Time Out
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4.2 • 5 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights in this “seamless, engrossing” (Publishers Weekly) coming-of-age story about a teen hometown hero who must find out who he is outside of basketball when his coming out as gay costs him his popularity and place on the team.
In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town’s history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.
Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn’t even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn’t have basketball?
His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other’s biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he’s been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.
As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he’s ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Actor Hayes (Plum) and debut author Milliner, a producer, team up with Greenwald (Sizzle Reel, for adults) to craft a timely queer romance that unfolds amid the world of small-town social politics. Since his beloved grandfather's recent death, basketball star Barclay has endeavored to live his "fullest life," which means coming out as gay to his friends and loved ones. He announces the news on his 16th birthday, during his captain's speech at a school pep rally, but instead of the cheers and support he expected, his declaration is met with foreboding silence. Afterward, it feels as if his school turns against him: he's labeled an attention seeker, he overhears discussions regarding whether he should remain on the squad, and his teammates are openly homophobic. Fed up with the harassment, Barclay quits basketball and joins the school newspaper staff, where he meets and develops feelings for handsome, opinionated classmate Christopher, who helps Barclay report on the injustices and corruption occurring in their conservative Georgia community. Vibrant, well-defined characters add credibility to issues surrounding grief, love, and prejudice, while meticulous pacing and careful attention to the bureaucracy of towns ruled by local sports giants coalesce into a seamless, engrossing read. Ages 12–up.
