Heartfelt and moving; this teen novel about a boy losing his sister and coming to terms with his sexuality is emotional and inspiring. After the loss of his older sister, Kermit is angry and lost. His parents are shaken and nothing is the same. At school he finds a mysterious note in his locker telling him to meet in the art room after school. When he gets there he meets other teens who have lost someone dear. A sister, a mother, a grandfather, and so on. They take him under his wing - they don't ever talk about IT, but they are there for each other through the tears and through it all. In the club, Kermit starts to get close to Matt, the only openly gay kid in school. The two start to fall for each other and work through their demons. Very moving! ( )

5 / 5 ⭐️‘s

"The Minus-One Club" by Kekla Magoon

I must say that this was an incredibly moving and thought-provoking read. The story follows a group of middle school students, all of whom have lost someone close to them, as they navigate grief and come together to form a club for others in the same situation.

One of the things that struck me most about this book was how authentic and honest the portrayal of grief was. Magoon doesn't shy away from the difficult emotions and moments that come with losing someone, but she also shows the characters finding moments of joy and connection amidst their pain. I found myself really rooting for these kids as they worked through their grief and began to find a sense of community with each other.

Another aspect of the book that I appreciated was the diversity of the characters. They come from different backgrounds and have different experiences with grief. Magoon does a great job of exploring the ways that race and culture can impact how we experience loss and grief, without ever feeling heavy-handed or preachy.

I would highly recommend this one!

This ARC was provided by @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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The Minus-One Club is a moving and emotional young adult novel. Fifteen-year-old Kermit Sanders is deeply wounded by grief after losing his big sister in a tragic car accident. The Minus-One Club is the story of a transformation, as Kermit loses his last drops of childhood innocence. Emotional, mental and spiritual changes are rooted deeply in Kermit’s story.

Kekla Magoon wrote a powerful novel, raising strong and difficult topics. Death, grief, alcoholism, suicide, fear of rejection. Kermit’s homosexuality discovery is at the heart of the novel. His relationship with Matt is sweet, but also ingrained in fear. Kermit’s family is really religious, and the teenager knows he will never be accepted for who he really is.

The Minus-One Club is a good novel. You jump easily from smile to tears. I loved the evolution of the story, and how all the characters evolved. Even if Kermit is the main character, the secondary cast also plays an active part in the story. They all grow and learn from their shared experience. ( )

The Minus-One Club is a young adult novel about Kermit, a closeted gay biracial teen who has just lost his sister. The Club in question is a secret group organized by students who have lost loved ones, and Kermit is their newest member - which is where he connects with his crush Matt, an out gay kid who lost his mom.

There is a lot of nuance and a lot of emotions in this novel, and Magoon does a fantastic job of navigating the teen experience around loss, friendship, and hope. Kermit's struggles with religion, especially regarding his sexuality, are ones that resonated with me and are shown in a way that feels genuine. This is a book that really gets to the heart of the complex emotions surrounding big issues that teens face, and it knocks it out of the park for the most part.

My issues with the novel are rather nit-picky. As someone who was raised Baptist, there are some errors with regard to that theology - there is no confirmation for Baptists, and it's pretty rare for advent to be celebrated in a church context in my experience - but these are minor and likely won't be noticeable unless you were raised in the religion or converted.

Overall, this is a fantastic novel that digs deep on topics that teens may be struggling with. As a result, there are some content warnings for suicide, loss of family members, and homophobia. This could be a very important book for a queer kid who can relate to Kermit, and in that way I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for providing a copy for review. ( )