From: Cammie Backus <cbackus>
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 08:55:03 -0500

I read this novel and thought that it was beautiful. Though I don't work directly with youth, I feel that it is a much more accessible book than most of the gay/lesbian literature currently available for this age group.

Barbara pointed out the author's misstatements--while I know nothing about the weather in Maine, I was taken aback by the author's assertion that sexual intercourse between two people of the same sex is legal. As a matter of fact, it's still illegal in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho, Utah, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. I feel this is a major flaw in a book that may be read by a number of GLBT teens; when I volunteered with a local GLBT youth group a few years back, many of the teens we served were unaware that they could not legally marry someone of the same sex.

Okay, off my soapbox now! I didn't feel the plot was that improbable, but perhaps that was because I was caught up in the unfolding of the relationships--the characterization is excellent, very realistic. It'll be interesting to hear from other folks about the teen response to this book.

Cammie
Received on Fri 28 Mar 2003 07:55:03 AM CST