OPENLY STRAIGHT Openly Straight, Book 1

Rafe, who’s been out since he was 14, escapes labeling by leaving Colorado for a private boy’s school in New England. From the first, Pete Cross’s narration describes the high spirits of Rafe and his family. His loving mother is overly involved and well intentioned. His father is jokey as he records this big event. Rafe teases his parents affably as he prepares for his great new adventure. The humor continues outwardly throughout the book, but Cross undercuts it with Rafe’s uncomfortable inner feelings. Cross depicts how Rafe blithely joins jock clubs and masks his former self. When a sensitive teacher urges him to write honestly, Cross’s delivery reflects how Rafe wrestles with honesty, hides truths in a romantic relationship, and finally faces the painful path to becoming his real self. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2017]