Geography Club is a young adult book that doesn’t feature a gay utopia but instead depicts a realistic high school with students that aren’t especially noble or inspiring. These are the types of teenagers that exist in every high school, struggling to get through the minefield of social acceptance and rejection with the added pressure of being different. There is no preaching about accepting differences but the story ends with a note of hope and the idea that high school may be horrible but you’ll get through it. This may not be a high school story you wish happened to you but it also is one that some teenagers may relate to.The story follows several teenagers as they realize they are not alone and end up trying to form a support group for themselves. They call their club the Geography Club assuming that no one else would join something so incredibly boring. Their plan doesn’t necessarily work that well as someone does want to join and at the same time, a rumor about a gay club circulates and threatens the secrecy of Geography Club. Each teenager must decide for themselves if they want to be honest about their sexuality or not and the choice is not easy for most. In an already hazardous social climate of high school, being gay may be too much to deal with.GC is incredibly quick to read and fast paced so the story whips along and ends almost before you know it. The teenagers all play on different stereotypes from the male jock to the lesbian field hockey player, the nerdy ones, and the outsiders. Here is a cross section of kids from popular to neutral that have very little in common usually but find the support of other gay teens incredibly helpful. They are not always likable and noble as they are often too mired in their own drama and angst to reach out beyond their group. There is the most hated and teased outsider in the school that even those in the Geography Club don’t want to reach out and help. They often make classic mistakes such as being mean, condescending, and betraying each other out of fear and petty grievances.What makes the story really shine are that these are depictions of real high school students who don’t always do the right thing. These teenagers don’t necessarily want to come out of the closet and be honest with themselves and others just yet. Perhaps they accept their sexuality to themselves but they want to stay hidden and under the social radar. Others stand up for their beliefs and what is right. Some waffle in the middle and can’t decide which way to go, depending on peer pressure to make their decisions. These are not perfect people but teenagers learning and growing with one more issue to cope with on top of everything. This is the type of story that teenagers can relate to and realize others go through the same difficulties and they’re not alone.The narrative is first person from Russell’s point of view, a nerdy socially neutral teen that goes through the entire roller coaster of emotion and popularity in his struggle to find his place. The descriptive quality and writing doesn’t try too hard but lets the voice of the teenagers come through very well. The high school exists in no named city or state but is meant to be a high school that could exist anywhere with bland, purposefully vague descriptions that are recognizable by anyone. Although conveying a message to readers, none of the writing is preachy or lecturing but does have a thread of hope and honesty that will appeal to readers.Although the target audience is likely gay teenagers, the quick pace and very easy reading makes this a good book for anyone to read. The recognizable themes and lack of perfection create a book most can relate to even if you aren’t part of the target audience. If anything it will remind you that no one is alone in their struggles. I can easily recommend Geography Club as a good book to read.
I’d like to start with this book with a confession: I would not have read this book if I had not been assigned to read a book on Gay and Lesbian Fiction. Gay rights are an important subject to me and although I have no problems with books or media on the subject, I also had no real desire to seek it out. This book, along with another gay superhero book I’ve read previously (Hero by Perry Moore) may change all of that. I loved, loved, loved this book and it has become one my favorite books this year. It tells the story about a closeted young male teenager who believes he is the only gay person in his smallish high school until he meets an anonymous teen in a chat room. They decide to meet and end up discovering three more gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers that go to their school and decide they would like to form their own support group. The book has some excellent humor to it and I liked how realistic and interesting the characters were. This isn’t a fairytale where everything will work out perfectly, the main characters don’t always make the right choices when faced with tough decisions, but one of the big themes is that we get second chances to do the right thing. One of the other main things I appreciated about this book was how it combined a coming of age story about peer pressure and climbing the high school social ladder with a coming out story about trying to stay true to your sexuality and your morals. I also liked how it gave multiple perspectives even though the story is told through a single point of view. The characters are so well done and the main character is so insightful that you really come to understand the pressures the other characters are under. One criticism I had with this book was that it feels a bit dated. The copyright date was in 2003, but from some of the technology mentioned such as using IM’s, chat rooms and emails to communicate it seems that the book is quite a bit older. The mindset of the characters seem older and less progressive as well, this could be attributed to the small-town status, but the reaction the school has when they think someone is gay seems a bit extreme in today’s world. Perhaps this is due to my own ignorance, but I feel like today a lot more adults and teens would be accepting. In summary, I think this is an excellent book. It’s informative, engaging and humorous without being preachy or depressing. It’s a book that anyone in high school can relate to because it focus so much peer pressure and social statuses and it’s interesting enough to keep the reader’s attention. Please read this if you have any interest in high school dramas or gay fiction, you will not regret it.
In high schooler Russel, Brent Hartinger has created a Mr. Average. Russel doesn't suck at sport, but neither is he that good, he's not the best looking guy in school, but neither is he a dork, pretty clever but not brainy, his biggest problem is the locker room and all those naked jocks. Russel is not Mr. Average in one way—he's the only gay kid in school. Or is he? He's only ever confessed his inclinations to himself, not even his two best friends Min and Gunnar know. When he discovers to his astonishment that he is not alone, the problem his new friends face is how can they meet to talk without arousing suspicion among their fellow pupils? Solution: start a club so boring, no one else will want to join it—the Geography Club.I'm not sure whether there is a buried sub-text here about how little insular Americans want to know about other places. However, like all well laid plans, it goes awry, and how is the meat of this clever story, not so much a coming of age tale as a coming to awareness story. Through Russel's dry voice, we discover the strata of school society, the yin and yang of hierarchy and clique, the yearning to belong and not be an outsider; the love of true friends. Russel's friendship with Gunnar gets him into deep water. Gunnar wants a girlfriend and sex and the only way he can achieve his aim with sex-bomb Kimberley is if Russel will double with Kimberley's friend Trish. Even on the edge of this abyss, Russel fails to inform Gunnar that he couldn't go through with it. It leads to the most acutely funny-horrible line of many amusing moments. Hartinger has a turn with sentences and phrases to make you grin aloud (that's a sort of open-mouthed Haarrgh without completely turning to laughter), like this one describing Russel's encounter with Trish's lips:The second my lips touched hers, Trish's mouth slid open like a garage door on rollers, and I felt her tongue poking between my lips like a raw oyster with a mind of its own.Hartinger writes sad just as well in this heart-warming, intelligent read.
—Roger Kean
It is my second read of this book. I cried harder the second time. We all lived in a world where being different is bad, ridiculed and not welcome. I think it is a bit ironic that people keep telling us to be different, to think different. But here we are getting shit for being different. And that even more suck in high school where they say has the best memories but it is also where anyone can find themselves in a toughest situation. And this book is about getting through that and also about friendship and finding new ones. This book kind of amazing for me. The writing and the plot will just suck you in and make you relate to the story. I think Russel, being the one telling the story has a way of getting sympathy. The readers can really connect with him. And amazing job for Brent Hartinger.Pretty likable sub-characters too. Specially Min, Gunnar, and Brian. They are well written for me and has good attributes. I would also like to talk about Russel and Kevin. Really teenage love. It just make me,(what is the more appropriate term for giggle for males?) smile. There was a scene in the book where Kevin kind of said that he like boys who takes risk and Russel want to do that, for Kevin. For me that's okay. But sometimes when we like someone, we want to be the person they like or want that in the process we started losing ourselves too. For me, Russel made the right decision in the end. But I am hopeful for the next book. This is the kind of book that really makes me want to read YA more.p.s. This book made me laugh too! Here are the lines I love from this book:"If there was no such thing as forgiveness, there wouldn't be any friendships left in the world."This from Russel. Near the end."Go on ahead. I'll be okay."A scene in the movie I found on tumblr. This is kind of cute actually.
—Wency
Nothing spectacular or groundbreaking here. It's filled with two-dimensional characters and very special lessons. But the MC isn't an asshole and it has a decent ending. It's better than most YA, which isn't saying much. I'd recommend this for middle school students, but with all the talk about who's having sex, and who isn't having sex, I don't think they'd care. I wouldn't have cared. And the writing is too juvenile for high schoolers despite the profanity. If you're looking for something to bump of your book list, this is a quick read. I finished it in less than two hours. I might check out the sequel if I'm bored. Two Things I Didn't Like1. The Token Bitch Beard2. Sexist Closeted JocksFavorite Characters: Min, Brian, and RusselRating: 2.25 stars. It's average. It kind of reminds me of a Matt Christopher book, but with gay kids. Despite that, it's much better than Totally Joe and The Vast Fields of Ordinary.
—Cory
