Publishers Weekly
05/01/2023
The drama and politics of a student club election are exacerbated by emotionally intense relationships in this comedic and touching novel by Green (Heartbreak Boys). Sixteen-year-old white Barney Brown is convinced that he’s a shoo-in for president of his English school’s tiny LGBTQ+ Society; there are only four members, after all, and two of them are Barney’s best friends. Then clubmate and rival Bronte O’Halloran, who is also white, persuades their principal to open the vote to the entire school. Now Barney—with the help of white, transgender George Piper and Black lesbian Maya Phillips—has to somehow convince the whole student body that he deserves the role. But as campaign season stretches on, unexpected write-in candidates and an even more unanticipated romance for Barney complicates his bid for president. Meanwhile, Barney and his clubmates prepare to submit a video application to become England’s Rainbow Youth Global Ambassadors, but a classmate’s harmful actions threaten their eligibility. Laugh-out-loud humor permeates the narrative, adding levity to high emotional stakes. Via clever dialogue, a complexly rendered cast, and Green’s solid understanding of messy teen dynamics, this heartfelt read captures themes of first love and second chances with aplomb. Ages 14–up. (June)
From the Publisher
"Gay Club! wears its activism with pride, and is packed with drama, plot twists and politics." - Dean Atta (The Black Flamingo)
"Gay Club! holds up a mirror to the experiences of being LGBTQ+; to the messiness, the humour, the hardships, and most of all, to the love and celebration." - Adiba Jaigirdar (Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating)
"Funny, heartfelt, and angry in all the right ways, Gay Club! is a love letter to the messiness of our big gay family, and a manifesto for creating the change that the youngest members of that family need so badly today. A triumphant call to action.' - LC Rosen (Camp and Jack of Hearts (and other parts))
"One of the most hilarious, romantic writers in the game right now." - Becky Albertalli (Love, Simon)
"Quite possibly his best work yet. It left me crying with laughter late into the night because I literally could not put it down. Brilliantly controversial, so very witty, and full of enough queer joy to make any heart burst. Truly outstanding from start to finish - now I want to join the gay club too." - Calum McSwiggan (Eat, Gay, Love)
"Simon James Green has an impeccable ear for authentically funny dialogue. This book will make you laugh the way your best friend makes you laugh.' - Ciara Smyth (The Falling in Love Montage and Not My Problem)
'Once again, Simon James Green has knocked it out of the park. Gay Club! is Simon at his very very best. Hilarious and heart-warming with a gorgeous cast of characters and a beautiful message at its heart. I defy you to find a queerer book in 2022. Sign me up to Gay Club immediately. Shut up and take my money!' - George Lester (Boy Queen)
'Gay Club! is so smart and so funny, and full of characters who are also smart and funny. It's everything I want from a book and from life. Everyone will love it! May I suggest you all join Gay Club with utmost urgency.' - Wibke Brueggemann (Love is for Losers)
"Gay Club! cements Simon James Green's position as the master of LGBTQ Young adult fiction. No one today writes with such heart and lightness of touch - an author whose skill both intimidates and inspires his peers." - William Hussey (The Outrage)
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2023-04-12
Friends, enemies, and frenemies see the best and worst sides of each other when the vote for LGBTQ+ Society president is opened up to the whole school.
The club supporting queer students at Barney Brown’s school, Greenacre Academy, means everything to him. Passionate about its mission, the gay, White English teen is confident that he’s exactly the president the club needs—and even more confident that he’s a shoo-in for the role. His two best friends, George Piper and Maya Phillips, a White trans boy and Black lesbian, respectively, are the only other people choosing between Barney and Bronte O’Halloran—his opponent, Maya’s ex-girlfriend, and the sworn enemy of the tightknit trio. But when Bronte convinces their principal to allow all 1,000 members of the student body to vote, a contentious election campaign is set into motion in which both candidates will do whatever it takes to win. Adding to the pressure is the news that Rainbow Youth, a national organization, will be choosing one school’s queer club to represent them as global ambassadors. But even when the results of the vote come in, the drama is just beginning. The characters’ relationships and dialogue are endearing and laugh-out-loud funny. It is hard not to root for these teens as they fail and succeed together. Multiple plot twists and shocking reveals make this book difficult to put down.
Ideal for lovers of both juicy reality TV and inspiring LGBTQ+ documentaries. (author’s note, resources, club minutes) (Fiction. 14-18)
