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katiegrrrl's review against another edition
4.0
Really glad I finished this. A heartbreaking look into a teen trying to be who he is and find acceptance. It is so awful that one the hardest times in our lives, the teen years, is also when we are faced knowing that those who should love us unconditionally don't. While things have changed since the early '90's for GBLT teens they are still really hard and we have a long way to go to keep them safe from hurting themselves and from society hurting them.
bookswithlukas's review against another edition
2.0
Only now just being published in America (which is how I got this for free of Netgalley), this gay novel was originally published in 1993 and while probably a daring read at the time, it's late American publication has left it feeling rather dated.
Have you ever read a book that is perfectly acceptable, has well-rounded characters but is so cliche that it's kind of hard to go on reading? That's what I found with this book, it wasn't that I hated it, it's just that it's a story that I've read so many times it became boring. I tried to judge the book on what it would have been like to read at the time of it's publication in 1993, which is why I gave it three stars in this review, but I would find it hard to recommend to anyone who is a regular reader of gay fiction. I don't even read that much, and it was still rather cliche to me. It deals with all the usual coming out tropes that have been featured everywhere else, down to the obligatory gay bashing, but I just couldn't read on as I knew where it was all going. It's a shame really as the writing as is actually rather good.
Also, don't let the light-hearted cover fool you, this one is an angsty coming out read.
Have you ever read a book that is perfectly acceptable, has well-rounded characters but is so cliche that it's kind of hard to go on reading? That's what I found with this book, it wasn't that I hated it, it's just that it's a story that I've read so many times it became boring. I tried to judge the book on what it would have been like to read at the time of it's publication in 1993, which is why I gave it three stars in this review, but I would find it hard to recommend to anyone who is a regular reader of gay fiction. I don't even read that much, and it was still rather cliche to me. It deals with all the usual coming out tropes that have been featured everywhere else, down to the obligatory gay bashing, but I just couldn't read on as I knew where it was all going. It's a shame really as the writing as is actually rather good.
Also, don't let the light-hearted cover fool you, this one is an angsty coming out read.
kaylakaotik's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading When Love Comes to Town. I believe it provided a candid look at people's true reaction when faced with a loved one's coming out during the early 1990s. Neil's story is touching and Lennon builds characters that are truly believable.
* This book was received from NetGalley for review. *
* This book was received from NetGalley for review. *
a_manning11's review against another edition
5.0
This book was an irresistible read from the first few pages. Neil is a wonderful person, just turning 18, and is having a tough time. His catholic school days are nearly over, all his friends exist only in couples, oh yes, and he is secretly gay.
The story feels real, and is peopled with great characters, both very nice and not so much. The fact that the story takes place 20 years ago and in Ireland is irrelevant. The events and the book's message ring true. And at the same time it is a book you don't want to put down; the story is so compelling.
Someone recently told me: "All young adults face some problems." And I am sure this is true. But it is more likely to be the case, and might be worse, if the teenager is dealing with LGBTQ issues. When love comes to town was written for them. To show them that there are others who struggle, and that there is hope. And love and acceptance.
Every library should have a copy of this book and promote it well. It will likely help someone.
The story feels real, and is peopled with great characters, both very nice and not so much. The fact that the story takes place 20 years ago and in Ireland is irrelevant. The events and the book's message ring true. And at the same time it is a book you don't want to put down; the story is so compelling.
Someone recently told me: "All young adults face some problems." And I am sure this is true. But it is more likely to be the case, and might be worse, if the teenager is dealing with LGBTQ issues. When love comes to town was written for them. To show them that there are others who struggle, and that there is hope. And love and acceptance.
Every library should have a copy of this book and promote it well. It will likely help someone.
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
For a book written 20 years ago, this has held up pretty well: the AIDS scare won't necessarily resonate with today's teens, but the difficulty of coming out and exploring your first honest relationships will. As the introduction says, things have changed in some ways but not for every person, in every family, in every town.
It was interesting that the author chose to make Riley a rugby star - in many ways they play a rougher game than American football, so this is clearly a boy who is not effeminate and enjoys manly sports. Despite that, he's insecure about who he is and worries that he comes across as gay to his friends and family. The problems of coming out, family and friends reactions, meeting a gay support community, etc. will seem familiar to most regular readers of LGBTQ fiction, which accounts for my 3-star review (although had I read this when it first came out it would have seemed new and fresh).
ARC provided by publisher.
It was interesting that the author chose to make Riley a rugby star - in many ways they play a rougher game than American football, so this is clearly a boy who is not effeminate and enjoys manly sports. Despite that, he's insecure about who he is and worries that he comes across as gay to his friends and family. The problems of coming out, family and friends reactions, meeting a gay support community, etc. will seem familiar to most regular readers of LGBTQ fiction, which accounts for my 3-star review (although had I read this when it first came out it would have seemed new and fresh).
ARC provided by publisher.
gabieowleyess's review against another edition
Man, this is the first book IN MY WHOLE LIFE. That I haven't finished. I am not sure I just got a really unfinished copy or what but I am completely lost. One this would be happening to the character and then he would be somewhere else completely, without explanation. I was really excited for this one but I don't thin I will be finishing it anytime soon.
sweetcreature89's review against another edition
2.0
(This review was originally written in 2013 but was not posted).
This book took me quite a while to finish. I did move and stuff while reading it but, honestly, it wasn't one that held my attention enough to where I didn't want to put it down. It was one of those that was just kind of "I could be reading, I could not be reading. No big deal."
Most of the time it was just kind of "meh" for me. I'm sure different people will see it differently but for me it was just kind of a boring read and I often found myself having to go back and reread parts of simply because I had lost interest.
I feel like it went way too slow in some parts and then all of a sudden it was zooming through parts that should been drawn out more and elaborated on more. The end did throw me for a loop a little but overall I wouldn't read it again or recommend it to friends.
Rating: 2 Stars.
This book took me quite a while to finish. I did move and stuff while reading it but, honestly, it wasn't one that held my attention enough to where I didn't want to put it down. It was one of those that was just kind of "I could be reading, I could not be reading. No big deal."
Most of the time it was just kind of "meh" for me. I'm sure different people will see it differently but for me it was just kind of a boring read and I often found myself having to go back and reread parts of simply because I had lost interest.
I feel like it went way too slow in some parts and then all of a sudden it was zooming through parts that should been drawn out more and elaborated on more. The end did throw me for a loop a little but overall I wouldn't read it again or recommend it to friends.
Rating: 2 Stars.
brandy_wine's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good read. It you get to get in the mind of a young boy who is gay and trying to find a way to come out, to find out if he really wants to come out, afraid that if he comes out how those around him will react.
There were things that were heartbreaking to read because these things happen all the time. BUT there is a good ending. There is struggles that he has to go through, as we all do gay or straight.
There were things that were heartbreaking to read because these things happen all the time. BUT there is a good ending. There is struggles that he has to go through, as we all do gay or straight.
dairyqueen84's review against another edition
4.0
I LOVED this book because it was so heartfelt. The end made me cry. It is about an Irish boy coming out in the early 1990's with all the homophobia and bigotry that entails.
Neil Byrne, soon-to-be-graduate from a Catholic high school seems to have it all: rugby star, good grades, and a nice group of friends. But he also harbors a dark secret he feels he can share with no one, he is gay in 1992 Dublin, Ireland. His feelings of fear, isolation, and self-loathing are palpable as he struggles with his sexuality and how to come out to his friends and family. He is surrounded by the virulent homophobia of a less enlightened time exacerbated by Ireland being a very Catholic country. In the midst of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, there are no real resources save for a gay bar or two in Dublin. As he grows more distant from his friends who are all coupling up (he calls them the “rhyming couplets”), he begins to visit a gay bar in town, the only way for gays to connect. He is at odds with his father about his future university plans, he wants liberal arts, his dad wants engineering, and he cannot even imagine telling him he’s gay. He slowly makes friends with other gay boys and men and has his first relationship. The book touches on AIDS, gay bashing, and societal attitudes towards homosexuality. Published under a pseudonym by an Irish school teacher in 1993, an introduction by James Klise celebrating the twenty year anniversary edition juxtaposes how much more difficult being gay and coming out was in the pre-Internet era. A glossary of Irish slang will help readers unfamiliar with it.
Neil Byrne, soon-to-be-graduate from a Catholic high school seems to have it all: rugby star, good grades, and a nice group of friends. But he also harbors a dark secret he feels he can share with no one, he is gay in 1992 Dublin, Ireland. His feelings of fear, isolation, and self-loathing are palpable as he struggles with his sexuality and how to come out to his friends and family. He is surrounded by the virulent homophobia of a less enlightened time exacerbated by Ireland being a very Catholic country. In the midst of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, there are no real resources save for a gay bar or two in Dublin. As he grows more distant from his friends who are all coupling up (he calls them the “rhyming couplets”), he begins to visit a gay bar in town, the only way for gays to connect. He is at odds with his father about his future university plans, he wants liberal arts, his dad wants engineering, and he cannot even imagine telling him he’s gay. He slowly makes friends with other gay boys and men and has his first relationship. The book touches on AIDS, gay bashing, and societal attitudes towards homosexuality. Published under a pseudonym by an Irish school teacher in 1993, an introduction by James Klise celebrating the twenty year anniversary edition juxtaposes how much more difficult being gay and coming out was in the pre-Internet era. A glossary of Irish slang will help readers unfamiliar with it.
lleullawgyffes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Minor: Transphobia