The Gay Teen's Guide to Defeating a Siren: Sanctuary

by Cody Wagner

Three months have passed since Sanctuary was shut down, and Blaize is still struggling to accept the Siren’s identity. It’s emotional hell, but that doesn’t stop the government from using him and his special ability. They’ve hidden Blaize in a secret military base, with the sole purpose of capturing the single largest threat in the world. Someone he once called a friend.

Before they can stop her, the Siren strikes, using her power to steal a secret weapon. Worse, she sets her master plan in motion, turning thousands into slaves in a twisted experiment to purify the world.

Now, Blaize must retaliate, but the line between friend and enemy becomes blurred when the Siren returns home. There, Blaize will have to confront his past and sacrifice someone he loves, or everything he’s fought for will be lost.

Lucky for Blaize, he wields the ultimate weapon—being gay. And he’s better at it than ever.

Genres: Young Adult

398 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2021

About the author

Cody Wagner loves to sing, mime (not really), and create. He writes about topics ranging from superpowers to trees that can spell. His debut novel, The Gay Teen’s Guide to Defeating a Siren, was recently released. He’s handing out cookie dough to everyone who grabs a copy. Check out his writing and see more of his wackiness at www.wagner-writer.com or follow him on Twitter @cfjwagner.

Reviews

[Jacqueline Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm lucky enough to have received an ARC from the author. This in no way influences my review.

Let me start off by saying that I love this series. For a number of reasons. The first is that it's genuinely FUNNY. I feel like there are a lot of books out there that try to be funny, and several succeed, but few make me laugh out loud like the TGTGTDAS series. And the thing about Mr. Wagner's humor is that it's effortless. I seriously don't think he's even trying to be funny. He just IS funny and that's something I just love about his books. I also love that this series is so ORIGINAL. Yes, there are common tropes (a boarding school that feels like home, a quirky, unlikely hero who obtains supernatural powers, etc...) but I can't think of another story out there that takes a gay teen, sends him to a sanctuary disguised as a pray-the-gay-away-school, have him encounter a literal SIREN straight out of Greek mythology, all the while learning what it's like to be loved and accepted and to learn to love himself. I truly think this series would make an AMAZING graphic novel or Netflix series. It's so colorful, there's so much action, so many wonderful characters... and once again it is truly unique.

Now, onto the third book/series finale itself. WOW. What a wrap-up. Honestly, after the way the second book ended, I had NO IDEA how Mr. Wagner was going to write his way to a satisfying conclusion. And to be honest? He left me guessing the ENTIRE TIME. Right up to the end. I feel like I can't tell you just WHAT kept me guessing without giving away major spoilers for both this book and the previous, but I will tell you that this final installment had mystery, action, romance, a few scenes that will make you cringe because what's happening just sounds so awful and painful, and a deeper exploration into Blaize's relationship with his family. I loved that, by the way. I especially love his relationship with his little sister, Molly, who is a tiny little badass. Oh! And another thing that's neat about this book? You get to read a few chapters from the Siren's perspective and find out her backstory. The first two books are told purely from Blaize's first person perspective, but Mr Wagner gives us some bonus insight and history with the Siren's chapters.

All in all, I love this series. And I wish nothing but the best for Mr. Wagner as he embarks on his next writing adventure, whatever that may be! I pretty much already know I'm going to love it.