STUCK WITH YOU

A sweet queer love story unfolds on a train.

This accessible novel for reluctant readers features two charming leads readers can’t help but root for. Ben Ross loves his comfort zone, and he avoids making waves. Caleb Khoury is the cool guy from school Ben barely knows, although he’s upset with him: Last week Caleb accidentally broke Ben’s phone when the basketball he threw hit Ben by mistake, leaving him unable to text anyone or listen to music for nine days. As usual, Ben spent his March break visiting his dad in Toronto even though they don’t particularly get along. Now, all he really wants is to get back to Ottawa, but his seatmate for the train ride home is none other than Caleb. Most of the story takes place during the five hours they share on the train as the boys learn they have more in common than they knew. Ben discovers that Caleb is also queer—not gay like him but bisexual. And what brings that up is an attractive guy on the train who’s definitely into Caleb, something that makes Ben feel…strange. Not that he has any right to feel jealous; after all, it’s not like he’s developing a crush on Caleb, is he? The cute banter between the boys will keep readers engaged as the sparks fly and they look past first impressions. Caleb is cued as having Middle Eastern heritage; Ben reads White.

An adorable romance with strong coming-of-age elements.