An Ordinary Boy

by Brian Centrone

Tom Grove's family is rich, his grandparents are famous, and he's beautiful. He can have anything he wants, but all Tom really wants is to be an ordinary boy. Like his best friend, Marissa, Tom wants to fit in, make friends and date sexy boys. It would also help if he could be free of his father's weighty expectations, his mother's insane demands, and his older brother's snide remarks. When Tom begins his first year of college, he believes he's going to come out and start a new life. But Tom's plan to come out of the closet and meet hot college boys isn't exactly foolproof. His new roommate is a straight jock, the gay club at school is made up of outcasts, and the lines between going out to dinner and a date are blurry at best. If that wasn't a challenge enough, Tom has to learn how to navigate drunken college parties, the campus social hierarchy, and the attentions of the wrong sort of boys. What begins as a journey to independence turns into a series of mishaps, love, heartache, soul searching, awkward situations and the realization that life is less like an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog and more like the everyday low prices of Wal-Mart. And to make matters worse, he still has to make it through freshman year.

Genres: Gay, M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, College, LGBT, Novels

342 pages, Paperback

First published February 23, 2013

About the author

Brian Centrone is the author of the novel An Ordinary Boy and the short story collections I Voted for Biddy Schumacher: Mismatched Tales from the Mind of Brian Centrone and Erotica. Four of his One-Act plays have been produced for the stage as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ The Big Read program. His writing has appeared in numerous anthologies, literary and arts journals, newspapers, and online. He is the Co-Founder and Publisher of New Lit Salon Press as well as the co-editor of Southern Gothic: New Tales from the South and the editor of Salon Style: Fiction, Poetry & Art. In addition to his writing and publisher career, Brian Centrone is an Adjunct Professor. He has taught creative writing, composition, and literature at the Massillon Museum, SUNY/Westchester Community College, New York University, and Pace University. In 2015, Brian Centrone was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. Brian holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Fordham University (New York), and a M.A. in Creative Writing (the Novel) from The Centre for New Writing at The University of Manchester (UK). Visit Brian at briancentrone.com, like him on facebook.com/briancentroneauthor, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter at @briancentrone.

Reviews

[Brian Centrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved writing this book and I hope you will love reading it.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Brian Centrone’s “An Ordinary Boy” was like looking back at pieces of my life as I came out and navigated the foggy paths of what it meant to be gay. However, in my world acceptance and tolerance was still in its infancy and yet many of the attitudes are still the same.

I primarily read gay romance and have always appreciated the “happily ever after,” yet I felt like this was the perfect ending to Tom’s journey at this point in his young life. His road to self-discovery will no doubt prepare him for that eventual love of his life.

Some parts of the book were very difficult to read, not because they were poorly written. Quite the opposite, because they were right on the mark. It’s one thing to experience judgment from people you shouldn’t have to such as family and friends, but to experience judgment from people within your own identity.

I am very glad I took a chance with this novel since it was such a departure from what I normally read. It made me appreciate the events and experiences of my youth which made me the man I am today.

Well done Brian, this is an excellent debut novel.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

"One Boy's Journey Toward Maturity"

This story deals with a young boy just graduating for high school and entering his first year of college. It is a very moving story told in a very compassionate way with wit and seriousness. As you start reading this story you will see how very immature Tom Grove is and by the time it ends, you will see how he has matured with more self confidence. Tom Grove and his parents are moving his belongings into his college dormitory. He is the youngest of the children, having one sister and two older brothers, and having a very frivolous, commanding mother. His family is well off, his grandmother a Tony Award winner in theatre. Tom's roommate is from Montana, having earned a football scholarship. Tom's goal is that of his family's wishes: to become a lawyer. Tom is still in the closet as to being homosexual. Except for his very best friend, Marissa Swank, who has always been there for him to help him along his way in discovering himself, and his worth. Being away from home and at college gives Tom a false confidence about coming out by going to the campus LGBT&F (friends) meeting. He not only embarrasses himself but also feels there might be a couple of witches from the meeting out after him (thus he carries a crucifix in one pocket, salt packets in another). During this early experience he is under so much stress, discomfort, anxiety, fear, and soon some paranoia. He has yet to meet someone who can mentor him along what seems to be a barren path. This story reminds me of the movie "Home For The Holidays" directed by Jodi Foster starring Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. When families come together, there is chaos and humor. The story is well written, characters are captivating and unique, story line is candid and engaging. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this story about the complexities one goes through finding their true self and place in the world.

[Marni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish to thank the authors publicist, Liz Donatelli, for providing me a copy of this book for review.

This is a contemporary LGBT New Adult novel. It's the first I've really read that truly centered on more than just on one aspect of the community. The book started out a bit dry, college freshman, knows he's a homosexual but hasn't come out to anyone but his best friend. The first several chapters of the book were nearly monotone and I wasn't sure where it was going to go. As soon as he comes out to his family, BAM, the story picks up and cruises right along.

It was interesting to see the character development and evolution of Tom. From quiet Ivy League type to deciding that he had enough of not being able to be the person he is and breaking through the walls that he had put up around himself. The selfish mistakes he made, the friendships made and lost and renewed. Coming to grips with his sexuality full circle. Dealing with the ignorance and coming out a better person.

Getting to know Tom, I did feel that the author went completely off course with him at a point and don't feel that the Tom we are presented with and learn about and grow to care for would have treated himself as poorly as he did with a certain partner. I found that particular area a bit distasteful and totally unlike what this person would have done. It was completely out of character and just didn't jive right with the history and self respect I had been presented with as a reader.

Get past the monotone areas, the areas that just don't seem to flow and you will find that all in all, this is a good story and one that needs to be heard. It gives the straight reader an understanding of the hesitation of those who are LGBT have with society and hopefully opens the eyes of readers who are educating themselves into acceptance, understanding and caring. I recommend this to everyone 16 and older.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things I disliked/issues/etc. - I'm a total romantic and an absolute sucker for HEAs. This book did not have a bad ending, not at all, but there wasn't an exact and real happily ever after for Tom either. I would love a sequel and to see Tom eventually get his HEA. There were a few grammatical errors, but nothing major. I didn't like how Matt or Isaac handled Tom losing his virginity. I felt it was more of a crime than a first time or a true betrayal. For God's sakes, the dude kept drugging him. I think that maybe this issue was being avoided as a focal point of the book, and I understand that. But, I also don't like that it was considered cheating (and I HATE cheating, so if he really cheated in my eyes, I'd be griping about that too) or that the blame was placed entirely on Tom and not on Dan, which is where I feel it belongs.

Okay, I know I did an awful lot of griping to have rated this book 5 stars. I only had 3 gripes though, 2 of which were minor. I did really love this book. And, I rate on first impressions right after I read a book. This book feels like a 5 so it's getting a 5.

Where was I? Oh yeah, I REALLY liked this book. Even the parts that were sad or didn't work out the way I wanted them to had a vital part in the story and added to the realism of the book. The characters were vivid and beautifully done. I'm slightly in love with Gran now. I was happy for Tom at the end. I felt that he had fought a great battle and made it to the other side. He ended up more comfortable with himself and less likely to let another person define him or direct him. I hope Mr. Centrone writes more novels. The writing was absolutely wonderful. I have seriously only encountered a handful of authors who have written so well.

[Gregory Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those years when we come into our own can be some of the most judgmental times in our lives. In this coming of age novel, Centrone has his gay protagonist dealing with judgement from all angles: from outside and inside the gay community. Anyone who has come out of the closet has their own story and "An Ordinary Boy" takes the reader right back to that time they came into their own when love could happen over night and our girlfriends always had the best advice. Centrone has such a wonderful way with description that readers will be pulled right into his world which is anything but ordinary. I will admit to my own judgements and preconceived notion of what a Brian Centrone novel would be from his twitter persona. Boy, was I wrong. His ordinary boy is one that many men will find themselves relating to and I'm thankful to him for giving us a gay character that falls outside the "acceptable norm".

[meep · Rating 2 out of 5]

messy and dramatic 0.0

[Gwendolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was hard to rate. I liked it but there were some mistakes and plot holes. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4.

[Casey Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOTE: Brian Centrone is a good friend and colleague of mine. However, this is an honest review.

Coming of age stores can be very tricky. First off, everyone will have had their own experience. On the surface, that should only be a minor problem. However, what REALLY starts to get tricky is that people have a habit of assuming that everyone’s early life is exactly like their own. Such an attitude is forgivable in the young. It can become nauseating when people get a bit older. In writing, I find it almost insufferable. One of many remarkable things about this fine debut novel, is that it totally avoids the pitfall of assuming all lives are pretty much identical. Mr. Centrone IS indeed focused on a particular kind of growing up, but he manages to be aware that it is not universal and yet still find the universal qualities about anyone’s coming of age. The fact that he does all this and keeps the book funny, moving and occasionally exciting, is almost miraculous.

The protagonist, Tom Grove, is gay and from a wealthy family. A number of readers might assume that one or both of these attributes make him someone they cannot identify with. They would be dead wrong. Sure, there are aspects of Tom’s life that are particular to him but Centrone depicts him groping his way to adulthood among others. Through this, while not ignoring differences, he manages to isolate those things that bring us together when we are growing up, especially in college. These include, making friends different from those we are used to, maintaining earlier ties, learning about people from diverse backgrounds, communicating our emerging selves to our families, seeing how we might be immature but holding fast to what makes us individuals and, most poignantly, experiencing new freedoms with romance and sexuality. While we spend most of our time with Tom Grove as he manages these (and other) pitfalls of growing up, we observe his life in context with others and understand all of them better for it. Even if you’re nothing like Tom Grove, you’re likely to find yourself nodding in familiarity through several scenes of humor, heartbreak or both.

For me, the most uncanny moment came fairly early on when Tom attends a party. While I don’t want to give too much away, let me talk about the scene’s essence and remarkable insight and power. There is a moment when Tom is talking to two other young gay men about another pair of young gay men. Let me explain that I am gay and first came out at college myself. My experience was nothing like Tom’s or the people he is talking to. It was somewhat like the people they are talking about. While I could not identify with the protagonist in that scene, I COULD identify with the scene itself. In fact, I was almost overwhelmed by several memories that were practically identical (sometimes literally, sometimes in spirit) to what Centrone so sharply describes. I could not identify with Tom but I recognized him. I recognized the people he speaks to. And I both recognized and identified with the people they observe. For the first time, I started to see some past events from my own life more objectively, rather than just through my own eyes, colored by my own emotions. What Centrone pulls off here is what great fiction is made of. Large parts of the novel are, by design, lighter than this and that’s great. Light does not mean inferior. However, it will be interesting to see if Mr. Centrone decides to turn his fine observational skills to weightier matters in the future.

Another phenomenal aspect of this novel is its treatment of gay characters. As a gay man, I often avoid gay themed novels, movies and TV shows. They frequently insist on portraying gay life in one, media-approved dimension. Here, we finally get a look at the great diversity and variety among LGBT people. Tom is as far from a stereotype as you can get and he is vastly different from the other men in the book who share his sexuality. For young readers in particular, it will be affirming and liberating to read a book that avoids tunnel vision so well.

Be warned, there are characters you are going to want to smack throughout the course of this book! That’s part of youth and Centrone pulls no punches in that regard. I would urge readers who feel this way to keep going. A whole lot gets learned and a great deal of growing occurs. There are a few characters you never stop wanting to smack (Tom’s mother, for one) but isn’t that true in real life? Not everyone learns their lesson but most of us do, more or less, over the course of our lives. Mr. Centrone gives us a clear-eyed but never less than heartfelt look at one young man’s journey to the beginning of maturity.

[Gavin Stephenson-Jackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to be ordinary when you've come from anything but an unordinary life. This is Tom's problem as he heads off to college. He comes from a monied family, he has clothes and more shoes than he knows what to do with, he's good looking, and gay. As he leaves with the hope of a new life, an ordinary life, where he can come out and be himself. Starting college also means leaving his best friend and confidante, Marissa at a different school. Tom finds coming out difficult when his roommate turns out to be a straight jock and the campus GSA is full of very ordinary people, not the image in his mind. When he tells his family his secret he finds his father distant and although his mother is initially shocked she secretly sets him up with the "right" kind of boyfriend. Through a series of mishaps Tom experiences many aspects of life and first love and lust. A lesson in reality in this read, though I do wish it had included him actually getting a test for HIV after his first risky sexual encounter rather than just thinking about it and delaying the test. Learning what you want out of a relationship is important but so is being safe.

[Sarika Patkotwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating- 3.5

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of An Ordinary Boy by Brian Centrone from Liz @ Liz D Publicity & Promotions in exchange for an honest review. We thank Liz and Brian for the book!

An Ordinary Boy begins with the protagonist Thomas Joseph Grove moving into his school dorm and getting everything arranged with the help of his parents. Tom is looking forward to life at school away from home where he can freely be gay and enjoy being gay.
The book started out as being very Young Adult to me and then later, when Tom experiences love for the first time, faces the dilemmas of being in a relationship, starts exploring the homosexual world and understanding it's complexities, that's when the book truly becomes New Adult. Really, this is a proper New Adult book with it's share of drama and explicit sex scenes.
On the one hand, I loved to see Tom grow as a person by getting first hand experience of the rather complex LGBT world. He joins the school's LGBT&F (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Friends) group and realises there are people just like him out there. With help from his fellow group members, Tom finally comes out of the closet and tells his family he's gay during the holidays. The group members were each quite interesting on their own and the sessions/ meetings they had were good to read about.
Most of the family members take the news of Tom being gay in a very cooperative, diplomatic and encouraging manner. The importance given to family was the best part about the book. I've said it before that a strong family is what's lacking in YA/ NA novels these days so when there is one, it's so refreshing and real. Although some of the family members seemed shallow and self-centered, the rest were fun to have around and I enjoyed reading about the family drama, holidays and celebrations.
Tom's best friend Marissa was an eccentric girl who was always there for Tom and helped him throughout, even when the poor girl was trying to solve her own problems. My most favourite person, however, was Tom's room mate, Joey. He was a great friend to Tom, a relationship Tom was in dire need of, in my opinion. Joey was super mad at Tom for hiding his sexuality from him especially since Joey had to find it out by walking into something he wish he hadn't. Later, Joey tries to get back to Tom and makes things right between them and I admired him for that. Coincidentally, Marissa and Joey become a couple somewhere along the way and they were adorable together. They helped Tom a lot and it was wonderful to see.
On the other hand, however, I had some serious problems with Tom's relationships. From the moment his first boyfriend comes into his life, I had an off and negative feeling about him. It was clear Matt wasn't treating Tom the way he deserved to be treated, but I guess that's it about first love. We want to believe everything is right when in reality, it's not. Then comes that one incident Tom experiences with this guy called Dan. Something about Dan screamed Trouble with a capital T and in my eyes, what happened there was clearly a rape. But then again, everyone will have a different way of looking at it. Tom really hurt his fellow group member Darren by ignoring him and I had a feeling he would end up with Isaac, his friend and mentor, but that never happened.
Most importantly, I couldn't see what each of the guys wanted out of the relationships. This book has taught me that a gay relationship is like any other relationship that comes with problems, those little flowers and gift exchanges and the relationship status updates on Facebook. Tom seemed to want a steady and strong relationship, but honestly, the other guys looked like all they wanted out of any relationship was sex.
An Ordinary Boy ends on a very lovely note with Tom being at peace with himself and having learned a lifetime of lessons from his overwhelming foray into gay relationships for his future journeys. Author Brian Centrone's writing was very neat and simple and he did a wonderful job of portraying the difficulties, hardships and nuances faced by a young homosexual man who just wants to fit in and enjoy his sexuality.
In spite of the few issues I had with the book, I really liked reading it in general and overall found it to be a very good book that's had me thinking about it since I finished reading which is a good thing because it only means the book has had an impact, like most LGBT books do, and that's the reason behind the long, long review. All I can conclude is that all readers will look at this book with a different point of view. For me, it was more of a coming-of-age novel that was well done.

[John Ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 *

This boy is anything but ordinary. Have you ever wonder what would happen if Gossip Girl, Project Runway and Mean Girls would merge into one? Well, here it is. Don’t get me wrong, people. I loved this novel, but I just couldn’t understand or relate to Tom.

Tom comes from a rich family. His grandparents are really famous, his sister is becoming famous, and he’s sexy and hot. What more could he want in life? To be an ordinary boy and live a normal life. That’s okay with me. But you must know that you can’t since your social status will follow you everywhere you go. Just be you and live life. Screw the world! However, I get Tom to an extent. He wants to be normal and escape from his superficial reality. But, I got to be honest; Tom comes out as a little bit shallow throughout the novel. When he sees or meets someone, he judges their clothes, shoes, etc. That’s shallow to me and he wants to be normal? Anyways, there were a few grammatical errors, but nothing out of this world. There wasn’t a happily ever after so I hope there is a sequel in the works.

All in all, I liked this novel. Yes, it had a few flaws, but I still liked it because we get to see a new fresh voice for the LGBTQ community who is not afraid to try new things and lead us into a brand new world.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Grove is looking forward to his first year of college. Among many opportunities, the one he can't wait for the most is the chance to explore his sexuality. He's read online about how much easier it is to be gay and find a guy on a college campus. But things aren't exactly as easy as Tom expected. And for someone who isn't used to being out, the idea of when and how to tell those close to him has Tom thrown for a complete loop. Can Tom survive despite his hot but straight roommate, the campus gay club, his overbearing mother, and his best friend who seems to keep disappearing for weeks at time?

Talk about a wild ride. This went in so many directions that I never expected when I first picked it up. And the twists kept right on coming as I worked my way through the book. But every one of those twists seemed to work, and they helped bring the story to a great conclusion. Tom's journey feels authentic and I found myself engaged as a reader right to the end...

[Andy Kunz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was very reminiscent of my coming out and my freshman year of college. This book was very relatable in the sense of the struggles of coming out. I loved the story and the development of Tom's character. It goes to show that in just a year someone can go through so much and still prosper. I loved the lesson in that you must try and find yourself before you find yourself with others. I wish someone had told me that before I had started college rather than realizing it by the age of 21. I really liked this book and most likely will read it again. Who knows, maybe I might take some learn something and apply it to my life.

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very nice read! After having read perhaps too many high school situated books, it was a refreshment to read something that happens at university setting. I liked the story and the issues the main character Tom dealt with. These issues include: coming out, first boy friend, acceptance, how to tell a best friend, looking for the ideal love in your life and how to deal with Big Mistakes in Life. The story is not finished and I think that many readers would like to read about how things develop further with Tom, so I hope a next book will follow!

[Liz Donatelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Ordinary Boy, tells the story of a gay college freshman, Tom, whose coming-of-age transition is complicated by his decision to come out, not just to his family, but to himself. As Tom adjusts to his “new” reality, he faces his own gay prejudices and sheds his Abercrombie & Fitch dating delusions.

I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid, true-to-life characters and Tom's heartfelt and humorous interactions with his family.

[Drewciffer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Best way to describe this book? Awful. Even ignoring all the typos (there were many) this book just dragged on and on. If it weren't for author telling you each time someone was speaking, I'd never be able to tell them apart. No character; flat dialogue. It was a chore to get through. Pass.

[Montgomery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tom's character just wasn't believable. I began to feel I was reading a 19th century novel about a vapid and silly young lady.