Alan Cole returns in this sequel to Alan Cole Is Not a Coward (2017). The gay 12-year-old is now out at school but is still closeted at home, though his older brother Nathan knows the truth but no longer threatens to use it against Alan. In fact, the erstwhile awful Nathan has reformed and is now actually his brother's friend. Unfortunately, their father is still a Neanderthal, refusing to let Alan apply to an art school and insisting that his son take his boss' daughter, June, to the winter dance. This is not Alan's only problem: überevil bully Ron, who twice batters Alan, is still in the picture. And then there's the enigmatic Odin, the new boy at school, who seems to dislike Alan until the two bond as artists, agreeing that art is it artists n change the world. Might they become more than friends? Bell's second novel suffers from being a bit didactic and saccharine, but Alan remains an appealing character, and his story is a welcome addition to LGBTQ literature for middle-schoolers.

In Alan Cole Is Not a Coward, Alan came out as gay to his classmates but not his parents. Now, he'll only be allowed to apply to an art academy if he takes Dad's boss's daughter to a middle-school dance; he also faces bullying and navigates a crush. This accessible, funny novel is honest about challenges queer kids may face while still giving them a hopeful ending.