READ THIS BOOK. NOW. ~ Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Hi Munchworms!

It’s that time again. Kathy found a book she feels is beautiful, amazing, fluffy, honest, confronting, thought-provoking, enlightening, adorable and a must-read for everyone out there.

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

Goodness, where to start with this one… With the easiest part? The title and the cover are gorgeous and perfect. I loved the cover even before I know what Autoboyography was about. The title made it sound ridiculously promising and then hearing it’s a diverse book? Ticked all my boxes, really.

Then I started reading. Christina Lauren caught me completely off guard. It was as if I got pulled in and the only way out was forward, not taking a break for even a minute – although I had to do that because sleep and work, unfortunately – but I simply didn’t want to put it down. I needed more Tanner, more Sebastian, more feels. The way Autoboyography is written is perfection. No more, no less.

I’ve never met someone who is so good at switching gears and filing their feelings away so they can sort through them later. I’m not sure whether it’s the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen, or the most depressing.

Tanner. Oh, Tanner, how I love you so. How I admire you, your parents, your best friend for being okay with someone being “different”, “abnormal” and “out of the norm”. I’m bisexual myself and reading this book made my heart swell with pride. Just thinking about people being lucky enough to have such supporting parents like Tanner does… It makes me happy. It makes me hopeful.

He falls in love under a sky full of stars.

Sebastian is a whole different story. He struggles. He grew up hearing that being anything other than straight is wrong and shouldn’t be accepted. So, of course, he struggles like hell to accept himself. Not accepting yourself? Not being able to love yourself? We all know that’s the hardest thing to live with; hell, it doesn’t even have to do with your sexuality. Being different in any way that isn’t generally accepted makes loving yourself hard. Seeing Sebastian struggle with this was beautiful and heart-breaking all at once.

Tanner and Sebastian together? Oh, my poor heart. It broke, it cried, it sped up like crazy. I am definitely not ashamed to tell all of you that I felt butterflies going crazy in my belly while reading. I am that much in love with this novel.

The roller coaster inside my stomach reaches the top of the hill and goes careening over the edge.

If you struggle with who you are, if you have any doubts about yourself, if loving yourself is the hardest thing ever… Know that an awful lot of us are fighting that same battle. Maybe not for the same reason, but it means you’re not alone. You never are.

Also, this book gave this pasta-addict the perfect excuse to make spaghetti and meatballs, grandmother’s way.

My mom and I tried dozens of different things to get it to taste as we remembered it. This dish transports me back in time whenever I get to eat it.

Please read this book so you can tell me you’re in love with it as well?
Also, what’s your favorite way of eating spaghetti? Regular sauce, meatballs, something else?!

 

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