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.