Books › Geography Club
Geography Club
First published 2003 · 226 pages
A funny, heartfelt exploration of the secret lives of queer teenagers navigating the treacherous social terrain of high school.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping back into the hyper-vigilant, emotionally charged hallways of high school, where every glance holds a secret and finding your people is a matter of survival. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging clip, carried by a voice that is wry, self-deprecating, and deeply earnest. It captures the specific, stomach-dropping anxiety of the closet, balanced beautifully by the warm, tentative joy of first crushes and newfound solidarity. The prose is conversational and unpretentious, making it incredibly easy to slip into the protagonist's shoes. It will delight readers who love classic, character-driven coming-of-age stories that balance the sting of social ostracization with the ultimate, triumphant relief of finally being seen for who you are.
- Mood
- secretive
- hopeful
- anxious
- warm
- Tone
- wry
- earnest
- humorous
- relatable
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- finding your tribe · the closet and coming out · high school social hierarchy · authentic self vs. public persona · first crushes
- The writing
- Conversational and accessible, laced with the authentic, slightly self-deprecating humor of a teenage boy.
- The arc
- Moves from isolating loneliness and secret-keeping to the messy, liberating warmth of found community and self-acceptance.
- Who it's for
- Readers looking for a classic, heartfelt YA coming-of-age story about queer teens finding each other and themselves.
Content notes
- homophobia
- bullying
- outing
- underage drinking
About the book
Russel Middlebrook is convinced he's the only gay kid at Goodkind High School.Then his online gay chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin, the popular but closeted star of the school's baseball team. Soon Russel meets other gay students, too. There's his best friend Min, who reveals that she is bisexual, and her soccer-playing girlfriend Terese. Then there's Terese's politically active friend, Ike.But how can kids this diverse get together without drawing attention to themselves?"We just choose a club that's so boring, nobody in their right mind would ever in a million years join it. We could call it Geography Club!"Brent Hartinger's debut novel is a fast-paced, funny, and trenchant portrait of contemporary teenagers who may not learn any actual geography in their latest club, but who learn plenty about the treacherous social terrain of high school and the even more dangerous landscape of the human heart.Ages 13+
Description from Open Library.
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