scott_thelibrarian 's review for:

Into This River I Drown by TJ Klune

5.0

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Wow. I'm not sure what I want to say about this book. I'll start off by acknowledging that T.J. Klune is one of my favorite authors. His stories are filled with emotion, heart, acceptance, kindness, relatable and believable characters, and so much more. There is always at least one thing in each of his books that really touches my heart and soul. For this book, I couldn't stop thinking about Benji's relationship with his father, which is at the core of this beautifully written book. I envy this relationship. His father accepted him when he came out as gay and loved him unconditionally; something many queer kids never get. As a gay man, I wish I had the same relationship with my father. I wish I could say that my father has never spoken words that have damaged my heart. Unfortunately, not all parents are like Big Eddie. This is why books about acceptance and equality are so important. This is why it is so important for kids to be able to speak their truth without fear of ridicule and persecution. We need titles like Into This River I Drown and so many other books that celebrate the equality of every human being. We need more authors like T.J. Klune that are willing to speak out against those that are wanting to erase and harm other people.

This is an emotional ride, and I highly recommend it.