Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Autoboyography

by Christina Lauren

Coming-of-age novel about two boys who fall in love in a writing class—one from a progressive family and the other from a conservative religious community.

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.
    But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.
    It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

* Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo write both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together have produced nine New York Times bestselling novels, including Beautiful Bastard and Sweet Filthy Boy.
* Tanner's voice is humorous, compelling, and just snarky enough to make him insanely compelling. Teens will relate to his charm and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants attitude, as well as his insecurities and vulnerability.
* While Autoboyography isn't exactly a coming out story, it is about Tanner checking and understanding his privilege as a gay kid from a progressive family in Provo, Utah. Tanner slowly comes to see the world is far more complicated than he realized—even when he grew up with the evidence of it right in front of his face.
* This book has moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity, but it also tackles serious topics important to teens—young gay teens in particular—making for a perfect, balanced read.
 

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

3 of 5 stars

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Because It's Pride Month and I got to read it for free on Rivetedlit.com so why not.

Autoboyography isn't anywhere close to perfect, but I enjoyed reading it and finding out what happened with these characters. If I could, I'd put 3.5 stars but Goodreads and Amazon don't do halfies so 3 it is.

The most annoying part for me was dealing with all the Mormonism. It's a ridiculous religion and fuck missionaries. It's so fucked up I had a hard time stomaching it. Yes, I am sympathetic for kids raised in it and dealing with their fucked up policies but I just wanted to scream "what about the other shit?!?"

*deep heaving sigh* The worst part was hoping God's representative would proclaim being gay as acceptable. Any day now! It could happen at any time!

The chance of LDS accepting gay people is as likely as Quiverfulls doing it.

Anyways, cute typical romance, unusual best friendship that I loved and hated at times, one supportive family, one homophobic one, and enough angst to overdose on.

Notes While Reading:
---->"What Autumn really hates is that I leave things to the last minute and then manage to get what I want anyway. "
---->"His smile ruins me. "
---->"When I started questioning my sexuality, they told me their love for me was not dependent on where I stick my dick. Okay, they didn't use those exact words; I just like saying it. "
---->I feel for Hailey with her brother that fails upwards, lol. Poor goth.
---->"Pick almost anyone here and it's like six degrees of second base. But it's not like there's anything better to do. "
---->"Because of missionary efforts in Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, there's a surprisingly large number of Polynesians in Utah. " Ugh missionary colonizers. Fuck 'em.
---->"We are liberated Unitarian Jewstians," Mom says, gliding into the room in her yoga pants, her hair in a high, messy bun. "
---->"He laughs, confused but clearly amused. "It's like your first day with a new arm."
---->"Tonight Dad barely seems to chew before he's swallowed. Mom's normally smiling mouth is turning down at the corners."
---->"He swallows, and a million pornographic images fly through my head in the ten seconds before he speaks again. "
---->"Her motto is 'Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.'"
---->"Although Mom means well, my thoughts about Sebastian are a runaway train: the engineer is gone and the engine is basically on fire."
---->"Interesting that the Native Americans don't live here anymore because of those settlers."
---->"And I remember something he said earlier today: I can't tell if this feels good or terrible."
---->"Dad smiles at me. "Not for a single second. Your mom is my sun. My world is only warm when she is in it."
---->"But it's one thing to support it in theory. It's another to have it right there, in her life. In her best friend."
---->"It feels like I'm pushing through the dark and I know that what's ahead is safe, but no one is following me there."
---->"You have so much space in your heart for your church, but does it have space for you?"
---->Sudden POV change. This one works, good addition too.

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  • 21 June, 2018: Reviewed