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Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend

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Carrie Jones' "Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend" adds a twist to the YA breakup novel.

High school senior and singer-songwriter, Belle Philbrick, is dumped. And not in your usual way. Her boyfriend Dylan--Harvest King to Belle's Harvest Queen--announces that he's gay. And, needless to say, dumps her. "Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend" chronicles Belle's story in first-person narration over the course of the week that follows.

Why a week? In an inspired piece of character development, Belle doesn't want to turn into a Malory--a girl who whines about a boy for an extended period of time. Instead, she spends time with her best friend, Emily, and becomes closer to Dylan's best friend, Tom. And, because she lives in a small Maine town--her breakup and Dylan's announcement that he's gay remain their secret for about 24 hours before everyone knows everything. "Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend" is a tale not just of Belle's coming to terms with her gay (ex) boyfriend, but also the entire town's adjustment to Dylan's announcement.

Carrie Jones has created an admirable heroine in Belle. While her breakup with Dylan is understandably painful, social justice and her true love for Dylan win over her pain. As one of the leaders of her school's Amenesty International chapter, Belle can't overlook when other students call Dylan "fag" (or her, weirdly, "fag hag"). Belle is a compelling character, very real despite the fact that her situation may seem unusual. One doesn't expect your first and true love to be gay. Fortunately, Belle has a good friend to turn to--a level-headed girl named Emily. Here is a revealing conversation between the two girls:

"'You know. It's a big deal what's happening to you and Dylan and everything. That's hard to adjust to. You love him for, like, forever and then--boom that love's gone.'

I stare into Emily's blue eyes. She stares back with sympathy. I say as undramtically as possible. 'It was a lie, Em. It was just a fairy tale. You don't have to recover from a fairy tale.'

She exhales, plucks off the lens cap again and twirls it between her fingers. 'Yes, you do.'"

Carrie Jones has teenage speak--even the discourse of smart, self-aware teens like Emily and Belle--down pat. "Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend" is highly recommended for older teens. (There is some sexual content.) This is one smart book with one smart heroine.

1. Keep a tissue handy because if you were ever a teenager, ever in your life, this story will touch your soul and you'll probably cry.

2. Find a comfortable place to sit because you won't be able to move until you've finished the book and unless you read very fast, your butt will hurt.

3. Build a small shrine on which to place the book when you've finished because it forced you to look inside and really see yourself and you don't want to forget that feeling. Ever.

I LOVED this book and I don't even read this genre! Carie Jones has joined my list of favorite authors and I can't wait for her next book!

Summary: Belle believes that Dylan is the one that she'll marry, but one day, Dylan tells her that he is gay. Belle wonders where does this leave her. Dylan and her have been best friends since they were little in their little town in Maine. Since they started dating, Belle has been known as Dylan's girlfriend or the other half of their couple hood.
Belle and her other best friend, Emily decide that she can only have a week to cry, because she doesn't want to become like Mallory. As the week goes on, Belle finds a possible relationship in a guy that she least suspects and it turns out that he has liked for her for a long time. Bella also finds that having a gay ex-boyfriend isn't so so easy. She starts to find that both her and Dylan are getting harassed. This story is original and amazing.

My Review: If you haven't read this, go pick this up and get somewhere comfortable. It is a fairly short, yet amazing read. The characters are really amazing and well developed. I could relate to them. This is amazing for a debut novel and I need to get Carrie Jones' other books, as soon as possible. If you like Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway, you will probably like this and vice versa. The characters are both getting attention for past relationships and it has similar humor.

I had the pleasure of meeting Carrie Jones at a convention. She was so funny and so nice that I just had to read one of her books. I started with her debut and am now eagerly reading through her growing catalog because TIPS was so good.

The plot of this book has been pretty well covered by other reviewers, so I won't rehash it. What I will say is that I teach high school English and I can assure you that Jones has captured the dialogue and emotion I see every day in the halls. Her characters are completely believable, if a bit more socially conscious and forgiving than many teens. The sexual content is not explicit and certainly won't surprise or offend kids in their mid to late teens.

You'll fall in love with Belle and Em, sympathize with Dylan, and wish your daughter could find a boy like Tom. Teenagers, especially the girls, will want to read this one again and again.

I just wrote a really nice review. Then when I tried to save it, the computer erased it. So, I'm a little irritated, but I'll try not to take it out on poor Carrie Jones. Instead I'll make a list of what I liked about this book.

1. It's poetic.
2. Inanimate objects seem to take on a life of their own.
3. It's heart felt.
4. It has some awesome laugh out loud parts.
5. The characters are quirky.
6. Belle has the best group of friends, ever.
7. It's tastefully done.

Wouldn't it stink to have a great boyfriend that you loved, only to find out that he is actually gay? Imagine that happening in high school and having to deal with everyone finding out. Belle, the main character, has to come to terms with this, learn how to get on with her life, and even start thinking about boys again. I mean, come on, she is in high school!
This book started out weak and ended up strong. The writing was a little different and took some getting used to, but it wasn't obnoxious. There seemed to be some editing issues. For example, the main character said that her friend liked to take pictures because her dad died and she realized she wanted to have pictures of everyone to help remember them. Then, a few pages later, she says that her friend likes to take pictures because her dad died and they help her remember people from all angles because she only remembers her dad when he was smiling. Then it goes on later to say that her friend has tons of pictures of her with her dad when she was little because her mom was always taking pictures. It was things like that which made it seem more like editing issues and less like she was repeating for effect.
That being said, I blew through this book. I literally did not want to put it down. I read more than 3/4 of it in one sitting and then got up and read the rest of it the next morning. It seemed like a pretty realistic story, and the random lists throughout were quirky. Overall a very good read with major editing issues that really bothered me.

Belle is a high school senior who is fairly content with her life. She has a wonderful boyfriend, a loving (though slightly wacky) mother, a loyal best friend, and a beautiful guitar she calls Gabriel. The book begins when Dylan breaks up with her and Belle's world stops. Theirs has never been an on-again, off-again relationship, and this isn't a typical high school break-up. He's ending things because he loves her, but no longer in that way; because he's come to terms with who he is, and he's gay.

Positively heartbroken, Belle gives herself a week to wallow in self-pity. In that week, she learns more about herself and her loved ones than she ever thought possible. She oscillates between shock and acceptance, hurt and understanding, as she tries to figure out what their relationship really meant.

When Dylan starts dating another boy, he is ridiculed by some classmates and accepted by others. Though she's still hurting, Belle supports him. She herself is shaken up multiple times: when there's a physical assault on campus, and again and again when her seizures strike.

Belle is a great leading character. She's the quiet type but true to herself and to her loved ones. She's initially confused by Dylan's confession and it makes her re-evaluate their history together, but she's never whiny nor close-minded about the situation. She finds solace in her music and strength in herself. Once Belle realizes Dylan is still the same sweet guy he's always been, just not the love of her life, she's able to start healing her broken heart - part of which will always belong to him.

All of the book's characters are subtly quirky and believable. Best friends Emily and Belle are extremely comfortable around each other, making for candid, realistic dialogue. Belle's mom happily sings around the house, always mangling song lyrics. Then there's Tom, a nice boy fond of making random objects out of duct tape who also makes his way into Belle's life.

From start to finish, Tips for Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend is a delightful read. The sequel, Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape), picks up right where Tips left off. I recommend both books to older teens and to adults.

1. Pick up this book.
2. Get lost in the town of Eastbrook, a place so small, everyone knows everyone else's business. A town so small, there are no such things as secrets.
3. Fall in love with the characters. From quirky, confused, talented Belle to her insane, thoughtful best friend Em. From sweet, gay Dylan to sensitive Tom Tanner. Fall for Belle's mom and Herr Reitz and everyone else in Eastbrook. Love them and hate them.
4. Love the plot and how original it is. Love how the author did something new and controversial and how she did it well.
5. Finish the book and wish it didn't have to end. Promise yourself you will read the sequel: Love (And Other Uses for Duct Tape) when it comes out in March.

To sum it up, this book is funny and sad, deep and light-hearted. I've never read anything like it before. Great book.

Reviewed by Erin Keith (age 16) for Reader Views (6/07)

When a relationship between two people ends, it's usually really bad for one person and not so much the other, but what if your boyfriend turned out to be gay? That's exactly what Belle Philbrick learns when the love of her life, Dylan, tells her he is gay. She decides that she can't be mad about Dylan's decision, so she makes a list of tips on what to do and what NOT to do in a situation like this. She is in a constant battle throughout this book because she can't figure out why she was attracted to a gay guy in the first place.

When she is suddenly over Dylan and discovers a new crush, she is scared but very excited. Her new crush turns out to be the one guy who has always had liked her a lot. In the back of her mind she begins to feel sad and worried that she got over Dylan so quickly. That's when things begin to get bad at school. She goes through so many traumatic things, but in the end she is able to pull through and prove to everyone that she is a tough person with real emotions. I would recommend "Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend" to anyone who is going through a tough time and needs some inspiration. Belle's character is full of strength and knowledge, but at the same time she is a very real person. Book received free of charge

Book received free of charge

This is a good book, but I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers. The main characters are only in high school, but are all sexually active. Good character development and nice message in the end.