Guys Need Love

Guys Need Love, Too: Books about Guys and Relationships
Reviews by Ms. Belben
Updated January 2007

The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter

In this series of three intertwined stories, characters grapple with the complexities of love and relationships. In one story, a man who can’t seem to establish and maintain a relationship encounters a woman in the coffee shop he manages and they begin a romance. In another, two teenagers who seem bound for disaster create a tender bond and forge a life together that brings them a sort of peace and happiness neither has been able to find in their dysfunctional families. And finally, an older man and his wife find that providing comfort and shelter to young adults they meet by chance grants them a serenity and love they have been unable to find with their own grown and troubled son. A combination of absorbing stories and great writing.

Black, Jonah. Girls, Girls, Girls:The Black Book, Volume 1, Diary of a Teenage Stud

The Black Book, Volume 1 Who is Jonah Black? Well, frankly, no one is sure -- including Jonah. What's real and what's fantasy? Just back at his mother's house in Florida after having been kicked out of a prep school in Pennsylvania, Jonah obsessively records interactions and fantasies in his journal, and the line between fantasy and reality isn't always clear.

He's having a hard time adjusting to being back in his old school. Everyone has changed so much (he doesn't even recognize some people at first), and his friends keep saying he hasn't changed a bit. But Jonah knows he's changed... he just can't find the words to explain what happened at the boarding school in Pennsylvania and the impact it made on him. This is a terrific beginning to a great four-part series about Jonah and his friendships and love interests.

Jack Grammar has always dreamed of going to his prom, but it’s two weeks until the big day, and he’s dateless. Behind his back, his two best friends, Natalie and Percy, post an online personal ad for him, advertising his need for a date. Soon, offers from girls begin pouring in, and Jack finds himself on a variety of dates that range from strange to sexy. But he has trouble settling on one of the girls to take to the dance.

Confusing matters are a series of emails Jack receives from a mystery writer who calls herself “FancyPants” and seems to know a lot about the online dating scheme—is it Natalie? If not, who?

Things get a little out of hand as Jack tries to deal with his feelings for his assorted prom-date-wannabes and for his best friend, Natalie, but he ultimately decides on a date and discovers the identity of the mysterious FancyPants.

A fun, light read, that will appeal to people who liked Son of the Mob and Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle by Gordon Korman, the Diary of a Teenage Stud Series by Jonah Black, and books by Chris Lynch, Randy Powell, and M.T. Anderson.

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. © 2005 (Fiction)
See the website at www.sparksflyup.com for more information about this book.

Miles Halter leaves his safe home to go to boarding school in Alabama, seeking the “Great Perhaps”—adventure, the unknown, anything that was alluded to in the many examples of dying words of famous people he’s collected over the years.

When he arrives at Culver Creek Academy, he strikes up a friendship with his roommate, Chip “Colonel” Martin and the mysterious, alluring Alaska Young. The three of them plan pranks aimed at gaining revenge on the rich town kids who attend the academy and the Eagle, their headmaster, who’s bent on catching them smoking or otherwise breaking rules.

But the real meat of the story is the relationship between Miles and Alaska—their growing friendship and her inscrutable moods and the murky past she left behind to attend Culver. But try as he might, Miles can’t seem to figure her out. And after a tragic accident changes his life, and alters the lives of everyone at Culver, he’s still left searching for answers about his beautiful, elusive friend.

Russell Middlebrook is certain that he is the only gay kid at his school, and he strives to hide his true self from everyone, including his best friends. But when he arranges to meet another gay teen he met online, he discovers that he isn’t the only homosexual at his high school. The boy he arranged to meet online happens to be one of the school’s most popular, talented athletes, Kevin.

The two become friends and decide to join forces with Russell’s friend, Min, who reveals that she is gay, too. Min, her girlfriend, Russell, Kevin, and another student form a support group for themselves, which they call the “Geography Club” to avoid detection. As the group’s closeness grows, so does the closeness between Russell and Kevin. But keeping secrets in high school is tough, and, as Russell learns, being different is nearly impossible.

Jackson, Jeremy. In Summer.
I’m a sucker for books about the summer. Even stories can evoke the season—the long free days, the warm nights, lots of sunshine, swimming, sleeping in, and the possibility of romance.

Jeremy Jackson’s second novel, In Summer doesn’t disappoint. In the summer between high school and collection, Leo Peery savors the sweet rewards of the season, dividing his time between the home he shares with his mother and his job at the city pool and the farm where his grandparents and cousins live a couple hours down the road.

At home, Leo works as a lifeguard, tries half-heartedly to patch things up with his moody, off-and-on-again girlfriend, Jenny, grows closer and closer to his best female friend, E.B., and tries to solve the mystery of his mother’s recent strange behavior. While at his cousins, he flirts with a sexy local named Freeda, tries to help his cousin restore a farmhouse, and entertains his precocious eight-year-old cousin Gracie (a character worth reading the book for, if you can’t come up with another reason).

In Summer delivers the sort of subtle drama that echoes the laziness of summer. There are surprises in Leo’s life, but they grow organically from a carefully crafted, thoughtfully structured plot. Jackson’s writing is simple and fluid—almost Hemingwayesque—but with a wry and honest voice that makes Leo gently humorous and warm.

Vince Luca’s life is always being complicated by his father’s choice of careers. Dad is a mafia boss, and his professional activities overlap into his home life too often for Vince’s comfort, especially since he’s already decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps.

The elder Mr. Luca’s career means that Vince has some pretty nice perks—perks he doesn’t necessarily want—like a new Porsche that gets him arrested, and special treatment on the football field. Mr. Luca’s job also means that the family’s house is bugged by the FBI. Sensitive conversations must be held in whispers in the basement, and the Lucas must be conscious of everything that is said and done in their home, lest they tip off the Feds and end up in jail.

Vince manages to stay out of the family business without much complaint from his father or the members of the mob—Vince’s older brother is already following his father’s footsteps, so Vince feels somewhat relieved of the legacy burden. But when his brother’s activities nearly get him killed, he makes an even more powerful vow to avoid any affiliation with underground crime, and he proceeds to attempt the life of a normal teenager.

When he meets Kendra, Vince is certain that having her in his life will improve its chances of being normal…until he finds out that she is the daughter of an FBI agent…and that her father happens to be the very agent who is bugging the Luca family home.

Korman, Gordon. Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle.

Your dad’s a mob boss. Your girlfriend’s dad is an FBI agent. The two of you just want to live in peace. What do you do? If you’re Vince Luca, you leave town to pursue a life outside the “family”—preferably as far from your assorted “uncles” and their vending machine business (nudge, nudge) as you can get. In Vince’s case, someplace else turns out to be Santa Monica University in California, and film school.

But Vince’s escape isn’t the idyllic fresh start he’d anticipated. First off, he learns that his roommate, Trey, is the kleptomaniac son of a Congressman. Then his brother Tommy appears to camp out in their dorm room, claiming to have quit The Life. And suddenly Kendra, who came out west to attend a college not far from Vince, is always unavailable. Worst of all, Vince’s uncles appear from back home, and Vince is pretty sure they haven’t come to California just for the sunshine. Things get even more complicated when Trey’s girlfriend, Willow, starts hitting on Vince…and he can’t resist the temptation.

As in the first book about Vince Luca, Son of the Mob, Korman delivers a fast-paced, funny story with a little mystery and romance tossed in. Readers will appreciate Korman’s skill in writing a book that’s believable with a likeable, smart character.

Imagine a high school where prejudices had been eliminated, and people were permitted to be who they were, without fear of being tormented or made fun of. Where, for example, if you were the cross-dressing captain of the football team or just an average gay kid, you could just hang out and not worry about what people thought of you.

This is the high school David Levithan imagines and creates in Boy Meets Boy, a love story with an unusual twist.

The main character, Paul, is gay, and nobody really cares—nobody, that is except Kyle, a guy he kissed last year who claims to be straight but can’t seem to stay away from, and Noah, a new kid Paul meets and falls in love with.

That’s the main complication in this mostly-upbeat love story, in which gay and transgendered characters lead normal lives, with normal problems, rather than the usual conglomeration of “issues” that are usually the focus of books about sexuality.

Readers will appreciate the lack of emphasis on Being Different and appreciate the simple, sweet story about Paul’s attraction for Noah and his attempt to make their relationship work.

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

In Chris Lynch’s latest novel, a high school senior, Keir, narrates a strange story about what may or may not have happened at the graduation party with his friend Gigi.

In chapters that alternate between the past and present, Keir tells bits and pieces that eventually add up to his version of the night Gigi claims to have been raped.

Keir is a football player, and according to him, a very good one. So good that he injured another player so badly he’s earned the nickname “Killer.” Readers never really know what happened to the injured player, but the suggestion is that he was paralyzed or otherwise permanently hurt. Keir tells us that the boy has forgiven him, but like much else in the story, we aren’t sure if he’s telling the truth.

Ultimately, Inexcusable is about the truth—what is consists of, who really possesses it, and how people can persuade themselves of a story in order to protect themselves from their own actions.

Is Keir telling the truth, or just the truth as he sees it? Did he love Gigi? Did he rape her, or did she just claim that he did? Inexcusable is a challenging and thought-provoking read that will definitely make you think twice about the reliability of the narrator and the nature of truth.

As his senior year begins, Max seems to have the dream life: he’s taking accelerated classes, he’s the editor of the school newspaper, he has a great girlfriend, and he goes to the best parties.

Inexplicably, however, he feels a sense of emptiness, with his “perfect” life, and breaks up with his beautiful, long-term girlfriend, Cindy for no real reason. Then Max’s life gets complicated when an aggressive, boy-crazy freshman lands a job on his newspaper and becomes a school celebrity and challenging Max with attention he isn’t prepared for.

The dialogue in this story is realistic and current, and readers will recognize themselves and their dilemmas in Max’s life and friends.

Although the plot isn’t highly suspenseful and there’s no Big Problem or issue to be reckoned with, Max’s humorous, slightly cynical perspective, as well as his struggles just to figure it out, will appeal to readers.

If you enjoyed novels like Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Making the Run by Heather Henson, and yes, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, you’ll appreciate Blake Nelson’s glimpse into high school life.

I just finished reading Blake Nelson’s new novel, Rockstar Superstar, and LOVED it. Actually, loved it the way I’d hoped to love Fat Kid Rules the World by didn’t. In Nelson’s story, 17-year-old Pete belongs to a fairly decent cover band, but gives it up to join a less talented, but wildly more popular local band—and that band hits it big. In gaining popularity and media attention, as well as some high-profile gigs, Pete discovers that his new fame is interfering with his comfortable old life—especially his relationship with his girlfriend, Margaret.

The relationship between Pete and Margaret was one of the best I’ve seen in YA about guys, in part because its development was so real. Pete didn’t like Margaret at first, but she won his heart, and he fell in love with her despite his concerns about what his friends would think.

I liked the voice of the narrator, who was low-key, likeable, and totally believable, and he escaped the angst-ridden snarkiness that plagues so many YA characters. He reminded me of the teenagers I know who are bright, but not necessarily as excited about school as they are about other passions in their lives.

I also appreciated that although it was apparent Pete’s dad was alcoholic, that wasn’t a Major Problem in the novel—Pete takes care of his dad sometimes, and that was a very sweet part of his personality, although it was background detail that didn’t clutter up the story by becoming an issue that had to be solved. Like many real people, Pete had a dad with a problem, and although it complicated his life sometimes, he had enough in common with his dad, and their relationship was strong in so many other ways, that his dad’s drinking never seemed to overshadow the good parts of their connection.

In this remarkable novel, Reiken focuses on the unraveling of the Rubin family, mainly through the perspective of teenage hockey star Anthony, although many chapters offer other points of view, including those of his parents, Jess and Michael; his older sister, Dani; his neighbor, Juliette Dimiglio, and his grandfather, Max.

In a series of chapters that could stand alone individually as powerful short stories, we learn of the affair between Michael Rubin and his neighbor, Claudia Berkowitz, mother of Anthony’s friend, Jay, and the subsequent disintegration of the Rubins’ marriage, which may have as much to do with Jess Rubin’s precarious mental and emotional state as her husband’s infidelity. We also learn of Anthony’s growing fascination with his other neighbor and classmate, the tough-talking Juliette Dimiglio, whose mother commits suicide one night and leave Juliette alone with her father, a gambling addict who is frequently being beat up by loan sharks.

The stories progress through the early 80’s and focus mainly on Anthony, but also include glimpses into the worlds occupied by his family members, creating an amazingly multi-layered, believable world of characters with intriguing, complex lives that are absolutely engaging and intriguing. Among my favorite stories in the novel are those which explore Anthony’s experiences with women, including his fascination with the hockey team manager in “Hockey Player Myth” and his developing connection with Juliette Dimiglio in “Juliette Wakes Anthony at Dawn.”

Among the subplots is Anthony’s grandfather Max’s romance with Doris Shulman, a woman he meets at his retirement community and marries despite the fact that he will lose his social security. Max insists that Doris is his b’shert, or one true, destined love, and refuses to give her up for practical reasons. Jess Rubin’s older sister, Leah, has pleased her parents in a way Jess didn’t by marrying an Orthodox Jew and keeping kosher, but as Michael discovers, Leah has been keeping a secret of her own for many years.

Far too many novels are pared down to only one character and the space he or she inhabits, but Frederick Reiken’s novel has the courage to explore the many characters whose lives are intertwined with his protagonist and examine how they are existing in conjunction with him and separately. The Lost Legends of New Jersey offers a cast of characters and a series of absorbing, unpredictable stories about their lives that readers will find hard to put down. Reiken’s book would be an excellent selection for a reading group.

Sanchez, Alex. Rainbow High.

In this sequel to Rainbow Boys, three gay teens confront issues directly related to their homosexuality. Nelson, who had unprotected sex with an HIV+ partner, must face up to his fears and get tested for the virus—all the while dealing with the fact that testing negative may mean losing his positive boyfriend, Jeremy.

Kyle and Jason continue to negotiate the unfamiliar territory of their partnership, and Jason wrestles with the decision of whether or not to come out to his basketball team and his coach, knowing that by doing so, he risks losing his scholarship. Kyle also must decide whether or not to accept the college acceptance he received—weighing his decision heavily on what happens between him and Jason.

Readers who enjoyed Rainbow Boys will enjoy learning what happens to the three characters as they continue to face challenges related to being homosexual and “out.” Readers new to these characters and the storyline will appreciate the thoughtful, realistic ways in which the author handles sensitive and timely issues.

Related information can be found at www.AlexSanchez.com

Wittlinger, Ellen. Razzle.
When Kenyon’s parents buy a set of vacation cabins in Massachusetts, he dreads spending the summer doing repair work. Then he meets Razzle, an unusual local who spends her time combing through the dump to find items to sell at flea markets. The two begin a friendship which includes Kenyon taking a series of moving photos of Razzle.

As he gets to know her better, he realizes that there are some unresolved problems in her life: an absent, alcoholic mother and an unknown father, and a life with a grandmother who seems to love her 13 dogs more than the two grandchildren who live with her.

As the summer wears on, Kenyon also befriends the gay plumber, Frank, who knows something about Razzle’s past that he won’t tell Kenyon. Things become complicated when Razzle’s arch enemy, Harley, makes a move for Kenyon—and he falls for her, insisting that he and Razzle can still be friends, but ignoring signals that she wants to be more than that. Everyone seems to see Harley for her true colors—everyone except Kenyon, that is, and it isn’t until he gives in to her demands and pays the price with Razzle’s friendship that he realizes how he was sucked in by her good looks and blind to her true character.