Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

Ollie's summer fling turns suddenly serious when he joins the same school as his erstwhile boyfriend. Unfortunately, Will is not out and feels he can't be in his conservative school. Now Ollie has to chose between the moments Will can give him, and his own sense of self worth.

I'll admit it; I'm in the minority of people who enjoyed Grease 2. That really has no bearing on this review, which is fairly solidly based on the original, you say? Ah, but Grease 2 has a plotline of the girls deciding that they're more than their romantic partner's significant other; they are people in their own right with thoughts and feelings. Since Ollie is taking the Sandy role in this version, I think it's still appropriate.

It is quite obviously based on the original, though, right down to the roles some of the characters play. Lara is possibly my favourite, although alterations to her role cut out the pregnancy story line, which is a shame; I'd have loved to have seen how she dealt with it.

In terms of family storylines, Ollie comes out the best...or worst...with a bereavement storyline running through most of the novel and really bursting into the limelight about two thirds of the way through. I may have cried. It's beautifully done, showing a huge range of reactions rather than the one or two that are usually showcased in this kind of novel.

I really enjoyed this read, I think it was really well done and I'm looking forward to seeing it on sale.

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA meets CLUELESS in this boy-meets-boy spin on Grease

Summer love...gone so fast.

Ollie and Will were meant to be a summer fling—casual, fun, and done. But when Ollie’s aunt's health takes a turn for the worse and his family decides to stay in North Carolina to take care of her, Ollie lets himself hope this fling can grow to something more. Dreams that are crushed when he sees Will at a school party and finds that the sweet and affectionate (and comfortably queer) guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High.

Will is more than a little shocked to see Ollie the evening of that first day of school. While his summer was spent being very much himself, back at school he’s simply known as one of the varsity basketball guys. Now Will is faced with the biggest challenge of his life: follow his heart and risk his friendships, or stay firmly in the closet and lose what he loves most.