From the Publisher
"A spirit-lifting and surprising coming-of-age story" — Foreword Reviews
"The relationships among the members of the mixed-race Cameron family (Remy's parents are white) and between Remy and his friends are nuanced and reflect a hopeful future for America. An endearing novel that gives hope to those who know what it's like being different." — Kirkus Reviews
"You’ve been warned: Remy Cameron is coming for your heart. I adored this tender, heartfelt love song of a book." — BECKY ALBERTALLI, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
"I always smile my way through a Julian Winters book. Remy's story of self-discovery is empowering and lovely." — ADAM SILVERA, NYT best-selling author of What If It's Us
"I don’t often swoon, but I swooned HARD for this incandescent book. Julian Winters has crafted a deeply moving story of love, family, and identity that will stay with me forever." — ADIB KHORRAM, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay
"Reading Remy is like gaining a best friend. Told with empathy, humor, and sincerity, this is an astounding follow-up for Julian Winters. The world needs Remy Cameron, and I, for one, am ready for everyone else to discover just how heartwarming this book is." — MARK OSHIRO, author of Anger is a Gift
"I loved this book so much. What a gift to the world, and to all the people—myself included—who are still trying to figure out an answer to the question, 'Who am I?' Julian Winters’ answer should include, 'A fabulous author everyone should read.'" — BILL KONIGSBERG, award-winning author of The Music of What Happens
"A laugh-out-loud-but-oh-no-now-you’re-crying novel about identity, family and adoption, Julian Winters’ latest book is not to be missed. It spoke to me on a very personal level, and I’ll be talking about for a long time." — Eric Smith, author/agent; columnist for Paste Magazine
School Library Journal
★ 11/01/2019
Gr 7 Up—Rembrandt "Remy" Joshua Cameron is known at Maplewood High School for his confidence and super-likable personality. He is one of five African American students and president of the Gay-Straight Alliance. He is the adopted son in a loving white family, which includes Uncle Dawson, who is also gay, and a beagle named Clover. He is a fan of indie pop music, and he aspires to attend the creative writing program at Emory College of Arts and Sciences. But when he's assigned to write a personal essay about who he is, Remy isn't sure what that means. While Remy dreads the Essay of Doom, he gains a new love interest, Ian Park, a Korean American 1980s pop music aficionado, and is sought after by Free Williams, a mysterious woman who has a surprising connection to his emotional journey. Winters has crafted a thought-provoking yet fun YA novel with a lot of wit and laugh-out-loud one-liners. The author pays homage to past and present LGBTQ wordsmiths Tennessee Williams and Benjamin Alire Sáenz, and has created an array of diverse characters without presenting them as preachy stereotypes and boxed-in caricatures. VERDICT Winters deserves a place in the YA literary canon.—Donald Peebles, Brooklyn Public Library
Kirkus Reviews
2019-07-13
A gay high schooler contends with romance, college, and racial/sexual self-acceptance in this entertaining coming-of-age dramedy.
Remy Cameron is determined not to have a relationship this year. After the heartbreak of his last breakup, all he wants is to do well in AP Lit, get into Emory's Creative Writing Program, and avoid anything remotely resembling love. Remy's best-laid plans are thrown into chaos when Ian Park, a Korean American senior, moves back from California and comes onto his radar. Add to that some friends wanting to increase LGBTQ representation on the homecoming court and his lit teacher's assigning an essay about what identity defines him, and Remy's junior year is set to be anything but peaceful. In his sophomore novel, Winters (Running With Lions, 2018) fills a Georgia high school with characters so rich and realistic that readers might expect to bump into them in the school hallways. The racial and sexual diversity that pervades this novel feels refreshingly authentic, and Remy's struggles with being black, adopted, and gay demonstrate the author's skill as a storyteller and his respect for the weight of the issues at play. The relationships among the members of the mixed-race Cameron family (Remy's parents are white) and between Remy and his friends are nuanced and reflect a hopeful future for America.
An endearing novel that gives hope to those who know what it's like being different. (Fiction 13-18)
