Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

Rainbow Boys is another coming-of-age and coming-out novel that differs from some of my other recent reads because it isn't the story of one boy. It's the story of three.

Jason, Kyle, and Nelson are three high school students all at very different points of their coming-out journeys. Nelson is out and proud, and puts up a brave front to the haters and bullies at school; his mom has his back and is actively involved with a local PFLAG chapter. Nelson is in love with his best friend Kyle, who's out to Nelson but to no one else. They go to the local gay youth group together, and aren't they surprised when in walks Jason, high school stud, who isn't out at all, not even to himself.

As their respective coming-outs unfold, and as they struggle to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at their school to help cope with the homophobia they deal with daily, Jason, Kyle, and Nelson try to help each other in spite of fear and doubt and jealousy. Sometimes, they learn, you have to make some steps by yourself.

The book has a smart, maybe too-intrusive political consciousness, but the characters are real and you truly begin to care about their well-being. The truth to their stories resonate, and you are left with a sense of happiness (although not a sense of completion – there's at least two sequels!)

Pick it up! It's time to go back to high school, and it's books like this that let that happen. Scared closeted gay kids need to be able to read about people like themselves – just as Jason, Kyle and Nelson help each other in their journeys, Rainbow Boys might help you in your yours.

This has been a bobert review.