Carson wasn’t expecting to spend his summer in Billings, Montana, caring for the dying father he’s never really known. But when he meets Aisha, a homeless, queer teen living at the zoo, they set in motion a journey that will take them all the way to California, to learn about family, religion, friendship, queer history and what it means to be alive.
Publisher’s Description:
Carson Smith is resigned to spending his summer in Billings, Montana, helping his mom take care of his father, a dying alcoholic he doesn’t really know. Then he meets Aisha Stinson, a beautiful girl who has run away from her difficult family, and Pastor John Logan, who’s long held a secret regarding Carson’s grandfather, who disappeared without warning or explanation thirty years before. Together, Carson and Aisha embark on an epic road trip to find the answers that might save Carson’s dad, restore his fragmented family, and discover the “Porcupine of Truth” in all of their lives.
Genre: Contemporary
Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Aisha
Cis boys: Carson
Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: Aisha
Heterosexual: Carson
Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly addressed.
Race/Ethnicity:
Black: Aisha
White: Carson
Trigger Warnings:
Carson tries more than once to get Aisha to date/hook up him despite her being clear about her sexuality.