The Bravest Thing

This is my second outing with [a:Laura Lascarso 5306920 Laura Lascarso https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1488342626p2/5306920.jpg] and with her character Hiroku. I'm not mad, and I'm sure I'll be up for more from this author, but here's the thing ... Though this book was published first it's sort of sequel to [b:Hiroku 40205647 Hiroku Laura Lascarso https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527192235l/40205647.SY75.jpg 62228513], so at the urging of friends and because I'm absolute slave to chronological order I read in order of events. I'm glad I did. In Hiroku the voice of the character was so all consuming & convincing that I read it in a fugue-like state. I forgot that, given the age of the MC, it's technically a YA, (though it read more NA) which I rarely read. The down side to all that wonderful is that [b:The Bravest Thing 48467769 The Bravest Thing Laura Lascarso https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571091133l/48467769.SY75.jpg 55643895], while still a very good book, suffers in comparison. That's a shame because this story deserves an audience. Hiroku's family has relocated to a small town in an effort to pry him from a toxic relationship but as we all know “small town, big hell”. In this instance that hell is a town steeped in a culture that condones homophobia, the deification of football, and intolerant Christianity. In Lowry the only bright spot for Hiroku is Berlin Webber, a fellow junior who's and All-American boy, star of the football team, and questioning his sexuality. They become each other's safe port but it's rough going. A lot of things happen in this book. Beautiful things. Horrific things. Real. You should read it.Thinking about it the problem for me is that the story is told in dual P.O.V. and though Berlin is a sweet boy, who's sure to grow up into a good man, the kind of person we all want in our future, his voice pales compared to Hiroku's. Maybe that's unfair of me but that was my opinion. It made for a bit of a lopsided reading experience. I'm still glad TBT exists, and by extension Berlin. They're the necessary coda for Hiroku and his story. I also wouldn't be averse to seeing them five years down the road. How does their future pane out? They'r not even 18 when we last see them. I'm worried about them. That's a good thing.