Openly Straight

I bought this book as a follow-up to reading "Rapture Practice." RP was a memoir, based on a true story. This work is fiction, but the characters seemed so real to me. Rafe is gay, with accepting parents and friends and in a supportive school, but he just wanted to escape being "the gay kid," so he changed schools and hid his sexuality. In the end, he comes to terms with being being "the gay kid", with being who he is. There is joy, and there is angst.
This is classified as a Young Adult novel, but this old guy enjoyed it, too. It was an easy, engaging read.

I really enjoyed this book and believed everything Rafe went through. I also liked the way the author told.us Rafe's story in his writings. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by the author.

What a great read! Funny, witty, moving, and inspirational. A beautifully written love story about getting to know yourself. Perfect for any young person growing up in this world and getting to know him/herself.

Sooo good, I loved how Rafe, throughout the book, figured out who he is, and there was an accurate depiction of the internal struggles of being gay. There better be a second book because BEN AND RAFE NEED TO DATE

If you are looking for a book that has great realistic characters and is more than a cliche Coming Out story, this is the book. I could only give it four because I must know if there will be a second! Teach tolerance. Teach this text.

Not many people realize what is means to be gay. Bill Konigsberg brings the life of an average gay male teen and shows the reader how complicated and beautiful it really is. This story is how to discover one's self and to find love and acceptance through it all.

This was, no, IS one of the best self-defining book I've ever read compare to the possibly thousands (I stopped counting when the 500 mark went off a couple of years back) of other books I've already read. Ranging from laughing out loud in hysterics to crying and feeling depressed like an inflating balloon, Konigsberg truly, truly give meaning to the phrase "free of labels," and the consequences, might it be positive or negative, that comes with it. Only one other book I have already read can compare to this, and because of that, I am giving it a 5-star review. If you want a train ride that comes with emotional uprisings, raging girl---friend, way-too-abnormal parents, the beauty of camera's lenses, an "agape-eros" love, 2 quirky apocalypse dudes, and a tear-wrecking train wreck, then please, I invite you to the delicacy of Openly Straight.
P.S. If you are reading this Bill, then please, I beg, from the Earth to Universe, write a sequel. Rafe's story is too explosive for it to not continue.

This review is also written in spanish / Esta reseña también está escrita en español.

English

This book has been one of the few books that has capture my total attention.

The story is very well written, although at the end of the book the plot events happen way too fast.

The way the main character (Rafe) past is written in it's present gives it a very attractive touch so that the reader can feel motivated to keep on reading, and at the same time more things are revealed about Rafe's past.

The author really did a great job writting this book. The character are very well rounded, and they offer a great and diverse pool of interesting backstories and side characters for the reader to fall in love with.

I would compare my experience reading this book with that of a person who has to go through a roller coaster on which starts a slow ride and then it progresses into a bumpy ride with its own ups and downs, and it leads you wanting more and more with every slide.

The core message of this book is its teachings which are imprinted upon the reader. For example: To keep loyal to yourself, loveing yourself, to stop paying attention of what others say, staying true to your own ideals and that being gay is something that you are but it doesn't lable you.

Pros:

-It's a read page turner.
-The main characters are really likable and you can become very fond of them.
-Hilariously funny with a bit of sarcasm.
-The changes that many of the characters have to go throguh it's incredible and heart warming.
-The author is writting a sequel tittled "Honestly Ben".

Cons:

-The last five characters happen way too fast.
-At the end of the book the main characters do not resolve their differences.
-Little explanation about Ben's past.

Score: 4.3/5

Español

Este libro ha sido uno de esos pocos que han captado mi total atención.

La historia se desenvuelve bastante bien, aunque al final los acontecimientos empiezan a suceder muy rápido, demasiado rápido diría yo.

El manejo del pasado del personaje principal, Rafe, siendo narrado en su presente, escrito en los ensayos que tenia que entregar a su profesor de literatura, le da un toque atractivo para que el lector se sienta motivado a seguir leyendo y al mismo tiempo saber un poco más acerca del pasado de este peculiar personaje.

El autor realmente hizo un buen trabajo con esta pieza, los personajes son llamativos y ofrecen diversidad a la lectura. Si pudiese comparar mi experiencia leyendo este libro lo haría con la de cuando alguien sube a una montaña rusa en la que al subir va lento, luego llegas a la cima y empiezas a descender un poco más rápido y luego es solo cuestión de segundos para llegar al final, dejándote en el interior el deseo de querer más.

Lo más valioso de este libro son las enseñanzas que deja al público. Mantenerse leal a quien eres, amarte a ti mismo, quitarte la venda del "que dirán" de los ojos y sobre todo que ser gay es una de las tantas cosas que eres, pero no es lo que te define.

Pros:

-Lectura refrescante.
-Los personajes principales son agradables y se les toma cariño inmediatamente.
-Hilarantemente gracioso con un toque de sarcasmo.
-La metamorfosis de algunos personajes llegará a sorprenderte.
-Habrá una secuela del libro llamada "Honestly Ben".

Contras:

-Los últimos cinco capítulos pasan demasiado rápido.
-Al final los personajes principales no logran resolver sus problemas.
-Muy poca información acerca del pasado de Ben.

Puntuación: 4.3/5

Openly Straight is an easy read. The novel is contemporary and relates well to LGBT YA readers, as well as non-Queer. The concept of celebrating one's differences and being open to each part of one's whole identity is what makes this a universal book.

A book with a protagonist that is aggravating. Rafe as a character made me furious throughout almost the entire book. The other characters had more depth than he did by far! It took way too long to get to the good stuff and then the book was much better. I would advise other people to just skip like 100 pages in the beginning. Everything repeats and you will hate Rafe like everyone I know hates Rafe if you actually read his self-centered thoughts. I get he's a teenager, but there is almost nothing redeeming about his judgemental character.

I give it three because, even though I am thoroughly enjoying it, I'll never finish it because my copy, which is "ineligible for return at this time," goes from page 88 to 121. Talk about a plot hole. This is what I get for not patronizing a bookstore with people in it.

Until page 88, I really was enjoying Rafe, and I appreciate his anti-label stance.
I was hoping to recommend this to students and add it to my classroom library, but I cannot with 33 pages missing. Into the trash it goes.

Full disclosure: I am a YA author. I know occasionally the store doesn't like when authors review other books, as we're viewed as competitors (which is silly, but I get it). That said, I do not know Bill Konigsberg, we do not share a publisher, nor an editor, nor an agent. Further, I purchased this book with my own money, and this is my unbiased opinion.

This was a fantastic read. Someone recommended this to me on Twitter, so I pre-ordered the book off the blurb (I'm an easy sell, really), and I'm so glad I did. Basic premise: Rafe is openly gay. He's so openly gay that he goes to other schools to talk about being out, and his mom is president of the local PFLAG chapter. But Rafe is tired of being "the gay kid." So he moves across the country to go to an all-male boarding school, and while he doesn't go back in the closet, he doesn't tell anyone he's gay, either. Then he becomes best friends with a soccer teammate, and before he knows it, he's falling for his friend. A friend who thinks Rafe is 100% straight.

You know what I loved about this book? Rafe was such a GUY. Yes, he was gay, but he wasn't some stereotypical flamer. He wasn't struggling with whether to come out. It was standard trope turned on its head. I loved following Rafe's journey.

You know what I loved even more? This book is HILARIOUS. I laughed out loud several times. I have not mastered the fine art of Kindle highlighting, so I can't find any specific lines, but suffice it to say that it's rare that I laugh out loud at a book.

Give this one a read. It's great.

Well, ive read like 7books by now so i can say is the best book ive read this year haha.
The end was so good, it didn't end as i would like to but we will see what happens in Honestly Ben. Im really looking forward to reaf it.

I gave this three stars because I'm picky. And only for that reason. I save my five-stars for books like To Kill a Mockingbird or Gatsby, and my four-stars are books like Fault in Our Stars, so if that helps just hear me out. This book was good. No doubt. I cried at parts because Konigsberg really understood without being completely unrealistic the dynamic relationship two guys can have. I didn't like that "Republican" was used as an insult considering books should be open-minded and not fall under political generalizations. However, despite the few problems in this book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the changes the protagonist went through. I found myself totally with him throughout the story. I understood what he went through, and that made it all the better. I recommend this book to any gay kid who feels labeled and wants to be more than the school gay. And if you're straight you're awesome for overcoming the barriers of reading LGBT fiction. I think the ones willing to pick it up will understand a point of view they never had before.

Book started out slow but developed. . Not the best I have ever read but the book improves as the pagers turn. The books is more about living in a boarding school than being gay. There are better authors out there to read. This is above average but not a super must read.

This is my second time reading from the LGBT genre. However, this book lost my interest around the second half. After Rafe's big "re-reveal" the story went downhill. I had high hopes for the story's resolution. If anything I felt bad for Rafe. He had the world on his shoulders throughout the entire story, and no one to help him. This may allude to the empirical realities of the genre , but it honestly read too defeatist by the end. I loved the philosophical aspects, but the story could use more structure and clarification surrounding ego and the limits of human perception.

*Reviewed by Wendy for North of Normal Book Reviews

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg is a stand-alone LGBT YA Romance.

I chose this book because I read the excerpt and it sounded dissimilar from any other romance book I've read. I was hoping for an interesting new voice for life as a young, gay man, and this book provided that perspective and considerably more.

Rafe Goldberg was tired of being “the gay kid.” He came out when he was 14 years old to wonderful parents and a welcoming community in Boulder, Colorado. His mother was very involved in a gay rights group, and he began speaking to high schools about coming out and being proud of who he was. However, Rafe was starting to feel like everyone saw him as a nothing more than a label. So for his junior year of high school, he transfers to an all-boys boarding school in Massachusetts, looking for a fresh start. At his new school, he plays things straight, telling no one he's gay. Suddenly he's fitting in like never before, but close friendships are difficult and he wonders if he can continue putting a major part of who he is on hold.

I did not expect to feel so much emotion with this book, but from the very first paragraph, I was laughing out loud. Before I knew it, my heart was broken. I didn't even realize how completely this story had drawn me in until I was in tears. There are a lot of facets to recommend here, and chief among them are the author's story-telling. Very quickly, I felt invested in Rafe and how his life would turn out. After finishing, I struggled to keep this book in my hand when all I wanted to do was launch it across the room. As much as I fell in love, I also felt lost. I consider myself lucky that I read this book when I did. The sequel, HONESTLY BEN, will be available 28 March 2017, which can't come soon enough.

This book is appropriate for teens ages 14 and up and for adults as well. This is a heart-felt story that may appeal to to romance readers of all types, even those who've never considered reading an LGBT novel. I've already recommended it to friends and family. :-)

This book earns 4.5 North of Normal stars!

"We were dancers and drummers and standers and jugglers, and there was nothing anyone needed to accept or tolerate. We celebrated."

*I was reccomended to read this book by Becky Albertalli, author of SIMON VS The Homo Sapiens Agenda. Thanks, Becky!*

Openly Straight is a personal, humorous, and authentic read. The writing style encourages the reader to keep turning page after fabulous page. *My official rating would have 4.5 stars*

The Pluses

I feel that Rafe was well developed. I was able to develop a personal connection with him, and empathize as I read the novel. The character development wasn't tedious, either. It wasn't telling, but more showing. Showing us the multiple sides of Rafe, not just his sexuality, but his personality.

I felt a connection to Claire Olivia, who I might've liked better than Rafe, honestly. She is intelligent, understanding, and quirky. But most of all, the authenticity of her character is what drew me to her most.

I was able to dislike, and even want go punch some of these characters. Specifically, the homophobic jocks. I thought Steve was going to be the love interest, in the beginning; but now seeing his personality, I am glad he wasn't. And that's important, that an author is able to develop characters well enough that you could react to them as if they were real, rather than fictitious.

I found myself wishing that the Boulder and Natick in this story was real. I liked the developments of the different neighborhoods, specifically Boulder. I also really enjoyed the development of the people in the town: those that danced in the end, those that were stared at in the end, and also the SEGWAY NUNS! Those are my favorite community members in this story. Also, I loved seeing this quirky family of Rafe's. There aren't many families in YA, but when there are, they are usually epic. This was certainly achieved in OPENLY STRAIGHT, and reminded me fondly of the family in SIMON VS.

I liked the dialogue, and also Ben! I was disappointed that they didn't end up together, I was expecting that, and looking forward to that ending. However, this ending was more realistic and turned out to be more thought provoking, and fun.

This book discussed a lot about celebrating others' differences, rather than accepting or tolerating which I loved.

The Minuses

Graphic imagery. Let me tell you, and this is actually kind of a funny one. My main problem was this: I did not enjoy the sudden and unwanted visualization of Gorilla Butt in the shower scenes, or anyone else in the shower scene for that matter. But especially solemn Robinson.

Why all the deep shower scenes? These were great for character development, and funny. Kind of like a thinking in the shower-great ideas come in the shower type thing.

Although I did love Bill Konigsberg's writing style, I felt there were some parts that were *painfully awkward*. I guess that comes in with the whole authencity of his writing. But, before it became a joke, the bathroom scene with Ben was awkward. I didn't really see the necessity of it, besides, perhaps, farce? I don't know. The awkwardness of his writing wasn't frequent, I may add, but when it happened, it was difficult to continue.

Conclusion

Despite any of my takeoffs, I felt that Openly Straight was certainly an epic book. if I could read this for the first time once more, I would do it all over again.

Rafe is gay and has been out since eight grade. He's accepted in his high school. He's even given talks in school about tolerance. The trouble is that he is known as 'the gay guy'. He's not type cast in a bad way, but people do treat him differently, expect different things from him. Rafe longs to be 'just another guy', to be 'a regular guy'; not the schools leading gay. Then he wonders what things would be like if he went to a new school where nobody knew he was gay, and he kept it a secret. Soon Rafe convinces his parents to send him to Natick, a boarding school, for senior high. That means leaving his long-time friend Claire Olivia behind, but Rafe is committed to this new experiment.

Bill Konigsberg has written a bright, witty novel that grabs the attention of the reader and holds it from beginning to end. The plot is interesting and original: this is an anti-coming-out story. We all hear about gay teens struggling to reveal who they truly are, but this novel highlights the equally important teen desire of 'fitting in'. Being a minority really can be difficult simply because it highlights the individual as 'different'. But can we truly deny who we are, or at least hide it? Doesn't being 'regular' have consequences?

Konigsberg's style captures the life of a youth well. The book is a first person narrative and we really feel we are hearing a bright teenage boy talk. To make things even more interesting the story includes biographical English essays which Rafe writes, which fill the reader in on his past history and his developing thoughts about himself. They allow us to see beyond the action of the story deep into the mind of Rafe.

Rafe is certainly a likable person, but we really wonder about this wacky experiment. Still the reader can see why he does it, and we hope for the best for Rafe, whatever that 'best' might be. Ben, who Rafe befriends at Natick, is an interesting character: introverted, yet macho in a strong, quiet sort of way. Ben is a team player, but does not perfectly fit the team. He is good at sports and schoolwork, but he is not a social success. Ben's hidden and unexpected depth is revealed as the plot progresses. Bryce, Ben's roommate, represents the black minority and serves as an interesting comparison o Rafe. Bryce is a funny, friendly guy, but is truly aware that he is 'different' at the rich, white environment of Natick. This is certainly a guy's novel with almost all guy characters, but Claire Olivia of course represents females. She is bright, forthright and zany. She is also a force of reason.

This really is a great book to read. It is fun, has drama and is original. It makes the reader think about what it is to be gay. I am happy to award it five stars.

Dear friends,
Look at the list of literary awards this book has been honoured with:

Sid Fleischman Humor Award (2014)

Lambda Literary Award Nominee (2014)

Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (ALAN/NCTE) Nominee (2014)

American Library Association Rainbow List (2014)

Texas Library Association's Tayshas List (Top Ten Title) (2014)

Georgia Peach Award Nominee (2014)

Yalsa's Best Fiction for Young Adults (2014)

And then ask yourselves WHY FGS I HAVE NOT YET READ IT?! Though you don't have to do the same. It was ME who asked myself this question. It was ME who swallowed 336 pages in one sitting. It was ME who laughed highlighted laughed highlighted highlighted highlighted laughed smiled laughed highlighted highlighted highlighted highlighted dropped some tears laughed highlighted and then - WTF??!!

I ADORE the first 90%. LOVELOVELOVE IT! I don't really know what to think about the last 10%. Right now I'm trying to find a reasonable explanation for that ending. Didn't this book win Sid Fleischman Humor Award? THE LAST 10% WAS NOT FUNNY! I read even the Acknowledgements and About the author at the end of the book searching for an explanation!

But one after another:

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write. And he is gay. Openly gay in Boulder, Colorado. His parents love him, his neighbours love him, he is a beloved 'gay kid' in Boulder, Colorado. "But growing up in Boulder is like growing up in a bubble." It's why he goes to Natick, an all-boys school, almost 3.000 miles away from his home town. He wants to start everything from the very beginning.
Finally, here it was. My chance for a do-over. Here at Natick, I could be just Rafe. Not crazy Gavin and Opal’s colorful son. Not the "different" guy on the soccer team. Not the openly gay kid who had it all figured out.

He doens't plan to go back in the closet,he is just tired of feeling different. He decided to stop be open about it. He just wants to feel like one of the guys for once.
I was going to be label-free. Don’t ask, and I won’t tell. The only way I would actually lie was if I were asked directly, "Are you gay?" In that case, I’d say no. But even then I wouldn’t go on about being straight. I didn’t want to lie; I just wanted to not be the guy whose main attribute was liking other guys. Been there, done that.

But how long can something like THIS stay unnoticeable? As he's fallen in love with Ben, a tiny insignificance of NOT-OPENLY-BEING-GAY turns into a BIG LIE. And lying to a friend sucked. Of course, he'll come to the point when he ought to tell the truth, when he has to stop to pretend to be someone else. Will it end good?
As soon as I tried to remove the label, a lie formed. In the end, that lie created a barrier way worse than the original one. How crazy is that? Ironic, I mean. I created a barrier getting rid of a barrier.

It's soooooooo worth to read the book to find out what happened here.
So, read it and for now I shut my mouth.

The ending:

To all HEA-junkies: It is not a NOT-HEA. It is real. Like real life. I'd say that it is a good ending. So don't afraid to read it. Only...I was sure that I knew at around 50% already EXACTLY how the story would end, and I was OKAY with it. Because it is one of those book where "the journey is the reward". So, when suddenly I got the different ending from that I'd predicted, I was...WTF?surprised.
It was like a Disney Movie that suddenly becomes an open ending.
But I think that slowly I start to understand WHY the author did it. And I appreciate his courage and his way of thinking.

Can you just put a part of yourself on hold? And if you do, does it cease to be true?

How was I expecting to get closer to someone by not being truly me?

The writing:

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC GREAT AMAZING FUNNY POIGNANT CLEVER WARM-HEARTED!
Great characters, witty, sweet, it goes straightly to my FAVOURITE shelf. NO HESITATION.

I utterly totally understand WHY this book has such a lot of literary awards. It is a literary juwel. A MUST READ. Better now than tomorrow.

Highly highly highly recommended!

[Openly Straight] gets a new perspective on being a gay teenager. Rafe does not have the stress of coming out because in Boulder, CO he is out. In fact he is the face of being out and popular. He is just tired of being paraded around as the "gay" kid who is doing well.

When he transfers to an all boys boarding school in the east he decided to go back in the closet and just be Rafe, the boy. Unfortunately it is hard to shove things back in when they already are out.

I really think this book is a great read for anyone but especially those young people who are questioning. The characters are genuine and even Rafe wanting to be normal is, well, normal. Labels are over rated and over used in our world and I think that is one of the points Konigsberg is trying to make. The other big point is just be yourself.

High school junior Seamus Rafael Goldberg (call him Rafe) is openly gay and lives in relatively tolerant Boulder, Colorado. Until, that is, he decides to move across the country and enroll in an all-male boarding school in Natick, Massachusetts, where everyone assumes he’s straight.

And that’s exactly the way Rafe wants it.

That’s the premise of Bill Konigsberg’s poignant, funny, and smart YA novel Openly Straight. Feeling constricted by the label “openly gay,” Rafe sees his move to Massachusetts as a way to reinvent himself: “As of tomorrow, I was going to have new skin, and that skin could look like anything, would feel different than anything I knew yet. And that made me feel a little bit like I was about to be born. Again.” His plan seems to be working when he makes new friends with the Natick jocks, fabricates a girlfriend out of his (platonic) best friend back home, and convinces his parents to go along with his deception.

But then he meets Ben, a classmate who knows nothing of Rafe’s past. And when Rafe finds himself falling in love with Ben, his plan to “be this new, uncomplicated Rafe” starts to seem a lot more complicated.

I liked Konigsberg’s novel for a number of reasons: its marvelous portrait of Rafe, who learns to his surprise that “being able to pass for something you’re not is a kind of curse”; its representation of young male camaraderie, where allegiances can sour in an instant and physical play can turn to desire; its refusal to sentimentalize or resort to easy stereotypes (misunderstood youth versus repressive parents, etc.). In that respect, the only slightly false note for me was Rafe’s kindly writing instructor at Natick, whose suggestion that Rafe keep a journal expressing privately what he can’t admit publicly seemed not only a bit of a stretch--would Rafe really jump at this chance to reveal himself to someone he barely knew?--but a too-convenient means of communicating Rafe’s internal struggles to the reader. (Not only that, but the teacher’s unfailingly supportive comments made me, a not-always-kindly English teacher, feel like a real jerk.) Overall, though, I found this an excellent coming-of-age novel.

I was expecting this book to be (capital-I) Important and deal with (capital-I) Issues facing many gay teens. I was NOT expecting it to be so well-written and deftly plotted... or so much fun to read.
I haven't read any of the author's other books, but will certainly check them out now as well. The characters were three-dimensional and felt real, and the story -- while straightforward -- was told with compassion and expertly handled.
Other reviewers have said that some of the characters seemed stereotypical. In a book that examines stereotypes from every possible angle, inside and out, I don't see that the author could have avoided some of that. In a broader sense, this book is about how we define ourselves, an important theme for teens of every sexual orientation, and this book gets the point across that we don't have to live our lives confined to society's narrow expectations.
If it sounds like more of a manifesto than a story, don't worry; there's lots of plot there as well.
I was a little put off by one masturbation scene that was much more explicit than I've seen before in a teen / YA novel. I don't know if it would have been possible to deal with sexuality without "dealing" with sexuality. Teachers, guidance counsellors, parents, etc, who are recommending this book should be aware that it's in there.

You know when you read a book that you enjoy so much that you just want to shove it in everyone’s face and tell them to read it? Yeah, that is how this book left me feeling when I was done reading it.
It was a very well-written book that covered a lot of different topics. It was a very good coming of age story that portrayed what some young gay men may be going through on a daily basis. Everyone has a different experience, but I think the basic concept of Rafe’s feelings and beliefs can touch many different people.
This book was fun, it made you think, and it was heartbreaking all at the same time.
It covers topics of inner-struggles, acceptance, homophobia, and misconceptions – about many different “types” of people or “labels”.
Once I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down. I read it straight through and didn’t even notice I was sitting there reading for 6 hours. It is very fast-paced, and I just needed to see how it ended.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys YA novels.

5/5 Stars

Rafe recognizes that he is pretty lucky for a gay teen. He was able to "come out" in eighth grade with few challenges or problems, has supportive (PFLAG-active) parents, has some good friends, is active in sports, and is lucky to live in a rather liberal city in Colorado. Yet, tolerance can be annoying when he is constantly being referred to as "that gay guy," and it seems to overshadow everything else that he wants his teachers and fellow students to recognize about him. He convinces his parents into letting him take his last two years of high school at a boarding school in Massachusetts, supposedly to get into a better college, but his real plan is to see what it would be like to keep his sexuality under wraps for once. In his mind, he is not going back into the closet again; he's just declining to talk about it, and see if things are different.

His "experiment" starts off encouraging, as he is soon part of a clique of popular jocks, and enjoying this new experience. However, his parents, and best friend Claire Olivia, weren't initially told about his plan to be incognito about his sexuality, and they worry that his omission is actually a deception, which he will eventually regret. He confides in one teacher, remains closeted in making friends with a gay student, and is readily accepted by most of the campus athletes, including one somewhat quiet hunk with whom Rafe feels a special connection. Uh, oh!

Author Konigsberg, who has a background as a popular sports writer (and who won a GLAAD Media Award for his own "coming out" on ESPN.Com), follows up his award-winning first novel ("Out of the Pocket") with this creative and thoughtful spin on a gay coming-of-age novel. Rafe isn't ashamed of being gay, but he doesn't want it to define him. Sadly, it seems that gay teens will continue to carry a stigma as long as sexuality is a divisive issue in our society. Outstanding read, for all ages, and I recommend it highly. Five stars out of five.

- Bob Lind, Echo Magazine

Rafe Goldberg is sick of being *the* openly gay kid in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado, so when he lobbies to attend boarding school Natick in New England, he decides to leave his identity and all its baggage behind. He's not exactly straight, but he lets his new jock friends assume he is, and when asked directly, he doesn't come out. At first, he revels in being able to be himself, or at least, this new version of himself, and hang out with the types of guys he wouldn't or couldn't have been friends with back home.

But cracks start to show up in his new utopia when he finds himself having to hedge the truth and occasionally outright lie. He's able to open in up in writing assignments only one teacher, who's in on his secret knows, and Konigsberg uses the teacher's feedback extremely well, pushing Rafe to highlight the differences between his new and old life. Rafe's mother is an especially entertaining character; his parents are both super liberal hippie types, and his mom is president of the local PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) group. At one point, Rafe muses that he feels like his mother is more gay than he is.

The deeper into his lie of omission Rafe gets, the more complicated his life becomes, especially when he falls for his friend Ben. What ensues is both a romance and a reckoning. Konigsberg is a funny writer, and while this is a fast-paced book, he doesn't necessarily make it an easy choice who to side with. Rafe's frustration at being judged instantly in Boulder, simply on the basis of his sexuality, is easy to sympathize with, but his deception, which forms the heart of the sticky ethical issue here, gets harder to root for the longer it goes on. Rafe brings up some complicated issues about identity, judgment, tolerance and acceptance, and the people he encounters, gay, straight and in between, don't all share the same point of view about how to approach their varying identities, roles and selves. Konigsberg never lets Rafe off the hook for what he's done, but he nevertheless makes Rafe a very memorable and unique character. While his previous novel, Out of the Pocket, featured a teenager whose coming out wasn't voluntary, Openly Straight shows, for Rafe, what can happen after coming out, which has positives as well as negatives, even with supportive parents and community. I'd highly recommend this book to teen and adult readers.

First Thoughts before reading the book
When I read the premise for this book and how Rafe has been an Out, gay teen in his community but wants to just be seen as a regular teen, and not a gay teen; it reminded me of something I read before. I can't remember who said it or but it resonated with me. The quote was somewhere along these lines "I want to live in a world where people see me with my partner and instead of saying; what a cute guy couple, they will just say what a cute couple." That made complete sense to me and had me thinking about whether I had ever put that label in front of addressing someone that was gay. Constantly hearing Gay before someone describes you has to suck and make you want to just yell "I'm just a person, not a GAY person". So I couldn't wait to read this book and see how Rafe handled finding his own identity.

My thoughts
I really enjoyed this book! Rafe who is openly gay in his community has decided to move somewhere, where no one knows him as the gay kid. He has decided that he will go to this new school and NOT tell anyone that he is gay. At first Rafe is happy and enjoys being a regular teen, but then he starts to like someone named Ben. He realized that he can't continue lying to himself because it hurts everyone involved. Rafe his on a road to self-discovery and you as the reader will laugh at the wit the author brings to every page.

This is the first LGBT young adult book that I've ever read so I basically came in with no major expectations; I had nothing to compare it to. But now I can tell you that Openly Straight has opened my eyes to an entire sub-genre that I am now open to exploring!

Characters
Rafe- is a semi likeable character. He is a not so normal teen, living a normal life, surrounded by people who love and accept him. Even though he surrounded by accepting people he still feels secluded and confused, it's a teen thing. They don't know when to be happy! LOL! There were qualities of him I really liked and others that I couldn't stand.

I loved his hippy loving, fully accepting parents. I really wanted to have them as my parents especially when I was a teen. Also, all of the other characters where very unique and likable, they sometimes made up for some of my dislike towards Rafe! Toby and Albie are beyond hilarious and I couldn't get enough of them! Ben, I liked but didn't love. Claire, Rafe's best friend was also a key character. She was so accepting .She and Rafe had a great friendship.

Overall, Openly straight was a book that will make you laugh, cry, and laugh some more!! Bill Konigsberg is an amazing writer that had me openly praising him all throughout the book! He brings these characters to life and has wit for days!

4.5 stars
Everyone wears labels, we pick them out ourselves and wear them proudly or others slap them on us, grouping us together to make their world more comfortable. There’s labels based on everything imaginable and the list gets longer as our society gets more diverse: race, sex, hobbies, culture, and physical characteristic, I could go on but it’s just a fact that everyone has multiple labels that they wear or identify themselves with. Rafe came out in eighth grade. This label, Rafe is proud of but it’s also smothering him, it’s all people see. They don’t see the boy behind the label, they just see gay. He feels like he’s in the spotlight, singled out because of his uniqueness and he just wants to lead a normal life. Rafe decides to spend his last two years of high school in Massachusetts where no one knows his sexual preference. It’s not like he’s undoing his gayness, he’s just not telling. The minute he hits the campus of this all-boy school, he’s enjoying himself. Playing football, scanner pong and hanging out with the guys, he’s almost enjoying himself too much. He’s like a bird, finally set free. As all this freedom makes its way into Rafe’s world, he’s becomes undone. He’s lying to himself and others, it’s a front and these people are buying it. Rafe likes his new identity but he knows the truth will come out eventually and then who will be hurt? It was when some of his relationships start to get emotional that I start to worry about how they will end. Rafe’s covering up the truth, he’s an actor to these guys and I have a feeling that some of them won’t take the truth lightly. I treaded lightly reading the chapters as Rafe dealt with his sexuality, it was a huge moment for someone who was escaping his previous life. Rafe’s roommate was perfect for him too. From their initial meeting, to their police scanner days, to their deep conversations that they had, you couldn’t have found a better roomie than Albie. It’s an important subject and the author did an excellent job with straightforward characters– great book. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

This started out fun, and it's sweet and quirky in all the best ways, and I laughed a lot.
But this also tore me up. The kid I was, the part of me that still is, and always will be, that kid? That part of me feels a little shredded. I'm surprised at my reaction, and maybe when I listen to this again in the future, I'll react differently. But right now? I'm going to be in the corner rocking for while.
Beautiful, but painful. I will forever hope that Rafe and Ben find their way back to each other, as friends at least. I'll definitely be reading the other books to find out.

About the author
Bill Konigsberg was born in New York in 1970. He went to Riverdale Country School. He has earned 2 awards consisting of Sid Fleischman Humor Award and the Children's/Young Adults Award.
About the book
Rafe is a gay teen. The secret that he is gay has been out since he was 14. Ever since the people around him knew he was gay they had been treating him differently. The only way Rafe feels that he can escape his crazy life is by going to an all boys boarding school.
Once he gets to his new school he decides to not tell anyone that he is gay. After being there for a couple months he begins to think that nothing could go wrong. Just after he thought that, he remembered Visitors Day. His parents would come to his school. He began to think about his parents- would they spill his secret to the whole school or not?
Claim
The book Openly Straight is very detailed. This book will warm your heart, make you angry, and make you feel very uncomfortable in the weirdest ways.
The book hooks you in
If it were up to my dad, my entire life would be on video. Anything I do, he grabs his iphone. ‘Opal,’ he’ll yell to my mother. ‘ Rafe is eating corn flakes. We gotta get this on film.”(page 1) i liked how this book started out with a funny line like this one. After I read this i began to wonder what might be beyond this page
This book creates a world that you feel you could live in
“ It was a steamy day, and the huge oak tree near the front entrance was the only break from the hot sun. A few parents sat on the grass there, watching the car-to-dorm caravan. Cicadas buzzed and hissed, their invisible cacophony pressing in my inner ear.”(page 2) when i read this i felt a warm summer breeze climb up my body. I felt like i knew exactly where this was and i felt like i had experienced this first hand.
This book is very descriptive
“ I got this amusement park feeling in my stomach, this whirling, tumbling, delightful sensation in my gut. I felt suddenly disoriented, like I was seeing his eyes for the first time. They were pale blue and kind, like a lazy Sunday afternoon nap. I felt at home looking at him from so close, and his eyes, they were open. To me. They were letting me in.”(page 166) when i read this i also got that feeling. This also helped me picture one of the characters through his eyes.
My final thought
I thought this book was excellent. If you are looking for a romantic, funny, thought provoking book then I highly recommend this one. Even though this book can get very uncomfortable it sends the strong message of the acceptance of others.

I loved the whole idea of this book. And, everything within the pages. This is one of those novels that make you stop and think about your life and the labels we wear daily.
How many of us haven't wanted an opportunity to reimagine ourselves? To start over as someone just a little different? And, no matter how hard you may try, only the real person you are can survive.
The characters in this novel are amazing. Rafe, his parents and all his friends, in both Boulder and Natwick. The dialogue is real and relevant. It is humorous yet profound. And, more importantly, thought provoking.
I've read reviews about the disappointing ending. I don't get the fuss about it. Life, for everyone, is different. None of us will ever live the same life. Happy endings don't always happen. Tragedy doesn't always strike. Love sometimes wins out over stupidity. Sometimes, the heart wins out over the brain. I love reading stories that seem real, without a perfect fairy tale ending.
The ending was fairly evident the minute the lie started.
Great novel. Great writer. "Openly Straight" and "Out of the Pocket" are both great reads from Mr. Konigsberg.

Openly Straight is a witty and thought-provoking read about identity and the labels that define us. Can you hide an important part of yourself from the world and still be you?

Rafe Goldberg is a high school junior and unapologetically gay. He lives in Boulder, Colorado with his supportive, slightly embarrassing parents (Think the parents in Easy A). He came out to his parents when he was in 8th grade, and they took it really well, even throwing a Coming Out party for him complete with balloons and party hats (The party hats said Yay! Rafe is Gay!). He was not bullied at school, and in fact gave talks to other schools about his overall positive experiences. But, he feels like the fact that he's gay is all people notice about him. He sees himself as more than a gay advocate; he's into soccer and writing but thinks the gay label is what stands out.

Rafe gets the idea to start over at a new school out of the area. He goes to an all-boys boarding school in Massachusetts. Right away he's part of the athlete clique at school and loves that they think of him as a jock. Rafe decides that he's going to keep his sexuality under wraps, and enjoy this new anonymity. One of his teachers, and faculty advisor of the GSA, is in on the secret, though, and encourages Rafe to journal about the experience as a writing exercise.

Things get complicated in Rafe's social experiment when he falls for his teammate Ben. Ben is smart, sensitive, articulate, and totally dreamy, but he's straight. Or is he? Their friendship transcends labels, but is it all a lie if Rafe can't tell Ben the truth?

I really savored this book and loved reading about Rafe's experiences. Rafe is such an endearing character, and I also really fell for Ben. Their friendship is just too sweet. And yay for Rafe's wonderfully supportive parents! Even though they and his best friend from Boulder aren't on board with the going back into the closet plan, they do their best to support him.

This book gave me a lot to think about regarding identity and labels, and it was just so funny and refreshing too. I'm a new fan of Bill Konigsberg, and hope he revisits these characters in a follow-up book.

I think Openly Straight is a must for high school libraries, and anyone who struggles with their own label, whether they are gay or straight, will identify with Rafe.

All Rafe wanted was to be himself. Except sometimes being himself comes with all these labels and pigeonholes. Which is why this proud gay kid, son of the president of the local PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) president, is going back in the closet.

His best friend Claire Olivia and his parents don't know that this is the plan when he moves across the country to attend a New England boarding school, leaving liberal Boulder behind. He isn't going to tell anyone that he's gay. He moves in with his room mate, joins the soccer team, and pretends to be just one of the guys. Except, in Rafe's mind, he is just one of the guys. And for once in his life, he's not "the gay kid." This experiment get difficult, though, when his new best friend turns out to be so, well, hot. And when Rafe and Ben's bromance looks like maybe it could be something more, it's impossible for him to know what to do. His lies have been piling up and he's backed into a corner.

OPENLY STRAIGHT by Bill Konigsberg is as hilarious as it is poignant. The relationships are honest and real, and the struggles Rafe encounters are relatable for not only gay readers, but readers who have ever faced being labelled...which is pretty much everyone. This is a book that I'd like to see in every library, and I'd like to think we'll see a few shiny stickers on it in the near future.

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thinking back, I'm not entirely sure why I wanted to read this book other than presumably my ambition to read all the YA contemporary (a lofty goal to be sure) and as part of my ongoing efforts to read books from the male perspective. I do think the premise is really cool, as will be explained below; it just doesn't seem like a "me" book.

The premise follows Rafe, a pretty ordinary high schooler from Boulder who has worked hard to get into an elite New England boarding school and decides to hide the fact that he's gay from everyone there. Though his friends and family back home have been basically nothing short of supportive, he'd rather that "gay" not be his identifying characteristic. But though he tries to settle in, he finds that he cannot just ignore such an important part of himself nor does he feel at ease with hiding the truth from his friends especially from the boy he might even love.

As I shared, the concept for this is pretty cool. Can he go back in the closet? Can he manage to hide something so integral to his character? How differently is he judged and treated compared to his out classmates (as there are a few)? One of my favorite relationships ended up being Rafe's with his roommate's out best friend Toby, just the way they interacted and shared. I also really liked the roommate Albie who was quite a unique character to be perfectly frank. Other great characters are Ben, the thoughtful boy who becomes Rafe's crush and Claire Olivia, Rafe's best friend from home who is responsible for some awesome quips.

There were two things I really didn't like about this book. One was the essays written by Rafe for his English teacher that reveal character defining moments. I'm not quite sure what I didn't like. It is possible it was the comments the teacher left at the end of the essay encouraging more introspection for Rafe. The other part was the ending, which was so sad to me. As a hopeless romantic, I wanted one kind of ending and yet it would not have been entirely fitting to give that ending.

Overall: A really thought-provoking witty book that will be great for its intended audience and older especially lovers of YA contemporary.

Rafe is tired of being the gay kid. He understands that he's lucky, with his understanding hippie parents and progressive hometown Boulder, CO . . . but he's still tired of that one label always coming first. So he decides to do what any foresight-lacking teenager would do and moves to a prep school across the country where no one knows that he's gay.

But Rafe's one little omission isn't as small as he things. Sometimes it becomes an outright lie. And when his friendship with one of his new classmates starts to turn romantic, it's definitely not cool that he's keeping his past a secret. What's nice is that Rafe's English teacher catches on to his secrecy pretty earlier and puts him to writing about his motivation. Rafe's assignment pieces and the teacher's commentary illuminate where Rafe is refusing to reflect and eventually helps Rafe think his experiment through.

Now, I am not saying Rafe is 100% in the wrong. No one should be defined as a label. But as OPENLY STRAIGHT points out, lying to people isn't cool. And people who wouldn't be friends with you if they knew that you were gay, or bisexual, or able to fly, or from the planet Krypton . . . well, are they really the people you want to be friends with?

No matter the reader's sexuality, Rafe's struggle to define himself and where he fits in is pretty universal. Messing it up and having to apologize to people is pretty darn universal too. It's really interesting how far coming-out lit has come, that we can have a re-closeting and coming-out again novel. Strangely, I'm hoping that OPENLY STRAIGHT dates quickly. It's a new exploration of life as "the gay kid" but it really would be nice if people stopped putting such emphasis on other people's sexuality.

OPENLY STRAIGHT is quick and funny, but grounded by well-thought out philosophy and sociology. My favorite part of the story might be just how much Rafe is motivated by sex. Even coming out - he comes out because he's more likely to get laid that way. Rafe is just such a teen guy. At the same time, I liked that Rafe's family and friends were as important to the story than his romances. (And that everyone realized they were drinking maybe a bit too much.) OPENLY STRAIGHT is a good summer read that will make you think a few thinky thoughts between laughs.

Straight or gay, I wish everyone would read this book. Protagonist Rafe has been out since 8th grade. He lives a life free from discrimination in Boulder, CO, and gives tolerance speeches at schools. But what he really wants is to be a regular guy, not that gay guy. Why does his sexual orientation have to be his headline?

Rafe transfers to an all-boys boarding school across the country and makes the decision to be, well, openly straight. He's not going to hook up with any girls, but he wants to know what it's like to have people see him first and not gay first. You can probably guess what happens to Rafe at his all-boys school, of course once he's pretending to be straight he'll finally find the perfect guy to be his boyfriend. But Rafe's journey opens up so many questions about how we let labels define both ourselves and others. Albie, Toby, and Ben are wonderfully developed secondary characters and I want to take a class with Mr. Scarborough, Rafe's writing teacher, who pushes Rafe to take his writing above and beyond.

Humorous and real, this book is worth the read and a re-read.

This was a (nearly) perfect read. I absolutely enjoyed reading Openly Straight . On one hand because I didn't have any expectations towards it and on the other hand because it exceeded them anway.

I was suprised to like this book so much. The LGBT+ book market is still growing and growing. It's hard to find a book in this category that is able to live up to the readers expectations or to say, is outstanding. This one, along with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, is exceptional.

One of the aspects that makes Openly Straight a great novel is the relatable main character. Rafe is not a stereotype. He lies, breaks his own promises, messes up. He is happy to belong with people, struggling to stand up to his friends when it comes to his own beliefs and he fears that he might not be accepted anymore if he does so. He, for a fictional character, is very human and relatable.

Something else that made this novel such an enjoyable read was the many emotions it brought up. It made me smile, giggle, laugh out loud. It made me read that line again and laugh even harder. It made me want to hug someone (Rafe/Ben!/the book/my pillow). It made me happy.

The only thing that let me down was - spoiler - the ending. I wanted a happy ending! I mean a happily ever after! Rafe and Ben! Together! Kissing! In Love! But yeah I understand why it did not end that way. But still... There is some hope left.

There will be a sequel from Ben's point of view which could not make me happier, since he's my favourite character. This also means, that there's the possibility of a future for Ben and Rafe. And I really want it to happen.

I am now officially a fan of Bill Konigsberg!

Openly Straight, by Bill Konigsberg, tells the story of Rafe, a young teenager from Boulder, Colorado. Seeming to be just like every other teenage in his town, Rafe is openly gay, and proud of it. Openly Straight reflects on what is means to be gay, especially what it means to be proud of it. Being out since the 8th grade, Rafe is rarely teased. He even goes out to other schools to promote tolerance and what it means to be openly gay. Rafe deals with an internal crisis of just wanting to fit in, and not being the center of attention. This brings up the excellent question of what it means to identify yourself. In my opinion, Rafe simply cannot identify himself because he is caught in between embracing himself and trying to fit in like any other "normal" kid. It seems to me that Rafe isn't looking at the big picture, rather just looking at himself through a small lense. He believes that being gay is the only thing that shows who he is, rather than the fact that he is a great writer, he is a great skier, and he plays soccer.

The question of identity brings up a question about my life. Have I ever used my sexual orientation to identify who I am as a person? Being a heterosexual male, I have never really given that thought. Rafe, on the other hand, seems to have given it plenty of thoughts. Even though he has come out as a gay male, he still feels isolated, but not isolated like other LGBT individuals feel. While other individuals feel isolated because they have yet to come out, Rafe feels this way because he simply cannot figure out who he is as a person.

I believe Konigsberg does a great job at exploring this form of questioning. The way he structures his writing, introducing Rafe right away, and slowly getting into his psyche, makes this book an easy read. This book can be used in many different situations. It's a great way to introduce LGBT issues to young teenagers. It can be possible, and will be possible that students will be able to relate to Rafe and his ordeal.

At the end of the day, I really appreciated the fact that Konigsberg wants us to believe that is OK to be yourself. It is OK to care about yourself and not worry about what other people think. It is alson ok to discover yourself through multiple reflections that include every aspect of your life, not just your sexual identity.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Rafe Goldberg seems as if he knows himself very well. He is an openly gay teenager who lives in Boulder Colorado. Everyone at his school knows him as the “gay kid” and he’s tired of it. When people talk to him they relate to something about being gay, as if he were a different species. His best friend Claire Olivia is always there for him and treats his like an actual human being, along with his very supported parents. Rafe’s parents are very supportive of him being gay. His mom is the president and very involved with the PFLAG group and has Rafe talk at different schools about his experience being gay.
Rafe decides he doesn’t want to be the “gay kid” anymore and transfers schools to an all-boys boarding school on the east coast. Rafe wanted to start over and didn’t tell any of his new friends about him being gay. He was tired of having a label and wanted to be “normal”.

Life was going great for Rafe at Natick. He made a ton of friends and was able to play sports with the guys and not have anyone judge him or treat him differently because he was gay. His teacher Mr. Scarborough is the only person at Natick that knows he is gay. He helps Rafe get his feelings out by writing in a journal and handing it in each class. Rafe writes about the different experiences he faced as being gay, since he can’t share it with his friends. Rafe learns that hiding himself isn’t what he wanted when he becomes close with his best friend and realizes he’s been lying all along.
This was a great book to read. I definitely recommend this book to high school students and adults. This book talks about different issues that people who are gay face. The way it is written really helps the reader feel like they are right there watching everything in Rafe’s life. I felt as if I was able to understand Rafe and his decision to keep his secret from his friends. On the other side, there is a part of me that feels as if he was wrong for doing that because he was not his true self. Maybe he thought he was, but I feel that he was 100% himself when he was with Claire Olivia.

“Openly Straight” is about the labels that people apply to each other and themselves. Rafe, tired of being labeled the gay kid at his Colorado high school, does something bold. He leaves his very accepting family and supportive community and enrolls in a private boy’s boarding school in Massachusetts his junior year, where no one knows he is gay. When he is befriended by a group of jocks and joins the soccer team, he is torn between their camaraderie and his growing friendship with his misfit roommate Albie, whose best friend Toby is gay. When Rafe develops strong feelings for his new best friend, sensitive intellectual teammate Ben, he has to deal with the repercussions of his deception. Rafe’s motivations and feelings are revealed in short essays he writes for his creative writing teacher.

Rafe and Ben are very sympathetic characters, and their relationship is touching. The writing is witty, the plot is well constructed, and the drama is tense. Once I started reading, I was unable to put the book down until I finished.

I found this book to be interesting because I am a straight male, and although I have a few friends and acquaintances who are gay, I don’t exactly know what it would be like to be in their shoes. I’ve never had any deep conversations with anyone who is homosexual or had any first hand experiences of some of the issues they deal with; so this book was very insightful, and I believe it has allowed me to empathize to some degree.
I don’t want to speak as if I know what it’s like to come out and lead life as a homosexual, but I can imagine there are many struggles an individual must deal with, especially from middle school onwards. That being said, I really enjoyed this book, but had one little complaint about it, being that---- Rafe’s decision to move seemed to be a little unrealistic to me. I say this because he seems to have a pretty good life with a lot going for him. He’s a writer, an athlete, and even makes rounds to high schools as a guest speaker for tolerance on the subject. He isn’t made fun of, and has a nice social life, but he can’t shake the feeling that people see him as “the gay guy”.
Rafe just wants people to see him as one of the guys, and I can certainly understand how this could be frustrating for him, and I give him a ton of respect for making such a drastic decision to leave his openly gay life behind, but I just don’t know how believable it is that a young high schooler in his situation would just up and leave like that.
This also got me thinking about whether I am guilty of labeling my friends and acquaintances, who are openly gay, as the “gay guys”. Yes, I know that they are gay, but I don’t feel as if treat them any differently. So, I’m not sure if this qualifies as looking at them as the gay guy, because yes I guess “the gay guy” does enter my head when their name is mentioned or when we make eye-contact, but I don’t believe it changes what I do or say to and around them, and I really hope this doesn’t bother them as much as it does Rafe.
Anyway, because of this, he makes the gutsy decision to move to New England where nobody knows him, and attends an all boys high school where he can walk around free of a label. He quickly befriends a group of jocks and his experiment seems to be going off without a hitch, until he starts developing deep feelings for his best friend, Ben, who is straight of course, and has no reason to think Rafe isn’t as well. This is where the book really takes you on a wild ride, because Rafe faces a crisis of conscience and the reader gets a front row view of how he deals with the consequences that come along with his decision to seek a different type of acceptance.

I have to say, this book wasn’t quite what I expected when I picked it up. It was, all-in-all, a lesson book. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it was still a pretty good book, but it just wasn’t what I expected.

The characters were interesting, but I do wish we knew more about them. There wasn’t a single bit of description about the main character, Rafe. We know he’s gay and he plays soccer, likes to write, and he sometimes goes skiing (but, as he is a Colorado resident like myself, skiing is more of a requirement than a character trait. XD). That’s all we really know about him though. He’s pretty much a blank slate which, in a book like this is probably a good thing because it makes it easier for just about anyone to put themselves in Rafe’s shoes, but I personally prefer a bit more depth and development with characters.

Aside from that, I do fell like the ending cut off pretty quickly. I can understand leaving things a bit open for interpretation, but I do wish we’d seen a bit more of Rafe’s development after he came to the realizations he did.

Overall it was a pretty good book and I’d certainly recommend it if you’re looking for a very well written, contemporary LGBT story.

Sometimes a main character can annoy the shit out of you, but you can still enjoy the book. Rafe makes some bad decision when it comes to being back in the closet and wanting so badly not be defined by being gay. He lies to his best friend, struggles to be honest, and makes jokes about people he actually could be friends with. I think this is what made this an interesting read. Seeing a character make mistakes is great in any novel. Too often we judge a book by a character being unlikable.
I will say that there’s a sexual sexual situation in this book that felt slightly like one character was taking advantage of another (without that really being acknowledged by the Rafe or explored by the author). I do wish there would have been more openness about what had happened between them instead of it being so vague. I’ve heard there might be a sequel, so I’m hoping that this issue will be explored further.

Wow...just, wow! Konigsberg captures the multiple layers of thought and emotion that gay teen Rafe experiences as he goes from an outie to an innie at his new boarding school. From his liberal parents who have embraced his gayness more than he has, to the socially awkward situations in which an openly straight Rafe finds himself, I have rarely laughed so much with a book. This is my first time reading a book with a gay theme, but Rafe's struggles are universal in many ways. It seems to be a standalone story, but I'm hoping there is a follow-up as I'd like to see if/how certain relationships develop. Mr. Konigsberg, could you please put me on your email list?

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg is an important young adult fiction novel because it explores LGBT issues in an original, non-clichéd manner. Furthermore, in the genre of young adult fiction as a whole, the story is not an unrealistic, fairytale-esque love story where all the pieces fall perfectly, seamlessly into place at the end. On the contrary, the story is realistic in its depiction and development of a love relationship from beginning to end. Along this same vein, the book and its characters do not put on any pretensions about social issues or radical politics [(e.g., “This was Boulder. It could easily be two moms. Two dads. A dad, a mom, and an orangutan. Three Amish hipsters and a transgendered Aboriginal mermaid”) 36]. . That is to say, the novel does not preach at the reader about LGBT issues; but rather, tells a story about a gay high schooler who struggles and comes to terms with identity formation, labels, bias, and the importance of being truthful (to oneself and to others). These same tropes can often be added into young adult coming-of-age stories without any context or development, thus making them ineffective narrative strategies. The power of this story is in its narrative voice, and Rafe’s first-person narration is both humorous and perceptive. The story is peppered with hilarious quips that remind the reader (and Rafe himself) that laughter is an important part of making life enjoyable and honest. As a future English teacher for junior high and high schoolers, I hope to one day teach this book. It is readable and also important for straight students to read about gay experiences and gay students to be reminded that their lives bring challenges that they can overcome.

Rafe has a pretty good life. He likes sports and hanging out with friends and just happens to be gay. His parents and best friend could not be more supporting. There is only one small problem, he hates being known as the gay kid. He doesn't get bullied or picked on but he does get treated differently. He decides he wants a fresh start and finds an all-male boarding school across the country. He starts a new school year being known as just Rafe.

This was such a unique story to me and I really enjoyed it. Rafe was such a great character that just simply wants to be normal but as long as people think of him as the gay kid he won't feel normal. I felt that even though Rafe was not being directly bullied at his old school, he was receiving some form of it. Without this sounding bad, Rafe was incredibly normal. Being treated differently for being gay is the same as being treated differently for being fat or Hispanic or tall. Why should any of these things cause someone to be treated differently?

Rafe begins many friendships at his new school and I thought this is where the novel really pulled me in. At first Rafe thinks he wants to be associated with the jocks rather than his geeky roommates. He soon befriends the joke that also happens to be a bit of an outsider. Their friendship evolves, as does Rafe's friendship with his roommates and he soon finds himself less associated with the people he originally thought he wanted to be friends with.

This story is written similar to Sarah Dessen's novels. There were times when heavy stuff was going on but it never felt too heavy or overwhelming. It is that magical quality of heavy and light at the same time. I always love this because reading something too serious or too heavy can make me uncomfortable and sometimes cause me to stop reading the book altogether. I did not find this at all in Konigsberg's writing and that made a wonderful story.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg is a novel that gets to you--and that right there makes it impressive. It was painful for me to read on a number of levels. I don't think it's entirely successful. But it certainly stirs you up in ways I think only a talented writer can accomplish.

The basic concept is interesting because one of the great problem with gay novels is that they tend to be coming out novels. And thus we wait for hundreds of pages just for the character to get his gay life going. And then suddenly it's the end. This novel allows us to experience the pressures of the closet--Rafe hiding his emotions, trying to gauge when he's feeling like a buddy towards someone and when he's feeling something amorous, carefully monitoring his words and choice actions--while still allowing the character to be in his gay life, which as gay readers is what we are most interested in. I felt the tension of the plot was well developed, though the dreamy boyfriend seems like a character out of romance fiction rather than someone one is likely to meet (which is not to say that there is zero chance of such a person being out there--the author based the character on his partner--just that its extremely unlikely a young, unformed kid would accidentally stumble upon him and end up in the kind of relationship he develops with him).

A key element of my frustration with the book was Konigsberg's handling of the central character, which was confused and somewhat hard to decipher. I'm not bothered by Rafe's decision to avoid outing himself at his new school. I think his feelings about only being seen as "The Gay Kid" rather than as "Rafe" make perfect sense. I'm not sure his choice to not out himself in his new school was entirely wrong. How many gay adults are out at their place of business, for instance? Isn't it more common, not to pretend to be straight, but not to bluntly put it out there? And isn't school the workplace of the young? And putting aside whether we "agree" with this choice, who cares if an individual reader agrees with a character's choice or not? Characters don't exist to make perfect choices.

But the novel merges this idea with the idea that Rafe is only attracted to straight-acting men, and not only can't get interested in a more flamboyant sort of male, but actively can't stand being around one, even as friends. And in fact it's hard to tell how much the author intends these two concepts to be thought of as one. Thus it is difficult to know how to read Rafe's antagonism towards any gay kid who is the least bit effeminate or unattractive. He frequently goes on about how these guys just aren't his type, and how both the kind of guy he's into and he himself probably seem boring to others' and it just so happens that he fell in love only with a big meaty soccer player and that probably those other gay guys wouldn't even like that type. But clearly Rafe is only interested in men who don't seem remotely gay, and with one exception he doesn't want to even be acquaintances with gays who are the least bit obviously so. There is the one exception, but that almost seems like a case of tokenism. And a broad-shouldered powerful jock with meaty thighs is EVERYBODY'S fantasy, not just his own unique preference.

I really can't figure out if this is Konigsberg's attempt to create an anti-hero, if he sees the issues of not wanting to be labeled and of being homophobic as identical or not. Are we supposed to be frustrated with Rafe when he espouses these preferences? Or is the author's depiction of Rafe's interest in "real men" supposed to be simply a preference he's entitled to (and a preference many gay men share)? Are we to take the final resolutions as a slow step away from both his attraction solely to straight-acting guys and away from homophobia? It's very unclear.

I was also bothered by the technique of having Rafe explain his past through a series of school assignments. There are a number of problems with this technique. One is that there is no difference between the voice of Rafe narrating his story to us and the voice of Rafe writing for class. The issue is compounded by the professor commenting (in cursive type to represent handwriting--a too cutesy touch for me) alternately with criticisms and compliments. It feels much more like Konigsberg commenting on his own work rather than a teacher responding to his student. Also, I just find the "tell the backstory through a recurring series of flashbacks" method a bit trite. I realize the goal is to center and unify the work, and if what happened earlier occurred in chronological order rather than interspersed with the primary storyline, many readers would argue that there are two novels being written here instead of one. But there must be a better solution.

And the ending was just flat out bad. I'm not talking about the resolution to the various issues. I'm talking literally about how the final scenes are dramatized, which seem to come right out of the t.v. afternoon special playbook. Especially the very last scene (If you wonder what I'm referring to, you might check out the ending credits of every Strangers with Candy episode.) Somewhat related to this "afternoon special" ending was the author's tendency to want to teach little lessons. We aren't just allowed to see a young man going through the experience of being young. He has to "learn something." He has to realize he made a "wrong" choice and he must "grow up" a little and learn the "right" one. But those are all fairly false categories, aren't they? In real life, nothing is that simple, and generally there are no right or wrong choices: just choices that have both good and bad consequences (nearly every choice results in both). Yes a young person who is timid about coming out might read this, gain the confidence to be open, and feel better about themselves. But I dislike didactic fiction, even when I agree with the points being made (I guess that's why S.E. Hinton has always been my favorite YA writer. She doesn't make her characters learn. She allows them to just exist.) I feel like Rafe's integrity as a character was diminished and the largeness of he experienced simplified by making him an example to be followed.

I'm emphasizing the negative, but I don't want to discount the positive or suggest the novel isn't worth reading. My guess is that gay males of all kinds, from straight-acting to effeminate, will feel challenged and frustrated and engaged with this book. I'd recommend it not just to the young, but to anyone in the LGBT community looking for good gay literature.

16100972

the store / Goodreads

The award-winning novel about being out, being proud, and being ready for something else . . . now in paperback.

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate break down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn't even know that love is possible.

This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate feeling different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

Funny characters. The characters were humorous and kind. They were likable and extremely so.
Rafe was fascinating because of that. He was gay but not gay. That was fascinating. I can understand his want for no labels. It made sense. But denying that part of you? That's practically impossible. You can't stop being yourself. You can't stop being Rafe. Of course, you can stop being the gay guy. (If you understand.) But you can't stop being gay. I liked his writing. It was quite emotional. (That fastwrite. That was great.) His writing was great. It told a story from his perspective. And it showed his life before Natick. It showed his past experiences. We got backstory through the stories Rafe wrote. Rafe was a combination of things. He was athletic, but he hung out with survivalists. (The apocalypse is coming!) It was an odd combination. But I admire him for it. (And I find Rafe a great character because I KNOW a Rafe. Heh heh. It makes things oh-so amazing.)
Ben was a good soul. I liked his kind personality. He would do lots for Bryce and Rafe. They were his best friends. I admired his loyalty. He was also a cool guy. He wasn't a jock in the way you might think. He was athletic at most. But he was also himself. He was Ben. Who was Ben? Ben was a kind soul who had a deeper side. (Not everybody has that side.) I can't say much of anything else, though. I didn't get enough from Ben. I wanted more. Maybe some poetry reading? I don't know. I felt like Ben didn't have too much depth. He seemed...flat to me. What do I mean? It is tough to say. I can't be clear about my thoughts on Ben; Rafe definitely wasn't.

The plot was good. It was quite dramatic. I mean...whoa. We had the introductory scenes. A bit boring, if you ask me. Then...wham! We hit the gay-but-not-gay scenes. I can't really...put my finger on those scenes. The majority of the plot was taken over by Ben and Rafe flirting-but-not-flirting. (See what I did there?) I didn't mind the cute flirting scenes.
But there didn't seem to be much of anything else. They hung out. That's the majority of the plot. Hanging out and making cute quips. The banter wasn't bad. Some of the vocabulary was...hard for me to understand. (My vocabulary isn't that big, not matter what anyone tells me. There are always new words being invented every day.) I wanted something more. Maybe more scenes like the one in the showers with Robinson. Standing up. Being brave. I am a fan of those scenes. While this story was fascinating with the scenes it has...I wanted more. I didn't mind the going to Colorado part. That was cool. Really cool. It's like meeting the parents but not. (Since they weren't...dating or anything.) The second coming out. (I found that hilarious to think of.) And then...the backstory that came from Rafe's writing. I thought that was a nice way to show us, the readers, his life.
There was a lot of drinking. It was quite crazy. Especially that one party scene. Man...who knew that was a drinking game? I can't imagine not puking at least once. (Spinning and alcohol. The best combination for puking since 1985.) I know that teenagers drink. I get that. But seriously? Each room Rafe stays in has their own drinking game/drink. Plastic screwdrivers. Seriously?

The romance was adorable. I have to admit that. It was fluffy. Very fluffy. I knew the relationship would blossom. It had to. Who are we kidding? The two were compatible. They clicked. And when they kissed...whoa. I felt my cheeks heat up a little bit. They did have chemistry. And what they had worked. It made Rafe's decision to be not openly gay but not in the closet complicated. And Ben's sexuality was more confusing. He loved Rafe. Like...eros but also agape. (I won't forget that. I'll use it until the end of time. Agape. Nice word.) They had something special. A bond that I hoped wouldn't break. And I hoped they would repair it. Sigh...boys. I don't get their minds sometimes.
I had one problem, though. I didn't need to know if either was hard or not... That freaked me out a bit. (It's not like I haven't read a few smexy scenes before, though. Hahaha.) I get it. Boys have urges. Boys have their own private parts. And private thoughts. But why does that reign king? Why is that the first thing you ask? You don't need to go there, kiddo. I'm fine without knowing if you got hard.

Ending was odd. I actually wanted Ben to forgive Rafe. I liked that relationship. I would have went with that relationship to the end. As I've said, I liked the relationship. It was a good ship. And a captain goes down with his or her ship. (Heh heh.) I wanted something else. I didn't mind that Rafe made up with best friend Claire Olivia. Those two were good friends. I liked how they went about their friendship. It was good to see such a close duo. These days it's been dating the entire way. This was...new and refreshing. I didn't like how the relationship ended. That was a problem. I wanted forgiveness. Perhaps Ben did forgive Rafe. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. We don't know. I have problems with not knowing things at times. I like to think I have connections and am good at eavesdropping. So this made me a bit upset. I wanted the finality. Too bad I didn't get it.
I do think that it's great that Rafe finally accepted the him-being-gay thing. It was a part of thing he couldn't deny. It's like trying to be someone else. Putting on someone else's personality for a day. Ick. That would freak me out. (Especially if they were happy-go-lucky. I like being who I am, thank you very much. My morbid comments and perverted jokes make me unique.) The fact that he finally accepted himself was great. You have to know yourself before anything else.

Weather:
Sunny with a 50% chance of rain
3/5

I love contemporary YA, and a book doesn’t require a “high concept” premise to catch my attention. That said, I was immediately drawn to the premise of Openly Straight. What happens when an openly gay teenager decides to move to boarding school and not tell anyone he’s gay? And why would he want to?

The answer comes in the first couple of pages, when Rafe says he’s tired of everyone seeing him as “the openly gay kid who had it all figured out.” Rafe’s motivation makes sense, as does his desire to explore certain types of male relationships without his sexuality creating a barrier. His attempt to fit in with the “jocks” at Natick was realistic, especially in the first part of the book, where he seems to second-guess every word and action to try and figure out what kind of impression he’s making. And of course I enjoyed the complications that arise when he develops a crush on another boy and is torn between wanting to keep his secret and wanting to push things to another level in that relationship.

I do wish that Rafe’s parents and best friend Claire Olivia had more dimension to them, and that the author had found a way to reveal Rafe’s past other than the “History of Rafe” sections. Those pulled me out of the narrative and I didn’t think Mr. Scarborough’s comments added much to the story other than reinforcing the theme of Rafe keeping parts of his life hidden, even from himself.

However, this was still an excellent read. I particularly loved Toby and Albie, who were quirky but genuinely nice guys who grew on me just as they grew on Rafe. And I really loved Ben and his evolving relationship with Rafe.

What I did like about this book - crazy parents of Rafe and the hangouts by Albie, Toby, Rafe and Ben. What I did wonder, as in was-it-necessary, Mr Scarborough's comments on Rafe's writing.. I would have called this book perfect if it was not for the ending..

M/M erotica novels would spell out happy endings but usually crapped fake lines and pretentious build-ups to the erotic scenes. Authors like Bill would write better storylines but usually avoid happy endings.

Everything was alright about the book, except the lack of desire of the author to see gays with happy endings.

Though I was a bit apprehensive about this novel's premise at first, I ended up falling in love with its narrative. It does take a little while to warm up to Rafe, but he ends up revealing an authentic, sympathetic side with which readers/listeners can genuinely connect. With an entertaining cast of characters and a heartwarming story about growth--a realization that others should not only be tolerated, or accepted, but celebrated--Konigsberg's 'Openly Straight' is a surprising delight. I cannot wait to dive into its companion novel, 'Honestly Ben'!

Whether you're a cis, straight, white, male, or a closeted LGBTQ+ youth, or a parent to a gay child... You should read this book. It gives such an in depth look at how to truly be yourself and not hide anything. It also gives off quite the valuable lesson of: If you're hiding something in order to get closer or someone or a group of people, you aren't getting closer. You are pushing yourself away and creating a barrier that will ultimately topple over on top of you and your world with implode. This book spoke to me so much as a young LGBTQ+ youth about not hiding myself and the consequences of doing so. This book can apply to everyone. No matter the gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. I really hope everyone gets as much as I did out of its book because now I can say its part of my top ten favorite books ever (and that's coming from someone who has read all of Harry Potter).

I rarely get through a gay novel as I find them trite and predictable. I feel that "gay literature" is almost always an oxymoron. Openly Straight is an exception. I resonated with the characters and the emotional situation .Perhaps it helped that I have been in this predicament myself The characters usually stereotyped as mean spirited were the support system. Well written and having finished it, I found myself thinking of it for many days. A

I loved this book! The buildup of tension was spot-on, to the point that I simply could not stop reading. I loved the realistic scenarios presented here; very appropriate for the times, and a nice break from some of the heavier LGBT "issue" books. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

The entire theme of this story is amazing. From the point of view of someone who grew up in a conservative area, it's refreshing to see a group of characters written with a background from being raised liberal. The entire experiment that the book is based around is remarkable. You see all different types of characters as you would in the real world. I would recommend this book for anyone of any sexual orientation or background. Overall, a heartfelt read and I can't wait to read it again down the road.

Three stars because I do not strictly love or hate it. There are bits of both.

There are some aspects of the book that I do love. The idea behind it-- people's perceived notions about sexuality and the labels that are placed on identities because of it-- is a very interesting one. I have, in fact, mentioned on occasion in discussion over books that someone should write a story on the matter. So thank you for being the first I've come across. And I loved that it flipped gay stereotypes in the blink of an eye.
My issue, though, is mainly the characters.

Personally, I am a fan of fully developed characters that stand out and are memorable. Characters that you can see. That you can /feel/. And unfortunately, I don't feel that Rafe (the story's protagonist and narrator) embodied that all the time. Along with that, I had a very difficult time separating one background character from the next (and I've read Game of Thrones. So picking up characters is not normally an issue). And as much as Rafe had issues with labels, he was always pretty quick to toss labels on others around him. It took to the last couple pages of the story for him to start to see what he was doing and finally start to back off of it.

I don't, however, think that excuses the author.
You can write a character who is judgemental (even one who does it subconsciously) without dictating what the reader sees.

When meeting new characters, it was the jocks, and the odd roommates, and the even the GSA gay guys. It was all highly stereotyped and part of that was probably the author's way of showing how Rafe sees the world, but I also believe part of it was just characters falling short and into usable tropes. I was happy to see some flipped on a pin (Rafe, Ben, Robinson), but disappointed in others (Steve, Zach, almost all of the GSA group).

It wasn't written strongly enough that I saw it as anything more than a mistake to have the characters fall flat.

There was a lot of missed potential. Steve and Zach. The teacher (Mr. Scarborough). Bryce. Claire Oliva. And even, I'd dare to say, Ben.
While we are seeing through Rafe's eyes and Rafe is only seeing through his 'lenses', there is so much that could have been said with them.

Along that line, I also feel that the author could have told us more through action or how something felt verses spelling it out for us. Telling us something happened isn't as much fun to read as actually seeing it happen. Or to even recant what it felt like instead of the chain of events. I feel like Rafe was just repeating from a film playing in his head sometimes. When really he should have actually felt something.

My last issue was the dialog and word choice. I understand this is a young adult novel and therefore targeted towards teenagers, but that doesn't mean you have to take every single pop culture reference and 'slag' you can find and toss it into a conversation between two people. It might have been fun and witty on some points but we're not idiots. We know how to speak English better than you're assuming. I know it comes off that we haven't mastered the English language sometimes, but we aren't a bunch of vapid imbeciles. It felt degrading listening to what an adult author thought we sounded like. And also what an adult figured we thought like. And how we processed emotion. -

And not all of it was off! I do agree that there is a moment where it clicks that no one is watching you quite as much as you're watching yourself. And I also agree that sometimes you want to bury yourself in anything you can find because something else hurts. But I don't think most of these things are strictly a teenager thing. While we are figuring out a lot of things, please give us more credit than this.

Reading back over this, I know it comes off as a pretty nasty review. But I did enjoy the book! I swear. It was a good start to the summer to get my brain in gear and it was a fantastic distraction. And I really would suggest reading it. I laughed just like everyone else who read it and I loved Ben just the same as well. I just had one too many issues with it to let it slide by unnoticed.

I am a 40 something queer female and I loved this book. I had to stop every so often to laugh out loud. Sometimes I stopped to think about what I'd just read. Bill entertained me with the writing from beginning to end... that's then end? But what happens senior year??!!? Fun read for all ages.

This book did nothing but piss me off. This is the story of a spoiled white boy who pretends to be straight not because (like so many gay teens) he's being beaten or ostracized or he's in danger of being throw out of his house, but because he has the acceptance of the community and the love and support of his family and friends but dislikes "labels". He proceeds to move 1/2way across the country, lie to everyone, and hurt every important person in his life (in one instance unforgivably). Funny? I did not find humor in any of it. I can't even imagine how one could look back at this sort of thing (if one actually didi it) and feel anything but shame. "Hey, remember that time I lied to everyone, made dad cry, and broke that boys heart? Boy, that was a hoot." Yeah. I don't think so.