A birthday gift from my husband. Looking forward to reading it!

Rafe Goldberg has been out since middle school. Growing up in Boulder, and raised by supportive, accepting parents, his 'coming out' was something of an anticlimax. Well, until his mom threw a party to celebrate it, complete with guests, pointy hats and a 'Yay! Rafe is gay!' theme. His mom is the President of their local PFLAG and Rafe has spent much of his young life advocating and speaking out for gay youth in his community. And, frankly, he's tired of it.

When Rafe gets accepted to an all-male boarding school in New England in his junior year, he decides to create his own 'do over'. He wants to just be himself. He wants to simply be Rafe sans the flag of his sexuality always being his first, defining feature. If asked outright, he's determined he'll be honest and admit to being gay, but if not, he's not talking about that aspect of who he is.

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. At first, life at the new school is relatively easy. In fact, Rafe has somehow fallen in with the popular, jock kids, and been accepted as one of their own. After a rocky first meeting, he and his nerdy roommate (and said nerdy roommate's best friend), find common ground and a tentative friendship. Then, things begin to become complicated.

When asked outright by his roommate's gay friend if Rafe, too, is gay, Rafe denies it. When questioned about his best friend at home Claire Olivia, he allows his jock friends to believe they're dating. When he admits to his parents and best friend that he's pretending to be straight at his new school they are understandably concerned and dismayed.

Then Rafe begins to fall in love with Ben, fellow jock and beautiful soul. Rafe thingks Ben might be falling in love with him, too. Ben has had a serious girlfriend in the past. Is he gay and in denial? Is he bi? It become increasingly apparent that withholding a fundamental part of who he is is only making communication between Rafe and Ben complicated and confusing.

Have you ever watched someone make a bunch of huge mistakes, want to shake them, and scream at them to stop, but still understand why they have to take that particular path and journey? Konigsberg writes just such a story.

Left on the bench outside the front doors.