The Minus-One Club

by Kekla Magoon Narrated by Dion Graham

Overview

Fifteen-year-old Kermit Sanders knows grief and its all-encompassing shadows.
After losing his beloved older sister in a tragic car accident, nothing quite punctures through the feelings of loss. Everywhere Kermit goes, he is reminded of her.
But then Kermit finds a mysterious invitation in his locker, signed anonymously with “-1.” He has no idea what he's in for, but he shows up to find out. Dubbed the “Minus-One Club,” a group of his school-mates has banded together as a form
of moral support. The members have just one thing in common-they have all suffered the tragic loss of someone they loved.
The usual dividing lines between high school classes and cliques don't apply inside the Minus-One Club, and Kermit's secret crush, the handsome and happy-go-lucky Matt (and only out gay student at school), is also a part of the group. Slowly,
Matt's positive headstrong approach to life helps relieve Kermit of his constant despair.
But as Kermit grows closer to Matt, the light of his new life begins to show the cracks beneath the surface. When Matt puts himself in danger by avoiding his feelings, Kermit must find the strength to not only lift himself back up but to help
the rest of the group from falling apart.

Editorial Reviews

APRIL 2023 - AudioFile

Grief suffuses Dion Graham's voice as he narrates high school sophomore Kermit's induction into a club no one wants to join: the club in which everyone has lost a family member. Kermit's older sister, Sheila, the only one in his Baptist family who knew he's gay, was killed by a drunk driver just days ago. He finds support in the club--and, with the charismatic, self-destructive Matt, a mutual attraction. Sheila's imagined voice, given snark by Graham, offers commentary as Kermit grapples with his sorrow, his faith, and his despair at ever coming out to his homophobic parents. The story's "club" device is occasionally disorienting, but short chapters and a quick pace carry listeners along. An empathetic note and a resource list conclude the audiobook. Sad and affirming in equal measure. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

11/28/2022

Soon after 15-year-old Kermit Sanders’s older sister is killed by a drunk driver, Kermit is anonymously invited to the secret Minus-One Club, comprising fellow students from his high school who have all lost an immediate family member. The club only has two major rules: no one outside the Minus-One Club is to know about its existence, and members must never discuss death. Longing for community and support, Kermit agrees to join and, in doing so, begins bonding with his crush, Matt Rincorn. While Matt is openly gay, Kermit isn’t; due to his devoutly evangelical upbringing, he is fearful of exploring his sexuality. The homophobia that Kermit experiences both internally and from his religious parents, compounded by the club’s strict rules—avoiding discussions of death results in a lack of grief processing for several of its members—triggers potentially fatal breakdowns. Exploring the multitude of ways people grieve, Magoon (Chester Keene Cracks the Code) tells an emotionally complex narrative that emphasizes the importance of the roles loved ones play in individual lives and the ways one can be forever changed when they’re gone. Ages 14–up. (Jan.)

From the Publisher

★ "This timely and thoughtful novel makes room for the increasing depth and complexity of navigating adolescence alongside grief, religious dissent, and healing." - Booklist, Starred Review

★ "In award-winning author Kekla Magoon's superbly written coming-of-age novel, a teenager tries to navigate life after the death of his sister . . . Magoon thoughtfully includes themes relating to depression, suicide, identity and religious expression as she compassionately builds Kermit's complicated, sensitive inner life and depicts the various ways people might respond to the loss of a loved one." -Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

"This evocative exploration of grief, sexual identity, and personal spirituality will be a boon to any teen grappling with these issues." –Horn Book

"Magoon tells an emotionally complex narrative that emphasizes the importance of the roles loved ones play in individual lives and the ways one can be forever changed when they’re gone.” - Publisher's Weekly

School Library Journal

05/26/2023

Gr 9 Up—High school sophomore Kermit Sanders has just lost his older sister Sheila in a drunk-driving accident. On his first day back at school he receives a mysterious note inviting him to what turns out to be the titular Minus-One Club, a group of classmates who have also experienced loss. While the group is for connection and companionship, Rule #1 of the club is: "We don't talk about it." Kermit forms an especially close bond with Matt, the only openly gay student in school, who lost his mom to cancer. Kermit has long struggled to suppress his own sexuality, having grown up in a church that frames homosexuality as a sin, but connecting with Matt allows him to begin to accept himself. This novel depicts teens dealing with heavy topics in a realistic way; their struggles are messy, nonlinear, and believable. While a book that centers on grief will undeniably deal with heavy topics, it should be noted that the story also depicts teen alcohol abuse, hate crimes, and a suicide attempt. Kermit is biracial; other characters' races are not indicated. VERDICT A raw coming-of-age story that illustrates the multi-faceted nature of grief and growing up.—Mary Kamela

APRIL 2023 - AudioFile

Grief suffuses Dion Graham's voice as he narrates high school sophomore Kermit's induction into a club no one wants to join: the club in which everyone has lost a family member. Kermit's older sister, Sheila, the only one in his Baptist family who knew he's gay, was killed by a drunk driver just days ago. He finds support in the club--and, with the charismatic, self-destructive Matt, a mutual attraction. Sheila's imagined voice, given snark by Graham, offers commentary as Kermit grapples with his sorrow, his faith, and his despair at ever coming out to his homophobic parents. The story's "club" device is occasionally disorienting, but short chapters and a quick pace carry listeners along. An empathetic note and a resource list conclude the audiobook. Sad and affirming in equal measure. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2022-10-11
A teen boy learns that he doesn’t have to grieve alone.

After Black, biracial high school sophomore Kermit’s older sister, Sheila, is killed by a drunk driver, he receives a mysterious invitation in his school locker to join an unknown group; the back of the card reads only “-1.” The Minus-One Club is composed of classmates who have suffered a devastating loss: There’s football player Patrick, whose father died while sailing; artsy Celia, whose twin sister succumbed to leukemia; geeky Simon, whose beloved late grandfather was his only family; dance team member Janna, whose mother died in a car accident while Janna was learning to drive; and handsome, openly gay Matt, who lost his mother to pancreatic cancer. The rules of the club are simple—it is top secret, and they don’t talk about death. Kermit needs the support; as a closeted gay teen with homophobic, religious parents, he’s unsure where to place his grief. Memories and dreams of Sheila guide Kermit as he quickly becomes closer with Matt, but while the club provides some level of security, ignoring their losses can lead to emotional spiraling and dangerous consequences. Magoon tackles a lot with Kermit’s story, but the realistic jumble of romance, grief, religion, toxic masculinity, sexuality, and depression may leave readers feeling like there are too many threads and not enough character development to truly feel invested.

An ambitious coming-of-age story. (Fiction. 13-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178010792
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	03/14/2023
Edition description:	Unabridged

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