Dade is gay, but he is not out to anyone but himself. He has a friends with benefits arrangement with classmate Pablo, but when Dade expresses his feelings towards Pablo, the latter becomes aggressive. During the summer after high school graduation, Dade befriends Lucy, a Queer girl from California, and begins a relationship with Alex, a pot dealer.
Publisher’s Description:
It’s Dade’s last summer at home, and things are pretty hopeless. He has a crappy job, a “boyfriend” who treats him like dirt, and his parents’ marriage is falling apart. So when he meets and falls in love with the mysterious Alex Kincaid, Dade feels like he’s finally experiencing true happiness. But when a tragedy shatters the final days of summer, he realizes he must face his future and learn how to move forward from his past.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Dade, Pablo, Alex
Cis girls: Lucy
Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Dade, Alex
Lesbian/Queer: Lucy
Heterosexual: Pablo identifies as straight despite his numerous sexual encounters with Dade.
Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly mentioned.
Race/Ethnicity:
White: Dade, Lucy, Alex
Latinx: Pablo
Trigger Warnings:
Pablo is abusive towards Dade, physically at first and then sexually. He has internalized homophobia/homomisia that he takes out on Dade.