David Inside Out
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4.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
David Dahlgren, a high-school senior, finds solace in running with the track team; he's a fast runner, and he enjoys the camaraderie. But team events become a source of tension when he develops a crush on one of his teammates, Sean. Scared to admit his feelings, David does everything he can to suppress them: he dates a girl, keeps his distance from his best friend who has become openly gay, and snaps a rubber band on his wrist every time he has "inappropriate" urges. Before long, Sean expresses the thoughts David has been trying to hide, and everything changes for the better. Or so it seems.
In this thoughtful yet searing coming-of-age novel, David Inside Out, Lee Bantle offers a raw, honest, and incredibly compelling account of a teenager who learns to accept himself for who he is.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this somewhat uneven novel, David comes out as gay, first to himself, and then to friends and eventually to his mother. Along the way, he experiences plenty of angst, from a friend asking him to join the Gay/Straight Alliance he formed, to trying to figure out how to handle a close female friend who wants to be more than his buddy. David even strikes up an intense physical relationship with his track teammate (but while David hopes for romance, Sean tells him, "Guys fool around, you know. Nobody talks about it, that's all"). Readers will be moved by David's struggles, but he never really comes across as an authentic character, and many of the book's devices (like the reassuring counselor he connects with through a gay hotline) seem contrived. There are some exciting moments (David agonizes over a note he gets from a mysterious male admirer, wondering if it's a set-up, for example), but ultimately David's journey seems like well-tread territory. Ages 14-up.
Customer Reviews
Loved the story!
I wish it had a better ending but I did love this read (: