Kara Bietz

It's Homecoming time in Meridien, Texas, and everyone is watching quarterback Julian Jackson and his long-lost once best friend and teammate, Elijah Vance. Elijah was a once-promising defensive player and until three years ago the two boys were "joined at the hip"...inseparable. Then, as often happens, Elijah and his family moved away without any explanation or even saying goodbye.... but Julian knows the "why" of it. Now that he’s back and unresolved feelings are stirred up between them just as the biggest game of the season against their rival high school team is coming up. This is a really well-done sports romance that includes all the pomp and gala of small-town Texas with not a single trace of homophobia. When it comes to their sexuality, both main characters experience nothing but love and support from their community, including their local pastor and...are you ready for this???...His Husband! There is tension but it focuses on their families’ intertwined histories...perceptions of teen pregnancy...and the pressure of upholding the tradition of a local rivalry with the rival football team. Some clues in the text describe secondary and background characters that indicate some ethnic diversity, which isn't a surprise for Texas...but gender representation remains solid. The book was a pleasure to read... written in first-person with chapters that alternate between the perspectives of Elijah and those of Julian, both of whom are presumed to be White. It's the "will-they", "won’t-they" suspense that moves the story along...but it moves almost too fast at some points, making the reader want/need a few more chapters...with the conclusion being a bit abrupt. Overall, it's a well written engrossing story of two guys discovering who and what they are and what they can be.… (altro)