Tales From Foster High : Book 1

March 4, 2014 by Starbrites

Title : Tale From Foster High 1

Author : John Goode

Publisher : Dreamspinner Press (BUY HERE)

Genre : M/M, Contemporary, YA

Length : 7 hrs 17 minutes (audiobook)

Published : January 31, 2014

Rating : ★★★★1/2

Blurb: 

Kyle Stilleno is the invisible student, toiling through high school in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. Brad Greymark is the baseball star of Foster High. When they bond over their mutual damage during a night of history tutoring, Kyle thinks maybe his life has changed for good. But the promise of fairy-tale love is a lie when you’re gay and falling for the most popular boy in school. A coming of age story in the same vein of John Hughes, Tales from Foster High shows an unflinching vision of the ups and downs of teenage love and what it is like to grow up gay.

Review:

When I was given the chance to read/listen this book I was a bit nervous because I had never listened to an audio book before that I didn’t already know the story to. I was so sure that I would not be able to remember what had happened and that I would have to keep going back to listen to parts over and over again. I was concerned that the narrator’s voice would get on my nerves and I would have to put it down or maybe I would fall asleep while listening and have to start all over again, but that didn’t happen. Michael Stellman did a fantastic job with the narration of this book. His words flowed with the story and never once did I think that this guy sounds boring. I will be 100% honest and say that I don’t think I am cut out for audio books. I love being able to read the story and see the words across the page. I love being able to hear what I think their voices sound like in my own head and I am pretty sure I could have devoured this story in a lot more time not having to fight my kid for the only pair of headphones in the house. 🙂 I am not a huge fan of young adult books. I like books that the people can just yell out F*Ck! So, YA books don’t usually cut it for me but “Tales from Foster High” was nothing like I expected. I guess sometimes we forget that just because it’s a YA book that the teenagers don’t swear or have sex but hello… We were teenagers once and we all know that’s untrue. This story was about two completely opposite teenage boys, Kyle and Brad who one day were the nerd and the jock and the next were boyfriend’s who came out in front of a whole school.

This is the first book in the Tales from Foster High series. Their story was told in 3 parts. The first part was told from Kyle’s POV. The nerd, a quiet, smart guy who just wants to keep his head down until he can get the heck out of high school. He thinks that if he can keep his head down and not make a peep that nobody will notice him. Yeah right! That went right out the window when Brad, the popular jock gets him to tutor him. Not only does he tutor Brad but they sorta fall for each other and things do not go well when the shit hits the fan. I was stunned by the end of that first part. There was so many things that just blew me away. The 2nd part was told from Brad’s POV and that had some surprises I didn’t see coming as well. There wasn’t a lot that happened in this part of the book. It was more of getting to know Brad and his thoughts of what had just happened to him and to Kyle and what he is planning to do now that things have spiraled out of control. The 3rd part was told from both guy’s POV and to me it was the most emotional part of the story. After the fallout they were bullied and physically beaten by their peers and the teachers behavior toward them was something I could never imagine seeing happen, but I know that it has been done to kids before. I don’t know what high school was like for everyone but at the small town school I went too, I could totally see this kind of thing being done and it made me sick in the gut to think that these things go on in our school systems.

Now, I know I haven’t really given you much of what this story is about but that’s only because I really can’t without spoiling the story and I would never want to do that because this is one of those stories where you really just need to take the time and read it for yourself. I will say that I loved every minute of it. It’s not just a coming of age, romantic love story, it’s a coming of age, holy crap this is what really happens out there kind of book. Yes, there is a love story somewhere in these boys world and yes, there is some very funny laugh out loud moments but really this is just the beginning of Kyle and Brad’s story and I for one plan to stop everything I am doing and continue on.

The author John Goode has written the most realistic tale of what it’s like to come out in high school and not have it end with hearts and flowers. Thank you John Goode for writing such an amazing beginning to what I am sure will end up being a truly fantastic story.

Rated 4.5 stars by Jen

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