High school senior Jackson is just waiting for a chance to leave his small town, Thompson Mills, and its residents' small minds, so that he can come out as gay and really start his life. But when a new student, Benjamin, shows up, he finds himself challenged in all new ways: Benjamin is out and proud, and Jackson is enamored. As the two begin a slow dance into romance, Benjamin pushes back against homophobia and is met with slurs, threats, and, eventually, violence. As Benjamin recovers, Jackson has to decide whether he's willing to stand up in the face of danger and resist intolerance, or return to hiding his identity. Shaw (Caterpillars Can't Swim) creates a realistically diverse cast in this slow-paced but full-hearted novel. While the story explores the intensity of both first love and vehement discrimination, it also presents joy and hope for its characters, and will likely find fans among YA readers. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)

Gr 7–10-Jackson Pedersen is a miserable, gay, small-town teen with a reputation as a wet blanket. He has one close friend, Ryan, who uses a wheelchair. When the school's new vice principal turns out to have a gorgeous, comfortably gay son, Jack begins to emerge from his funk. Shaw's work here is disappointingly unengaging as narrator Jack, and his fellow characters all seem to be five or six years younger than their purported 17–20 years old. Issues of gender and sexual orientation are muddled and both Ryan and a third straight male character are sometimes reminiscent of Highlights magazine's Goofus and Gallant in their approach to social cues. Actions and feelings are reported rather than shown and some stretch credulity to the breaking point, such as the high school seniors being given a school day off to prepare for a Saturday Pride parade. VERDICT This is a marginal addition at best and then of interest to communities, like Jack's, who insist they have only one gay teen among them.-Francisca Goldsmith, Library Ronin, Worcester, MA