Absolutely, Positively Not, by David LaRochelle
In honor of GLBT History Month, here is a review of a funny, sweet, not-angsty-at-all coming out novel. I originally wrote this for the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books.
Sixteen-year-old Steven has a shameful secret: he square-dances with his mom -- and he likes it. Oh, and also, he might be gay. He's going to take care of that little problem, however, and with the help of a sorely outdated library book on teenage sexuality, he enacts a plan to become heterosexual: clipping magazine pictures of women, mimicking the hockey team at lunch, snapping himself with a rubber band when he thinks about guys, and, finally, engaging in serial dating. All this gets him is a strained relationship with his best friend, Rachel, and the conviction that there has to be something better than this.
Absolutely, Positively Not is enjoyable in the way a good TV sitcom is enjoyable: while it's safe and a little old-fashioned, it's also light, funny, and warm-hearted, with a cast of quirky yet familiar characters, a series of larger-than-life events, and an immediately likable, sympathetic protagonist. Don't come here looking to delve deep into teenage angst: LaRochelle's impeccable comic timing leads to many hilarious moments, while his sensitivity to the awkward work of developing any kind of sexuality in high school means that Steven's most crushing embarrassments resonate for only a chapter or two before he dusts himself off.
Like any respectable sitcom conclusion, Steven's misguided plans to be straight lead naturally into his, and his parents', tentative acceptance of being gay-and he even gets a (sort of) date! LaRochelle's first book provides a nice counterpoint to less gentle, more tension-filled coming-out stories.