Review Detail

David Inside Out is a novel about a teenager (David) who is discovering he is gay. In David's high school, boys are constantly trying to prove their "manliness" to each other, through sports and heterosexual relationships. David falls prey to such mindset, finding himself leading on a girl, while having sexual fantasies about another boy on his track team. As the story unravels, David and his running mate (Sean) enter an affair with each other, both hiding their sexual identities from the world. Meanwhile, David's best friend has come out as gay to their high school and is facing a lot of backlash. Following Sean's model of secrecy, David tries to push his friend away to establish himself as a straight male. As result, however, David experiences inner turmoil that turns into a full blown identity crisis that causes him to push away those who care for him and bring closer those who do not.

For any teenager discovering his or her identity, this novel is extremely relatable. Especially for gay teens who struggle with being different, this book can be looked to for guidance. For these reasons, I recommend this book to any young adult, as many find themselves caught up in the frightening social complexities of high school.