Exiled To Iowa. Send Help. And Couture (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
This book was so much fun to read! As soon as I started it, I couldn't put it down anymore. Although there is a very serious undertone to this book (gay-bashing in high schools and homophobia in general), Collin manages to lead a very happy life. I love his witty repartee! I do know that homophobia among teenagers is a very serious problem, but I believe that it is also important to have works which show that even as a gay teenager one can have a good time. I'm just saying this because I have the feeling that most books about gay people (which get more attention than this one) only reflect on the problems of being gay. Why is it always a huge problem? Yes, homophoboia, I know. But how can we get rid of it when we do not portray homosexuality as normal than always laced with problems and drama and tears? Yes, Collin does struggle with bullies as well, but he also gets a chance to be happy, and we see him going through phases EVERY teenager goes though. That's what "Exiled to Iowa" manages to do: portray gay teenagers as teenagers who happen to be gay, NOT gay people who are only defined as purely gay and struggling with ONLY that 'problem'. Collin goes through the same stuff I went through when I was a teenager (minus the gay bashing, thats what -sadly- only he has to deal with). I could identifiy with him, and that's what's important: gay teenagers are teenagers after all. That's what we have to learn, and that's what "Exiled to Iowa" is teaching us. Collin, the protagonist in this gay Y/A novel is snarky, funny, self-centered, and like so many teens he is deluded into believing that no-one else has a clue about anything. I enjoyed sharing his life for a while. There was drama, but no melodrama. There was conflict, but no conflagration. Collin was put-upon, but despite what Collin may have felt, this wasn't a tear-jerker.From the start of the novel, Collin knows he's gay, as do a few others. Furthermore, he's okay with being gay; he just knows that not everyone else will be okay with it. Coming out is a factor in the novel, it isn't a focus. Being gay colors his life, but it isn't everything about him. The story isn't so much about coming out as it is about Collin finding a place where he belongs, which includes belonging as a gay teen.Collin is fabulous without being flamboyant. But like other boys like Collin whom I've known, he foolishly thinks he's subtle. He's certainly not a gay stereotype, but he's also not a straight-acting jock-boy. And Collin coming to rural Iowa from California accentuates how different he appears to his school mates. Gay teen novels too often vary between the uber-angsty fey boy and the secretly sad behind the straight-boy facade. I can enjoy those too, but it is nice to see a gay boy who feels more like an average gay boy. Collin rather reminds me of my gay teen nephew.The story is about Collin working his way through a new school in a new town, and finding where he belongs, as well as finding himself. I believe that many of us, gay or straight, can relate (or look back and relate) to Collin and his trials - finding new friends, dealing with bullying, and growing up.The story was complete, so I don't know that there are more stories to tell, but I liked Collin enough that I would enjoy spending more time with him if the author has more to say in this world.
What do You think about Exiled To Iowa. Send Help. And Couture (2000)?
