Sometimes the people we need most aren’t bonded by blood but by something deeper.When they were kids, golden boy Chris Mitcham rescued dweeby Theo Wooten from the neighborhood bullies and taught him how to “be cool.” Now, years later, Theo’s developed romantic feelings for his best friend that “arise” at the most inopportune times. Theo hates lying to Chris, but in coming out, he might lose the … lose the one person who understands him best, a risk he’s not willing to take.
When a relationship with another young man goes south, Theo is forced to confront his own sexuality along with his growing attraction to Chris and the stunted, tenuous relationship Theo has with his father. Will Chris abandon Theo when he learns the truth, or will he stand by him in this tumultuous season of self-discovery?
In this quirky coming-of-age romance, Theo’s path to manhood is fraught with several awkward firsts, a few haters, but also the tender comfort of an unexpected lover.
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Audiobook review:
Young Adult romance is really not my genre of choice so When Everything is Blue never appeared on my radar. However, I’d recently discovered narrator, Michael Mola, and when I was looking for more of his narrated works, this book and cover snagged my attention. Based on the reviews, I decided to give it a try and am really happy I did. When Everything is Blue is a bit like a coming of age novel following high school student Theo as he acknowledges his sexuality and comes out to friends and family, while also detailing a relationship gone wrong and young love gone right.
The pacing, tone, and dialogue of When Everything is Blue fit perfectly with the genre without feeling overly juvenile or immature. I really liked the range of primary and secondary characters included in the novel and thought they provided a really well-rounded storyline. I also liked that the plot tackled hard truths in a realistic way, yet maintained a sense of optimism in the tone. Though this was my first book by the author, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from her, even when the novels fall outside of those genres I typically prefer.
As for the narration, Mr. Mola did a fantastic job. His cadence made for an enjoyable listen and his voices made it easy to differentiate between characters. Best of all, his delivery fit with the youthful characters and made the When Everything is Blue audiobook a definite win for me.
*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*
When Everything is Blue by Laura Lascarso turned out to be a truly nice surprise for me. I was impressed with the flowing story line, the creativity and variety in the characters, and the lovely style she has to her writing. I’m looking forward to reading some of her other stories… I’m intrigued and it always makes me happy to discover a wonderful author who is new to me.
This book was a pleaure to read and I became completely immersed in Theo’s story. It’s low angst, even though many of the things he has to deal with are intense and life changing. He handles everything with amazing maturity; the support of friends and family helps but mostly he digs deep and finds strength within himself.
There’s a wonderful flawed reality to the supporting characters in this book. Everyone is struggling with something, and while their damage affects Theo, he can accept it, move past it, and move ahead with his life.
I am 100% fine with the intimacies these 16 year old boys are sharing, and believe me when I say Lascarso writes a damn fine sex scene. So if that’s the kind of thing that bothers you, be forewarned and maybe give this one a pass.
Definitely a feel good story, there’s plenty of humor and some truly heartwarming moments that really made me smile. This one’s a keeper!
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
I loved every moment of Theo’s story. Set in the Florida sunshine, this book manages to capture both the heartbreak and the pure joy of first love. At the start of the story, Theo is an awkward, closeted kid with a crush on his best friend.
The story follows sixteen-year-old Theo through a year of firsts. His first job, his first car, his first sexual experiences, and his first skateboarding competition. As Theo grows into himself, his relationships – with his family, his friends, and his best friend – start to change. Some of Theo’s experiences are heartbreaking. Others are exhilarating.
I think the magic in this story lies in the way the author perfectly captures the emotional intensity of being sixteen. Theo’s life is wonderful in its complete ordinariness. His first sexual experiences are awkward and as exciting as they are misery inducing. His feelings for his best friend are terrifying, overwhelming, and beautifully intense. His relationship with his father is realistically grim. His relationship with his twin sister is complicated.
This is as much a growing up story as it is a love story. Even though the characters are sixteen, it is marketed as a new adult story – probably because it doesn’t shy away from explicit detail. This is a steamy, sexy read, but it is also a wonderfully emotional story and I absolutely loved it.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of When Everything Is Blue by Laura Lascarso to read and review.
3.5 stars
Ok, first of all… I love the cover of this book. It’s true to the story!
Theo was a 15yr old boy, soon to be 16. That was hopelessly in love with his best friend. It kind of hit him like a ton of bricks. It was a constant struggle for him to keep his emotions and feeling in check.
“Being horny and almost sixteen is the absolute worst. Take it from me, Theodore Wooten III, resident expert in the spontaneous boner. The cause of my lovesickness: Christian Mitcham. The cure: hell if I know.“
Theo had a hard time balancing how to act normal with his best friend. He often would get lost in his head and just think about things.
“We stare at each other until the oxygen runs out. Warmth radiates from my chest thinking about all the shared memories between us, and the contentment in knowing that at least one person in this world gets me, really gets me.“
Chris… I felt, gave Theo little mix signals here and there. Especially how he would be around girls. It killed Theo to see him with different girls. That’s why Theo was often getting lost in his head. Theo never thought Chris would have the same feelings for him.
But…
Chris would say or do these things for Theo. He was always looking out for him. Doing things for him. Protecting him. Chris never wanted Theo to worry about anything. But he did mess with Theo’s head. Because I felt it pushed Theo to try something new with a bad person.
Ok… this is the part I struggled with in this book. The person Theo thought was ok to trust his most inner secret with. Was a new kid named Dave. I mean from the very first meeting with him. It was bad. Theo has a big heart. He doesn’t like drama. He’s a laid back kinda guy. So he went against his feelings about Dave and things happened. What Dave did was unforgivable.
I wish more was said and done to Dave for what he did. I felt like he got off so easy. I hated his character from when he was introduced into this story. The way he talked and acted. I didn’t like it.
“In one way, it’s good to not have to hide it, but in another way, it’s like I’m naked in front of people all the time. Like gay is my whole personality. I’m not smart or funny or an awesome skateboarder, I’m just gay, gay, gay.“
I felt horrible for Theo. He had to deal with what Dave did and tell people about his sexuality. He wasn’t ready and it wasn’t done on his terms. It was taken away from him. I was so upset. No one should be outed the way Dave did to Theo. The panic attack Theo had was crushing. I even felt it.
But, I loved how his mom was really understanding about him being gay. She did’t care who Theo loved.
“Make sure you fall for what’s on the inside and not what’s on the outside, baby. Otherwise you’re just buying an empty box.”
This book was good. Kinda slow at times. It was frustrating. But overall it was an ok read.