S. J. Carter

The enemy to lover is a common trope in gay fiction, especially gay romance, but the way that S.J. Carter handles the story line in Stupid Love, it is anything but clichéd. When Riley and Colton first meet in the principal's office of the high school they both attended and where they now teach, the tension is palpable. And yes, spoiler alert, they overcome their senior year difficulties and become adult partners, but you knew that would happen. What sets this book apart is not only the horrendous event that marked their senior year thirteen years before the setting of the novel, but also the way Carter handles high school life in today's much more open, and yet fraught, era. When I was in high school (significantly more than 13 years ago), the idea of a GSA would have been unthinkable. Even growing up in a suburb of San Francisco, I thought I was the only one. Naive? Yes, indeed. But when Riley and Colton were seniors, there was just one openly gay student and the way he was treaed reverberates throughout the novel. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the dynamics of high school life and the way society has opened up to the reality of gay people--who still live in fear of their lives. Full disclosure: I received my copy of this novel as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) with the promise I would leave an honest review. Honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more from S.J. Carter.… (mehr)