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Isaac Griffin has always felt something was missing from his life. And for good reason: he's never met his dad. He'd started to believe he'd never belong in this world, that the scattered missing pieces of his life would never come together, when he discovers a box hidden deep in the attic with his father's name on it.
When the first clue points him to San Francisco, he sets off with his boyfriend to find the answers, and the person he’s been waiting his whole life for. But when his vintage station wagon breaks down (and possibly his relationship too) they are forced to rely on an unusual girl who goes by Max—and has her own familial pain—to take them the rest of the way.
As his family history is revealed, Isaac finds himself drawing closer to Max. Using notes his dad had written decades ago, the two of them retrace his father’s steps during the weeks leading up to the Compton's Cafeteria Riot in San Francisco, a precursor to the Stonewall Riots a few years later. Only to discover, as he learns about the past that perhaps the missing pieces of his life weren't ever missing at all.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
October 11, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593610329
- File size: 218477 KB
- Duration: 07:35:09
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 560
- Text Difficulty: 2-3
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Reviews
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August 15, 2022
In this compassionate novel by Brandon (Ziggy, Stardust & Me), white pansexual 17-year-old Isaac Griffin searches for his sperm donor father, Alex, whom he has never met. Upon discovering decades-old letters in his attic hinting that Alex might be in San Francisco, Isaac and his closeted Black boyfriend, Christopher, embark on a road trip to find him. After Isaac’s vintage station wagon breaks down, they hitch a ride with idiosyncratic white Max, whose “sea-green eyes shimmer like two pieces of emerald,” and as she and Isaac grow closer, his relationship with Christopher becomes strained. When they arrive in the Bay Area, the trio don’t find Alex but, instead, Alex’s old friend, Aunt Luna, who runs a boardinghouse for LGBTQ youth. As Aunt Luna teaches them about queer life in 1960s San Francisco, she recounts Isaac’s father’s participation in the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria riot, a precursor to the 1969 Stonewall riots. While familiar tropes, such as Max’s manic pixie dream girl persona, occasionally hinder character development, Brandon employs a rapid pace and demonstrates a deft understanding of the time period, making for a heartfelt road-trip romp that presents a strong message about fighting for what one believes in. Ages 12–up.
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