When Maximo and Jordan find themselves attracted to one another while working the food truck that belonged to Jordan's deceased father, their relationship is threatened by personal secrets, racism, and homophobia. - (Baker & Taylor)
It is summer in Phoenix, and seventeen-year-old Maximo offers to help a Jordan, a fellow student in high school, with the food truck that belonged to Jordan's deceased father, and which may be the only thing standing between homelessness for Jordan and his mom; the boys are strongly attracted to each other, but as their romance develops it is threatened by the secrets they are hiding--and by the racism and homophobia of those around them. - (Baker & Taylor)
A cool and popular gay teen who harbors a secret, intense crush and a poetic youth who is looking for Mr. Right in spite of his troubled family weigh what they are willing to risk while working together at an organic food truck during a blistering Arizona summer. - (Baker & Taylor)
From the award-winning author of Openly Straight, a story about two teens falling in love over a summer that throws everything possible to keep them apart.
* "Konigsberg demonstrates once again why he is one of the major voices in LGBTQ literature." -- Booklist, starred reviewMax: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart.Throw in a rickety, 1980s-era food truck called Coq Au Vinny. Add in prickly pears, cloud eggs, and a murky idea of what's considered locally sourced and organic. Place it all in Mesa, Arizona, in June, where the temp regularly hits 114. And top it off with a touch of undeniable chemistry between utter opposites.Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most. - (
Scholastic)
From the award-winning author of Openly Straight, a story about two teens falling in love over a summer that throws everything possible to keep them apart.
- (
Scholastic)
Bill Konigsberg is the author of six books for young adults, which have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award. Bill lives with his husband, Chuck, and their two Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford. Please visit him online at billkonigsberg.com and @billkonigsberg. - (Scholastic)
From the award-winning author of Openly Straight, a story about two teens falling in love over a summer that throws everything possible to keep them apart.
- (
Scholastic)
Max: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and the Chandler Mall. Never been kissed and searching for Mr. Right, who probably won't like him anyway. And a secret: A spiraling out of control mother, and the knowledge that he's the only one who can keep the family from falling apart.Throw in a rickety, 1980s-era food truck called Coq Au Vinny. Add in prickly pears, cloud eggs, and a murky idea of what's considered locally sourced and organic. Place it all in Mesa, Arizona, in June, where the temp regularly hits 114. And top it off with a touch of undeniable chemistry between utter opposites.Over the course of one summer, two boys will have to face their biggest fears and decide what they're willing to risk -- to get the thing they want the most.
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Jordan is the skinny emo kid who sits in the back of Max's AP language and composition class. He also works in a food truck, which Max, a baseball jock, discovers when he walks up to check out the menu—just in time to witness Jordan's emotionally fragile mother's meltdown. When Max asks if he can help, he finds himself with a new summer job, working the truck's grill. At first, he and Jordan are uneasy around each other, but things change when they come out and gradually become friends and then boyfriends. Readers' understanding of the boys grows as the perspective moves back and forth between the two. Jordan, it turns out, is self-hating, believing that no one could love him or believe he is a true boy. Max uses his dazzling smile to cope with his problems, while telling himself he is a warrior. They sound like an odd couple, and so they are, save for the one important thing in common: their love for each other. Konigsberg's character-driven novel is expert in revealing the boys' growth and changes, as well as examining their innermost thoughts, the evolving nature of their relationship, and the music of what happens in their lives. In this ambitious novel, Konigsberg demonstrates once again why he is one of the major voices in LGBTQ literature. Grades 9-12. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
