Autoboyography

I really loved this story. I love how inspiring it was both for YA who are Gay/Bi and for religious aspect too. This book shows realistic issues that teens face everyday and how hard it can be but also shows that not everything has a sad ending. Tanner was a great character, he was sure of himself and his sexuality even if he was hiding, it wasn\’t because of him or his family. I really loved his parents the most in this book because they talked to their kids instead of at them, they supported their kids and genuinely just didn\’t want them to suffer because of other. Sebastian had the harder situation here I think because his heart was telling him he was in love and it was also telling him that he needed his religion and those two things can\’t combine. His family was a lot harder than I would have liked but they just wanted what they truly thought was best for him. In the end this book left me with smile on my face and I want to tell all the YA\’s I know to read it! Even though I had some issues with narration, it couldn\’t have ruin this book for me because I just loved the story that much! Narration… well that\’s a hard one for me with this book. First lets talk about the narrators. 90% of this book is narrated by Deacon Lee who is a great narrator but he sounds like John Malkovich which means he sounds way to old to narrate 18/19 year old boys, the same goes for Kyle Mason in my opinion. Now the narrative change in the end was very hard for me to get past. It wasn\’t about the narrators but the writing style. I know why they switched narrative style but it just pulled me out of this great story and I found it very hard to get back into it. Its a little hard to explain, it was almost like it was written in the first person unless he was talking about himself, then he refereed to himself in the third person. It has to be one or the other for me because it was just to distracting and I\’ll admit it kinda took away from the ending for me. That is the only reason this book lost .5 star from me.

Autobiography by Christina Lauren is not normally a book I would pick up. But I was sent this absolutely gorgeous hardcover, and I try to read the books that are going on my shelf. I realize now that I never even read the blurb, just fell for the cover. I couldn’t fit it in my reading schedule, but I had a credit on audible so I grabbed it there, not even knowing that it was YA. But being in a bit of a slump, I was looking for something different, and Autobiography totally fit the bill and lived up to the gorgeous cover. “I’m just a bisexual half-Jewish kid who’s falling in love with an LDS guy. The path for me isn’t as clear.” I love Tanner and his family so much. They moved from California to Provo, Utah when Tanner was 15. Tanner is bisexual and half Jewish, and Provo is a predominantly Mormon (LDS) town. His mom is an ex-Mormon and understands how it all works, and both of his parents are very accepting of Tanner. “I forget not everyone lives in a household where a parent sleeps in a MY QUEER KID RULES nightgown.” But they still encourage him to keep his sexuality a secret because in that town, they know he would have problems. He couldn’t even share it with his best friend, Autumn. When Tanner takes a writing seminar his senior year, they are expected to write a novel, and the teacher brought in his most prominent student from the previous year to help out, Sebastian Brother. Sebastian’s book was already published, and he is now a student at a Mormon University. He is following his expected path as a son of a Mormon bishop, and going on his mission as soon as he returns from his book tour. Sebastian loves his religion and is devoted to the church. When Tanner sees Sebastian in the class, his reaction is all-consuming and immediate. He has no idea if Sebastian is straight or gay, but there is a spark, an immediate connection. “Kissing boys feels good. Kissing girls feels good. But something tells me kissing Sebastian would be like a sparkler falling in the middle of a field of dry grass.” Sebastian loves his church. But being gay is not yet accepted. You are allowed to have feelings for the same sex, but you are never allowed to act on it. “But we’ve both been raised to care greatly what our family thinks about us— their esteem is everything. On top of that, Sebastian has the looming judgment of the Church, telling him wherever he looks that the God he loves thinks he’s a pretty foul human being. It’s impossible to know how to undo the damage they’re doing to him.” I really loved how the authors really researched the town and the religion and presented both the good and bad. They never vilified the church and often pointed out the good. I loved that they weren’t afraid to tackle a tough subject and show both sides. “Sometimes I wonder whether it’s God or the church that feels the strongest about these things.” “My opinion?” I say carefully. “A God worthy of your eternal love wouldn’t judge you for who you love while you’re here.” It’s so sad that Sebastian really has to choose between two things he loves, his church and his sexuality. But while this is an extreme example, it happens to young gay kids every day, having to choose between their family, their faith and their sexuality. “He’s gay; he didn’t die. Nobody is wounded. I know Sebastian’s parents are good people, but holy hell, they just inadvertently made their own son feel like there’s something about him that needs to be fixed. So much for acceptance. So much for welcoming.” Likes: •I have major cover love. •A completely unique story that I recommend to everyone 15 and up. •How the authors never demonized the church. •The research and accuracy (I read comments from people who are from there). •There was a lot of light and funny scenes, as well as hugely emotional ones. •The huge differences between how each boy was accepted. •Autumn, Tanner\’s best friend. •I learned a little about the Latter Day Saints. •Tanner’s family. His parents were completely accepting and amazing about it, and were still good, strict parents. •The book within a book. •That it didn\’t just have a perfect, happy ending though it is a HFN. Dislikes: •The narration changed from first to third person during the book. In the audible version, there is an interview with the authors and narrator at the end and they explain it, and it makes perfect sense. But for me, while reading it, I was wondering if I had gone crazy and it was 3rd person all along, which really took me out of the story. The Narration: Narrated by two different men, I loved Tanner’s narrator. Sebastian’s not as much, and it confused me a bit when he came in as 3rd person. The interview at the end make the audiobook even more worth it. The Down & Dirty: Autoboygraphy is a must-read novel for high school and beyond. It was a beautiful story of young love, discovery, religion, family, commitments, expectations, acceptance, secrets, heartbreak, friendship, laughter and more. It was a well researched, well crafted novel that addressed the closed mindedness of religion without vilifying it. It was unique, educational and unputdownable. I am hoping it gets picked up in high schools and starts being required reading. Whether you are a YA fan or not, I think Autoboyography is so unique and socially relevant that anyone can pick it up and love it. It was a hugely refreshing change from all of the erotic romance I have been reading lately, and kept me riveted the entire time. Rating: 4.5-5 stars, 4.5 narration (No heat rating)

I enjoyed the story and narration even though it felt a little “young.” The consistent overuse of metaphor and simile was slightly annoying but also humorous and appropriate as it fit with the narrator\’s point of view as a high school writer.

Please write a follow-up! I need to know what happens with Sebastian and his family!!

I so adored every part of this audio book the writing flowed and I swam along not breathing… To see the conflict that Sebastian held was extremely sad but he overcame it to find his other soul- Tanner ……. The narrators were perfectly perfect…. Read the book then bought the audio ! ♥️

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member