Blue Coyote [Library Binding]

Liza Ketchum (Author), Stanley Fellows (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997

When Alex finally finds his missing best friend, Tito Perrone, Tito discloses that his parents kicked him out of their home because his is a homosexual, a discovery that leads Alex to question his own sexuality."

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up. A nicely paced, readable story with believable characters. Alex Beekman is 17 and living in Vermont with his family as this companion to Twelve Days in August (Holiday House, 1993) begins. When Alex's father sells one of his TV scripts and has to return to L.A. for the summer (possibly longer), Alex jumps at the chance to go along even though his mother and twin sister decide to stay in the east. The teen knows that his best friend, Tito, has been disowned by his family in California but does not know why. Tito's trail passes through a Venice tattoo shop to Topanga Canyon, where Alex finds him living with a man and recovering from a savage gay-bashing delivered by his own father. At first Alex is shocked, but eventually he realizes that he, too, is gay. The hip L.A. setting adds to the appeal. This is a solid addition that will supplement more compelling coming-out fiction such as Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind (Farrar, 1992), Francesca Lia Block's Baby Be-Bop (HarperCollins, 1995), and M. E. Kerr's Deliver Us from Evie (HarperCollins, 1994).?Claudia Morrow, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. A kind of docu-novel about coming out, this story begins with high-school junior Alex Beekman denying to himself that he is gay. His family has recently moved from Los Angeles to a small town in Vermont. He is bullied at school and jeeringly called fag. He longs for his best friend in the world, Tito Perone, but Tito has left his home in L.A. and disappeared. Why won't Tito's family talk about it? When Alex returns to L.A., he discovers that Tito is gay, that his father beat him up, and that he is living with a lover. Alex finds work in a tattoo parlor, and guess what? At the end he discovers that he, too, is gay and that he has always been in love with Tito. This companion to Twelve Days in August (1993) is long and detailed, with a heavy-handed and predictable plot. However, individual scenes are dramatic, and for a teen facing such an identity crisis (and for his friends), this could be a great help in recognizing the secrets and lies he lives with. One of many books this season about gay identity, this is about the stage before M. E. Kerr's "Hello," I Lied , in which the kid knows he is gay but can't tell others about it. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Library Binding: 196 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Juv); 1st edition (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689807902
• ISBN-13: 978-0689807909
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,934,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish I'd Read This Book When I Was a Teen, January 15, 2006

By 

Mark Kinsey - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Coyote (Paperback)

I read Blue Coyote on a whim, and I loved it. In the book, Alex Beekman's best friend has disappeared, and Alex goes to find him. The search turns into a painful adventure, physically and emotionally, and Alex grows in confidence and self-acceptance. In the end, Alex is less of a boy and more of a man, prepared to make difficult decisions for himself. Besides the main plot, in which Alex finds his friend and comes to terms with being gay, the book explores Alex's relationships with his family and friends, which is often loving and sometimes strained. The author describes Vermont and California beautifully.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Howl of a Book, September 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Blue Coyote (Library Binding)

The book Coyote Blue is an awesome book filled with surprises! This book is about a boy named Alex who moves to a new place and struggles to find his true identity. I liked this book because it kept me on my feet and made me never want to put it down! My favorite character is this book was Jimbo because he is always there when someone needs a helping hand. Also, he isn't how I expected him to be. I thought that because the author describes him as a big man who works in a tattoo shop. My least favorite character was Ken. I said Ken because it seemed like he was trying to make Alex jealous. I know u don't know what I'm talking about but that's why you need to read this book! If people bully you around or have trouble respecting you for who you are you will love this book. One other thing that I loved about this book was the big surprise because not many authors have a twist like that.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book.......but a sad story of love, August 21, 2002

By 

"kombos" (mcallen, tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Coyote (Library Binding)

I loved this book. It had great Characters and the story was real good. I recommend this book to anybody who likes a great story about love, friendship and just being you. If anybody knows any information about a sequel on this book please tell me. I want to hear what happens to Alex now that he is his true self.