How to Be Remy Cameron

August 1, 2019
A gay high schooler contends with romance, college, and racial/sexual self-acceptance in this entertaining coming-of-age dramedy. Remy Cameron is determined not to have a relationship this year. After the heartbreak of his last breakup, all he wants is to do well in AP Lit, get into Emory's Creative Writing Program, and avoid anything remotely resembling love. Remy's best-laid plans are thrown into chaos when Ian Park, a Korean American senior, moves back from California and comes onto his radar. Add to that some friends wanting to increase LGBTQ representation on the homecoming court and his lit teacher's assigning an essay about what identity defines him, and Remy's junior year is set to be anything but peaceful. In his sophomore novel, Winters (Running With Lions, 2018) fills a Georgia high school with characters so rich and realistic that readers might expect to bump into them in the school hallways. The racial and sexual diversity that pervades this novel feels refreshingly authentic, and Remy's struggles with being black, adopted, and gay demonstrate the author's skill as a storyteller and his respect for the weight of the issues at play. The relationships among the members of the mixed-race Cameron family (Remy's parents are white) and between Remy and his friends are nuanced and reflect a hopeful future for America. An endearing novel that gives hope to those who know what it's like being different. (Fiction 13-18)

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Starred review from November 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-Rembrandt "Remy" Joshua Cameron is known at Maplewood High School for his confidence and super-likable personality. He is one of five African American students and president of the Gay-Straight Alliance. He is the adopted son in a loving white family, which includes Uncle Dawson, who is also gay, and a beagle named Clover. He is a fan of indie pop music, and he aspires to attend the creative writing program at Emory College of Arts and Sciences. But when he's assigned to write a personal essay about who he is, Remy isn't sure what that means. While Remy dreads the Essay of Doom, he gains a new love interest, Ian Park, a Korean American 1980s pop music aficionado, and is sought after by Free Williams, a mysterious woman who has a surprising connection to his emotional journey. Winters has crafted a thought-provoking yet fun YA novel with a lot of wit and laugh-out-loud one-liners. The author pays homage to past and present LGBTQ wordsmiths Tennessee Williams and Benjamin Alire Sáenz, and has created an array of diverse characters without presenting them as preachy stereotypes and boxed-in caricatures. VERDICT Winters deserves a place in the YA literary canon.-Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library

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