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May 15, 2016skyekilaen rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Neal Barton has two problems. One, he's a fantasy-loving smart liberal kid trapped in a scary little Christian conservative town. Two, he he has a super-negative attitude towards life. The attitude may well be an effect of the town, but as various people around him gently point out, it's keeping him from enjoying the good things there are in his life. In fairly quick succession, three things happen to change Neal's life. His gay best friend is sent to military school by his conservative parents. (Actually a relief for the friend, honestly, given the level of conflict at home.) He starts high school, which means meeting a bunch of kids who were in other middle schools. And town politics erupt over an attack on his favorite series, The Adventures of Apathea Ravenchilde, by conservative town citizens trying to save children from the evils of witchcraft by having it removed from the library. Neal has to find the strength to do two things simultaneously: make new friends, and stand up against censorship. I love so many of the characters here, especially Neal's mom and the town's youth librarian who is SUCH a fangirl it's not even funny. In this book, young people aren't viewed as second class citizens by the good adults, and that's refreshing. The small town politics and conservative outrage are pitch perfect, especially in the City Council meetings, which echo a lot of the arguments I remember from my time growing up in the conservative Christian suburbs of Houston, Texas. Bonus: a gay teen character who may not have the parents he’d choose, but who does not become tragic.