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Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend
(Belle #1)
by
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF NEED AND CAPTIVATE
Winner of the 2008 Maine Literary Award! Dylan is Belle's true love-maybe even her soulmate. Until one day when Dylan drops the ultimate bomb; he's gay. Where, Belle wonders, does that leave her? And how will the rest of their small town deal with an openly gay Homecoming King? This beautifully written debut e ...more
Winner of the 2008 Maine Literary Award! Dylan is Belle's true love-maybe even her soulmate. Until one day when Dylan drops the ultimate bomb; he's gay. Where, Belle wonders, does that leave her? And how will the rest of their small town deal with an openly gay Homecoming King? This beautifully written debut e ...more
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Hardcover, 278 pages
Published
May 8th 2007
by Flux
(first published May 1st 2007)
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Start your review of Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend (Belle, #1)

This is why I cannot finish this book:
Page 24: [Em's] always taking pictures ever since her dad died.
Page 40: Em started taking pictures a couple years ago when her father died.
Is the reader that stupid that he or she needs to be reminded why Em takes a lot of pictures? This [lack of editor presence] annoys me. I may have been able to overlook it and continue reading if I found the protagonist a teeny bit sympathetic. Instead, I kept thinking "Get over it! You're 17! You're going to date dozens ...more
Page 24: [Em's] always taking pictures ever since her dad died.
Page 40: Em started taking pictures a couple years ago when her father died.
Is the reader that stupid that he or she needs to be reminded why Em takes a lot of pictures? This [lack of editor presence] annoys me. I may have been able to overlook it and continue reading if I found the protagonist a teeny bit sympathetic. Instead, I kept thinking "Get over it! You're 17! You're going to date dozens ...more

Something about this book just did not work for me. I was annoyed at all the gay stereotypes embodied in her gay ex, I mean, he loves STREISAND?! What a cliche. Also, I didn't like how the character gets her heart broken and immediately has another boy there to catch her when she falls (literally, because she has a fainting problem...). I liked the idea of the book, but that's about it.
...more

I liked the title more than the book. The characters were pretty flat and the book was rather slow. The plot was minimal and could have been better developed. It was pretty unrealistic that she got over her boyfriend of two years in about two days. I liked the lists though. And......uhm I can't actually think of much else I liked. Fairly adequate description of 15 year old maturity and thought process....except the characters were 17......
...more

I couldn't even finish this one, which is saying a lot, because I finish nearly everything, no matter how bad. Characters didn't make sense, I couldn't relate to the narrator, and the plot became way too predictable in an unrealistic and unsatisfying way, so I just quit. This is going back to the library posthaste.
...more

as usual carrie jones has done a bang up job of writing a whole load of crap.
forget about the characters, forget about the gay ex boyfriend, forget about the intriguing title and book cover/collage thing they've got going on. put the book back down, remove it from your wishlist. click the tiny (x) on the top right corner of the web page. DO IT NOW!
basically do whatever you have to do to avoid the torture that is reading this vile excuse for YA Literature.
its not literature. I know you've all ( ...more
forget about the characters, forget about the gay ex boyfriend, forget about the intriguing title and book cover/collage thing they've got going on. put the book back down, remove it from your wishlist. click the tiny (x) on the top right corner of the web page. DO IT NOW!
basically do whatever you have to do to avoid the torture that is reading this vile excuse for YA Literature.
its not literature. I know you've all ( ...more

There were some things I liked about this book. The premise is a situation I've kind of lived through, albeit in reverse; the main character was often funny; her best friend was kinda cool. But I hated the straight love interest, I ended up hating the gay ex-boyfriend, I hated the soap-opera-ish turns in the plot and I hated the badly drawn caricatures that served as characters. And oh, my, did I hate the ending.
...more

Rating C
Review My thoughts on this book could not possibly be more mixed. No siree. That would not be feasible.
On the plus side: I am so hard-core loving the relationship between Belle and her rebound guy (Tom) that I'm going to rush to the library tonight and get the second book in this little saga (Love (And Other Uses for Duct Tape)). And I'll probably read it tonight. Other pluses are that I totally think that Dylan's angst is semi-believeable (in so much as I know what it's like to come out ...more
Review My thoughts on this book could not possibly be more mixed. No siree. That would not be feasible.
On the plus side: I am so hard-core loving the relationship between Belle and her rebound guy (Tom) that I'm going to rush to the library tonight and get the second book in this little saga (Love (And Other Uses for Duct Tape)). And I'll probably read it tonight. Other pluses are that I totally think that Dylan's angst is semi-believeable (in so much as I know what it's like to come out ...more

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Jul 14, 2009
Kehyonah Graves
added it
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not worth reading - i didn't even finish it. there are so many other great queer YA books out there, don't waste your time on this one.
...more

An endearing and absorbing romance that will appeal to gay and straight readers alike. Funny, suspenseful, and romantic, I didn't want to say goodbye to any of the characters when I got to the end.
...more

Blech. The sexual orientation and relationship stuff didn't seem realistic at all, nor did the characters work for me.
...more

Dec 28, 2016
Catherine Mustread
rated it
liked it
Recommended to Catherine by:
Gold(tie) Youth Fiction Indie Awards '08
Belle's range of emotions in the week following her boy-friend of two years breaking up with her after admitting that he is gay seemed believable though the following assortment of events seemed overdone. Still, an interesting read, and a reminder that my high school years are far far in the past and nothing like this book existed at that time.
...more

I accidently read the sequel, Love and Other Uses for Duct Tape, for this book about a year ago, so I am finally reading this one. Yet, even a year later, I can see a drastic difference between the two books.
While the sequel was actually nice and decent, this book seemed repetitive and amateurish. I'm not sure if Jones realized it, but she did repeat a lot of things. Em's reason for always taking pictures is said like 3 times, Dylan's singing to the MC is said maybe 30 times, and Belle's shoes a ...more
While the sequel was actually nice and decent, this book seemed repetitive and amateurish. I'm not sure if Jones realized it, but she did repeat a lot of things. Em's reason for always taking pictures is said like 3 times, Dylan's singing to the MC is said maybe 30 times, and Belle's shoes a ...more

The story is told entirely from Belle Philbrick’s own point of view, so we see the full spectrum of her emotions. The author has given her a rather lyrical, almost poetic, turn of mind, making her more stirring than most teenaged protagonists.
But I was a little ambivalent about her. I thought it rather unrealistic that she gave herself only one week to whine and complain about her losing her boyfriend. She’d loved this boy for years; did she honestly expect to get over him in one week? Also, he ...more
But I was a little ambivalent about her. I thought it rather unrealistic that she gave herself only one week to whine and complain about her losing her boyfriend. She’d loved this boy for years; did she honestly expect to get over him in one week? Also, he ...more

I'm pleasantly surprised by this book. Picked it up at a local thrift shop, I thought it would end up being a stupid book that was just something to read. Fortunately, I can say that's not the case. If you're the kind of person who likes books like "Planet Janet" then you'll like this book. I have to say, this book hits a little close to home for me in many ways. It's like, I decided to read this book at the right time in my life. Belle, the main character of the story, has seizures, like I do.
...more

I must admit that the title and the blurb was enough to make me buy the book. The premise was interesting. The action all takes place within a week, and while the events that happen plot-wise are kinda slow, Belle's progression in moving on to another guy was kind of fast. There also seems to be some stereotyping of gay guys. What's freaky is that the author seems to anticipate the reactions that readers might have and a justification or reason follows these questionable events. At least the aut
...more

In the small town of Eastbrook, Maine, everyone knows everyone’s business. But there’s one piece of business that’s a huge surprise to high school senior Belle Philbrick: Her longtime boyfriend, Dylan, is gay. Turns out he meant it sincerely every time he said he’d never love another woman. Hours after Dylan reveals his secret to Belle, he’s spotted in a parking lot with his boyfriend, band geek Bob. Although devastated, Belle refuses to wallow in self-pity and allows herself only seven days of
...more

Belle believes that Dylan is the one that she'll marry, but one day, Dylan tells her that he is gay. Belle wonders where does this leave her. Dylan and her have been best friends since they were little in their little town in Maine. Since they started dating, Belle has been known as Dylan's girlfriend or the other half of their couple hood.
Belle and her other best friend, Emily decide that she can only have a week to cry, because she doesn't want to become like Mallory. As the week goes on, Bel ...more
Belle and her other best friend, Emily decide that she can only have a week to cry, because she doesn't want to become like Mallory. As the week goes on, Bel ...more

This book was very satisfyingly complex; I stayed up late waiting for heartburn medication to kick in and ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. (I didn't make it to bed until one am and now I'm really tired.) Carrie Jones did a good job of making the characters emotional and upset is a realistic way, without making these teen's crises seem trivial or immature or whiny. The novel opens when the main character, who has dated (and slept with) her boyfriend for two years, finds out her bo
...more

Belle and Dylan have been going together for two years. In their small town of Eastbrook, Maine, everyone has them married and settled down with a house and a St. Bernard dog. Belle wishes that were true.
When Dylan breaks up with her, Belle is hurt and confused. Confused, because the reason he gives for the breakup is that he is gay. He loves her, he will always love her, but he is gay. How could she spend two years of her life loving a guy who is gay? How could she not know? Is she really that ...more
When Dylan breaks up with her, Belle is hurt and confused. Confused, because the reason he gives for the breakup is that he is gay. He loves her, he will always love her, but he is gay. How could she spend two years of her life loving a guy who is gay? How could she not know? Is she really that ...more

May 30, 2010
Audrey
added it
Belle and Dylan have been dating for years, and their entire small town things they're destined to be together. So when Dylan tells Belle he's gay, she is shocked. Was their entire relationship a lie? Is it fair to be mad at your boyfriend for being true to himself? Belle journals her journey to acceptance and understanding. She finds that even though her heart really hurts, things will eventually be okay and she will find love again.
Jones is excellent at capturing the emotions a girl feels when ...more
Jones is excellent at capturing the emotions a girl feels when ...more

This book started out weak and ended up strong. The writing was a little different and took some getting used to, but it wasn't obnoxious. There seemed to be some editing issues. For example, the main character said that her friend liked to take pictures because her dad died and she realized she wanted to have pictures of everyone to help remember them. Then, a few pages later, she says that her friend likes to take pictures because her dad died and they help her remember people from all angles
...more

High school senior and Harvest Queen Belle Philbrick's world is turned upside down when her boyfriend of over two years dumps her - after coming out of the closet. Now Belle has a huge range of emotions to deal with as she tries to come to terms with the news. Even worse is watching the rest of her small town community come to terms with this news - and some people certainly react badly. Belle is left to try to answer all of the questions that Dylan has left her with. Did she ever really underst
...more

I think this was a bit overwritten. The story is good, but the characters suffer from an overabundance of quirkiness and yet many of them still remain flat stereotypes of small town people and small town life.
That said, the teenage voices ring true without being grating, and if anything, it wasn't predictable solely for the fact that she left out the usual high school love-story cliches and the events felt true-to-life overall. The theme of finding not only oneself but also who one's friends ar ...more
That said, the teenage voices ring true without being grating, and if anything, it wasn't predictable solely for the fact that she left out the usual high school love-story cliches and the events felt true-to-life overall. The theme of finding not only oneself but also who one's friends ar ...more

Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend
By: Carrie Jones
Belle is your normal high school girl. She has a wonderful boyfriend, great friends and the jocks always have a go at her. That is until the perfect boyfriend tells Belle he is gay.
Bell has to cope with the whole school finding out, and look back at her life with Dylan. Was she the only one who did not realize he was gay? As much as she wants to hate him she loves him even more. Living in a small town can be horrible if you are gay, can Belle sa ...more
By: Carrie Jones
Belle is your normal high school girl. She has a wonderful boyfriend, great friends and the jocks always have a go at her. That is until the perfect boyfriend tells Belle he is gay.
Bell has to cope with the whole school finding out, and look back at her life with Dylan. Was she the only one who did not realize he was gay? As much as she wants to hate him she loves him even more. Living in a small town can be horrible if you are gay, can Belle sa ...more

At first, I wavered between three and four stars for this book and then very much landed on four mostly because this is a YA read and super relevant for that age group. Also, the book really picks up steam, but mostly I think this is a writer to watch. I think she's just going to get better and better. Her writing just sparkles in places and I really like her characters. I thought that the book lacked tension in places, that Belle didn't have to work too hard to have things happen for her, but I
...more
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***SO MANY APOLOGIES***
I had been unable to get into my Goodreads account for years. If you have friended me, I have just friended you back (July 2021). If you have messaged me, I'm going to be working through those in the upcoming weeks.
Thank you all for reaching out and I'm so sorry.
Now onto the regularly scheduled bio:
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know h ...more
I had been unable to get into my Goodreads account for years. If you have friended me, I have just friended you back (July 2021). If you have messaged me, I'm going to be working through those in the upcoming weeks.
Thank you all for reaching out and I'm so sorry.
Now onto the regularly scheduled bio:
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know h ...more
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