Same Love, Tony Correia

This was a pretty average book with its good points being the general topic, the diversity of characters, and Adam's honesty.  The bad points are the lack of character details, growth, or development, the stereotypes, and the bland writing overall.  Together they make for a book that leaves you with a "take it or leave it" feeling...slightly more than meh.

Adam is close to graduating high school and needs his family's financial support for college despite working and putting money toward that goal himself.  While that's his plan, the reality of his situation is that he's hiding an essential part of himself to keep that support because he knows if his truth comes out he'll lose the financial backing as well as any respect or emotional support of his parents as well.  They're very strict, rigid, and intolerant Christians.  The story wouldn't progress if you didn't have the discovery, so where better for a clandestine shopping trip with a friend than a super popular mall?

Well, then he gets sent off to camp.  I was expecting a camp that had more in the way of what you hear about reformation of gays camps but this one was pretty tame.  Not to say these people didn't have emotionally distressing moments, but overall it was like a retreat full of DADT and snitches to for the religious leaders.

Paul clings to his religion and is at the camp of his own volition because he feels like his life is missing something.  Once he figures out what that might be he goes through his own struggles to accept or reject.

Each character that's there is given some basics and we can infer a complete character from those details but it's not really a complete picture, it's just based on guesses.  There are races thrown in as well as stereotypes and both are mocked.  For such a short book a lot was thrown in and it all ended in a rather lackluster conclusion.  It wasn't a bad one, more of an HFN, but not really satisfying either.

The book itself was geared more for a YA group than anyone older so it was much more simplistic and had the characters dealing with things and speaking to the youth that they were.  So if that's cool with you, by all means, read away.  This was another voluntary review for an ARC from NetGalley.

And I only have one rant for this thing.  Honestly, the Jesus or me question?  If you're a Christian that should never have to be asked because if you really were all about what Jesus said and did and were committed to living a life like Him, love would be your way of life.  Love for everyone regardless of race, sexuality, political leanings, religion, nationality...everything.  I truly feel for all the people that are stuck between honesty and religion.  It shouldn't matter and it's heartbreaking that it does.