315 ratings | 32 reviews | avg rating:4.23

more photos (1)

Brent’s Year In Books

Brent’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Brent’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Brent’s 2025 Year in Books

Brent Hartinger’s Followers (810)

Brent’s Bookshelves

to-read (7)
currently-reading (13)
read (315)
did-not-finish (0)

Brent’s Friends (563)

Ben Lilley

1,501 books | 676 friends

Raye of the Dead

7,624 books | 1,577 friends

Mikael Kuoppala

8,418 books | 450 friends

Casey

601 books | 19 friends

Zach Fortier

58 books | 2,612 friends

tlacoyo bandicoot

2,060 books | 149 friends

Morgan Schell

2,336 books | 1,182 friends

Michele

29,988 books | 5,116 friends

More friends…

Brent Hartinger

Goodreads Author

Born

in Washington State, The United States

Website

http://www.brenthartinger.com/

Twitter

brenthartinger

Genre

Young Adult, Gay & Lesbian, Suspense

Member Since

November 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/brenthartinger

edit data

I am Brent Hartinger, a novelist and screenwriter. I’ve published fourteen novels and had two of my books turned into feature films — with several more movies still in the works. One of my movies even co-starred SUPERMAN's David Corenswet.

I try hard to write books that are page-turners and commercial (and movies that are fast-paced and accessible). If I had to describe my own writing projects, I would say, “Strong central concept, strong plot, strong character and voice. Not artsy, self-indulgent, or pretentious, but still thoughtful and smart with something to say.”

I mostly write YA books — LGBTQ and thrillers, sometimes LGBTQ thrillers. My first novel, GEOGRAPHY CLUB (2003) was one of the first in a new wave of break-out LGBTQ young adult ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Brent Hartinger questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Brent Hartinger’s books

Average rating: 3.72 · 35,937 ratings · 3,335 reviews · 27 distinct works • Similar authors

	Geography Club (Russel Middlebrook, #1) 3.75 avg rating — 15,688 ratings — published 2003 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Order of the Poison Oak (Russel Middlebrook, #2) 3.95 avg rating — 3,537 ratings — published 2005 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Three Truths and a Lie 3.41 avg rating — 1,935 ratings — published 2016 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Double Feature: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (Russel Middlebrook, #3) 3.74 avg rating — 1,565 ratings — published 2007 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Elephant of Surprise (Russel Middlebrook, #4) 3.85 avg rating — 1,159 ratings — published 2013 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know (Russel Middlebrook The Futon Years, #1) 3.90 avg rating — 959 ratings — published 2014 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Grand & Humble 3.62 avg rating — 905 ratings — published 2006 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Last Chance Texaco 3.78 avg rating — 806 ratings — published 2004 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams (Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years #2) 3.91 avg rating — 526 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Road to Amazing (Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years Book 3) 4.09 avg rating — 418 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Brent Hartinger…

158 posts
Brent Hartinger's Blog

I Wrote a Book Set in a Place I’d Never Been To, Then I Visited That Place. How’d I Do?

My last novel, The Otto Digmore Difference, was a road trip story about Russel Middlebrook and his friend Otto Digmore traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans, so that Otto, an actor, can get to an all-important movie audition on time.

Here’s a little secret that I shouldn’t be confessing: I’d never actually driven most of the roads that Otto and Russel travel. I once lived in Los Angeles (where

Series by Brent Hartinger

Russel Middlebrook (4 books)
by

Brent Hartinger (Goodreads Author)

3.79 avg rating — 22,392 ratings

Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years (3 books)
by

Brent Hartinger (Goodreads Author)

3.94 avg rating — 1,903 ratings

Otto Digmore (2 books)
by

Brent Hartinger (Goodreads Author)

4.14 avg rating — 495 ratings

Brent is Currently Reading

Brent Hartinger is currently reading

Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad, #4)

by David Eddings

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 17, 2024 01:05PM

Brent Hartinger is currently reading

A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence, #1)

by Rebecca Ross (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 17, 2024 01:03PM

Brent Hartinger is currently reading

The Winter People

by Jennifer McMahon (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jan 17, 2024 01:03PM

rss
Brent’s Recent Updates

Brent Hartinger rated a book really liked it The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 27, 2026 10:06PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book liked it The Core (The Demon Cycle, #5) by Peter V. Brett (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 26, 2026 09:36PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Core by Peter V. Brett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Core by Peter V. Brett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book it was amazing Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 08, 2026 05:53PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book really liked it Wifey by Judy Blume (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 30, 2026 10:20PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wifey by Judy Blume. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wifey by Judy Blume <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book it was amazing Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner by Marc Shaiman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 26, 2026 09:56PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Never Mind the Happy by Marc Shaiman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Never Mind the Happy by Marc Shaiman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book it was amazing Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 12, 2026 01:16PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mike Nichols by Mark Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mike Nichols by Mark Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book it was amazing Badass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks!: A counterintuitive approach to recover and regain control of your life by Geert Verschaeve (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 08, 2026 09:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Badass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks! by Geert Verschaeve. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Badass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks! by Geert Verschaeve <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book it was amazing It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 27, 2026 10:30PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book it was amazing The Wedding People by Alison Espach	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 30, 2026 05:16PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Wedding People by Alison Espach. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Wedding People by Alison Espach <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Brent Hartinger rated a book liked it A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 17, 2026 12:01AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Brent's books…

Quotes by Brent Hartinger (?)

“Why can’t there be just one place for gay kids, where we don’t have to hide who we are? Hell, straight people have the whole rest of the world! They go around holding hands and kissing and talking about ‘my-girlfriend-this’ and ‘my-boyfriend-that.’ And they say we shove our lifestyle in their faces? That’s a laugh!”
― Brent Hartinger, Geography Club

8 likes

“people make mistakes. If there was no such thing as forgiveness, there wouldn’t be any friendships left in the world.”
― Brent Hartinger, Geography Club

7 likes

“The fact is, there's a difference between being alone and being lonely; I may not of been completely alone in life, but I was definitely lonely.”
― Brent Hartinger, Geography Club

7 likes

See all Brent Hartinger's quotes »

Polls

Which author should the YA LGBT Books Group choose as out Author of the Month for March 2015?

Brent Hartinger

30 votes 61.2%

Geoff Laughton

12 votes 24.5%

Matthew J. Metzger

7 votes 14.3%

49 total votes

comments and details

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Young Adult Book ...: Purely female protagonists!	26	261	Jun 01, 2010 02:32PM
Young Adult Book ...: Top 10 Teen/YA Authors You'd Like To Meet!	42	268	Apr 12, 2011 05:44PM
Wild Things: YA G...: Reading Challenge #7 - Report Points Here	480	222	Apr 14, 2011 09:58PM
YA LGBT Books: favorite story lines	10	74	Aug 20, 2011 11:38AM
Avoca Book Club: Nook Freebies and deals	14	19	Jan 28, 2012 08:20PM
The Seasonal Read...: Winter Challenge 2011: Completed Tasks -DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC	2866	792	Feb 29, 2012 09:03PM
2026 Reading Chal...: April Showers Make May Flowers-Mini Challenge	11	68	May 01, 2012 11:41AM
2026 Reading Chal...: April's No Spring Chik(en) Challenge	57	53	May 03, 2012 06:22AM

More…

Brent’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-4) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 4: by Brent

Sep 11, 2015 12:16PM

Rick wrote: "Brent, I love your books. Reading them has given me insight into the young gay life that I was never able to experience. As a bonus, Seattle holds a special place in my heart."
Fantastic! Thanks for letting me know. And yeah, I think I *write* the books to relive a life I wasn't quite able to experience myself.

P.S. I loved writing about Seattle. It's a great city (even if it's getting, uh, crowded and expensive!)

reply | flag

message 3: by Rick

Sep 11, 2015 11:24AM

Brent, I love your books. Reading them has given me insight into the young gay life that I was never able to experience. As a bonus, Seattle holds a special place in my heart.

reply | flag

message 2: by Brent

Oct 31, 2012 06:59PM

Eric wrote: "Hey there, Brent! Good to see you here."Hey Eric! You get around. ;-)

reply | flag

message 1: by Eric

Oct 31, 2012 04:15PM

Hey there, Brent! Good to see you here.

reply | flag

Brent’s Year In Books

Brent Hartinger’s Followers (810)

Brent’s Bookshelves

Brent’s Friends (563)

Brent Hartinger

Goodreads Author

Learn more
Ask the Author

Popular Answered Questions

Combine Editions
Brent Hartinger’s books

158 posts
Brent Hartinger's Blog

I Wrote a Book Set in a Place I’d Never Been To, Then I Visited That Place. How’d I Do?

Series by Brent Hartinger

Brent is Currently Reading

rss
Brent’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

See a Problem?

Preview — The Core by Peter V. Brett

See a Problem?

Preview — Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli

See a Problem?

Preview — Wifey by Judy Blume

See a Problem?

Preview — Never Mind the Happy by Marc Shaiman

See a Problem?

Preview — Mike Nichols by Mark Harris

See a Problem?

Preview — Badass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks! by Geert Verschaeve

See a Problem?

Preview — It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume

See a Problem?

Preview — The Wedding People by Alison Espach

See a Problem?

Preview — A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

recent posts
Brent’s Groups

Brent’s Friend Comments

Brent Hartinger’s Followers (810)

Brent Hartinger

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssBrent’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

See a Problem?

Preview — The Core by Peter V. Brett

See a Problem?

Preview — Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli

See a Problem?

Preview — Wifey by Judy Blume

See a Problem?

Preview — Never Mind the Happy by Marc Shaiman

See a Problem?

Preview — Mike Nichols by Mark Harris

See a Problem?

Preview — Badass Ways to End Anxiety & Stop Panic Attacks! by Geert Verschaeve

See a Problem?

Preview — It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume

See a Problem?

Preview — The Wedding People by Alison Espach

See a Problem?

Preview — A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance

Polls

Topics Mentioning This Author

rss
Brent’s Recent Updates