If It Doesn't Kill You

It comes as a shock to Ben and his mother when Ben's father, a former high school football star and still a legend in the town, announces he is gay and leaves home to move in with his boyfriend. Ben, a star fullback on the freshman team, is filled with rage and confusion. Meanwhile, members of the varsity team are beginning to include him in their clique. Can Ben really fit in with the tough-skinned jocks, who make fun of ""fairies"" and are as intent on scoring with girls as they are scoring points in a game? The answers are predictable. At his first ""varsity"" party, Ben comes to realize that his friends' macho reputations are partly based on lies. And right after the party, his feelings about his father and his father's lover, Keith, change dramatically, as Keith helps him out of a sticky situation. Although Bechard (My Mom Married the Principal) attempts to dispel myths about athletes and gay people, her own characterizations tend toward familiar types. Teens will relate to Ben's struggles with peer pressure, but may not find much help from the easy answers offered here. Ages 12-up. (June)