Either Way: Story of a Gay Kid

Cael is coming to terms with being gay in a world in which it still feels dangerous to identify as such; a discussion of marriage equality at school helps Cael better understand himself. Working in loose black lines, newcomer Cook makes good use of muted washes of color to indicate which story is being told as the narrative shifts among Cael’s coming-out journey, the history of marriage equality in the U.S., and the story of a gay soldier in a book Cael finds. Levins (Bumblebee Bike) explores the intersecting fictional and nonfictional storylines using direct, approachable language; she also puts several understanding people in Cael’s path who repeatedly tell him, “It’s okay to be gay. Or not. Either way, it’s okay.” Though the book succeeds more as a guidebook than as an actual story, readers seeking to better understand sexuality (their own or that of others) will find this an easy and accessible way to contextualize what it means to be gay in the United States, as well as the prejudices, setbacks, and successes that have accompanied changing attitudes toward queerness, coming out, and LGBTQ rights. Ages 13–up. (Oct.)