Rainbow Road

October 1, 2005
Gr 9 Up -The final installment of this trilogy is a true winner. Even though coming out publicly resulted in Virginia high school basketball star Jason Carrillo's losing his college athletic scholarship, it turned him into an important role model for gay and lesbian teens. And so, when a new GLBT high school in Los Angeles is searching for a keynote speaker for its opening ceremony, it is not surprising that Jason is given an all-expenses-paid invitation. His boyfriend, Kyle, definitely wants to be there, too. And Kyle's best friend -pink-haired, boy-hungry Nelson -has a car and thinks that this would be the perfect opportunity for a post-senior-year road trip. Virginia to L.A. by car: 3000 miles and plenty of time to gain an understanding of what being gay in America is all about. These boys are distinct personalities and genuine teens, searching for clarity and identity and acceptance, trying to make sense of themselves and a world that can be equally bright and dark. Sanchez writes with humor and compassion. Some mature romance scenes, occasional frank language, and an inclusion of transgender/transsexual/bisexual story lines translate into a tender book that will likely be appreciated and embraced by young adult readers." -Jeff Katz, Queens Borough Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2005
Gr. 9-12. The third and final novel about gay teen friends Jason, Kyle, and Nelson finds the boys on a road trip, driving across country from their D.C. homes to Los Angeles, where Jason has been invited to speak at the opening of an alternative high school. Along the way, the young men encounter a variety of people and situations that occasionally seem clearly designed to educate the reader--for example, a transgender boy who looks like Britney Spears; an enclave of Radical Faeries who live off the land in rural Tennessee; a devoted gay couple who have been partners for 20 years; and, of course, the usual homophobes. In short, there's plenty of expected stuff. About halfway through the cross-country journey, however, Kyle begins questioning his relationship with bisexual Jason, and the story becomes more involving as characterization finally takes the driver's seat. Flamboyant Nelson remains annoyingly predictable, alas, but the other two boys are sympathetic charmers, and fans of Sanchez's first two Rainbow novels will certainly want to read this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)