Pushed from their homes for being queer, Mark and Trevor must try and cope with themselves and a cold winter. Can their friendship survive?
Publisher’s Description:
Isolation in the cold of winter. That’s all Mark Jensen has as he fights to survive. Living in the small Mormon community of Grason, Idaho, Mark and his best friend Trevor have no one but themselves. Both are shunned from their families for simply trying to live open and honestly as homosexual. When Trevor is kicked out of his home it starts a chain reaction that leads Mark to the same place. Cold and queer, the boys make do with what little they can, counting on no one but themselves in the stark Idaho countryside.
Mark’s problems only escalate as he is afraid of confiding even in his last friend. The growing realization that he is bisexual confuses and conflicts him and it leaves him feeling more alone than ever. New friends are made but all they do is fuel Trevor’s penchant for self-destruction.
Friendships are redefined and stretched to the limit as the two young men scratch by and they wonder; can they survive each other? Back in Grason, their families ask the same questions of themselves as they deal with the decisions they have made and try to live their lives without their sons.
Genre: Contemporary
Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Jennifer, Leslie, Hannah, Fabiana
Cis boys: Mark, Trevor, Jeordie, Ryan
Trans girls: Anissa
Sexuality:
Gay: Trevor, Ryan, Jeordie
Lesbian: Hannah, Leslie (closeted)
Bisexual: Mark, Anissa
Romantic Orientation:
Not mentioned in the book.
Race/Ethnicity:
White: Mark, Trevor, Hannah, Jennifer, Ryan, Jeordie
Latinx: Fabiana, Anissa
Religion:
Christianity: Fabiana, Anissa
Mormonism: Mark, Trevor, Jennifer, Hannah, Ryan, Jeordie
Location: Idaho
Trigger Warnings: Swearing, Drug use, exile from home and community
Ownvoices: Bisexual rep and rural LGBT rep.
Ending: Ultimately positive, but open.