THE MINUS-ONE CLUB by Kekla Magoon

 

Thank you to a friend who gave me the heads up that this new Kekla Magoon book was released. Trust me, you don't want to miss it.

It all starts when Kermit Sanders finds a note in his locker telling him to come to the art room after school. He has no idea who it is from, but it says they know about his sister, and they can help him. 

Kermit's sister died in an accident involving a drunk driver, and Kermit is just coming back to school since the funeral. He probably could use all the help he can get so he goes to the art room.

It turns out he has been invited to the Minus-One Club. Everyone in the club has lost someone - mother, sister, dad, grandpa, or sister like Kermit. The rules of the club are simple. 1. Tell no one else about us. 2. We never talk about IT. 3. Ever. 4. Ever.

An added benefit of the Minus-One Club for Kermit is the presence of Matt Rincorn. Matt is the only "out" gay guy in the high school. Kermit has come to terms with his own gayness but not the part about letting others know. Hopefully, he can watch and learn if he's a part of Matt's group.

Dealing with the loss of his sister means Kermit must also deal with his parents and their sudden over-protectiveness. They want him to resume attending church which had always been a huge part of who their family was, but losing Sheila hasn't exactly confirmed Kermit's faith in religion. He finds that spending time with Matt is much more satisfying. Their relationship grows both emotionally and physically. Now Kermit must worry about his parents finding out, and the closer he gets to Matt, the more he realizes Matt has problems Kermit may not be able to solve.

THE MINUS-ONE CLUB by Kekla Magoon is an emotion driven novel about loss and love. It's frank handling of the young gay experience will no doubt help readers struggling with their own sexuality and questions they may have. Kermit and Matt will let readers know they are not alone in dealing with life's struggles. Perfect for YA collections.