High-school social dynamics and issues of sexual identity combine in this compact yet thoughtful entry in the Gravel Road series. Brett Miller is a high-school sophomore who knows exactly who he is: he is a football star; he is the boyfriend of the fantastically hot Jillia; he is popular. He is normal and 100 percent not gay. Then he meets Zach in art class. Brett's attraction is undeniable, and suddenly he doesn't know who he is anymore. The first-person point of view enables the reader to empathize with Brett's confusion as he struggles to come to terms with his bisexuality, which his most honest moments ett acknowledges he has tried to deny for some time. Brett's relationship with classmate Nate, whose unwillingness to hide his homosexuality makes him the target of bullying (often at Brett's hands), is simultaneously antagonistic and helpful. Despite the pitfalls that Brett's struggle lands him in, he takes steps to get the support he needs from his family, and the reader comes away with the impression that, in time, Brett will find his way.

In a short but nonetheless expressive coming-out story, a teen football player with a girlfriend discovers he has feelings for another boy. When Brett first notices his attraction to Zach, a boy who sits next to him in art class, he wants to push it away. Brett and his friends are the kind of guys who ogle girls' bodies and pick on boys they perceive as gay. As his feelings intensify, however, Brett is torn between acting on his attraction and acting out of his denial. Although the book is relatively short, it handles a variety of issues gracefully. Readers see Brett repeatedly ask his girlfriend Jillia to have sex, in part to distract himself from thoughts of Zach, and Jillia's explanation that she ultimately says yes because Brett pressures her is both nuanced and poignant. Brett's lashing out at Nate, the target of his teammates' homophobic bullying, even after asking him for advice, is believable, though Nate's willingness to help one of his bullies is slightly harder to swallow. The storyline with Zach resolves somewhat abruptly, but readers still come away with plenty to think about. A welcome addition to the still-small field of teen books about bisexual characters. (Fiction. 12-16)

Gr 8-10 Popular and athletic Brett is disturbed about his feelings for Zach, a student in his drawing class, especially since the jock already has a hot girlfriend, Jillia, whom he fantasizes about marrying. Already one of the school's tormentors of gay students like Nate, Brett suddenly feels especially resentful of Nate's "obviousness." However, Nate is his only source of information about his new feelings. When Brett asks Nate for advice on his "friend's" situation, the gay teen suggests that his "friend" might be bisexual, and later introduces Brett to an older bisexual man in an awkward scene at a school baseball game. Furious to be put on the spot, Brett takes revenge on Nate, smashing his car with a baseball bat. Finally forced to face himself honestly, Brett opens up to his father, who proves to be unexpectedly accepting. Brett is a realistically flawed character, and not altogether likable, but teens will feel for him as he struggles with the issues he faces. Other characters are not as well developed; Brett's friends, his sister, Nate, and even Zach appear as stock figures, simply serving to move the story forward. Despite its weaknesses, this is a worthwhile addition to library collections, especially given the lack of material with bisexual characters. Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library