When You Get the Chance

February 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Mark is a somewhat irresponsible, fun-loving gay teen who's hoping summer distance will snuff out his latest romantic tryst. His cousin Talia is queer and struggling to save her fading long-term relationship with nonbinary partner Erin. After their grandfather dies and their grandmother is hospitalized, Mark and Talia find themselves at the family's summer cottage in Ontario cleaning out old memories. But both have bigger plans: with Mark's younger sister Paige in tow, the unlikely duo embark on a road trip to Toronto Pride to salvage their summer and maybe even their parents' fraught bond. Chapters alternate between Mark's and Talia's perspectives to shape an emotionally resonant journey, mostly for Talia. Varying articulations of young queer identity are discussed with aplomb; Talia's broader awareness of gender diversity and systemic inequity opens Mark's eyes as a privileged cisgender white boy. Historical elements of Canada's LGBTQ movement are touched on through the thin yet pleasant cast of supportive queer elders. Mark's careless attitude toward his family, and his consistent interest in getting his needs met by any means necessary, makes his evolution at the novel's end feel rushed and unrealistic. Readers will appreciate the tender depiction of growing apart and breakups, and the concept of nonmonogamous relationships is also explored without stigma. VERDICT A solidly entertaining trip through Canada's queer history, and one family's difficult secrets. Recommended for fans of lightly adventurous realistic fiction.-Ashleigh Williams, School Library Journal

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2020
Teenage cousins Talia and Mark confront family drama and relationship struggles when they end up on an unplanned road trip to Toronto Pride. Mark and Talia haven't seen each other since they were about 10, but when their grandfather dies unexpectedly, they end up spending a week together in their family's summer cottage in Muskoka, Ontario. Talia is preoccupied with her rocky romance with Erin, who is nonbinary, while Mark just wants to meet cute guys and ignore the boyfriend he is stringing along back home. The flimsy plot is secondary to the growth of Talia and Mark, who are both presumed white and identify as queer and gay, respectively. They seem caught between a queer history that they don't quite understand (what does it mean to be a butch, anyway?) and a queer future that they are trying to create (is the taboo against outing still relevant if being queer is no big deal?). Ultimately, this story captures a coming-of-age moment in two young people's lives as they begin to figure out where they fit in the world. Mark confronts his entitlement while Talia begins to form her own identity independent of her partner and family. This book is packed full of teaching moments, and while some feel tedious, others perfectly capture the frustration of, for example, explaining "they/them" pronouns yet again. A thoughtful meditation on being a young, white, queer person today. (acknowledgements) (Fiction. 14-18)

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April 20, 2020
Ryan (Keep This to Yourself) and Stevenson (Pride) put a decidedly queer spin on “summer at the lake” and “road trip” tropes in this satisfying tale of teen cousins. Talia, 18, ends up at the Ontario family cottage with Mark, 17, and his 10-year-old sister Paige following their grandfather’s funeral. They are supposed to be cleaning out the cabin, but Mark is distracted by a local bad boy and wishes he could get back to Toronto for the annual Pride festival. Talia wants to make the trip as well, to find out where she stands with Erin, whom she’s been dating for the past two years and has recently come out as nonbinary and polyamorous. The discovery of a Ford Mustang in the cottage’s shed presents the trio with the means to make the trip, which occurs with various complications. While presenting a variety of LGBTQ concepts, including historical context and cultural change, Ryan and Stevenson give their credibly written teens familiar challenges while Paige delves into a family mystery, offering the story a layer of drama and intrigue. A fun, thought-provoking tale. Ages 13–up. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary.

March 15, 2020
Grades 9-12 Their grandfather's untimely death brings Talia, 18, and Mark, 17, together in Toronto for the first time in 7 years. Virtual strangers, the kids find themselves tasked with cleaning out their grandparents' summer cottage on a lake miles from the city, a bummer since Mark is determined to experience Toronto's Pride weekend and Talia urgently needs to see her partner to assess the state of their faltering relationship. Desperate, the kids decide to abandon their responsibilities and hightail it to the city without telling their parents. Not a good idea, although they manage to achieve their goals: Talia defining her relationship, and Mark being able to enjoy Pride to the nth degree. Neither of the kids is terribly sympathetic when we first meet them; Talia is somewhere between strident and sullen, while Mark puts the lack in lackadaisical. But give them a chance: they grow and change over the course of the story, and by its end, readers will be rooting for both them and this agreeable novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)