A Very, Very Bad Thing

September 11, 2017
A love story turns tragic, and a gay teen’s relationship catapults him to fame he may not deserve. “I’m a nobody who wanted to be a somebody,” claims Marley as he prepares to receive a major LGBTQ community award, after months of talk shows and interviews. In flashbacks, he reveals how he, “just another snarky gay kid from Winston-Salem, North Carolina,” meets out and proud Christopher Anderson, a new transfer student and the son of a famously anti-gay televangelist. Their initial flirting turns into a whirlwind romance, complete with subterfuge to fool Chris’s family, “like one of those bad nineties gay movies we never watch on Netflix.” When Chris dies, Marley, as the only witness, must decide what to tell the world, in order to make Chris’s memory and his own loss mean something. Self (Drag Teen) offers a thought-provoking tale of narrow-minded parents, media circuses, and stories that spin out of control, though it can also be overwrought and shallow at times, despite the intensity of the situation. However, the emotions are genuine, the characters are relatable, and the story feels sadly of the moment. Ages 14–up.

Author Jeffery Self narrates his own audiobook, which creates a morally complex teen drama that feels decidedly relevant in today's culture. Marley's life at his small-town high school seems uncomplicated until he falls for Christopher, a new student. Their romance blossoms for a few weeks until Christopher's ultra-religious parents send him to a "Pray Away the Gay" camp, setting in motion a tragic series of events. Self's voice gives life to the boys' romance and offers an endearing look at young love. When he covers the heavier topics, he manages to add a layer of pathos without sounding preachy. The nature of the topics covered, coupled with Self's tactful reading, will give listeners a lot to think about. A.G.M. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine