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Rainbow Boys (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Jason Carrillo walked around the block a third time, working up his courage to go into the brownstone..." (more)
Key Phrases: Jack Ransom, Jason Carrillo, Coach Cameron (more...)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (84 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sanchez's debut novel chronicles the senior year of three gay teens struggling with issues ranging from coming out to first love to an HIV scare. The story lines communicate a hint of an educational agenda (Sanchez sprinkles in the names of support groups like Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays into the novel, and lists contact information for organizations at the end), but the characters' complicated feelings are well drawn, and readers will find themselves interested in each of the protagonists' lives. Sanchez creates modern situations that speak to contemporary teens: Nelson and Kyle stand up to their principal for the right to form a gay-straight alliance at their school, and Nelson has unprotected sex with a stranger he meets online. The relationship between Kyle and closeted jock Jason also develops realistically, and the awkward triangle among the three males builds subtly and convincingly. Readers will learn and understand both boys' perspectives, from Jason's fear that he will be found out to Kyle's growing agitation at his mixed messages. Some of the writing is stilted ("You would've thought the prodigal son had come home," Sanchez writes when Kyle finally connects with his father), and some of the language and sexual situations may be too mature for some readers, but overall there's enough conflict, humor and tenderness to make this story believable--and touching. Ages 12-up. (Oct).

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Nelson, "out" to the world, is secretly in love with his best friend Kyle. Kyle doesn't look gay or advertise it, but since he hangs out with Nelson, he's subject to the same harassment at school. Kyle is secretly in love with Jason, a popular jock who has a popular girlfriend but who can't stop dreaming of sex with boys. When Jason, trying to sort out his confusion, shows up at a Rainbow Youth meeting, he is greeted by both "Nelly" and Kyle, who are as shocked to see him as he is to be seen. This uncomfortable confrontation starts the ball rolling down a path of deception, denial, revelation, and acceptance not only for the three young men, but also for their friends, family, and all concerned. This gutsy, in-your-face debut novel speaks the language of real life for gay teens, that of the ecstasy, heartache, and humor of first love (and sex), that of daily harassment and fear, that of having what it takes to stand up and be proud of who you are. There will no doubt be challenges to Rainbow Boys, much like the challenges of Judy Blume's Forever (Turtleback, 1975) when it was published in the 1970s. But please, have the courage to make it available to those who need it-it can open eyes and change lives.

Betty S. Evans, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (May 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0689857705
ISBN-13: 978-0689857706
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (84 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,035 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#53 in Books > Teens > Social Issues > Homosexuality > Fiction

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Jason Carrillo walked around the block a third time, working up his courage to go into the brownstone. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jack Ransom, Jason Carrillo, Coach Cameron, Gay-Straight Alliance, Rainbow Youth

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Citations (learn more)

9 books cite this book:

Invitations to the World: Teaching and Writing for the Young by Richard Peck on page 179, and Back Matter
Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World by Robyn Ochs in Back Matter
Serving Older Teens (Libraries Unlimited Professional Guides for Young Adult Librarians Series) by Sheila B. Anderson on page 149
A Parent/Teacher Guide to Children's Books on Peace and Tolerance by Bob Blumenthal on page 240
Same sex Marriage: Putting Every Household At Risk by Mathew D. Staver in Back Matter

See all 9 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez

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	81% buy the item featured on this page: Rainbow Boys 4.7 out of 5 stars (84) $8.99
	6% buy The God Box 4.9 out of 5 stars (25) $8.99
	5% buy Rainbow Road 4.8 out of 5 stars (16) $8.99
	4% buy Boy Meets Boy 4.6 out of 5 stars (55) $8.95

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Customer Reviews

84 Reviews

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(1)
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4.7 out of 5 stars (84 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Love Story About Gay High School Seniors, October 26, 2001

By	Mark Ian Kendrick "-Author of 'Desert Sons', ... (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rainbow Boys (Hardcover)

This is the best book I've read all year. Mr. Sanchez is truly a gifted writer and proved it with this debut work. I immediately fell in love with all three of his characters (okay, I mostly fell in love with Jason). The drama that Sanchez so beautifully built into this story had me teary-eyed at just about every other chapter. That's the kind of story I love the most: one that can make me feel exactly what the characters are feeling. What an amazing love story he portrayed, what with Jason struggling to come out, with Kyle trying his best to get Jason to love him, and Nelson trying to get Kyle to understand that he loves him. I'm so glad everything turned out on a positive note. In addition to the storyline, I really like Sanchez's writing style: the use of concise phrases, and some very witty ones as well, to convey a lot of information was right on target. I can't wait to read something else by this author.

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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No Seriously Guys, This Book Sucks. Like, a Whole Lot., December 27, 2008

By	Maurice B. Hazel - See all my reviews

Well, someone has to do it- I must confess that I am rather perplexed that this book has not received more (read: any) negative reviews. 'Rainbow Boys' gained some notoriety among my friends as "the book in which depantsed was used in a *serious* context", however upon reading this "masterpiece" I found the the novel's problems ran far deeper than simple failed attempts at "Shakespearian wordsmithing".

I have a saying about this book whenever people ask me if it's any good. It goes something like this: "Rainbow Boys was so bad that it made me hate gay people." This, of course, is hyperbole, but it is difficult for me to express everything that is miserably misguided and wrong about this novel in less than twenty words without verbally composing a senior thesis. But I'll try:

My first impression of the prose was that it... under-developed. If I were in a generous mood, I would compare Alex Sanchez's writing to that of the kids who won the regional library writing contests when I was in sixth grade- I mean, it's *readable* as in there are full sentences and the descriptions are sort of coherent. But perhaps I am being unfair. I have certain benefits in life that Mr. Sanchez obviously has not:

- I have met actual gay people.
- I have met actual people.

Look, I'll be frank here: the real problem with 'Rainbow Boys' is not that it is badly written- although, let me reiterate, it is *very* badly written- it's that it purports to be an "educational" book dedicated to helping gay youths come to terms with their sexuality and helping straight youth come to understand their not-so-straight peers. Unfortunately, the book falls into a number of icky and damaging cliches and falls into them *hard*.

1. First and foremost, the father figures in the book are, without exception, portrayed as macho, over-bearing and incapable of understanding their sons' predicament while the mothers are always quick to keep the bond with their child. This is a book to help young, gay youth come to terms with the troubling events in their life? The subtext here is that a gay, male child will inherently relate better to the feminine aspect of their upbringing no matter their relationship to their father previous to their coming out. What message is this sending to gay youth who may be struggling with their father? Furthermore, is the author trying to say that gay men actually *are* closer to the feminine regardless of their upbringing or personality? My, my, that seems like an ugly bit of *stereotyping* on your part, Mr. Sanchez.

2. While it is certainly true that some gay youth do not realize that they are gay until late in their teen years, when Mr. Sanchez goes into excruciating detail about how much a character loves his girlfriend and enjoys sex with her and has never in his entire life thought sexually about men until he meets a gay boy of the appropriate age bracket... well, let me just say that I was not convinced. Maybe Mr. Sanchez was attempting to illustrate that Jason was desperately trying to convince *himself* he was straight, but the story does not read that way.

How the story reads is this: either you are completely straight or you are completely gay. Jason is attracted to Kyle so he can no longer be attracted to his girlfriend even though their relationship was perfectly healthy before. Bisexual youth struggle as well. Maybe theirs is a struggle Mr. Sanchez doesn't "admire" since they can theoretically "pass" in normal society by "choosing" to behave straight. Maybe he perceives them as having the "choice" ignorant people accuse homosexuals of having. I'll never know because Sanchez dismissed their existence entirely in 'Rainbow Boys': there is no in-between to him. If he wants to continue writing about social-sexual politics, he would do good to learn that sexuality is a spectrum, not a dichotomy.

3. Since Mr. Sanchez has never met an actual person, I was thinking maybe of giving him a free pass for his gross misrepresentation of eating disorders. Very few people who HAVE engaged in actual social interaction understand eating disorders as it is. In fact, many people who have known those afflicted with eating disorders fail to understand it completely. So instead of admonishing him on this point, I'll give him a few tips:

- While not traditionally considered mental illnesses, eating disorders tend to be coupled with abnormal psychology.
- Eating Disorders are a compulsive behaviour that lasts for a prolonged period of time. It is difficult to break the cycle and many sufferers take twice as long to recover as they did fasting.
- Eating Disorders are about control and mediating your identity. So yes, while it is conceivable that a gay youth might develop an eating disorder, it is an issue that you must treat sensitively. An example of an insensitive way to portray an eating disorder would be the following situation:

"Boy is depressed and eats a whole bag of Oreo cookies and then promptly throws them up. He declares that he has an eating disorder, but quickly quits when he is less depressed."

4. Token Lesbians. That's all I really have to say about them because that's all they really were.

5. Morning. After. Pill. For. AIDS. While this *does* exist, it is a problematic treatment which the effectiveness of is still in question. Mr. Sanchez, however, disregarded this because he was eager to offer his character an easy way out.

6. While this isn't a cliche, there is a great deal of hypocrisy present in the key relationship in the book. While the authority figures in the novel make a great to-do about "waiting" until you're ready for sex and "taking things slow", Jason and Kyle go on a grand total of *one date* before hopping in bed (they've formally known each other, what, a week tops?). Wait! this is a cliche, or rather, a harmful stereotype: being gay is so much about sex, those silly, promiscuous "homos" can't wait until they jump into bed! Yeah, yeah: I know they're teenagers, but seriously- Jason is recently out of a long-term relationship and barely out of the closet. If 'Rainbow Boys' wants to promote responsible sexual practices, then it should make sure to tell youth- gay and straight alike- that it takes more than a condom to make sex between confused teenagers responsible.

In conclusion, this book is an empty, soulless, poorly-written shill of a novel that sends a myriad of negative messages about gay culture to young people. The end.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hardships and hurdles of homosexuality, June 10, 2004

By	QUEEN_OF_EVERYTHING (Outside Philly) - See all my reviews

Sanchez's novel chronicles three gay high school boys. One is out, proud, and totally a flamer. One, his best friend, is still in the closet. Another, with a steady girlfriend, has just come to the realization and is trying his best to understand - and hide, in a way, this new discovery.

Nelson is the flamer. With a trillion earrings, crazy hair, and a love for fashion, he sees no need to keep his secret. He's been out and has many friends and people who like him despite this. And why isn't he likeable? He's a loyal friend, a wonderful listener, and can provide his best friend, Kyle, with good advice and a shoulder to cry on.

Kyle is gay but has yet to announce it to the world. Nonetheless, he's known the truth since an early age. People do expect he is a homosexual because he always hangs around with Nelson. Their friendship is incredibly strong. Kyle's parents are loving and supportive - at first only his mother seems to be, but his father does eventually come around once Kyle gives them the news. Nelson wants to be more than just friends but Kyle only has eyes for Jason.

Jason is a jock with a beautiful girlfriend named Debra. They've been going steady for two years and even have had sex. So he can't be gay, can he? Well...he tries, like some may, to deny and supress the thought, tries to dismiss it from his mind. But when he makes love to Debra, he pictures men. He dreams of naked men. He thinks of Kyle. With an alcoholic father who constantly calls him weak, home life is sometimes an obstacle. It is difficult for Jason to muster the courage to tell Debra but when he does, her reaction is normal. After all, she does love him.

Sanchez's novel is real. When the two boys finally come out of the closet, family and friend reactions are totally understandable, apt to happen in those situations. Sanchez's ability to convey character depth and meaning are incredible and make this novel what it is. You'll enjoy this book whether you happen to be straight, gay, or bisexual. And, to be frank, it really opened my eyes. Although I choose to be straight, it helped me realize that love between same sexes can be just as real, just as true. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Rainbow Boys....
I had to read this for a class...not a bad buy, especially considering it was cheap! I liked the story enough, and there's a squeal, but mostly I needed it for the report for... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Lizette Watanabe

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous gay YA book
*Rainbow Boys* is such a good book and a rare one on gay themes. The book focuses on three gay teens: Kyle, Jason and Nelson. Read more

Published 12 months ago by LARRY

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic gay coming-of-age novel for all ages
"Rainbow Boys" is a novel that excels at character development, telling its story through the eyes of three gay teens--Jason, Kyle and Nelson. Read more

Published 17 months ago by William Siwicki

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read for young socially conscious teens
I bought this book for my son as a gift. He says they are well written and thinks that it's a good insight into the minds dilemmas and real life situations of queer youth. Read more

Published 19 months ago by Tweedle Dee

5.0 out of 5 stars loved it
i loved this book so much the first time that i picked it up i couldn't put it down i had to read the other 2 books

Published 20 months ago by R. Lozano

5.0 out of 5 stars No one else could have done it a better way
I have just finished Rainbow Boys and am completely shocked. I have never thought that I could feel so much better about myself after one book. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Britney&Michael4EVER

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo
From the first to last page I was hooked on this book. It was so good that I am thrilled that the stories continue. Alex you have a new fan!

Published on August 28, 2007 by Dance Dance Dance

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It
I probably do not fit this books demographic!

I'm a 22 year old straight female.

But I LOVED this book, and the other two that follow it. Read more

Published on August 1, 2007 by Heidi Rebecca

5.0 out of 5 stars Rainbow Boys
I loved the book. It could really help young boys who are sturggling with their sexuality. The story line keeps you involved and the context of the story is very appropriate. Read more

Published on May 9, 2007 by T. Prine

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
This realistic contemporary literature novel covers many social and emotional issues faced by high school students. The problems and solutions were realistic and practical. Read more

Published on May 4, 2007 by S. Feldman

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