ALA Booklist (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Cray has just graduated high school and his future is set: he's going to his father's alma mater for premed. There's only one problem ay's pretty sure he doesn't want to be a doctor, and he doesn't want his father dictating his life. When he finally tells his family, his father demands that Cray find a job and pay rent. In his search, Cray meets Rayne, an original and interesting girl who has planned a gap year before she goes to college. Rayne helps him get a part-time job at her workplace, a residence for adults with developmental disabilities. As he and Rayne get closer, Cray finds he has a lot to learn about boundaries and integrity, but it's all good, especially since it helps him deal with his dictatorial father. While at times the main characters are a little too precious, Coy's well-written novel movingly explores the difference between freedom and security, and the capacity each individual has to grow. Teens contemplating their next steps after high school will appreciate Coy's sensitive story.

Horn Book

Seventeen-year-old Cray Franklin's posthigh school life is all set: he's been admitted to his father's alma mater, he will study to become a doctor...and he doesn't want any of it. Guided by a new friend taking a gap year, Cray takes a summer job assisting developmentally disabled adults. Cray's navigation of indecision and social pressures, while recognizable, feels unfortunately rushed.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

There comes a time in virtually every young adult-s life when the decision is made to step away from one-s parents to become independent. For Cray Franklin, that decision comes on the heels of high school graduation as he sidesteps the path his parents have set for him-namely a premed track at the all-male Catholic college his father and grandfather attended-and begins a tumultuous journey into adulthood. Along the way, he meets and falls for free-spirited Rayne, who embodies the freedom he-s searching for, but who already has a boyfriend. With just a touch of romance, Coy-s narrative focuses on Cray-s thoughts and feelings as he takes a job in a group home, working with adults with developmental disabilities. A few threads are left dangling, particularly regarding Cray-s falling-out with a close friend, but Coy (Game Changer) captures the uncomfortable and even cringe-inducing actions and decisions of a teen trying to find his way, while also creating thoughtful parallels between Cray-s journey toward independence and the lives of four residents in the group home. Ages 12-up. Agent: Andrea Cascardi, Transatlantic Literary. (Nov.)

School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 8 Up-Teens who don't know what they want to do with their lives will relate well to the protagonist of this fast-paced realistic novel. Cray Franklin is a 17-year-old high school graduate whose parents have mapped out his lifeattend St. Luke's College and become a doctor. Those ambitions do not coincide with Cray's own. He doesn't know what he wants to be or what he wants to do after graduation. Enter Rayne, a wise, worldly fellow high school graduate who helps Cray get a job at a group home for adults with disabilities. Rayne is fascinating, complicated, and involved with a sophisticated Italian boyfriend/fianc&3;. Cray's bid for a romantic relationship with her introduces palpable angst and creates tension with his best friend, whose girlfriend intensely dislikes Rayne and actively attempts to sabotage the budding romance. Cray's ways of dealing with the conflicts among his parents, sibling, friends, employer, and love interest are painfully authentic. The author tackles a number of problems that might have been resolved more effectively in a longer story. The superficial treatment of the issues moves the plot along quickly, which will appeal to reluctant readers, but still provides opportunities for discussion questions that elicit greater reflection about how Cray's obstacles might mirror students' own challenges. VERDICT A solid additional purchase for librarians seeking books about teens struggling to grow up in suburbia or to decide which path to take after high school. Jodeana Kruse, R.A. Long High School, Longview, WA

Voice of Youth Advocates

At a typical graduation ceremony, there are graduates who are excited for what the future holds after high school and cannot wait to begin their new life. Cray is not one of those graduates. He faces the future with uncertainty and even fear, for he must tell his parents that he will not be attending the same college his father and grandfather attended. He will not be studying to become a surgeon; in fact, he may not be attending college at all. When Cray does finally talk to his parents, the pressure only increases because he does not have a clear idea of what he wants to do with his life, only that he cannot do what his father expects. Cray's father demands that he find a job and begin paying rent immediately. During his job search, Cray meets free-spirited Rayne who recommends Cray for a job at a home for adults with disabilities and who ultimately inspires him to take a year offa gap yearto explore the world and discover what he wants to do with his life.Many teen readers will identify with Cray's dilemma, although not many will have his financial advantages. The characters involved in the group home setting are interesting and well-developed, as opposed to the flat, stereotypical portrayals of Cray's unsympathetic parents. Teens may like the fact that Cory looks at options other than college, and those facing graduation without a solid plan may be curious about Cory's journey.Debbie Kirchhoff.