The books editor is kidding me! And the first story is about a young gay man: what do I know about any of that? My wife will die laughing.
But the first story hooked me completely, and had me laughing as well. From the bar mitzvah candidate who helps his older brother reconnect with the family, to the amateur psychologist airline check-in clerk, these stories are full of love, wisdom, humour and, at times, despair.
There's sex, too, gay and straight, so the book is probably best for mature young adults.
The stories should be sampled one or two at a time, I suggest, because each deserves some measure of thought. David Levithan's prose nears poetry at times as he deals with profound emotions, and even his note explaining the genesis of the original story is a pleasure to read. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Ages 16+.
- René Nol is a Dunedin reader.
