Brian, a 13-year-old White boy living in Nova Scotia, has social anxiety. This is exacerbated when his father leaves unexpectedly to avoid possible jail time (he had been selling cannabis, shortly before it was legalized), and his mother tries to die by suicide. Brian and his brother are placed in foster care, and Brian struggles with panic attacks.
Ezra, a biracial boy of Trinidadian and Polish descent, is on the basketball team with Brian and wants to help, but doesn’t want to reveal his crush on him. He’s not out to anyone yet, and isn’t sure how his friends will feel, especially because they are now starting to date girls. And he’s not sure if Brian is even interested in dating a boy.
When Brian and his brother run away, however, Ezra finds the courage to reach out, and Brian tries to connect with him in turn. A thoughtful set of secondary characters offer further insights into different ways young men express their friendship and masculinities. While there are enough challenges for both Ezra and Brian that the story feels realistic and not boring, we also see each finding support not only in each other, but also from unexpected places—a heartening touch.
The nuanced exploration of the boys’ feelings via sensitive but often humorous prose lift this above much middle grade fare. Highly recommended.
