Geography Club

I though that while there were many plot wholes in the text, the overall story was a good short read. The conveyed message is slightly off, but I can see the what the author was trying to get across, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey all of the LGBTQ characters took.

I am a 17 year gay guy from ohio and let me say, this is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I felt and feel like I AM the character of Russell in the book, I've gone through so many of the things he has. I even cried after reading the sequel after this one because it made me look at my own situation and how hard it is to be gay and love someone who might never talk to you again if they knew. I feel like this book deserves several awards, it certainly had a touch to me.

When I picked this book up off the shelf at a bookstore in Boston, I expected nothing special. I was looking for an edgy teen novel and I just coulnd't find one that day. I looked at this book, deciding if it didn't sound interesting, I'd just leave. I read the front flap and fell in love. This way the edgy novel I had been looking for. Homosexuality in a teen book seems to be frowned upon lately. People say younger teens aren't old enough to handle that kind of thing. That is totally wrong. Not only is the main character gay, his best friend is bisexual. This correctly portrays the main character's relationships with his friends during high school. I loved it. It's a quick read, but worth it. If you were ever homophobic, it will make you regret it, or at least I think so.

There are so many things to like about this book. It's a fast-paced, well-written story that isn't a downer to read. There is lots of humor, but plenty of drama, and none of the characters are perfect. I like that there are almost no adults in the book as I believe that adults and kids exist in parallel worlds that do overlap, but neither understands what is really happening in the other. I also love Russel and wonder how much he is like Mr. Hartinger. In fact, I almost feel as if I know the author through the book and think he must be an interesting fellow.I'm glad the book isn't full of doom and gloom like so many gay novels. It's refreshing to read about relatively happy, well-adjusted gay kids, and I was especially glad Russel simply accepted he was gay and didn't have to come to terms with it. You can tell from the book that the author really likes and identifies with teenagers. YA fiction is truly some of the best writing today and this is a welcome addition to the genre. I hope Mr. Hartinger has more books in the works and since I'm really a huge fan of fantasy, I would love to see a fantasy book with a gay character. How about it, Mr. Hartinger?

This book is geared toward young adults (high school age), but I feel it's a book all ages can enjoy and benefit from, especially parents who want to better understand their gay son or daughter, and the difficulties they face while in high school. Russel is convinced he's the only gay student at GoodKind High until his online gay-chat buddy turns out to be another student, Kevin, who is the popular closeted star baseball player of the school. Soon Russel learns his best female friend, Min, and her girlfriend, Therese, and another student called Ike, are also gay. They now have to figure out how they can all get together for talks without drawing attention to themselves. This leads them to form a club called "Geography Club". Is the "Geography Club" the answer to their problems, or will peer pressure, insecurities, unexpected members and other events, take a toll on their developing friendship, and their new club.Hartinger has written a very realistic, fast-paced story filled with love, hope, humor, and sadness that will touch anyone's heart. These young students are individuals who are mature beyond their years. The author has done a brilliant job in getting his message across by developing characters that are very believable. We need more sensitive, intelligent writing like this that can help all young people deal with being different, especially at a time when there are so many other pressures for them to bear. It's rough to be young in today's world. This is a book I recommend for all. Please don't miss this one!Joe Hanssen