Gay Club!

The drama and politics of a student club election are exacerbated by emotionally intense relationships in this comedic and touching novel by Green (Heartbreak Boys). Sixteen-year-old white Barney Brown is convinced that he’s a shoo-in for president of his English school’s tiny LGBTQ+ Society; there are only four members, after all, and two of them are Barney’s best friends. Then clubmate and rival Bronte O’Halloran, who is also white, persuades their principal to open the vote to the entire school. Now Barney—with the help of white, transgender George Piper and Black lesbian Maya Phillips—has to somehow convince the whole student body that he deserves the role. But as campaign season stretches on, unexpected write-in candidates and an even more unanticipated romance for Barney complicates his bid for president. Meanwhile, Barney and his clubmates prepare to submit a video application to become England’s Rainbow Youth Global Ambassadors, but a classmate’s harmful actions threaten their eligibility. Laugh-out-loud humor permeates the narrative, adding levity to high emotional stakes. Via clever dialogue, a complexly rendered cast, and Green’s solid understanding of messy teen dynamics, this heartfelt read captures themes of first love and second chances with aplomb. Ages 14–up. (June)