Booklist: Ezra feels like a third wheel. His two best friends, Lucas and Finley, have boyfriends, while Ezra is single. Or is he? Well, no, he does have a boyfriend, golden boy Presley, but it’s a secret since Presley is deeply closeted. The status quo is shattered when Lucas’ and Finley’s boyfriends dump them, and Presley turns out to be a player, using Ezra to make his intended jealous. It’s Ezra who suggests exacting revenge. He begins secretly posting anonymous videos of their machinations to TikTok, where they go viral, attracting millions of views as the boys fight their school’s homophobic Watch What You Say policy. Will they succeed and will Ezra find true love? Stay tuned. Hubbard’s first novel is an agreeable success, though it sometimes requires a willing suspension of disbelief. But it is well plotted, even inspirational in the boys’ idealized fight for visibility. The characters are empathic, including Ezra’s father, who is a supportive sweetheart who wisely declares, “Believing in yourself is the best revenge.”
Mar 132024