Boy Meets Boy

I can't hide the fact that I didn't really enjoy this novel. I gave it a fair shake and read every page, but it's not one that I will probably read again. To keep from sounding completely disappointed, I thought I'd make a list of pros and cons of the novel and perhaps that will lead me to viable reasons to teach it (or try reading it again in the future).

1. The characters were interesting, fairly realistic (in terms of their thoughts and feelings - NOT their "reality"), and likable (pro)
2. The school was completely unrealistic (con)
3. The viewpoints of the characters regarding homosexuality was probably fairly correct - in terms of some agreeing and some disagreeing with it (pro)
4. There were too many characters to keep track of - I kept losing track and had to flip to the back cover to keep them all straight (con)
5. I enjoyed the author's style of writing - I found it contemporary and smooth (pro)
6. I didn't feel bad for the narrator, Paul, when he messed things up with Noah - I'm not sure if I was supposed to feel bad or not, but I didn't..(con for being unsure)
7. I did connect with Tony's perspective - I think all teenagers deal with something their parents disagree with to the core (in this case, it's their strong moral beliefs that cause issues with Tony's homosexuality) and I DID feel badly for Tony - this part was expressed beautifully in the novel (pro)
8. Other than being a decent story, I don't think there are redeeming qualities of this novel that make it worth teaching in the classroom (con)

Having put some thought into my pro/con list, I think the last point takes the cake. I never viewed Boy Meets Boy as something that would be appropriate for the classroom. I'm not saying it wouldn't be beneficial for kids to read (whether they are dealing with the issues of homosexuality or not) but I'm not willing to cross the barriers I'd have to jump with my district and the tax-paying parents in order to teach it. I view it the same way as I viewed Forever; it's a good story and has some great points, but I would never dream of putting my reputation as an educator on the line to back it.

In an attempt to educate myself a bit more in terms of homosexual adolescent literature, I did find that Wikipedia (I know...there are probably better sources out there) had a good list of novels in this genre by decade:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian_teen_fiction

Here is another link to a scholarly book that quotes our good friend, Trites, titled Death, Gender, and Sexuality in Contemporary Adolescent Literature:

http://books.google.com/books?id=uhXj6_GO-vcC&pg=PP1&dq=death+gender+and+sexuality+in+contemporary+adolescent+literature#v=onepage&q=death%20gender%20and%20sexuality%20in%20contemporary%20adolescent%20literature&f=false

Here is a review of the above book if you want the short and dirty of it:

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=406819§ioncode=26

My favorite part of the novel that I thought would relate best to a variety of teenage readers, was on page 152 when Tony tries to explain to Paul why he can't leave his family even though they disagree with his sexuality:

"I know you won't understand this, but they love me. It would be much easier if they didn't. They honestly believe that if I don't straighten it out, I will lose my soul. It's not just that they don't want me kissing other guys - they think if I do it, I will be damned. Damned, Paul. And I know that doesn't mean anything to you. It really doesn't mean anything to me. To them, though, it's everything."

I believe this sums up how many teenagers feel when they come into their own on any topic they feel strongly about. Many teenagers still want to please their parents at heart, and it pains them when they disagree on a moral level. If there is one way to teach an overall theme in this novel to a group of teenagers, I think this would be the way to go.