Love Drugged

Klise's debut novel follows high school freshman Jamie Bates, who closely guards the fact that he is gay in a school where "the worst insult for any boy was to be called simply, ‘fag.' " When beautiful Celia Gamez begins paying attention to him, Jamie has an opportunity to date a girl and appear normal to his friends. What's more, Celia's father is a scientist developing a drug that "suppresses the homosexual response in the male brain." A chance encounter enables Jamie to steal a number of the pills, taking them when he knows he will be with Celia. Much to Jamie's relief, the pills quell his desire for boys, but he begins to suffer side effects—headaches, tremors, bloody noses—and he doesn't get the one effect he wants most: desire for Celia. The drama that ensues is a bit far-fetched and the ending tidy, but Klise has created an empathetic protagonist (avoiding the trap of dumping him into a gay relationship right away) and a thoughtful story about identity, sexuality, and learning to accept oneself. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)