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The Arizona Kid
A trip out West to work at a racetrack; and a sojourn with a sophisticated gay uncle; bring unexpected discoveries in this quick-witted coming-of-age novel by the author of STONER & SPAZ and MARGAUX WITH AN X.
I was in the West. The Old West. The Wild West! A whole summer in a new place: a place away from my parents, a place so hot the girls probably wore bikinis to church, a place where I'd take a giant step toward my dream: becoming a vet. A place where; who knows? — anything might happen.
From the moment sixteen-year-old Billy steps off the train in Tucson, he knows this will be a summer unlike any he's seen in small-town Bradleyville, Missouri. For starters, he's staying with his cool gay uncle, who has managed to get him a job at the racetrack caring for horses. Still, Billy doesn't expect the horseracing world to be quite as rough and tumble as this; toiling side by side with a macho survivalist and falling hard for the feisty, romance-shy "exercise girl" Cara Mae. With his trademark fast-paced dialogue filled with wit and compassion, Ron Koertge tells the tale of an insecure teen who discovers that gaining stature involves more than Stetsons and boots; and that lessons on love and manhood come from the places you least expect.
I was in the West. The Old West. The Wild West! A whole summer in a new place: a place away from my parents, a place so hot the girls probably wore bikinis to church, a place where I'd take a giant step toward my dream: becoming a vet. A place where; who knows? — anything might happen.
From the moment sixteen-year-old Billy steps off the train in Tucson, he knows this will be a summer unlike any he's seen in small-town Bradleyville, Missouri. For starters, he's staying with his cool gay uncle, who has managed to get him a job at the racetrack caring for horses. Still, Billy doesn't expect the horseracing world to be quite as rough and tumble as this; toiling side by side with a macho survivalist and falling hard for the feisty, romance-shy "exercise girl" Cara Mae. With his trademark fast-paced dialogue filled with wit and compassion, Ron Koertge tells the tale of an insecure teen who discovers that gaining stature involves more than Stetsons and boots; and that lessons on love and manhood come from the places you least expect.
215 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
7 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
About the author
Ron Koertge
71 books104 followersAsk Ron Koertge what he brings to the realm of young adult fiction, and the seasoned author responds matter-of-factly. "I write dialogue well, and I'm funny," he says--an assessment few would argue with. "I like iconoclasm and practice it in my fiction. I don't like pretense or hypocrisy. I'm almost always irreverent."
A faculty member for more than 35 years at Pasadena City College, where he has taught everything from Shakespeare to remedial writing, Ron Koertge is the author of several acclaimed novels, most of them for young adults. That Ron Koertge is a master at capturing teenagers' voices--often in witty repartee--is fully evident in MARGAUX WITH AN X, the story of a sharp-tongued beauty and a quirky, quick-witted loner. "MARGAUX WITH AN X started as a short story, but the heroine wouldn't let me alone," the author says. "She had a story to tell, and she wanted a whole novel to tell it in." Another unlikely pairing is found in STONER & SPAZ, Ron Koertge's funny, in-your-face tale of a young cinephile with cerebral palsy and the stoner who steals his heart. "My wife works with the disabled," the writer says of his inspiration for the novel, which quickly garnered critical acclaim. "One night she came home and told me about a young man she'd been working with. He had C.P. and a terrific sense of humor. Coincidentally, that day I had talked to a former student of mine who'd recently been in rehab for substance abuse. What would happen, I wondered, if those two knew each other?"
In addition to his young adult novels, Ron Koertge writes poetry, and has been dubbed "the wisest, most entertaining wiseguy in American poetry" by poet-laureate Billy Collins. SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is narrated by a straight-talking, fourteen-year-old first baseman who has been benched by mono and decides to take a swing at writing poetry. Written entirely in free verse, with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix--including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum--SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is a veritable English teacher's dream. "The interest in SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is less with the arc of the plot than with the individual poems, some of which demonstrate poetic form, some of which tell the story," the author says. "One of my biggest challenges was to write like a fourteen-year-old who has a knack for writing poetry, and not just sound like a sixty-one-year-old pretending to be one!"
The author's first book with Candlewick, THE BRIMSTONE JOURNALS, is also a novel written in free verse, with 15 different teenage characters narrating four or five poems each. "The book started to nag me a few months before the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, and I started to make notes in the form of poems," he says of the hauntingly prescient work. "BRIMSTONE needed to move at high velocity, and this form is perfect for that: no tail fins, no leather seats, no moon roof. Just get in and go."
Ron Koertge grew up in an agricultural area in an old mining town in Illinois, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis, Missouri. There he learned to "drive a tractor and buck hay bales, which are clearly useful skills in Los Angeles," he quips. He and his wife live in South Pasadena, California.
A faculty member for more than 35 years at Pasadena City College, where he has taught everything from Shakespeare to remedial writing, Ron Koertge is the author of several acclaimed novels, most of them for young adults. That Ron Koertge is a master at capturing teenagers' voices--often in witty repartee--is fully evident in MARGAUX WITH AN X, the story of a sharp-tongued beauty and a quirky, quick-witted loner. "MARGAUX WITH AN X started as a short story, but the heroine wouldn't let me alone," the author says. "She had a story to tell, and she wanted a whole novel to tell it in." Another unlikely pairing is found in STONER & SPAZ, Ron Koertge's funny, in-your-face tale of a young cinephile with cerebral palsy and the stoner who steals his heart. "My wife works with the disabled," the writer says of his inspiration for the novel, which quickly garnered critical acclaim. "One night she came home and told me about a young man she'd been working with. He had C.P. and a terrific sense of humor. Coincidentally, that day I had talked to a former student of mine who'd recently been in rehab for substance abuse. What would happen, I wondered, if those two knew each other?"
In addition to his young adult novels, Ron Koertge writes poetry, and has been dubbed "the wisest, most entertaining wiseguy in American poetry" by poet-laureate Billy Collins. SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is narrated by a straight-talking, fourteen-year-old first baseman who has been benched by mono and decides to take a swing at writing poetry. Written entirely in free verse, with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix--including a sonnet, haiku, pastoral, and even a pantoum--SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is a veritable English teacher's dream. "The interest in SHAKESPEARE BATS CLEANUP is less with the arc of the plot than with the individual poems, some of which demonstrate poetic form, some of which tell the story," the author says. "One of my biggest challenges was to write like a fourteen-year-old who has a knack for writing poetry, and not just sound like a sixty-one-year-old pretending to be one!"
The author's first book with Candlewick, THE BRIMSTONE JOURNALS, is also a novel written in free verse, with 15 different teenage characters narrating four or five poems each. "The book started to nag me a few months before the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, and I started to make notes in the form of poems," he says of the hauntingly prescient work. "BRIMSTONE needed to move at high velocity, and this form is perfect for that: no tail fins, no leather seats, no moon roof. Just get in and go."
Ron Koertge grew up in an agricultural area in an old mining town in Illinois, just across the Mississippi from St. Louis, Missouri. There he learned to "drive a tractor and buck hay bales, which are clearly useful skills in Los Angeles," he quips. He and his wife live in South Pasadena, California.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 30, 2022
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!
i was all braced to not like this one. it was for the humor section of the reading list, and surely my sense of humor is more refined and nuanced than a teenager's, right. RIGHT?? i just figured it would be silly and not really a stick-to-your-cranium kind of book.
but this is dr. chelton and this book:
so i had to read it. how else am i going to grow up to be her? (and i was the only one in the whole class to choose to read it. i should give lessons in smooching up to teacher, because it is just shameful - these oversights and missed opportunities)
but it is a really good story; teen goes to stay with his gay uncle in arizona to work with horses in order to get experience because he wants to be a vet. while there, he loses his virginity (neither to his gay uncle nor to a horse), battles the heat, learns about courage, friendship, love; several generic teen fiction themes, and what it means to leave a place in which you have changed so much. the whole book is very sensitively drawn, but with actual humor. there is some overly broad comic relief in the form of a friend's survivalist father, but every scene between billy and his uncle is brilliant and the way teen sexuality is handled is neither shy nor gratuitous. the changes billy undergoes are at once subtle and realistic. i opted to not read his poetry book for the books-in-verse week because it sounded awful (shakespeare bats cleanup - no thank you), but i would recommend this one, and if i found myself reading another of his novels, i would be very pleased.
come to my blog!
i was all braced to not like this one. it was for the humor section of the reading list, and surely my sense of humor is more refined and nuanced than a teenager's, right. RIGHT?? i just figured it would be silly and not really a stick-to-your-cranium kind of book.
but this is dr. chelton and this book:
so i had to read it. how else am i going to grow up to be her? (and i was the only one in the whole class to choose to read it. i should give lessons in smooching up to teacher, because it is just shameful - these oversights and missed opportunities)
but it is a really good story; teen goes to stay with his gay uncle in arizona to work with horses in order to get experience because he wants to be a vet. while there, he loses his virginity (neither to his gay uncle nor to a horse), battles the heat, learns about courage, friendship, love; several generic teen fiction themes, and what it means to leave a place in which you have changed so much. the whole book is very sensitively drawn, but with actual humor. there is some overly broad comic relief in the form of a friend's survivalist father, but every scene between billy and his uncle is brilliant and the way teen sexuality is handled is neither shy nor gratuitous. the changes billy undergoes are at once subtle and realistic. i opted to not read his poetry book for the books-in-verse week because it sounded awful (shakespeare bats cleanup - no thank you), but i would recommend this one, and if i found myself reading another of his novels, i would be very pleased.
come to my blog!
December 20, 2007
Inevitably older YA books date themselves with silly colloquialisms; otherwise this book is extremely amusing and touches on many issues of teenage life in an honest way. I appreciated the realism of Cara and Billy’s sexual relationship. Also Billy’s unease about Wes’ sexuality and his evolving perspective of his uncle is heartfelt and well written. Safe sex, AIDS, and homosexuality are examined in this book in a realistic and sensible way. Also Wes is completely honest with Billy when giving advice about women and sex. Overall I found this book really delightful and would recommend it to any reader.
August 10, 2011
I just really like Ron Koetge and I can’t for the life of you say why. I think it’s something to do with the fact that he is a straight man who write gay characters. And also maybe something to do with the way he doesn’t shy away from sex and he doesn’t try to make it all edgy and exciting. It’s matter of fact while also being genuine. I think he treats his characters with respect and, therefore, treats his young(er) readers with respect.
Anyway, this was classic Koetge, circa 1988. I think it says something that Candlewick was willing to rerelease this book in 2005. This book that doesn’t have cell phones. This book about a kid who spends the summer trying to be a cowboy in Tucson. This book about a boy living with his gay uncle who is dealing with what it meant to be a gay man in the 1980s. This book that has some sex, some drugs, and absolutely no rock and roll…by which I mean it’s genuine and not in the least bit edgy or trendy or scandalous.
I think Koetge’s treatment of the gay uncle and the psudo-survivalist friend are the most interesting and I would love to sit Ron down and ask him about these characters. This book didn’t win any awards because it doesn’t deserve any. It’s just a good book that raises some issues (respectfully) and sets out to tell a story that teens can either A) relate to or B) learn a little something from. YA literature could use a little more Koetge, if you ask me.
Anyway, this was classic Koetge, circa 1988. I think it says something that Candlewick was willing to rerelease this book in 2005. This book that doesn’t have cell phones. This book about a kid who spends the summer trying to be a cowboy in Tucson. This book about a boy living with his gay uncle who is dealing with what it meant to be a gay man in the 1980s. This book that has some sex, some drugs, and absolutely no rock and roll…by which I mean it’s genuine and not in the least bit edgy or trendy or scandalous.
I think Koetge’s treatment of the gay uncle and the psudo-survivalist friend are the most interesting and I would love to sit Ron down and ask him about these characters. This book didn’t win any awards because it doesn’t deserve any. It’s just a good book that raises some issues (respectfully) and sets out to tell a story that teens can either A) relate to or B) learn a little something from. YA literature could use a little more Koetge, if you ask me.
December 1, 2016
Charming coming of age story about a young guy who spends the summer in Arizona with his gay uncle and the denizens of a seedy run down race track where he's got a summer job.
In many ways this is a typical story of the teen virgin and the summer he finally gets laid and still it's well worth the time that it took to read it. The characters are likeable and real. The dialogue is cheeky and funny and the situations ring true.
I first went to the track with my father when I was less than 10 and have been a racing enthusiast ever since. This milieu has its own strange traditions and mysteries and we get to see a bit of that here but its mostly background. The real story is a short young guy who learns that he's tall enough when it counts. He also learns a bit about making love, friendship, acceptance and self confidence. Overall this is a healthy enjoyable read with an accent on the good times and surprisingly free of the pathos and tragic aspects of so many teen reads.
In many ways this is a typical story of the teen virgin and the summer he finally gets laid and still it's well worth the time that it took to read it. The characters are likeable and real. The dialogue is cheeky and funny and the situations ring true.
I first went to the track with my father when I was less than 10 and have been a racing enthusiast ever since. This milieu has its own strange traditions and mysteries and we get to see a bit of that here but its mostly background. The real story is a short young guy who learns that he's tall enough when it counts. He also learns a bit about making love, friendship, acceptance and self confidence. Overall this is a healthy enjoyable read with an accent on the good times and surprisingly free of the pathos and tragic aspects of so many teen reads.
October 14, 2007
An older title that you don't see around much anymore, but I'm sure it still holds up well. An issue novel (the main character's uncle is gay) and a sweet love story from the boy's POV. This was one of the first new novels that I read as a new YA librarian in the 90's, and I loved it. An old favorite booktalk, but I haven't used it in a long time.
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October 12, 2011i dont think this book is interesting. I dont find it interesting because theres nothing fun it talks about. im not saying is bad but im not saing is really good . i tink is just not my type of book i would be interested on . But those who like cowboy things then i recommend this for you .
January 8, 2021
Εντελώς παραπλανητική η κατηγοριοποίηση αυτού μέτριου young adult βιβλίου στα LGBT θεματικής. Υπάρχει ένας cool γκέυ θείος, που σαν χαρακτήρας δεν αναπτύσσεται καν και ελάχιστα μαθαίνουμε για τη ζωή και τις ανάγκες του. Αντίθετα ακολουθούμε την ιστορία του straight 16χρονου ανιψιού του, στον δρόμο του ξεπαρθενιάσματος, του σελώματος αλόγων και του κόσμου του τζόγου στον ιππόδρομο. Κάποια στιγμή ο Koertge το λέει καθαρά: ο ήρωας του, ο Billy Kennedy, δεν είχε πια ανάγκη να διαβάσει τα βιβλία που έφερε από το σπίτι του. Τώρα πια ζούσε ο ίδιος το δικό του βιβλίο και αυτό είναι το ωραίο με την young adult λογοτεχνία, το πως δηλαδή οι πρώτες εμπειρίες, οι πρώτοι έρωτες, η πρώτη εργασία, οι άνθρωποι που γνωρίζεις στα δεκαέξι σου αποκτούν στη συνείδηση του ήρωα, αλλά και του αναγνώστη, τη μοναδικότητα και σπουδαιότητα τους. Εννοείται πάντα υπάρχει και η αίσθηση ενός απέραντου μέλλοντος για τον ήρωα μας, ενός μέλλοντος για το οποίο ποτέ δεν θα μάθουμε κάτι (εκτός αν έχει sequel).
Καλογραμμένο και αστείο, αλλά ελάχιστο σαν βιβλίο. Έχει ταλαιπωρηθεί από τη λογοκρισία στην Αμερική λόγω της πολύ καλής και ρεαλιστικής απεικόνισης του ετεροφυλόφιλου εφηβικού σεξ. Διαβάζεται γρήγορα και ξεχνιέται μάλλον το ίδιο εύκολα.
Καλογραμμένο και αστείο, αλλά ελάχιστο σαν βιβλίο. Έχει ταλαιπωρηθεί από τη λογοκρισία στην Αμερική λόγω της πολύ καλής και ρεαλιστικής απεικόνισης του ετεροφυλόφιλου εφηβικού σεξ. Διαβάζεται γρήγορα και ξεχνιέται μάλλον το ίδιο εύκολα.
October 7, 2019
Okay, so The Arizona Kid is another coming of age short novel about Billy, a boy's spending the summer of his sixteen years at his uncle's town, somewhere in the west, where everyone knows everyone. Another summer story, about another boy growing up and falling in love with a local girl, and getting to know his gay uncle better.
Nothing really special about it, except for the fact it's about horses and races, which made me imagine reading Brockbeck Mountain for some reason, perhaps of the rodeo stuff. Yeah, I don't really get the point of this book. Nothing happened and it was so casual, so gloomy. It was also pretty strange. For example, the fact Billy is falling in love with this Cara Mea girl, but it doesn't really seem true to me, considering him being very much feminite.
It was also so, very much short. Too short. I didn't stood a chance of getting to know the characters, or to get involved with the story, or to be frightened of the villens, which were probably the two boys. It was going too smooth, his love story to the girl, and his friendships to Lew, and his relationship with his uncle. Not even a drama.
So what was to point?
Nothing really special about it, except for the fact it's about horses and races, which made me imagine reading Brockbeck Mountain for some reason, perhaps of the rodeo stuff. Yeah, I don't really get the point of this book. Nothing happened and it was so casual, so gloomy. It was also pretty strange. For example, the fact Billy is falling in love with this Cara Mea girl, but it doesn't really seem true to me, considering him being very much feminite.
It was also so, very much short. Too short. I didn't stood a chance of getting to know the characters, or to get involved with the story, or to be frightened of the villens, which were probably the two boys. It was going too smooth, his love story to the girl, and his friendships to Lew, and his relationship with his uncle. Not even a drama.
So what was to point?
August 25, 2018
Gentle kind coming of age story.
November 24, 2024
Very good YA book.
Billy spends his summer with his gay uncle in the West.
Billy spends his summer with his gay uncle in the West.
May 21, 2008
Don't be fooled by the stiff, slow opening chapter. The Arizona Kid speeds up and warms up quickly. I have to wonder if the opening style is calculated, because the main character's personality follows the style of the book. Beware as you read, because the book takes an honest, unexpected, and humorous approach to sex, homosexuality, and survivalists. If you're dead set against the first two, or one of the third, this isn't the book for you.
The main character is eminently embraceable - he's the type of guy to hold your hair when you throw up and say no when he doesn't have a condom in his pocket, which means he's not only rare, he's practically endangered. And he's 16, which means that he's either the most well-adjusted teenager in the universe, or he reads a little older than intended. The gay uncle is an amazing, well-rounded, hilarious, real person, and that's a nice change. Often, writers work too hard to make people who are different seem the same, but that doesn't happen in this book.
My only complaint about the book is the main character's girlfriend. She's weak and moody and... well, there's no other way to say this, though I hesitate to apply the term to a woman because I think it's trite... but she's easy. She doesn't change and grow through the course of the book, but the main character is still infatuated with her. The other woman in the book is a bimbo, too, and that bugs me.
If you like horses, a little soupcon of sex, and stories about growing up, this is the book for you.
The main character is eminently embraceable - he's the type of guy to hold your hair when you throw up and say no when he doesn't have a condom in his pocket, which means he's not only rare, he's practically endangered. And he's 16, which means that he's either the most well-adjusted teenager in the universe, or he reads a little older than intended. The gay uncle is an amazing, well-rounded, hilarious, real person, and that's a nice change. Often, writers work too hard to make people who are different seem the same, but that doesn't happen in this book.
My only complaint about the book is the main character's girlfriend. She's weak and moody and... well, there's no other way to say this, though I hesitate to apply the term to a woman because I think it's trite... but she's easy. She doesn't change and grow through the course of the book, but the main character is still infatuated with her. The other woman in the book is a bimbo, too, and that bugs me.
If you like horses, a little soupcon of sex, and stories about growing up, this is the book for you.
January 22, 2016
“The Arizona Kid” by Ron Koertge is about a boy, Billy a normal teenager. He wants to fit in with the wild west type atmosphere cowboy boots, tan and hat. While visiting his uncle Wes for the whole summer, without his parents. Billy gets a job at a horse race track where he meets Cara Mae the first girl he has a real connection with as friends and even more. As the summer goes on he also becomes friends with Lew who also works at the track. By the end of the book he is over his head when he makes a bet.
I really liked the book because it is intended for an older reader. When I first started the book I could tell it wasn’t PG. I wouldn’t recommend it someone who isn’t mature enough for the content, the book definitely has strong language. It shows how a boy became a man by working a job all summer and saving money for college. He is growing up and soon won’t depend on his parents so much. So it is relatable to anybody coming to the same age. As you can imagine it is in the perspective of a boy teenager, so for most other boys you will be able to relate to what Billy thinks and does and how he carries himself. You might also still like if you are interested in a romantic-ish kinda love story but beware. Overall it was a good book and would recommend to mature readers.
I really liked the book because it is intended for an older reader. When I first started the book I could tell it wasn’t PG. I wouldn’t recommend it someone who isn’t mature enough for the content, the book definitely has strong language. It shows how a boy became a man by working a job all summer and saving money for college. He is growing up and soon won’t depend on his parents so much. So it is relatable to anybody coming to the same age. As you can imagine it is in the perspective of a boy teenager, so for most other boys you will be able to relate to what Billy thinks and does and how he carries himself. You might also still like if you are interested in a romantic-ish kinda love story but beware. Overall it was a good book and would recommend to mature readers.
December 30, 2012
I had to read this book for my banned/challenged books project, and overall thought it wasn't a bad read. It wasn't life changing or amazing in any way, but it wasn't horrible either. I liked seeing Billy's transformation from the beginning to the end and the new experiences he encounters. The ending was very predictable, however, and I thought Koertge left a lot of problems hanging. As for the subject matter, I could see why the book has been challenged. I thought it was fine for kids high school-aged and up, but I know many people would have issues with some of the sexual content when teaching this book in schools.
October 5, 2016
Yet another coming of age story about 16-year-old Billy who has moved to Tuscon to spend the summer with his gay uncle who has arranged for him to have a job on a racetrack so he can figure out whether he has the aptitude to become a vet. Short and bright he comes with certain self-confidence issues hardly helped when he faints in the heat after getting off the train.
The subject matter is rather mature for YA though we are spared the profanity that would obviously be the argot of a backstretch. We do get immersed in the jargon of horse racing and betting and confront HIV and teenage sex. Uncle Wes is the kind of friend every boy should have as a mentor.
The subject matter is rather mature for YA though we are spared the profanity that would obviously be the argot of a backstretch. We do get immersed in the jargon of horse racing and betting and confront HIV and teenage sex. Uncle Wes is the kind of friend every boy should have as a mentor.
August 2, 2011
I picked this up at the library because I remembered reading the first few pages while waiting in line to see Neil Gaiman a while back and I wanted to know what happened. A sweet, coming-of-age, teen romance with a sympathetic teen boy protagonist, and a pretty awesome female love interest who happens to be a really determined, talented rodeo rider. And I liked that the protagonists' mentor in this case was his gay uncle, who's fleshed out as a character in the interactions he has with his nephew.
June 28, 2014
A coming-of-age story about a 16 year-old boy who's spending a summer away from home, working at a horse track in Tucson. Subjects appropriate for the age are discussed openly and often, including: body image, first love, losing your virginity, masturbation, homosexuality and AIDS, drinking and drugs, first job and first car, etc. I'm going to recommend it to my friends who have tween boys with the caution that they should read it first and decide if they're ready for their child to be thinking about these things and probably asking questions.
July 8, 2012
When I received this copy from the library, its looks turned me off and I almost returned it unread. GASP! Then I realized a librarian judging a book by its cover is heresy. I'm so glad I read it. I enjoyed the relationships among the characters and the maturation of the main characters. An enjoyable read, so don't let the artwork on the paperback's cover make you shy away.
January 22, 2013
I feel as though Koertge couldn't really decide what story he wanted to tell/what issues he really wanted to address, and so he wrote an adequate novel that hop-scotched between a number of large ideas without really addressing any of them at length. There's nothing wrong with this, and it's a perfectly fine book, and it's possible that I'm judging a YA novel too harshly.
May 7, 2008
Excellent young adult read. Young adult needs to be old enough to read about sex and drugs, but the sex and drugs are handled in a realistic but beneficial manner - if you know what i mean. A 16 year old would enjoy the story and be better off for having read it.
April 16, 2010
I really liked this. The characters were great and the writing was simple and pure. I think Koertge is a fantastic author. I can see some of the controversy regarding this but I think there are much worse things out there.
July 22, 2012
not actually a lesbian book, but a gay uncle book. one of the best stories of what most people's actual experience with homosexuality is like. a wonderful story with excellent characters. of course, i love ron koertge every time.
Read
January 3, 2013Argh, YA book that is teaching acceptance of gay uncles by showing kids that being a fag is all about trying desperately to not get AIDS. Nice one.
I did enjoy all the talk of cowboy boots and denim shirts with snaps. And the teen sex, duh.
I did enjoy all the talk of cowboy boots and denim shirts with snaps. And the teen sex, duh.
Want to read
April 25, 2009#80 on the ALA Banned Book list- I suspect because of the gay uncle...
March 7, 2011
This book is one of my favorites and I recommend it to all.
October 23, 2013
Good read!
Read
April 6, 2019I've remembered bits of this book a few times over the last 30ish years since I read it as a kid. A couple weeks ago I finally searched for a few plot points, found it, and decided to revisit. It holds up well enough!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews