Being queer in a heteronormative society is difficult. Having your kindergarten teacher tell you that you are gay and for your parents to take it in stride seems almost fantasy like. But maybe this is because of my bitter apprehensions about the upcoming elections and how imperfect and backwards the world really is to have let things get this far.  I think that going into this book, I was expecting a narration of the struggle for identity that we see in other books, with the common tropes of the artistic observer, the special sibling and the one adult who is there for guidance, and coming into your sexuality. Paul’s parents are supportive and quirky, he has such an easy time being who he is that he is surprised when some guys try to beat him for being gay and the only problem I can find for Paul is the love triangle that he is caught in. I was more interested in Tony and Infinite Darlene, as the first has to endure the homophobia that many of us see/experience today and the latter’s transgender status is made comical or dramatized in an effort to be inclusive.

However, since the novel still portrays the struggles of different teens through the eyes of Paul and allows us to see his experiences and struggles in the gay dating scene, it can still be considered a sort of problem novel. It deals with themes of friendship and becoming an outsider to friends while also showing us how Paul attempts to navigate his love life.  One could even go as far to say that the novel is a problem novel because it invites us to think about how a world would be if all sexualities were treated equal, with the LGBTQA+ existing and thriving alongside everyone else.