Book review: Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill

"An impressive novel about
self-discovery and acceptance."
Source.

Hello pornies! I will go straight to the point and tell you that, although this a YA, coming of age novel, you MUST read it! It is Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill, by Lee Wind.

Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill

Print Length: 300 pages

Publisher: BookBaby

Publication Date: October 2, 2018

ISBN-101732228116

ISBN-13978-1732228115

In this story, we meet Wyatt, a fifteen years old closeted gay boy who wants to escape from homophobic Lincolnville, Oregon. Of course nobody knows he likes boys, of course his BFF (and only friend, for the record) and then accidental girlfriend thinks he loves her, and of course that, when he discovers that Abraham Lincoln may have been closeted, just like him, he decides to do an experiment. If everyone loves such a man, then it wouldn't make such a difference if Abe was gay, right? When Wyatt outs the president on the internet, things go out of control and a media storm threatens to destroy everything and everyone involved in it, and Wyatt has to decide if it’s worth it to keep his secret or if it doesn’t matter to let everyone in town know he’s gay. Maybe Martin, the first gay guy he meets, may help him decide.

Let me tell you something about this book. The characters are so painfully hunan and the plot so painfully surreal that they create an amazing YA novel. I cannot even decide where to start, but I guess, since we spoke already about Wyatt, we will go from there.

This little guy reminded me about myself when I was a teenager. I was confused, scared and didn’t know what would be of me. Right, an adult, I’m still figuring some things out, but there is a huge difference and Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill makes it clear why that is. It reminds you of how vulnerable and insecure you feel at that age and how you would kill to know the right things to say and do in order to avoid any problems or misunderstanding or (the Gods forbid it) that anyone suspects you are gay. Wyatt is every single boy struggling with the idea of liking boys and with the everyday problems of being a teenager, such as exams, school, weird family and bullying.

Lee Wind has written an impressive novel about self-discovery and acceptance, how we all should come to terms about who we are and who we want to be. His is a powerful voice that teaches important lessons about tolerance, willpower and courage, values we all need as we grow up and discover ourselves. I would have liked to read this book when I was scared of the future, of letting others know about who I am and what I like, and somehow it still resonated with me. Deep inside, I am still insecure about many things and Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill spoke to that private corner of mine.

Kinky regards, K!

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