characters too.
Dec 05, 2010
Beth
rated it:
It's extraordinarily hard to find books about homosexuality that are appropriate for a middle school library. This one seems like it will be OK. Alex Sanchez definitely has an agenda here, but he's a good enough writer that it's worth reading anyway. I'm curious to see how this one goes over with the kids (and with the parents).
Apr 13, 2010
angrykitty
rated it:
i read this book since we were looking for possible glbt lit to recommend to a teacher. i think this would be a decent selection for middle school level kids. it's not the most literary of books, and it was a little too neat in places, but overall i thought it dealt with the concept of sexual identity decently for the age level....
Apr 15, 2009
J.
rated it:
The level of stereotyped behavior of the homosexual characters almost undoes all the good that the novel could do using the drive for identification with the protagonist to undo homophobia. There is, though, at least some attempt to split up the narrative, and there is a healthy respect for bilingualism (even if the spanglish isn't very authentic).
Nov 17, 2010
Stacie
rated it:
This wasn't one of my favorites by him but it was still worth the read. I plan on rereading it at a future date. The only part I could say that I might not have liked about this was the switching point of views. Although it does work for the book and for his style of writing as he does this in pretty much all of his books.
Jan 11, 2012
Jostyn
rated it:
I read this book in middle school when I was going through a hard time from being outed - and I got to say it was my favorite book. I haven't been able to find a copy nearby but I still think this is an awesome book. Relatable and interesting - can easily finish in one sitting because story is very addicting.
