Review: Geography Club

Geography Club Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Brent Hartinger
Class/Genre: Fiction Young Adult Gay / Lesbian
Harper Tempest; 2003; 226 pages

I’m not fond of books that have the protagonist mooning over a boy, who is always, always a popular
jock. That being said, I liked The Geography Club, and I really liked Russel Middlebrook! He’s smart
and funny, and generally uses common sense. He also knows that he’s not your everyday teenage guy;
he’s gay. So, he’s gay in secret. Even though he has friends, he has no one to talk to.

It’s never really occurred to him that any other kids at school could be gay, so he’s surprised to find someone from his high school in a gay chat room. He’s not usually a risk-taker, but loneliness and curiosity urge him to meet--in a dark, empty park. Well, I said he generally uses common sense. Thankfully, the only surprise is who is waiting for him. Before long, he has discovered a handful of like minds, and they start a club. More of a support group, actually, and although the group has little in common outside of the Geography Club, they have a safe haven within it.

Russel tells about human failings—people usually put themselves before others, and that is shown here again and again—Gunnar’s machinations to get a girlfriend are a pitiful, painfully humorous example. But he isn’t the only one who uses others for his own purposes. It seems that almost everyone has an agenda, or maybe just a skewed perspective. Russel is more than happy to ride his crush’s coattails to the “popular table,” but he dithers over an ethical question on which their views differ: “What will he think if I vote the other way?” As with so much in high school, much depends upon Popularity (with a capital “P”) or guilt by association with the local pariah, who is actually a pretty interesting guy!

High school is full of harsh lessons, learning experiences and a lot to apologize for. As Russel learns to understand himself, his friends and how to cope with life, he learns that he's still your average everyday teenage guy. Just gay.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Kat - RAM - Wisconsin

Book Review: Geography Club