Autoboyography

July 3, 2017
Tanner Scott, 18, relocated to Provo, Utah, from Palo Alto, Calif., three years ago, but he has never quite fit in. Half Jewish, half lapsed Mormon, and 100% bisexual, Tanner is eager to finish his final semester of high school so he can move somewhere more accepting. The only person he’ll regret leaving is his best friend Autumn. When she dares him to apply for the Seminar, a specialized writing class where students attempt to write a novel in four months, Tanner agrees. Little does he realize it will dramatically change his life: 19-year-old Sebastian Brother, a local celebrity after his Seminar project was acquired by a major publishing house, shows up to mentor the class and sparks fly. Once again writing as Lauren, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings (The House) tackle religion, identity, and sexuality, seamlessly interweaving Tanner’s Seminar project, his crush on Sebastian, and the fallout when Sebastian’s feelings conflict with his church’s expectations of him. A hopeful and moving love story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

July 15, 2017
Identities collide in this story of first love and first novels.Eighteen-year-old white high school senior Tanner has always been at ease with his bisexuality. Comfortably out when he lived in Palo Alto, he moved back into the closet when his family relocated to Provo, Utah, for his mom's work. As a "half-Jewish queer kid in a straight and Mormon town" he's cautious about revealing his true self to his new community, planning to hold off being out until he moves away for college. This is easier said than done when Sebastian, a handsome 19-year-old BYU student-turned-novelist, joins their novel-writing seminar as the teaching assistant and Tanner falls head over heels. As their relationship moves from mentorship to friendship to romance, there's much both boys must contend with. Sebastian's devoutly Mormon (his father is a bishop), while Tanner's not, and Sebastian's unwilling to label his own sexuality. Moreover, Tanner's manuscript is becoming increasingly autobiographical, risking outing them both. Given the issues involved, readers may be frustrated at the cursory attention given to Tanner's father's move away from practicing Judaism, and the representation of Mormonism, while not inaccurate, lacks the nuance the faith deserves. Additionally, an unexpected switch from first to third person near the end of the book leaves the rather meandering plot feeling clunky. However, readers will cheer for Tanner's confidence in his sexual identity and for the quality bi representation he provides. Satisfying but unpolished. (Fiction. 14-18)

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September 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-Tanner's family moved from California to Provo, Utah, almost two years ago. They are one of the very few non-Mormon families in town, with a mother who left the Mormon church in college and a nonpracticing Jewish father. Although Tanner's family is exuberantly supportive of his bisexuality, they all agree it's safest to keep it to himself in the ultra-conservative town. With only one semester until graduation, Tanner plans to keep his head down and escape unscathed. Then Sebastian Brothers walks into his life. Sebastian is mentoring the school's legendary novel writing seminar, after having his own class novel bought for publication. Tanner is in lust at first sight, but Sebastian is the son of the Mormon bishop. As Sebastian begins to return Tanner's flirtation, questions arise about how far he's willing to push his faith and how satisfied Tanner can be in the shadows. The duo writing team (Christina Hobbs & Lauren Billings) brings an impressively balanced approach to writing about the conflict between sexuality and strict religion. Members of the Mormon church are not painted as one-dimensional villains, but as multifaceted individuals with merits and faults. Sebastian is a devoted Mormon even as he struggles to justify his attraction to the same sex. Occasionally, the major characters are too effortlessly talented and popular, with their flaws only emerging when narratively convenient. Regardless, the teenagers are modern and relatable and the plot is emotionally engaging without becoming dark. VERDICT A thoughtful variation on the traditional high school LGBTQ+ romance that will enhance public library collections.-Amy Diegelman, formerly at Vineyard Haven Public Library, MA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Lauren, author of Sublime (2014) and The House (2015), is back with a passionate and bittersweet tale of love in all of its wonderfully terrifying reality. Tanner Scott's family moved to Utah from California three years ago, leaving once openly bisexual Tanner in the awkward position of going back into the closet, at least until he can move away to college. Prepared to coast through his senior year, Tanner's friend Autumn challenges him to sign up for a seminar where students must write a book in four months. Tanner's not sure what he will write about, that is, until superhot Mormon Sebastian arrives on the scene. Sebastian is publishing his book from the previous year's seminar, but his sudden appearance leads to a whirlwind romance between the two boys, whipping up some serious drama for both of them. While avoiding any demonizing of any religious groups, this manages to take on the intricacies of sexuality versus organized religion in an intense but ultimately inspirational narrative. Lauren successfully tackles a weighty subject with both ferocity and compassion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)