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librariann's review against another edition
4.0
Ages 12+
Humorous (though not very realistic) look at a 16 year old boy who is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOT (Gay) - except for the fact that he is. Outlandish situations and over-the-top characters are redeemed by the laugh-out-loud humor.
Humorous (though not very realistic) look at a 16 year old boy who is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOT (Gay) - except for the fact that he is. Outlandish situations and over-the-top characters are redeemed by the laugh-out-loud humor.
finesilkflower's review against another edition
4.0
Clever and funny, almost slapstick take on the "hetero freakout" story as the character tries everything to prove he is not/avoid being gay. It's nice to see this sent up so broadly, that we don't have to tiptoe around it like it's deadly serious.
elissscianc's review against another edition
5.0
Empatizzare con Steven, il protagonista di questa meravigliosa lettura, è stato naturale e semplice sin dall'esordio dello scrittore David LaRochelle, che mi ha letteralmente stregata con la sua penna frizzante, lo stile stringato e l'ironia sottile. La storia di Steven potrebbe essere quella di tuttə noi e lo sguardo ottimistico, ma non fantasioso, e realistico, dell'autore cattura la vera essenza di tematiche quali il coming out, la scoperta della propria identità, i dubbi e le incertezze che costellano il percorso di noi adolescenti della Generazione Z. È un romanzo che ti trascina nel vortice di emozioni del protagonista e dal quale non si riesce a staccare gli occhi dalle pagine, presentate con un layout personalizzato da LaRochelle, con colori e carta particolari.
Consigliatissimo, dal profondo del cuore.
Consigliatissimo, dal profondo del cuore.
corncobwebs's review against another edition
Funny & realistic coming-out story from the point of view of Minnesotan high schooler. I just finished this in the car on our way to Cleveland, I'll try to remember to post a more detailed review later!!
***
Steven has spent his high school career trying hard not to be noticed. This is especially true since his primary hobby is square-dancing on Monday nights with his mom in a town where hockey is king. If the kids at his school knew he was a square dancer, he’d get the shit kicked out of him for sure - so he tries to keep a low profile. That generally works well for him, except he’s starting to feel certain urges that he can’t ignore. The new substitute teacher in his health class is looking pretty appealing, which horrifies Steven. Not that he hasn’t noticed guys before, but the new teacher has Steven whipped up into a frenzy like never before. Steven fights his gay thoughts with everything he has, mostly by trying to show the world how heterosexual and macho he is. He clips out every picture of a half-dressed woman he can find and plasters them to his notebooks and the walls in his room. He tries sitting at the jock table at lunch, hoping that some of their macho energy will rub off on him. And he starts dating every girl that will look his way, hoping that one of them will finally stir up some romantic feelings. These tactics have mixed success; while Steven becomes more popular because of his serial dating, he’s still decidedly attracted to guys. And in his quest not to be gay, he’s totally alienated his best friend, Rachel.
Steven’s finally forced to confront his homosexuality after a horribly botched date with the hot Norwegian exchange student. She tries to have sex with him, which is about as appealing to Steven as having a root canal. He drudges up some lame excuse about coming down with the flu, and the exchange student drives him home as he stews under a cloud of humiliation and shame. The good thing? Steven decides it’s finally time to tell Rachel the truth. He suspects that his own parents are relatively clueless, so opening up to Rachel seems like a good way to start the coming-out process. The only problem - and it’s kind of a big one - is that Rachel is a little too excited. She startles Steven by squealing that she knew all along, and then outright alarms him with her announcement that she plans to start a gay-straight alliance - with him as co-chair. Steven is barely ready to admit to himself that he’s gay, let alone the whole student body. He’s able to tamp down her enthusiasm about the GSA, but then she cooks up a new scheme: Steven will attend prom with Rachel’s golden retriever as his date, which would (theoretically) send the message that they laugh in the face of dating conventions. This scheme complicates Steven’s life tenfold, because it means he has to lie to his parents about his plans for prom, on top of keeping his sexuality a secret. The big question is: Will Steven finally be able to come out to his parents and his community? Will he finally feel okay with himself?
The book gets progressively funnier as the story goes on, mostly because of the elaborate lies Steven has to construct to keep his gayness a secret. I loved reading a lighthearted book about coming out that was also reasonably realistic - Steven still encounters homophobia, but seems to be able to handle it good-naturedly. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good coming-out story or a funny realistic fiction book.
***
Steven has spent his high school career trying hard not to be noticed. This is especially true since his primary hobby is square-dancing on Monday nights with his mom in a town where hockey is king. If the kids at his school knew he was a square dancer, he’d get the shit kicked out of him for sure - so he tries to keep a low profile. That generally works well for him, except he’s starting to feel certain urges that he can’t ignore. The new substitute teacher in his health class is looking pretty appealing, which horrifies Steven. Not that he hasn’t noticed guys before, but the new teacher has Steven whipped up into a frenzy like never before. Steven fights his gay thoughts with everything he has, mostly by trying to show the world how heterosexual and macho he is. He clips out every picture of a half-dressed woman he can find and plasters them to his notebooks and the walls in his room. He tries sitting at the jock table at lunch, hoping that some of their macho energy will rub off on him. And he starts dating every girl that will look his way, hoping that one of them will finally stir up some romantic feelings. These tactics have mixed success; while Steven becomes more popular because of his serial dating, he’s still decidedly attracted to guys. And in his quest not to be gay, he’s totally alienated his best friend, Rachel.
Steven’s finally forced to confront his homosexuality after a horribly botched date with the hot Norwegian exchange student. She tries to have sex with him, which is about as appealing to Steven as having a root canal. He drudges up some lame excuse about coming down with the flu, and the exchange student drives him home as he stews under a cloud of humiliation and shame. The good thing? Steven decides it’s finally time to tell Rachel the truth. He suspects that his own parents are relatively clueless, so opening up to Rachel seems like a good way to start the coming-out process. The only problem - and it’s kind of a big one - is that Rachel is a little too excited. She startles Steven by squealing that she knew all along, and then outright alarms him with her announcement that she plans to start a gay-straight alliance - with him as co-chair. Steven is barely ready to admit to himself that he’s gay, let alone the whole student body. He’s able to tamp down her enthusiasm about the GSA, but then she cooks up a new scheme: Steven will attend prom with Rachel’s golden retriever as his date, which would (theoretically) send the message that they laugh in the face of dating conventions. This scheme complicates Steven’s life tenfold, because it means he has to lie to his parents about his plans for prom, on top of keeping his sexuality a secret. The big question is: Will Steven finally be able to come out to his parents and his community? Will he finally feel okay with himself?
The book gets progressively funnier as the story goes on, mostly because of the elaborate lies Steven has to construct to keep his gayness a secret. I loved reading a lighthearted book about coming out that was also reasonably realistic - Steven still encounters homophobia, but seems to be able to handle it good-naturedly. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good coming-out story or a funny realistic fiction book.
mmz's review against another edition
4.0
Aside from the fact that I can't really relate to the story of a teenage boy coming to terms with the fact that he's gay, I really enjoyed this book. LaRochelle divides the story about equally between Steven's growing realization that he's gay and his process of coming out to his friends and family. Although the first half of the book became a bit tiresome after a while, the second half of the book more than made up for it. LaRochelle writes Steven's coming out scenes with humor and sensitivity.
dorian_gray's review against another edition
2.0
Absolutely, Positively Not reads more like Middle Grade than Young Adult. It was funny in places, and the protagonist was highly sympathetic. His mother's initial reaction to his coming out broke my heart a little. Way to invalidate your child, lady.
Overall, it was alright. I liked how there wasn't a love interest and it focused on Steven's development as a gay teen, before the question of dating and crushes ever came up. I liked his friend, Rachel, and how her actions are both good examples of what to do to be supportive, and what not to do.
The writing isn't that polished and it's not fantastic, but it has value in the story it tells. I feel like this would be a good read for any young teenager who is questioning their sexuality, because it's more of a lighthearted and simple look at the journey from the early stages of wondering through to realisation.
Overall, it was alright. I liked how there wasn't a love interest and it focused on Steven's development as a gay teen, before the question of dating and crushes ever came up. I liked his friend, Rachel, and how her actions are both good examples of what to do to be supportive, and what not to do.
The writing isn't that polished and it's not fantastic, but it has value in the story it tells. I feel like this would be a good read for any young teenager who is questioning their sexuality, because it's more of a lighthearted and simple look at the journey from the early stages of wondering through to realisation.
katyjean81's review against another edition
4.0
VERY Cute! I really liked this sweet, easy, gentle coming out story. Funny, honest, and heartfelt. While I want to take John Green's admonishment to hear not to try to read truth into fiction stories, I am dying to know how much of this stems from LaRochelle's personal growing up experience. I bet he was pretty "observant", too.
: o)
: o)
juliaogden's review
3.0
(warning: some minor spoilers) This is a fluffy, enjoyable romp of a coming-out book. Steven, the protagonist, is a slightly stereotypical not-sure-if-he's-gay teenager, but there are a few non-stereotypical gay characters around him.
I love his Dad's reaction to his coming out, and the family of his best friend. And I love how brave Steven is--not only in his journey through figuring out his sexual identity, but just in his social forays in general.
The one piece that left me with questions was his teacher who he thinks might be gay, but then laughs loudest at the derogatory gay jokes. As an adult reader, I can see that this man is probably gay and either doesn't want to admit it, or isn't ready to be publicly out, but he drops off Steven's radar as soon as he witnesses the hurtful laughter and we never hear about him again. I would have liked a conversation between the two.
Sweet little book.
I love his Dad's reaction to his coming out, and the family of his best friend. And I love how brave Steven is--not only in his journey through figuring out his sexual identity, but just in his social forays in general.
The one piece that left me with questions was his teacher who he thinks might be gay, but then laughs loudest at the derogatory gay jokes. As an adult reader, I can see that this man is probably gay and either doesn't want to admit it, or isn't ready to be publicly out, but he drops off Steven's radar as soon as he witnesses the hurtful laughter and we never hear about him again. I would have liked a conversation between the two.
Sweet little book.