Autoboyography

Undoubtedly I read a review of this waaaaaaaaayyyyy back that prompted me to add it to ole Mt. TBR. But good or bad, depending on how you look at it, my sieve like brain has purged that info so some of this will probably be a rerun of many many other reviews. But when a book puts my heart in a blender chances are high I'm going to get chatty. Autoboyography is a deceptively simple story about two boys coming of age in a stiflingly religious town who come from backgrounds so vastly different three football fields could easily fit between them. There is angst and pain alongside comedic moments, triumph and a first love story that not only warmed my heart but made me really think. Tanner tells the majority of this story. Tanner is insightful and wise beyond his years, sharp-witted but also genuine in his naiveté. He’s somehow earnest and effervescent simultaneously. He and his BFF Autumn are in the final semester of senior year and being, for all intents and purposes, fused at the hip they take The Seminar together. Actually, Autumn kind of strong-arms him into taking it but potato, po-tah-toe. Turns out he meets his soulmate in the class so I think we can all agree Autumn won that round. The premise of this story is a clever one. Tanner is writing the story of falling in love for the first time while falling in love for the first time. So he has no idea how it will end and we get to ride shotgun while he hurdles headlong into an ill-advised relationship with a closeted BYU student who is also the bishop’s son and who’s fast approaching the time for his two year mission abroad during which he can have virtually no contact with anyone. Multiple times I felt like I was walking the tightrope right alongside Tanner. There aren’t many authors in this genre that can make me doubt the outcome of the tried and true romance algorithm but Christina Lauren did. More than once I found myself unable to conceive of a way for this story to end happily. It does but it was an anxiety inducing nail biter. Sebastian is a walking paradox. Maybe that was exacerbated by the fact that we don’t get his perspective or maybe it’s that fake plastic smile that seems to belie the perpetual happiness and contentment he projects, but he is… puzzling. Again, I think this is shrewd writing on the part of the authors. Sebastian’s character is a metaphor (IMO) for organized religion, in this case the LDS church. Religion, particularly when it comes to matters of homosexuality, doesn’t make sense. It’s fundamentally illogical and Sebastian is its manifestation. He is a by-product of his upbringing and thorough indoctrination of LDS ideology. The authors chose LDS but Sebastian’s narrative could easily be transplanted from Utah to anywhere on the planet and LDS could be substituted for pretty much any organized religion. Whether it’s Mormonism, Catholicism or Islam, homosexuality is viewed as something that should be rooted out. That universality was part of what made this story so poignant for me. But Christina Lauren deftly made the distinction between god and organized religion. Sebastian’s whole existence is built on the tenants of the church-pray for guidance, give back to your community, always be kind and strive to be a role model. Without this framework he’s understandably lost, but when he asks for guidance he feels acceptance and love. He feels no judgment. He feels like Tanner is the right path. I thought that distinction was an important one. However his reality is if he contravenes church doctrine he not only faces excommunication but will lose his parents’ love. “Parents” is a title that gives them a little too much credit because they are unworthy of the term. They sickened me. That’s not hyperbole either. I physically felt sick reading their dialogue and the drastic change in their demeanor after he asked a hypothetical question. Anyway, moving on. Tanner and Sebastian’s relationship is a fraught one without being melodramatic and achingly sweet without being saccharine. Both make mistakes and hurt each other. Tanner in particular I thought was going to torpedo his entire life with his faux pas. (view spoiler) First kisses and finding secret places to just be together inspired some nostalgia, though I have no desire to revisit the age old game of dodging the parents. However, it is chaste so if you're in the mood for sexy, this is not the one. I kind of loved Tanner’s parents. They are a stellar counterpoint to Sebastian’s. They accept and love Tanner wholeheartedly. His mom’s always running around leaving LGBTQ positive quotes, wearing rainbow PJs and tees that represent queer positivity while his dad is more of a quiet presence, exuding acceptance and doling out sage wisdom. Neither are pushovers though. They support Tanner’s bisexuality (which I found to be thoughtfully represented) but have concerns about the repercussions of him being out in such a conservative place. They also have concerns about him falling for the bishop’s son. But these two got under each other’s skin from the second they laid eyes on each other. There is a quality about their relationship that seemed fated to me, like, they would survive not being together but they wouldn’t be… whole, complete. I know that sounds overly dramatic but I also know countless people who have been with their first love since forever and others who’ve never really gotten over theirs so… Obviously I really loved this since I just word vomited all over a book that eleventy-three kazillion people have read and reviewed. I would recommend it to many with the caveat that it is heavily religious. LDS doctrine and how strongly it was featured I appreciated because I like learning but I’m objective enough to realize that the narrative to get a bit dry in the middle because of it, thus the 4.5 stars rather than 5. But otherwise I have no complaints. I loved Autumn and Manny. I loved Tanner’s parents but most of all I loved Tanner and Sebastian and am happy I went on this journey with them. Lastly, I would like to request that the authors consider writing more MM because the community needs more works like this circulating out there.

4 stars! “His smile ruins me.” This book follows Tanner, an eighteen year old bisexual Jewish kid who moves from liberal Palo Alto to the mormon town Provo, Utah when he was fifteen. His parents ask him to go back into the closet fearing the community won't accept him. And he does, for three years. But then he meets his new TA Sebastian, the son of the local Bishop. And it doesn't take long for him to fall completely in love. “Love fails for a million reasons - distance, infidelity, pride, religion, money, illness. Why is this story any more worthy? It felt like it was. It felt important. Living in this town is suffocating in so many ways. But if a tree falls in the woods, maybe it makes no sound. And if a boy falls for the bishop's closeted son, maybe it makes no story.” This book struck close to home. I've been thinking a lot before writing this review because I don't want to offend anyone with it, so let me be clear. I am a fairly liberal person, and I am not a fan of any organized religion. While I grew up in Southern California, there is a small Mormon community in my home town. I grew up with Mormon kids who I knew were gay, that almost everyone knew were gay and yet they couldn't admit it (and I know because they later came out after high school). I remember when Prop 8 happened, one of those kids kicking a sign his own father had put on his lawn. It's something I'll never forget. To me, love is love, and as long as no one is hurting anyone, everything is okay. So when reading this book, a lot of this was going through my head. Now this isn't to say I hate Mormons or organized religion, but it's difficult for me to accept something that doesn't promote love. Off my pedestal now, this was an amazing love story. Knowing up front what Tanner and Sebastian face, you can predict what challenges they would face. But this book wasn't predictable, and I was rooting for these two boys the entire time. I think this is a book that teens need and I wish we had when I was a teen. I highly recommend this book and I hope you give it a chance. “I don’t actually care if you break my heart, Sebastian. I went into this knowing it could happen and I gave it to you anyway. But I don’t want you to break your own. You have so much space in your heart for your church, but does it have space for you?”

The book cover already tells much of what’s inside: a big half-open book (its importance in the story symbolized by its sheer size in relation to the other features on the cover: an autobio/boyo/graphy) - two silhouettes holding hands on top of the book’s spine, looking at each other. Behind them is a sunset sky lighting up with stars, a city below and mountains in the background. Every single one of these items has an enormous importance in Autoboyography. The silhouettes are those of Tanner ans Sebastian. The autobiographical book, the hikes in the mountains, the night sky, the city (Provo, Utah) are all essential features (abstract characters) in this book. The themes are serious, deep, the basically uneventful action fraught with incidents and obstacles, the relationship buildup relentless and fateful (shades of Greek tragedy), the emotions palpably intense. There are serious, important talks between Tanner and Sebastian discussing the human disasters brought about when religion stubbornly refuses to face the reality of queerness and the disastrous consequences on teens who come to realize their identity will never be recognized by the Church - indeed, that they face the extinction of their whole being, their excommunication because their love is different. While all that might sound dispiriting and depressing, this book is emphatically NOT dispiriting, quite the contrary: the steady rise and ultimate triumph of love that is the real subject of this book make it impossible to put down. I read it in three days (could have been two if it had been a quiet weekend). Tanner and Sebastian captured my heart and my mind, where their story will be etched forever.

Carino! per chi inizia a leggere in lingua lo consiglio, molto facile! per chi ha voglia di una storia semplice ma coinvolgente, con problemi reali e una storia d'amore dolce ma non troppo.

Welcome to Provo, Utah...home, as we all know, of the LDS [Latter Day Saints] or Mormons as they are more commonly known. Into this environment comes a laid back Cali boy Tanner Scott, together with his Goth sister, software designer mum and heart surgeon dad. Mum is a tad unhappy about the move back to the state of her birth, but as it's a huge promotion for her job, has accepted it. Unfortunately Tanner himself is not a happy bunny; you see, he's finally accepted that he's bisexual, and although only 18, knows that the LDS stance on homosexuality is radically different to the general acceptance he's used to back home in California. So yes folks, this is a coming out story for both of our MC's. I fell in love with the boys and the story, several puddle of goo moments and the feels, sighs.....superb. 5 stars. Yes, I tried to gloss over the LDS [Latter Day Saints] involvement and the indoctrination, you know...tie the little woman to the kitchen and make her have several babies, and as for gays, well conversion therapy sounds like a damn good idea!! I still can't comprehend why some parents think that what feels right for them must automatically be the right path for their children....they're your children, NOT mini versions of you to boss around and live your own life vicariously through them!! Tanner I loved right from the get-go, and a big thumbs up for Tanner's parents, for his bestie Autumn [really??]....even though I wanted to throttle her at one point and for the ever watchful eye of their teacher at school. Sebastian?? Well, not much of his life could have been called his own. The praying, the school work, the service to his church and his family/fellow churchgoers and looking after his siblings. He'd had to grow up quickly with no time to do his own thing, and had therefore repressed his obvious feelings for other guys, but when he caught Tanner's eyes across the classroom, they were both goners...classic coup de foudre. No, I didn't like the way he kept encouraging Tanner only to back off and do the silent routine BUT once he truly accepted who and what he was, knew that being with Tanner felt so right and made him so happy, and his feeling that God approved of this whatever it was, he began to understand that for Tanner and himself to have a real relationship and be actual boyfriends, he would have to rebel against his parents and some of his Church's longstanding rules and regulations. Enjoy!!

OMG! I honestly loved<3 this book so much. I don't think I can really explain my feelings properly after this book. I mean this book is literally a rollercoaster of crushing on, feelings, friendship, falling in love and yeah the heart breaking moments. But I really the loved the way this book was written. I Just couldn't put it down, i mean it never felt like this specific part is unnecessary or boring or something like that. This book will live forever rentfree in my heart. And I wish I could read this book for the first time again in my life. Tanner and Sebastian deserves the whole world. Autumn was the bestie we all need. This book was just perfect. I'll read this book in my old age (sounds melodramatic but whatever 😆😂) once again to feel all the feelings I've just felt.

Eu terminei esse livro alguns dias atrás e não tive coragem de vir aqui escrever, não porque estava abalado com o final da história ou algo do tipo, só não queria ter que dar tchau (por enquanto), para um dos melhores livros do ano. Quando falamos de sexualidade e religião, normalmente algum dos lados termina sendo demonizado, mas não em Autoboyography, aqui temos a realidade, a religião pode sim ser algo bom para as pessoas e para comunidade, e ao mesmo tempo ser venenosa e destrutiva para as pessoas (que possivelmente) mais precisam de amor. Outro lado positivo é que vemos realmente o quanto a religião é importante para um dos nossos personagens e como ele ter sido criado dentro desse ambiente o afetou positiva e negativamente, e que o fato dele estar descobrindo (ou explorando) seus sentimentos, não apaga o amor e a ligação dele com Deus. Um romance inocente, bonito e bem escrito, que me fez rir e chorar (NO ÔNIBUS!!).