Rainbow Boys

Kyle Meeks doesn't look gay, but he is. And he hopes he never has to tell anyone -- especially his parents.

Nelson Glassman is "out" to the entire world, but he can't tell the boy he loves that he wants to be more than just friends.

Three teenage boys, coming of age and out of the closet. In a revealing debut novel that percolates with passion and wit, Alex Sanchez follows these very different high-school seniors as their struggles with sexuality and intolerance draw them into a triangle of love, betrayal, and ultimately, friendship.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

fabulous gay YA book, 2008-11-14
*Rainbow Boys* is such a good book and a rare one on gay themes. The book focuses on three gay teens: Kyle, Jason and Nelson. Among them, they faced a variety of issues, such as coming out, HIV, romance, homophobia and other related issues. However, Sanchez doesn't stop there. He addresses other issues that other people face as well, such as domestic violence.

Between them, a friendship blossoms and they soon learn to lean on each other for support. And support, they all need it in any form. So, Sanchez introduces PFLAG, Gay-Straight Alliance and moral support from friends and loved ones. Little by little, with support, the trio soon bond and face tough problems together. With friends behind them, they soon learn that nothing shall stand in their way.

Sanchez is a gifted writer. He uses words so accurately that I was on my own memory trips throughout this book. I'm definitely reading his other books!


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

A classic gay coming-of-age novel for all ages, 2008-06-12
"Rainbow Boys" is a novel that excels at character development, telling its story through the eyes of three gay teens--Jason, Kyle and Nelson. All three are coming of age in their senior year of high school and coping with their sexual orientation in very different ways, ranging from open and defiant to closeted and in denial. Their stories intertwine, and each has not just high school to traverse but unique family difficulties to overcome. All three characters are eminently likable, and it's easy to sympathize with their plights. And their stories and travails are genuine and real. This is the first in a series of "Rainbow" books following these characters, and I greatly look forward to reading the next installment. I highly recommend this novel. It's a gay coming of age classic."


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Evaluation of Book, 2008-05-01
This well written, enjoyable book portrays a realistic story about three young men and their issues with their sexuality, friendships, homophobic peers, relationships with each other, and their parents. The book portrays realities of today's teenager and the problems and issues that they face. The characters talk using the language that today's teenager uses, which gives the story credibility. Homosexuality, homophobia, HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus), and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) are some of controversial topics that are discussed, in an open and unprejudiced manner. Homophobia is discussed in the book. There are characters that attend school with the boys that constantly harass Nelson, and eventually Kyle. The word "queer" is written on Kyle's locker, but he decides not to let this bother him and later spray paints "and proud" underneath it. Verbally offensive words including faggot, queer, and homo are used in the book by peers and Jason's father. On the reverse end, the term breeder is also used in retaliation by Nelson. Physical violence also takes place when Jason's father fights Jason when he comes out to his family. Violence also takes place, throughout the book, through the multiple beatings that Nelson endured and the fight when peers attacked Kyle and Nelson. The author, for the most part, avoids stereotypes through Jason and Kyle. Nelson's character can be tagged as a stereotypical homosexual because he wears nail polish, dyes his hair, wears trendy clothes, and supports gay bands. There are no illustrations for the book, which does not hurt the book, since the book is appropriate for adolescents in high school. The overall quality of the book was superb because the book honestly represented the problems that current teenagers face with their sexuality. This book can be read as a class or independently, but the book must have approval from the administration and parents, due to its sexual content and homosexuality. This book could face many barriers in the classroom. Many districts do not allow teachers to discuss homosexuality in the classroom. If the district has no problem with the book and its material, then it must get approval from administrators. This is really important because some parents may question the book; therefore a teacher will need the support from administrators. Once administrators support the book, the teacher must notify parents about the book, its purpose in the classroom, and description of the overall lesson. Parents must be notified in case there is a religious belief against homosexuality or a general opposition of the book. If a parent does not allow the child to read the book, a different book must be available for the student to read. The topics of homosexuality and HIV can scare many teachers from using this book, but one must look past the taboo ideas and realize that this book deals with real life situations and problems. Teachers can incorporate a variety of instruction ideas including journals, K-W-L charts, cause and effect charts, reports, and presentations.




0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

A good read for young socially conscious teens, 2008-03-26
I bought this book for my son as a gift. He says they are well written and thinks that it's a good insight into the minds dilemmas and real life situations of queer youth. Thank you Mr Sanchez for writing something thought provoking and caring for these often forgotten group of people! We have now purchased all of these books.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

loved it, 2008-03-02
i loved this book so much the first time that i picked it up i couldn't put it down i had to read the other 2 books

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