Man Up

by Kim Oclon

[Sam@WLABB]

Due to his family's economic situation, David knew the only way he could go to college was on a baseball scholarship. This dream was looking promising, until the team bully caught David in his crosshairs, and decided to out him in an attempt to remove him from the team. But, the damage was done, and David wondered, if he would be able to wrest control of the narrative, and get his life back on track.

I really felt for David. His senior year was going ok. He was working hard to advance his game, and he was in a wonderful, though secret, relationship with an amazing guy. He still was dealing with all the pressure and stress related to college admissions, but he was handling it. Then, Kevin had to come and add to his stress. I truly abhorred him, and everything he was meant to represent, but I acknowledge that he was not alone in his beliefs. When I was teaching, we all knew the least safe place for any kid, who was different, was the locker room. Sad, but true.

Many of the well-known scenarios we associate with the treatment of those in the LGBTQ community play out in this book, but it must be acknowledged, because these scenarios still exist. Though, I may have seen this before, it was David's struggle to accept himself, and take charge of the situation, which really drew me in. I appreciated how difficult this was for him, and it was compounded with other issues he was facing. I felt so proud of him, of the way he eventually faced the situation, and I was also proud of how some of the other people in his world stepped up as allies and friends.

First and foremost, David had the support of his amazing boyfriend, Tyler. Tyler was out, but respected that David needed to make that decision for himself. It was easy to see how deeply he cared for David, and I definitely felt the love between them. They were sweet and swoony, and I was solidly aboard this ship.

But, there were others on his side too. Patrick, the varsity catcher, was a surprisingly wonderful ally. Though he was not the most vocal in speaking out against the homophobic behavior, his showed his support through his actions. I also loved Allie. She was a member of the LGBTQIA group at school, and became a friend and confident of David's right when he really needed one. I felt like she was such an important part of his transformation, and liked that she brought in an outsider's perspective.

Overall: A thoughtful exploration of one young man's journey to self acceptance.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS