Growing up is hard, and doing it while realizing you’re different from most people around you makes it even more difficult. Shane and William are two boys about to become men when they meet at summer camp, and while their personal backgrounds and families are very different, they have one thing in common: they are beginning to realize they are attracted to each other. With his trademark sensitivity, Geoff Laughton has created an amazing story about coming of age, dealing with the realities of life, and the beginnings of a love that will hopefully grow and mature as these young men develop into well-adjusted adults.

Shane works as a life guard to earn some money for college. He is very enthusiastic about his job, takes his duties seriously, and truly cares about all the boys. When he manages to pull one of the more reluctant campers out of his shell by teaching him to swim, a friendship begins to form and even the tragic accident that costs Shane a large part of his hearing can’t stop him and William from reconnecting a year later. Things have changed. Shane is a counselor in training, seventeen, and only a year away from college. William has really grown and is much wiser than the average sixteen-year-old. They want to be together all the time to explore the feelings between them, but they need to be careful about not crossing the line between Shane being a staff member and William a guest. The realities of life are tough for both of them to deal with.

This is a warm, gentle story in a great setting, a slowly unfolding romance between two young men about to grow up, and a fascinating character study all at the same time. Shane deals with his hearing loss in a very adult way by acknowledging his anger, then dealing with the consequences rather than focusing on “what could have been”. William learns that people exist who love and accept him just the way he is. And the book is filled with wonderful supporting characters; from the boys’ parents to Shane’s fellow counselors, as well as some of the younger boys at the camp. A group of truly stunning people—even the weird and nasty ones!

If you like young adult romances that center around dealing with who you really are, if you want to know what it’s like for two young gay men to figure out their place in the world and what they want to do with their lives, and if you’re looking for a sweet read with a lot of tenderness and some very loving moments, then you will probably enjoy this novel. I loved it and, like with all of Geoff Laughton’s Young Adult books, can only hope there will be a sequel to see what life is like for these young men once they make it to college.


NOTE: This book was provided by harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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