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With or Without You

Brian Farrey (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · Rating details · 1,195 ratings · 166 reviews

Eighteen-year-old Evan and his best friend, Davis, get beaten up for being loners. For being gay. For just being themselves. But as rough as things often seem, at least Evan can take comfort in his sweet, sexy boyfriend Erik - whom he’s kept secret from everyone for almost a year.

Then Evan and Davis are recruited to join the Chasers, a fringe crowd that promises them prot ...more

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Paperback, 349 pages

Published May 24th 2011 by Simon Pulse

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· 1,195 ratings · 166 reviews

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Jul 08, 2011 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: kids-and-teens, hiv-aids, library-books, shelf-inflicted, lgbt

Posted at Shelf Inflicted

Evan and Davis have been friends since childhood. Now on the cusp of graduation, they are planning to leave behind homophobic bullies and attend college in Chicago, but life has a way of changing well-intentioned plans. Evan is an artist who copies others’ work while he’s finding his own style. He meets a sweet guy who’s just perfect in every way, and while this annoys me, I figure he deserves something good out of life since his sister Shan is his parents’ favorite and Posted at Shelf Inflicted

Evan and Davis have been friends since childhood. Now on the cusp of graduation, they are planning to leave behind homophobic bullies and attend college in Chicago, but life has a way of changing well-intentioned plans. Evan is an artist who copies others’ work while he’s finding his own style. He meets a sweet guy who’s just perfect in every way, and while this annoys me, I figure he deserves something good out of life since his sister Shan is his parents’ favorite and his friend Davis is busy with the “Chasers”. I know teens often have trouble communicating, don’t always know who to trust, and want to take care of problems themselves, but I’m still not sure why Evan feels a need to keep his new boyfriend, Erik, a secret from his family and his childhood friend. He is also very reluctant to share his life with Erik, which ends up causing problems for both young men.

Back to the “Chasers”. They meet at the Rainbow Youth Center, a legitimate hangout for LGBT teens. Run by the charismatic Sable, and a magnet for boys with low self-esteem, this group promises power, respect, and change. While Sable’s words boost the boys’ confidence, and he gradually gains their trust, it is already too late for some.

Teens do stupid things and are naturally rebellious. Back in my day they listen to music too loud, stay out past curfew, drive too fast, have unsafe sex, tell lies, smoke cigarettes, and experiment with drugs. Today, they do all that, plus text and drive. I believe most kids think about the consequences of their actions but often decide taking risks is worth it, particularly if it means acceptance by their peers.

(view spoiler)

I loved and hated this book. I liked how very serious issues were explored, but felt the messages were too heavy-handed. While I found Evan and Davis to be well-developed, the secondary characters were not. The book was well-paced and gripping, even though I found some of the horrifying situations toward the end a little unbelievable. I loved Evan’s paintings on glass and how each pane illuminated some aspect of his life. I loved the growth of his character, but wanted more for Davis.

Recommended with some reservations for older teens.
...more

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May 25, 2011 Thomas rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, lgbtq, realistic-fiction, five-stars, own-physical, romance

Evan and Davis have been best friends since the third grade. They share many things: their sexuality, beatings from bullies, and a desire to escape their lonely little town of Madison, Wisconsin. In fact, they both plan to attend the University of Chicago this upcoming fall. However, Evan has one thing Davis doesn't - a comforting and reliable boyfriend named Erik. Evan has successfully kept Erik a secret from his friends and his family for quite some time, but when Davis gets recruited to join ...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Jackson rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: queer, queer-youth, hiv-aids

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 09, 2012 Karen rated it really liked it

OK, I have to say that I wasn't sure about this book at first. When I was about 100 pages in I almost put it down, but I decided to keep going and I am glad that I did.

Not that the first 100 pages was bad or uninteresting, but because it was like a chick-lit book but with two boys. For anyone that knows me, I do not care for chick-lit books or at least most of them that I have read anyway.

The first 100 or so pages was all about relationships, love, etc. But then I peeked ahead and I seen that th ...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Leslee rated it it was amazing

With or Without You is a very well-written book with a dramatic and intriguing plot. The story line probably isn't appropriate for anyone younger than middle school. Evan is a high school senior, along with his best friend Davis. Both of these boys are gay and are experiencing great struggle in fitting in. Evan also has a boyfriend, Eric that he keeps from his friends and family. The author does a wonderful job of describing the hardships Evan is going through when he has to make decisions on ho ...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Brian rated it really liked it

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, even though it's technically for "young adults." The story was fast-paced and engaging, and the main character (Evan) was very well-developed. I also enjoyed the fact that the book was set in Madison, Wisconsin, one of my favorite places in the country and the city I called home for five years.

Two main things kept me from giving this book five stars. First, besides Evan (and to a lesser extent, his best friend, Davis), I didn't feel like I really got to know ...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Doug Beatty rated it really liked it

Shelves: teen

I did enjoy this book. I will try to post the review with little spoilers because there are some major plot points that need to be kept hidden, so that they will surprise the reader when they get to them.

This is the story of Evan Weiss, who has an interesting "friendship" with a childhood boy named Davis. They go to high school together, are both gay, and have the unfortunate condition of getting beaten up by the local high school jocks. Evan's home life is interesting, he has a sister who is co I did enjoy this book. I will try to post the review with little spoilers because there are some major plot points that need to be kept hidden, so that they will surprise the reader when they get to them.

This is the story of Evan Weiss, who has an interesting "friendship" with a childhood boy named Davis. They go to high school together, are both gay, and have the unfortunate condition of getting beaten up by the local high school jocks. Evan's home life is interesting, he has a sister who is constantly praised and talked about and his parents remain indifferent to him. This really is not explored in the novel, and Evan's parents are not clearly defined, so it is hard to imagine the reason for their feelings. They live above their parents grocery store. Davis has a distant father and his mother has been taken into psychiatric care. Davis has what Evan calls "Boing" moments, that appear to be manic episodes, followed by depression, but that is never clearly stated. Evan feels that he must protect Davis and help him get out of Madiscon Wisconsin, and they plan to move to Chicago together. Plans chagne when Evan meets Erik, a college nursing student who is also a volleyball player and a sculptor. (though I like Erik as a character, he is really too good to be true. He could have been toned down just a take to make him a bit more realistic.) Evan is terrified to let Erik know about his parents, his sister, Davis, so basically shuts Erik entirely out of his life until Erik becomes more persistent. Davis on the other hand begins to make new "friends" and starts to go down another path entirely and this puts Evan in the middle and leads you to the major plotline of the novel.

I do like Evan, but I find that in many cases, teen novels fall into the "I am unsure of who to tell about my problems so I am not going to tell anyone and fix them myself." I unserstand that some teens may use this strategy but it seems like it is almost a constant in novels as of late, and you want to smack the main character and get them to open up. Here, Evan has had a boyfriend for a year, and refuses to tell him anything. He refuses to talk to the woman who runs the gay and lesbian youth center. I would think you would open up to someone, but alas, no. And some of his decisions are unfortunate, and you really see this weakness of character, that makes you like him a little bit less than you once did. At least that was the case for me. There was also the case of something happening that goes unpunished that left a sour taste in my mouth after reading the novel.

I do like the descriptions of the characters and Evan's growth as an artist. I also like the character of Erik, and even his sister Shan becomes a little more realistic when she arrives on the scene. And there is a sense of catharsis for Evan, so there is emotional movement in the novel. And it does tackle issues that young people need to know about , so I will give it that.

All in all a good read. Defnitely for an older teen, though, as some of the content is pretty serious. ...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Sean Kennedy rated it it was ok

(2.5 / 5)

This was an odd book to read, as it felt very disjointed. It often seemed like there were two very different stories battling against each other - one a sweet teen romance and the other a melodramatic ABC Family movie that delivered its message with a sledgehammer.

It could have gelled together more had the supporting characters been less one-note. They're either bad or good with very little grey areas. The narrator's boyfriend is too good, the new kid in town is too evil, the parents ar ...more

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May 29, 2011 Kelley rated it it was amazing

I devoured the whole thing yesterday, staying up way too late even though the kids would have me up way too early. I just couldn’t stop reading.

Honestly, I’m not sure where to even start in this review. I think I’m still trying to process what I read, but I need to talk about it too. There was much more to this book than I realized going into it. Layers of plot that were all equally engaging. As I’ve said before there are two things that really get me when I’m reading. I’m an emotional reader. I I devoured the whole thing yesterday, staying up way too late even though the kids would have me up way too early. I just couldn’t stop reading.

Honestly, I’m not sure where to even start in this review. I think I’m still trying to process what I read, but I need to talk about it too. There was much more to this book than I realized going into it. Layers of plot that were all equally engaging. As I’ve said before there are two things that really get me when I’m reading. I’m an emotional reader. I love books that make me FEEL. Second, I’m a character reader. There has to be that thread connecting me to the character, something that draws me in and ties me to them. I can’t truly get lost in a book if there isn’t a character I connect with. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU had both of the two qualities that really make a book special for me.

For me, everything here leads to Evan. I absolutely love his character. He’s written so incredibly real. There’s something about him that draws you in. His emotions burrow their way into your heart, making you feel right along with him. I understood his insecurities, his need for love, his need to protect someone whose life had been so tied to his. My heart broke for his friendship with Davis, seeing him try and navigate the winding road of their relationship and that of his relationship with his boyfriend, Erik. Which wasn’t easy for him since those roads were miles apart.

Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I’m a tender-hearted romantic so you won’t be surprised to hear how much I loved the relationship between Evan and Erik. It was so well-written, so true to ANY romantic relationship. Their sweet moments were oh-so-sweet and Mr. Farrey did a great job painting their love for each other. That isn’t to say it wasn’t without it’s problems, but what REAL relationship is? I’m not adequately putting to words how beautiful their relationship was. There was a strength to it that I don’t see a lot in YA. They were both flawed in different ways, the relationship had it’s flaws as well, but it had an honestly to it too. I felt like it was wide open in its honestly, like Evan and Erik, like their relationship was laid bare for the reader, even though Evan wasn’t always honest with Erik. It was truly something special and I never once doubted how much they loved each other.

This books was raw, honest, emotional, and real. Full of complicating yet simple relationships. It’s about a boy, toeing the line between two world he had fought to keep apart. About learning to move forward, while trying to hold on to the past too. You see Evan grow so much through the pages of this book. I already want to read it again!

If you couldn’t tell, I kind of, sort of loved it ;)

...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Lauren rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtq, fiction, cover-love, gotten-rid-of, young-adult

Read my full review here: Lauren Reads YA

I discovered With or Without You through Melissa’s and Dylan’s YouTube videos, in which they constantly raved about this book. So it’s not surprising that I had very high expectations of it… I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, though. It was just a good read for me. Not spectacular or anything.

With or Without You is a thought-provoking, realistic novel about gay teenagers, fitting in, friendship, love, and everything in between. It is also abou Read my full review here: Lauren Reads YA

I discovered With or Without You through Melissa’s and Dylan’s YouTube videos, in which they constantly raved about this book. So it’s not surprising that I had very high expectations of it… I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, though. It was just a good read for me. Not spectacular or anything.

With or Without You is a thought-provoking, realistic novel about gay teenagers, fitting in, friendship, love, and everything in between. It is also about trust, betrayal, and discovering who you are.

I’m still not sure if I liked Evan or not. It annoyed me that he wasn’t totally honest with Eric, which you should be able to with your partner. However, at some points I understand why he did what he did. I liked how Evan tried to save Davis’ life, no matter what he had to do. He’s the best friend everyone wishes for.
Davis wasn’t at all the person I expected, which was the typical, likeable best friend-type. Honestly, I thought he was an idiot—getting himself into all this trouble, and not understanding how bad it was.

Erik—I fell in love with him. He was so understanding and has a great positive influence on Evan. He handled everything well and when Evan didn’t tell the world about his sexy ‘new’ boyfriend, Eric pushed him a little because who wants to be hidden like that?

I quite liked how art is so involved in this book, and it was very original how Evan uses window panes as his canvas. Every now and then, a new ‘chapter’ starts with a description of a painting Evan made, with details about the colours & painting techniques. After that, a flashback follows, most of the time about either Erik or Davis.

I almost couldn’t believe the horrible things that were happening in this book, like being beat up because of your sexuality, HIV and ‘bugchasers’. I know this stuff happens, but it’s just really hard to imagine when you’re in a totally different world. This is a beautifully written book for both homosexuals and heterosexuals. It gives you the opportunity to look into the lives of gay teenagers who are not accepted for who they are and who they love. It’s crazy, really, that this actually still happens. With or Without You also makes you very aware of how serious this problem is and that it needs to stop. ...more

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May 20, 2011 Doret rated it really liked it

18yr old Evan has just graduated high school. Everyone knows Evan is gay, but no one knows about his boyfriend. Not even Davis, his best friend. The two have been friends since the third grade and came out when they were thirteen. Evan and Davis have been bullied all throughout high school. They planned to move to Chicago for college but that was before Erik and the Chasers.

Evan has been dating Erik for a year. The two have a great relationship. Erik has welcomed Evan fully into his life. Evan f ...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Betryal rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hardcover-paperback, young-adult

The story is detected as YA, but I don't beleive this one to be so since the boys involved have already turned 18 and are considered in my opinion adults.

The book is a powerful story that elaborates on HIV and the AIDS epidemic through the eyes of Evan and is written in first person. I found Evan confused and torn between where his priorities should lay and this alone gets him into sticky situations and messes that I'm surprised if he would even get out of them free and clear.

His friend Davis? I ...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Cynthia (A Blog about Nothing) rated it liked it

There was a lot of stuff going on in With or Without you, it wasn’t just one simple plot with a perfect ending and that’s it, there were a few little layers of plots that were all connected to our main character Evan. Evan is torn between his best friend Davis who’s gotten into a group call the Chasers, a group that’s suppose to support and instilled pride in being gay but it's nothing but bad news and their main focus is to feel free and have sex with whoever they want. He also has his perfect There was a lot of stuff going on in With or Without you, it wasn’t just one simple plot with a perfect ending and that’s it, there were a few little layers of plots that were all connected to our main character Evan. Evan is torn between his best friend Davis who’s gotten into a group call the Chasers, a group that’s suppose to support and instilled pride in being gay but it's nothing but bad news and their main focus is to feel free and have sex with whoever they want. He also has his perfect boyfriend Erik, the one he’s been hiding from everyone, even his best friend for about a year but now wants him to move to San Diego with him. Evan is a talented painter and wishes to pursue it as a career which were his plans for years, but now he is troubled because he feels a lot of responsibility for Davis who has no one else that cares about him and is getting deeper into a group that will ruin his life forever, but he also has his love life with Erik, someone caring and wonderful, someone that he can really feel comfortable and be himself with.

I felt pretty awful for Evan, his life was never easy, his parents never really paid much attention to him and he only had Davis as a friend his whole life, they helped each other through all those years that they were bullied and getting beaten up at school, so all along you know that he can’t just leave him but you’re also hoping that he won’t leave Erik either. I felt pretty torn just like Evan. The story and intensity increase dramatically as the story goes along, Evan’s life spins out of control and everything starts going wrong when he finally finds out the Chaser’s shocking goal and initiation rituals. The plot gets darker towards the end, it’s not very detailed on sex related scenes, it was a bit cringe worthy in one particular scene and also painfully emotional, by this time it was hard to put the book down since it had me holding my breath hoping that nothing awful would happen to Evan and his friend.

I did love the moments between Evan and Erik, they were sweet and romantic and not uncomfortable at all. I loved Erik, he was so supportive of Evan, funny and understanding and had such a good heart. I’m glad that With or Without You was my first LGBT novel because it was a great one, the story and characters were all so well written that I had no trouble at all immersing myself into it and growing to love and connect with the main character. I also have to mention that I think the cover is perfect for the story, I didn't know how it would relate but once you start reading you know that it makes perfect sense. There’s a lot going on in this novel and I thought the author did a really great job getting all these subplots together and wrapping up the story at the end which was bittersweet, and left me thinking about the book for quite a while afterwards. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more by Brian Farrey.

...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Zoë Danielle added it

Shelves: review-copy, young-adult

With or Without You by Brian Farrey is a young adult novel told from the perspective of eighteen year-old Evan, a boy who along with his best friend Davis have spent highschool being bullied for being gay. Luckily Evan is able to take comfort in his kind, wonderful, boyfriend Erik, somebody he has kept secret from everyone- even Davis- for nearly a year. Then Evan and Davis get an invitation to join the Chasers, a gay society that offers protection and belonging of the kind neither of them has e With or Without You by Brian Farrey is a young adult novel told from the perspective of eighteen year-old Evan, a boy who along with his best friend Davis have spent highschool being bullied for being gay. Luckily Evan is able to take comfort in his kind, wonderful, boyfriend Erik, somebody he has kept secret from everyone- even Davis- for nearly a year. Then Evan and Davis get an invitation to join the Chasers, a gay society that offers protection and belonging of the kind neither of them has ever had. While Davis is immediately swept up into the world of the Chasers, Evan finds himself torn between the two important men in his life. How many lies is Evan willing to tell to keep Erik a secret, and how long before his two worlds come crashing together?

With or Without You is a very intense debut by Farrey, it is definitely the kind of book which immediately hooks you in and takes you for a whirlwind and unforgettable ride. It is important to have all types of GLBT characters and literature, but if I had to describe With or Without You in one word it would be gritty. Evan and Davis stand in stark contrast to some of the cheerful gay males present in young adult books, for example David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy, but the story they have to tell is both realistic and heartbreaking.

This is not a book to read lightly, this is a book to devour. As a main character, Evan is both believable and frustrating. His deeply rooted insecurity makes him do things that are not logical, but ultimately he leaves the reader with a worthwhile lesson about being true to yourself. I found Evan's friendship with Davis charming, at least until things spiraled out of control, and I loved some of the little flashbacks Farrey included to give extra insight into how Evan met both Davis and Erik. I also thought the setting, With or Without You takes place in Madison, Wisconsin, was unique and interesting. Setting the novel in a small town allowed Farrey to address some issues that are hopefully less common in cities, although even Evan and Davis are lucky enough to have a youth centre for GLBT individuals to go to.

Farrey has a thrilling story to tell in With or Without You but what really makes the book memorable is Evan. Evan grabs a place right next to your heart and winds himself around it, refusing to let go even after you put down the book. The only complaint I have about the novel is that I really wished for more resolution. Of course, in real life things don't end up neat and tidy, but that's why I enjoy fiction, the author has the ability to let the reader know how things turn out and in a way I felt a bit disappointed by that aspect of the book. Throughout the novel, Farrey's debut With or Without You is charming, shocking and even heartbreaking, but a strong main character and a smooth writing style means that one thing thing that is consistent is the fact that from page one onwards, you will not be able to put this exciting and realistic book down. ...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Melanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: wisconsin, lgbtqiap, young-adult-literature, interpersonal-relationships, aids, painting, families, friends, art, artists

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Evan and Davis have been best friends since they were 11 and Davis moved into Evan's neighborhood. After realizing that both are gay but not attracted to each other both boys rely on each other to survive the daily battle that is school. Bullied, beat up and tormented by fellow high school kids, Evan keeps a triage kit in his bedroom for those times that they need medical attention. That's how bad it is.

Evan and Davis have a plan though. They are both getting out of Madison, WI to go to Chicago Evan and Davis have been best friends since they were 11 and Davis moved into Evan's neighborhood. After realizing that both are gay but not attracted to each other both boys rely on each other to survive the daily battle that is school. Bullied, beat up and tormented by fellow high school kids, Evan keeps a triage kit in his bedroom for those times that they need medical attention. That's how bad it is.

Evan and Davis have a plan though. They are both getting out of Madison, WI to go to Chicago for college. However Evan is hiding a secret, a secret named Erik. Eric is wonderful and is opening Evan's eyes to the world around him. What Evan learns from Erik makes him realize that maybe the new group that Davis has fallen in with is not the best.

And it's not. He calls himself Cicada or Sable. He's a young man living in the youth hostel in Madison. He rounds up as many gay teens as he can to teach them about their "gay history," specifically Stonewall. But at the first meeting Evan is shocked at what Sable considers a "learning experience."

Eventually Evan realizes why Sable calls the group "Bugchasers" and fills the boys heads with visions of becoming "chasers." Sable is HIV positive. He contracted the virus through a dirty drug needle. Subsequently he has become very bitter about his experience and believes that others should be infected too. He himself eventually becomes a chaser and wishes to spread his "gift." He teaches the young men he recruits that to contract the HIV virus is to be given the "gift."

When Evan realizes what's been going on he's horrified. He follows Davis all the way to New York to try to save him from himself and Sable. But when he finds Davis, it's probably too late. Evan finally realizes that Davis has to make his own decisions. He himself has to make up his mind about his own budding but serious relationship.

A fantastic book for LGBTQ youth. Bugchasers do exist even though the concept is terrifying. Better youth are exposed through literature rather than real-world experience. ...more

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May 28, 2011 tarawrawr rated it really liked it

REVIEW ORIGINALLY POSTED http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/?p=3147

With or Without You is an amazing, depressingly realistic portrayal of the misconceptions many people still hold regarding HIV and AIDS, even decades after it became a widely known issue. But apart from the big issue of With or Without You, it’s also the story of a high school senior trying to figure out who he is and how to make his own decisions.

There are a lot of books with gay protagonists where the focus is that he’s gay. But i ...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Lex rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: No one

Shelves: dnf

I am not one to leave a book unfinished but I just couldn't keep reading anymore. I made it to page 234 until I had it up to here of how the story was going in circles.

This story is about a gay boy named Evan and he doesn't know how to incorporate everyone in his life together. Evan gets a boyfriend but keeps him a secret and because of that it's starting to destroying his 1 year relationship with his boyfriend. His boyfriend Erik doesn't want to be a secret anymore but is letting himself be the ...more

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May 23, 2011 Andres rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

I really enjoyed this book because of the "good read" trifecta: great writing, great characters, and interesting story. I tend to pass over a lot of the YA books that come across my desk at work because of the hokey plots or the uninspired writing (which only reflects on what gets delivered to me, not YA literature in general!). If the synopsis on the back doesn't sound like a hundred other similar stories, I at least give the book a try.

And this book is definitely worth a try. The characters he ...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Antonia rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-books, contemporary-books, i-own

This was a really beautiful story on love, friendship, and everything that lies in the in-between.
I liked the plot, the depth of the characters, the sudden turns on the relationships between the characters and the ending.
I also enjoyed the fact that art was so deeply involved in the book. Quotes about art, description of colours and mixture of them, paintings, and painting techniques. All of them really intrigued me. Furthermore, I loved the characters of Evan and Erik. Evan was so confused, so ...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Anyta Sunday rated it it was amazing

4.5

This is a very well written book, great for a YA audience.

While the main characters are gay, this story deals more with issues of belonging, acceptance and trust. I wouldn't classify this as a romance, (i.e. Evan and Erik are already in a year long relationship when the story begins), but the story does look at the strains of keeping at a relationship (both romantic and friendship based). I loved the first real fight Evan and Eric had, it felt very real and I liked that this was shown and exp ...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Anne rated it liked it

Shelves: psc-reviews, 2011, realistic-fiction, lgbtqia

Evan is gay. So is his best friend, Davis. They are not a couple, but the get beaten up and bullied mercilessly regardless of this fact. Davis hears about a group called The Chasers who meet at the Rainbow Youth Center. This group seems to offer hope for standing up to bullies, but it turns out that they have a much more sinister purpose. Meanwhile, Evan has a secret boyfriend, Erik. They have been together for a year, but Evan has told no one about him, including best friend Davis. Erik has bee ...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Alisha Davey rated it liked it

Shelves: 307-books, dislikes

This book was interesting, to say the least. The plot of this story was unlike anything I had ever read before. I know that I would not use this book in a classroom because the language is quite derogatory. The book as a whole sort of bothered me. The plot surrounding Davis and the Chasers was the most disturbing part of the novel. I just did not understand why the plot had to include the males trying to catch HIV. This book did not meet my taste in general. I can see why this book won an award. ...more

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May 25, 2015 Ellie rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2015, young-adult-book-challenge-2015, jumanji-challenge2015

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 11, 2011 Claire rated it liked it

Shelves: glbtq, rev, ya

3.5 stars? This was really two novels, one of which grabbed my heart with its honesty and complexity and poignancy, the other of which was pure sensationalism. Still, worth reading for the first novel.

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Jan 26, 2012 Alice Ridge rated it really liked it

This book was well-written and thoroughly enjoyable. There's something holding me back from giving it a 5 and I think that's only because I know I've read better books, however it's also a lot better than other books that I've rated 4 star. I find this whole rating thing really difficult. ...more

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Feb 22, 2012 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2012-books, fiction, gayinterest, youngadult, yabc, advocacy

So I think this is a book that people need to be exposed to. It's not a perfect book but I think it says more than other books I've forced people to read. ...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Mark rated it really liked it

Shelves: relationships, sibling-relationships, bullying-peer-pressure, family, stonewall, young-adult-literature, glbtq, coming-of-age, sex, romance-star-crossed-or-otherwise

Probably more like 3.5 stars, for some big ol' holes in the plot; but, credit is deserved for tackling a subject I've never seen examined in YA before. ...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Bibek Thapa rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtqia, mm-aka-gay, young-adult

3.5

A good story about love, friendship, life and AIDS (even though the narrator irritated me most of the times).
Full review to come soon...

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May 05, 2013 Jacob Lasher rated it really liked it

A great story. Wow! I love books that make you think about what you would do if you were in that situation the characters are in.

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Aug 06, 2019 Brooke Banks rated it did not like it

Shelves: content-problematic, content-trigger-warning, diversity-authors, content-social-issues, diversity-ownvoices, rating-1-star, written-reviews, age-young-adult, diversity-quiltbag, source-free-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Read for free on Riveted Lit back in June?
Finished it. Wanted to know how it ended.
Liked the main POV, his double life, his art

Looked up bug chasers/chasing & it's not a movement as depicted. It's a made up thing that spreads via media like the knock out game. If I’d known this going in, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. Any vague knowledge of this phenomenon and the mystery of The Chasers wouldn’t work. I don’t like stories that depend upon teenage naivete to succeed, especially when expo ...more

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About Brian Farrey

Brian Farrey

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Brian Farrey writes whatever pops into his head. Sometimes, it's books for children. Sometimes, it's books for adults. Sometimes, it's screenplays. He's never quite sure what will come out next but it's been quite a ride finding out.

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