Growing Up Gay in America: Informative and Practical Advice for Teen Guys Questioning Their Sexuality and Growing Up Gay

Rating:
Summary: This book is excellent!
Review: I am 18 years old and recently came out. This book is filled with useful information. It's funny, well-written and informative. It offers answers to many questions relating to being young and gay...I recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: It's Worth Reading
Review: If you have questions about being a gay or bisexual teen, this book has the answers. It's informative, yet interesting and has some great pics too! Check it out! Read it! Live it!

Rating:
Summary: Not what I was hoping for
Review: This book was a huge disappointment. I am working with a young man experiencing some angst related to his sexual orientation. He was hopeful that this book might be useful as a serious discussion of his experience and feelings. He also hoped to find practical advice and help. Unfortunately, the first thing one notices in flipping through the book is numerous pictures of shirtless, muscular young male models. In at least one of these pictures, the model's pants were unzipped low enough to display a good deal of pubic hair. If the author wishes to publish a book of soft-core gay porn, that is fine, but the book should be advertised as such, rather than as a informative look at the gay experience.

The book is `lightened' by comic strips, evidently meant to address gay issues in a humorous way. One of the two I read dealt with two gay men discussing promiscuous sex, and whether one had an underage boyfriend. The man stated that he checked to ensure his new boyfriend was eighteen by bending him over to "count the rings around his a**." Another strip discussed whether one can be addicted to "dick." It may be that some readers would be better able to address their sexual orientation couched within this adolescent humor. I found it crass and tasteless, and a gross minimization of real concerns.

I was also bothered by the lack of accuracy in the information offered. For example, the author describes "blue balls" as an actual painful condition caused by sexual stimulation without release. (Did the author do his research at high school locker room?) He adds "The best way to alleviate blue balls is to ejaculate, either by masturbating or engaging in sexual activities."

Another concern of mine is that the author sometimes presents a rather heavily biased point of view, but maintains a pretense of impartial discussion. He frequently states opinions in a way that implies that his is the only rational way to see things, adding, "But hey, it's for you to decide."

To his credit, the author has a casual writing style that is easy to read and teen friendly. He addresses topics that can be hard to talk about in a way that might be easy to digest for young readers. He also offers reassurance that the readers' experiences are normal. I also thought many of the resources offered may be helpful. Unfortunately, the book has the feel of having been put together to cash in on a market. This feeling is intensified by the cynical addition of sexually provocative photos, crude comics, and advertisements in the back for a gay magazine and a company selling unrated gay videos. If you are looking for a book offering a serious treatment of the experience of `growing up gay in America,' keep looking. For me, this book is not it.