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Riley Weaver Needs a Date to the Gaybutante Ball

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The next LGBTQ+ young adult rom-com from New York Times bestselling author Jason June (author of Jay's Gay Agenda and Out of the Blue).

Femme, gay teen podcaster Riley Weaver has made it to junior year, which means he can finally apply for membership into the Gaybutante Society, the LGBTQ+ organization that has launched dozens of queer teens' careers in pop culture, arts, and activism. The process to get into the society is a marathon of charity events, parties, and general gay chaos, culminating in the annual Gaybutante Ball. The one requirement for the ball? A date.

Then Riley overhears superstar athlete, Skylar, say that gay guys just aren't interested in femme guys or else they wouldn't be gay. Riley confronts Skylar and makes a bet to prove him wrong: Riley must find a masc date by the time of the Ball, or he'll drop out of the Society entirely. Riley decides to document the trials and tribulations of dating while femme in a brand-new podcast. Can Riley find a fella to fall for in time? Or will this be one massive—and publicly broadcast—femme failure?

This new novel from Jason June explores how labels can limit and liberate us and shows just what can happen when you bet on yourself.

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    • Kirkus

      July 1, 2023
      A hopeful high school junior risks his social debut and the chance to escape his small town to take a stand against a femme-hating jock. Like almost every LGBTQ+ teen in Mountain Pass, Washington, white femme Riley Weaver dreams of joining the glittering ranks of the Gaybutante Society. The Gaybutantes not only throw amazing parties, they provide a network of lifelong support. Being endorsed by a high-profile Gaybutante could secure Riley's career as a podcaster and show his mom he has a future other than staying put and honoring their family's local roots. All Riley needs to do is demonstrate the society's pillars of excellence--service, hosting, mentorship, and spreading general gay chaos. However, when he overhears a gay jock classmate disparaging femmes, he can't let the hatred slide. Determined to speak up, Riley makes a bet that he'll find a cis, masc, gay guy who wants to escort him to the ball--or he'll give up the society, which reflects and celebrates diversity, forever. With the bet as his inspiration for gay chaos, Riley launches a tell-all podcast documenting his romantic journey. This coming-of-age story deftly handles complex social themes of identity, social media fame, and discrimination within queer communities while maintaining a lighthearted tone. Amid the antics of fulfilling his pillars and pursuing love, Riley wrestles with jealousy, makes mistakes, and learns about meaningful apologies. A surprise twist brings the drama to a satisfying resolution. Fierce and fabulous fun. (Romance. 14-18)

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Booklist

      Starred review from May 15, 2023
      Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Two things 16-year-old Riley Weaver knows for sure: "I'm outwardly and inwardly femme and I'm gay." Then there's the third thing: Riley desperately wants to become a member of the fabulous Gaybutante Society along with Sabrina (his best lesbian friend). To do so, the two must individually complete four tasks: service, hosting, mentorship, and general gay chaos. Before Riley can begin, however, he encounters obnoxious gay jock Skylar, who bets him that no gay man who is masc and cis would ever date a femme. Furious, Riley accepts. If he loses, he will stop his quest to become a Gaybutante. If Skylar loses, he will drop off the baseball team. The stakes are high, but they give Riley an inspiration: he'll create "general gay chaos" by starting a podcast that charts his progress toward winning the bet and becoming a Gaybutante. Nick (best gay friend) will produce. Things go well until, naturally, dramatic complications ensue. Jason June (Out of the Blue, 2022) has written an important, entertainingly busy book with a welcome, character-driven focus on a femme teen. Intelligently and smoothly written, the book makes a much-needed contribution to queer literature. An excellent companion to L. C. Rosen's Camp (2020) that proves, as Riley would say, it's hearts over parts!

      COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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  • English

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