David Inside Out

Between track, school, college applications, and relationships David learns more about himself and others in many life-changing experiences. For David, life isn't without challenges, with his father dying when he was five, high school classes, and now: coming to terms with his feelings towards men. While going through this self-discovery, he is fortunate to have the great support of his mother mom, who always seems to be there to lift him up just enough, but not overdo it to become overbearing. His journey regarding his homosexuality started when his friend Eddie, an openly gay more effeminate character, who shares his love for romance novels, came out of the closet. At the moment, David wasn't too keen on the idea of being gay and didn't want to be involved with anything having to do with being gay including being around his best friend. However, he was still attracted to an eye-catching track teammate, Sean. To avoid homosexual thinking, David wore a rubber band around his wrist and snapped it to try to stop those thoughts. The attractive runner, Sean, and David's relationship continued to evolve and became racy and romantic. Through their relationship they learn more about themselves in regards to their homosexuality, but also more about how they should treat people and their general identities. Sean turns out to be not the most perfect guy in the world, but also seems to be going through similar issues that David is facing. Kick, David's friend who's a girl, only complicated matters. At first David and Kick were great friends, and then they dated. Their friendship evolved while David's feelings towards guys developed further. While the relationship didn't work out romantically, David and Kick remained friends through hard times, including car trouble and freezing weather, while coming back from a weekend at a cabin in the woods. Throughout the story, David faces homophobia through negative comments from Parker, who consistently makes homophobic remarks and even defaces a Gay-Straight Alliance sign. At first David is hesitant to take a stand against such homophobia by not being a part of the Gay- Straight Alliance his friend Eddie is trying to start. However, as David learns more about himself, he becomes more confident about who he is and his identity and becomes less afraid of being gay, and being seen with other people that are gay. In the end, David becomes more comfortable with his sexuality. His relationships with Sean, Eddie, and Kick all change as he discovers more about himself. The novel's ending has many twists, which certainly makes the book much more interesting and less predictable. David's struggle with identity and coming out is quite authentic, relatable, and tangible. The experiences draw the reader into the storyline whether positive, questioning, or negative. I liked the utilization of the hotline as a resource for LGBTQQ teens. DAVID INSIDE OUT is quite funny, due to David's thoughts and comments made by other char

Here's a thoughtful, highly involving novel penned by Lee Bantle--his second YA novel, and already he writes like an expert in the genre, creating a tapestry of believable, well drawn characters, edge-of-your-seat dramatic scenes, and whipsmart dialogue that crackles with humor and tension. Make no mistake, this ain't your father's YA novel--but a new, much more honest kind that deals with classical coming out conflicts in today's times. Looking for a pretty resolution? Look elsewhere. But if you want a book which builds to a crescendo with honesty, and great love for its main characters (it must be said, there's a little bit of David in every gay boy) then don't think twice. Hit the buy button. Do not deliberate. Do not equivocate. Treat yourself to a lovely, emotional, enjoyable read. Kudos to Bantle for delivering this much needed injection of honest love into this genre.

The second I finished reading this book, I jumped on-line so I could express my excitement over this incredibly important piece of young adult literature. Lee Bantle has masterfully captured the ubiquitous angst of adolescence, only this time much of the heartbreak centers on self discovery related to a teenager's sexuality. Although the story will be especially relevant to kids who are experiencing emotions similar to David's, the question it poses is universal-- How do we come to accept ourselves so we can live an authentic life? -- that's why I recommend the book for all teens experiencing the struggles of growing up. And don't get the idea that this book is a downer or too heavy duty. Bantle manages to write a heartfelt piece that offers up as much laughter as it does tears. A sincere, lovely book in all respects. (And I love how he writes about food.)

Bantie, Lee. "David Inside Out", 2009. Accepting Amos Lassen This year we are seeing many young adult novels dealing with the younger gay person. "David Inside Out" is thoughtful and powerful and tells the story of David Dahlgren who learns to accept himself for who he is. David is a senior in high school and is a track runner. However going places with the team cause tension for him because he has a crush on Sean, one of the other guys on the team. He does everything he can to hide the way he feels from himself and from Sean. He stays away from his best friend who recently came out and he dates he girl. He even goes so far as to snap a rubber band on his wrist whenever he has gay thoughts. When Sean tells him that he feels the same way it seems that everything has changed for the better and herein is the story. David stayed away from Eddie, his best friend, so that he would not be labeled as gay but what he was really doing was prolonging his own self-acceptance. The characters in the book are very real as is the situation. We see how hard the coming-out process really is and it reminds us of what self-acceptance is all about and how difficult it can be to deal with. Bantie writes with a heavy hand and shows a great deal of wisdom and maturity with such a delicate subject. As we get older we forget what it was like when one deals with accepting himself as gay and even now when it is so much easier, the same problems are faced and probably will always be the same. What is so great about this book is that we see real characters dealing with real situations.

David Inside Out was a book that I'd been looking forward to reading for awhile and I'm grateful I was given the chance to review it. It's a very fast read: I got so caught up in the story, I was able to finish it in only one day. David's best friend Eddie comes out as gay and shows that he doesn't care, it's just the way he is. David, on the other hand, pushes him away so people won't call him "gay by association" if you will and pretends that he doesn't have the same feelings. He even acts as if he likes his other best friend, Kick, who has a crush on him...but eventually the truth will need to come out and he's simply prolonging the inevitable. No matter what though, I was happy to see that Kick and Eddie's reactions to David were realistic and genuine. That's how I would describe the whole book actually. Sean and David's "relationship" seemed real, as Sean refused to admit his sexuality, while David begins to see that it might be the right thing to do. I loved these characters and I honestly felt for all of them, no matter how they were managing their lives. Whether you are gay or not, it's hard to "come out" and be true to yourself. Life tries to tell you how to be and this book definitely focuses on how these lives are changed while they come to terms with who they are and who they love. Recommended? Yes, definitely! I have a feeling this will be one of those underdog books, so I really hope people will pick up a copy and spread the word.