Same Love

February 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Each book in this realistic YA series tells the story of a teen dealing with a romantic relationship, weaving in themes ranging from dating to body image to sexual identity. Nisha, the daughter of Tamil immigrants, struggles to assert her independence by pursuing her passion for writing and her crush on a boy outside of her culture in Follow Your Heart. In Love Is Love, Emmy finds herself confused by her feelings for Jude, who is transgender, while dealing with her insecurities over her weight. After discovering he is gay, Adam's religious parents send him to a Christian camp, where he meets a variety of teens all grappling with defying the expectations of their religious community in Same Love. These books are written at an upper-elementary reading level, but some edgier content makes them appropriate for high school-aged students. VERDICT While these books are longer than typical hi-lo titles, their relatable characters, highly readable story lines, and contemporary themes will keep realistic fiction fans engaged.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2017
A gay boy is sent away to a summer camp for bad Christian teens.Shy, Christian closet case Adam Lethbridge, a white 17-year-old, is discovered by his mom's nosy, gossipy best friend shopping at The Gap with his secret bestie, Mike, a fast-talking boy who describes himself as brown and who often dresses in drag. She leaks the story to his uber-Christian parents, who have also discovered the gay-themed graphic novels he drew and hid in his bedroom. Unsurprisingly, drama ensues, with his dad calling him "faggot" repeatedly, and as a result of the outing, Adam is shipped off to a Christian summer camp for bad teens in the middle of nowhere, British Columbia. Once there, he falls for Korean, karaoke-loving Paul, who is also struggling to strike the balance between what he feels and what his religion tells him he should feel. Though fast-paced and entertaining, Correia's latest rarely dives below the surface. The action is usually predictable, but what stands out are Correia's characters' abilities to throw some serious shade: "Beneath that good Christian girl act beats the heart of a hussy." Readers may be somewhat disappointed to discover that nothing really new or provocative is revealed about what happens at the camp itself, but the budding romance between Adam and Paul and Mike's and another minor character's one-liners keep the pages turning. A quick, entertaining read. (Romance. 13-16)

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