King Geordi the Great

February 1, 2018

Gr 10 Up-What's more horrifying than your dad walking in on you masturbating? Your dad walking in on you masturbating, discovering you're gay, and then throwing you a surprise Coming Out party-outing you to all your relatives and friends. This is life for Geordi with his well-intentioned but too-involved father. Geordi's parents mean well, but he just wants a little space, and he doesn't go about asking for it very well during a big fight with his dad. Meanwhile, Geordi's best friend, Toff, is over the moon that Geordi is gay because Toff's been in love with Geordi for a year. Toff's had a hard life, and when some miscommunication leads him to believe that Geordi is in love with him, too, Geordi goes along with it because he doesn't want to hurt his best friend. But when Toff's father disappears for several days, Geordi and his friends go looking for him, and what they find makes them all consider their relationships and have honest talks with the people they love. This YA novel contains some overtly sexual content, but overall Gant writes a fast-paced story about a teenage boy living in the suburbs of Memphis trying to be honest with himself while doing right by the ones he loves. Lessons about love and communication are gently folded into this story about a teenager with good friends, raging hormones, and annoying parents. VERDICT A warm story of friendship and sexuality sure to reach any teenager.-Sara Jurek, Children's English Library, Stuttgart, Germany

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