Outsider stories, part 1

I got tired of gay coming-out stories a long time ago. Not one-on-one personally told narratives, which I still find interesting to hear, but the literary genre. Their audience, I think, is largely intended to be young people for whom coming out is still a freshly-felt event, or for those who have yet to come out. I've also never been a reader of gay young-adult novels, partly because the few I read seemed so pedantic or full of strife and the threat of gay-bashing. So it was with some trepidation that I picked up a new gay YA novel, In Mike We Trust, by P. E. Ryan. I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all, it's a post-coming-out story. Teenage boy Garth has already come out to his widowed mom and, though she seems more or less accepting, she asks him not to tell anyone else yet, worried about the possibility of physical abuse by bullies, but also obviously still not quite OK with his sexuality, and probably hoping it's a phase. He has a supportive gal pal and a part-time summer job at a junky, old-time (and beautifully described) department store, but otherwise seems to have little contact with anyone else over the summer until his uncle Mike comes to visit.

Mike is a drifter, a little disreputable but also a little cool, at least to Garth. He's supportive when Garth comes out to him, and even takes him on a little field trip to a gay bookstore where Garth meets a cute gay guy, a little more confident in himself than Garth, but not so far advanced that he's out of Garth's league. But Mike is also running a charity scam that he gets Garth to help him out with, leading to troubles all around.

In terms of the gay content, this is mostly an angst-free book; despite the mom's worries, there is never a threat of physical violence (at least not connected with his being gay). Garth's first date with Adam, a viewing of "Chinatown" on Adam's computer, comes off as both cute and realistic--that's Nicholson with his nose injury from the movie pictured. The book is set in Richmond, Virginia, so there is some local color, as well as the presentation of a theme concerning prejudice (against Southerners). The only real weakness is that we see Garth interact with so few people his age. Granted, it's set in the summer, and he does spend some time (theoretically) grounded for disobeying his mother, but he seems too isolated for a modern-day kid in a non-rural surrounding. Still, the book seemed like a breath of fresh air in its genre, and may prod me to see what else is happening with gay YA novels of the 21st century. Next time, another YA book from an outsider point of view.