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    Geography Club
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    Geography Club
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    Geography Club
    Ebook178 pages2 hours

    Geography Club

    By Brent Hartinger

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    A modern classic about a group of teens discovering sexuality and identity, perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli, Adam Silvera, and David Levithan.

    Brent Hartinger's debut novel is a fast-paced, funny, and trenchant portrait of contemporary teenagers who may not learn any actual geography, but who learn plenty about the treacherous social terrain of high school and the even more dangerous landscape of the human heart.

    Russel Middlebrook is convinced he's the only gay kid at Goodkind High School. Then his online gay chat buddy turns out to be none other than Kevin, the popular but closeted star of the school's baseball team.

    Soon Russel meets other gay students, too. There's his best friend Min, who reveals that she is bisexual, and her soccer-playing girlfriend Terese. Then there's Terese's politically active friend, Ike.

    But how can a group like this get together at school without drawing attention to themselves? "We just choose a club that's so boring, nobody in their right mind would ever in a million years join it. We could call it Geography Club!"

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperTeen
    Release dateSep 22, 2009
    ISBN9780061968396
    Unavailable
    Geography Club
    Author

    Brent Hartinger

    Brent Hartinger is the author of eight novels for young adults, including Geography Club (HarperCollins, 2003) and Shadow Walkers (Flux, 2011). His books have been praised by reviewers at top national dailies like USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, The Oregonian and Seattle Times; leading GLBT publications The Advocate and Instinct Magazine; and top online book review outlets Bookslut.com and Teenreads.com. He is founder and editor of the fantasy website TheTorchOnline.com and also writes for AfterElton.com, the foremost online outlet for GLBT news. He lives in Seattle.

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    Reviews for Geography Club

    4/5

    383 ratings27 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This is a great book about growing up and trying to find a place in the world. Doubly difficult if you're gay (like the main character) or GLBTQ.

      Russel is very lonely, at first thinking he's the only gay kid at his high school with 1,800 pupils. As he discovers Kevin via a chatroom and more gay kids via his best friend Mim (who turns out to be bi), he is encouraged at first. But they soon face the pressure of the outside world and realize that nothing (in terms of their place and hopes) is solved just because they're all gay and have found each other. On the contrary, banding together will only be seen as suspicious. Even the formation of the 'Geography Club' as 'camouflage' doesn't help longer term. Many of them end up as alone as they started.

      Written in the fist person, I thought it was an honest and accurate description of the issues any kid (and many adults) go through when they discover they are different. Even though this story has a gay main character, much of what he discovers has potential for a wider application. Russel learns about himself and what he wants out of life and the sense of humor that never really leaves him makes it all a little more bearable.
    • 3/5
      A group of teens start a Gay/Straight Alliance type club at their school, but call it a "Geography" club so that no one will pick on them. Tensions quickly start to rise though, as the individual members have doubts about how "out" they want to be and if they should invite the nerdiest kid in their school to join or not. A pretty good look into teen life and high school social drama. Makes for a quick, short read. 
    • 1/5
      sign up just to be told it is unavailable. disappointing
    • 2/5
      I love the story, but the author had the opportunity to build powerful, meaningful, and complex characters and relationships and didn’t use it. The characters felt so shallow, and I wish I’d received so much more from Russel and from the club. I was very excited to read this book, and was disappointed when the club barely met and gave us next to nothing of substance about or from the characters. The relationships were badly shaped, and there was a lot of telling vs showing. (For instance were we told Gunnar was a good friend, but not shown it). And though I understand the absolute relevancy of the solitude and separation felt by the LGBTQ+ community, I hated that the author used the high school cliques cliché, which lacks massive amounts of originality. It was not entirely enjoyable, and I did find that I wanted to know what happened next, but I found myself upset with the writing many times. I love love love the story idea, but the book lacked the bonding and emotion I had hoped for. Perhaps sometime I should have to read it again to reassess.
    • 5/5
      I love this book, I feel totally related to it at so many levels.
    • 5/5
      beautiful story! with a plot twist that makes this book different from all other books about teens falling in love. It's also really well written with a lot of sarcastic humor. I love this book from the very bottom of my heart.
    • 5/5
      This is a really good book, but its kinda short.
    • 4/5
      Set in a typical high school, this novel provides a real look at how difficult it is to keep this type of secret. These kids create a "Geography Club" in order to meet and discuss their sexuality related troubles. Problems arise when a few other heterosexual students decide to join the club too. Who knew geography would be interesting to people?

      I like this book for its realistic experience. Characters come to an understanding about themselves and show that falling in and out of love hurts whether its with someone of the same or opposite sex.
    • 3/5
      This book was pretty cute. I think it would be great for younger teenagers. But it didn't really do anything original, I guess. I wasn't particularly thrilled with it.
    • 5/5
      Growing up in a small community as a gay male there were often times I had wished that there was literature that would have helped me to see that I wasn't alone. Now as I get a bit older I see that they are actually publishing such novels that showcase that there are gay people in high school. This makes my heart very happy since there is a growing epidemic of LGBT suicides in our country due to bullying. These books can help these children to feel that they are not along in their journey. It can give them great power within themselves, even when they are unable to tell anyone else.

      This book is about a group of kids at a high school that form a "geography club" which is actually an undercover gay-straight alliance. They think because it is a geography club that no one will want to join up. I mean come on if you remember high school geography was sooooooo not cool. Well that is what they are banking on. The book is believable in the fact that characters run the gamut of popularity and incidences within. Hartinger appears to have been trying to give an accurate portrayal of the high school experience and in my opinion he does a rather good job. He has characters that act out of character with a bit of popularity (what kid with even a hint of unpopularity didn't act weird when someone popular suddenly talked to them or they were put in a situation where they were not treated like crap by them?) Hartinger pays proper respect to those boundaries of the high school experience where you are who you sit with.

      If you are uncomfortable reading most LGBT fiction because most of it contains graphic sex then this would be the book for you. There is a few mentions of kissing, but for the most part this is just a nice book about friends, the high school experience, and love. It shows what is possible when someone in the LGBT community thinks outside of the stereotypical book of what this community will purchase. There is a power in providing something to a wider audience because it shows that there are multiple types in this one community, but so much of the literature for LGBT has to have some guy standing in his boxer briefs on the cover. You will have a couple of scenes of boxer briefs, but it is only in the appropriate places in this book which is contained with the pages and in the locker room where it should be expected. I recommend taking the time to read this book and sharing it with others that want to understand that not everyone in the LGBT Community fits into a box or a stereotype.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Read this book once, after the author came to our school (he lived in the area).
    • 5/5
      Growing up in a small community as a gay male there were often times I had wished that there was literature that would have helped me to see that I wasn't alone. Now as I get a bit older I see that they are actually publishing such novels that showcase that there are gay people in high school. This makes my heart very happy since there is a growing epidemic of LGBT suicides in our country due to bullying. These books can help these children to feel that they are not along in their journey. It can give them great power within themselves, even when they are unable to tell anyone else.

      This book is about a group of kids at a high school that form a "geography club" which is actually an undercover gay-straight alliance. They think because it is a geography club that no one will want to join up. I mean come on if you remember high school geography was sooooooo not cool. Well that is what they are banking on. The book is believable in the fact that characters run the gamut of popularity and incidences within. Hartinger appears to have been trying to give an accurate portrayal of the high school experience and in my opinion he does a rather good job. He has characters that act out of character with a bit of popularity (what kid with even a hint of unpopularity didn't act weird when someone popular suddenly talked to them or they were put in a situation where they were not treated like crap by them?) Hartinger pays proper respect to those boundaries of the high school experience where you are who you sit with.

      If you are uncomfortable reading most LGBT fiction because most of it contains graphic sex then this would be the book for you. There is a few mentions of kissing, but for the most part this is just a nice book about friends, the high school experience, and love. It shows what is possible when someone in the LGBT community thinks outside of the stereotypical book of what this community will purchase. There is a power in providing something to a wider audience because it shows that there are multiple types in this one community, but so much of the literature for LGBT has to have some guy standing in his boxer briefs on the cover. You will have a couple of scenes of boxer briefs, but it is only in the appropriate places in this book which is contained with the pages and in the locker room where it should be expected. I recommend taking the time to read this book and sharing it with others that want to understand that not everyone in the LGBT Community fits into a box or a stereotype.
    • 5/5
      Growing up in a small community as a gay male there were often times I had wished that there was literature that would have helped me to see that I wasn't alone. Now as I get a bit older I see that they are actually publishing such novels that showcase that there are gay people in high school. This makes my heart very happy since there is a growing epidemic of LGBT suicides in our country due to bullying. These books can help these children to feel that they are not along in their journey. It can give them great power within themselves, even when they are unable to tell anyone else.

      This book is about a group of kids at a high school that form a "geography club" which is actually an undercover gay-straight alliance. They think because it is a geography club that no one will want to join up. I mean come on if you remember high school geography was sooooooo not cool. Well that is what they are banking on. The book is believable in the fact that characters run the gamut of popularity and incidences within. Hartinger appears to have been trying to give an accurate portrayal of the high school experience and in my opinion he does a rather good job. He has characters that act out of character with a bit of popularity (what kid with even a hint of unpopularity didn't act weird when someone popular suddenly talked to them or they were put in a situation where they were not treated like crap by them?) Hartinger pays proper respect to those boundaries of the high school experience where you are who you sit with.

      If you are uncomfortable reading most LGBT fiction because most of it contains graphic sex then this would be the book for you. There is a few mentions of kissing, but for the most part this is just a nice book about friends, the high school experience, and love. It shows what is possible when someone in the LGBT community thinks outside of the stereotypical book of what this community will purchase. There is a power in providing something to a wider audience because it shows that there are multiple types in this one community, but so much of the literature for LGBT has to have some guy standing in his boxer briefs on the cover. You will have a couple of scenes of boxer briefs, but it is only in the appropriate places in this book which is contained with the pages and in the locker room where it should be expected. I recommend taking the time to read this book and sharing it with others that want to understand that not everyone in the LGBT Community fits into a box or a stereotype.
    • 5/5
      In the conservative, oppressive town of Goodkind, Russel Middlebrook faces his biggest fear—publicly coming out—as he slowly discovers there are others at his own school, stubbornly questioning and reconciling with their sexualities, just like he is. In this town and in this decade, gay-straight alliances are unheard of—scorned, even—but upon kindling a brotherhood with the diverse group of people who are so different from him, and yet so similar, he learns that sometimes being yourself, no matter how hard, is more important than any reputation, any sort of acceptance, and any lie he'd be living otherwise.I was so impressed by this children's LGBT novel both because of the controversial topic it daringly confronts, and by the strength and grace with which it is written. Russel's realistic first-person narrative—one of the pioneering gay narrations in YA fiction—is a pleasure to read and captures the horrors and injustices of the high school social scene penetratingly, but in an appropriate, parent-approved fashion. I loved him as a character as well; he's so awkward, nice, and hilarious in an adorable teenage boy way. We need more gay narrators for YA!I also adore Russel's best friends, Min and Gunnar, because they aren't portrayed as the typical "he's been my BFFL and always has my back no matter what" crap. They're so flawed—so flavored—and that makes them so, so real.This book is touching, frightening, and compelling in all the right paces. It accurately conveys the fear of learning to cross and even break the invisible, vicious barriers within the high school social ladder, but not explicitly; it leaves just enough to the imagination, which is why I wholeheartedly recommend it to the younger crowd, too.The unexpected alliance Russel finds within Goodkind High School, the belonging and the assurance, highlights the importance of companionship and honesty of which I think all teenagers still need to be reminded. Even though Geography Club was written over ten years ago, the relationships Hartinger portrays stand the test of time in a poignant, universal story that readers of any age and any sexual orientation will love. In Geography Club, a handful of brave, passionate students stumble upon a connection in which they each can be completely honest with each other, as well as with themselves, for the first time in their young lives. This exchange of feelings and struggles that would otherwise be repressed is both gritty and soulful, and constitutes a brilliant coming-of-age novel.Pros: Interesting, suspenseful storyline // Cutting humor—I laughed out loud so many times! // Realistic, but still lovable characters // Russel's voice is so accurate // Tackles a sensitive issue fluidly and in a way that will encourage young readersCons: Not enough rising action... wish there'd been more drama before the final climaxLove: We bought tickets for the stupid romantic comedy rated PG-13, but once we were inside the multiplex, Kimberly said she wanted to see the stupid erotic thriller rated R instead. As for me, I didn't want to see either the romantic comedy or the erotic thriller. I wanted to see the animated Disney musical, which I guess just proved that I really was the gay boy that I'd been thinking all along that I was.—LOL this is why I love Russel!Verdict: Brent Hartinger's inspiring and dazzling debut isn't just a novel about gay adolescents; it touches upon important global teen matters of friendship, identity, and the courage to speak out, as well. I loved everything about it—the characters, the voice, the absorbing plot—and think it's one of those books that all young adult (14-16) and maybe the more-mature middle grade (11-14) readers ought to try.Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!).
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book. The plot was rather simple and even predictable but it sends a great message and it is an excellent book for gay teens and "outcasts" who are struggling and need that someone to understand.
    • 4/5
      Not the most popular boy in High School, nor particularly unpopular, Russell does have his own close friends, but know one shares his secret, that he likes other guys. That he is talked into dating a girl only adds to his problem, that is until he links up with another young guy in his own small town while in an internet chat room. They arrange to meet, and that proves to be the beginning of Russell's fulfilment. But as is not surprising, nothing is quite that easy, but gradually Russell finds he is not alone his preference for other guys, and as he meets one or two others they are prompted to form the Geography Club, a club that has nothing to do with geography but everything to do with being an outsider.Russell narrates his account of a year at High School, he comes across as a likeable and honest lad, and he tells his story with wit and in a very direct no nonsense manner. As a point of comparison, while reading this I was also reading Centre of My World by Andreas Steinhofel, a story with much in common with Geography Club: a young guy with his own close friends trying to establish a relationship with another guy at school, but beyond that they could not be more different. With Russell there is no beating about the bush, no mystery and little background, he tells his story very directly. By contrast Phil, the protagonist in Centre of My World provides in great detail what has made him what he is, and is on no hurry to relate his account. Is one better than the other? Not necessarily, but for me, for the sheer pleasure of reading, I know which I prefer.
    • 4/5
      A well-written book on a relatively rare topic. A group of homosexual students find each other within their high school, all from different cliques, and need an excuse to hang out together. They create the Geography Club because they would have the use of a classroom, but other students would think it was so boring that no one else would ever join.
    • 5/5
      Great, engaging YA novel about a kid who starts a secret Gay/Straight Alliance at his high school. (P.S. A lot more fun and way less angsty than the cover makes it look.)
    • 4/5
      Before reading this, I'd skimmed over some reviews (I think on Amazon) and they were mediocre, sort of in the middle. I can see why, there are some plot holes, but overall, it's a cute book that deals with some very real issues. The idea is that our hero, Russel, is gay and hasn't told anyone -- not his friends, family or anyone. He looks at stuff on the web and suffers through the tortures of PE, but keeps his secret safe. Until one day he meets someone in a chat room and ends up agreeing to meet them. I won't spoil anything, but it's an interesting idea, made even more interesting because the entire story is told from Russel's point of view. We don't have the omniscient narrator trying to tell us what's going to happen. We have to go through things the same way that Russel does, and I think this is one of the novel's strengths. There are a few glitches, especially relating to the boy that Russel meets online and then in person and to his friends. But overall, it's a cute book that has a very nice (if slightly convoluted) point.
    • 4/5
      Russell Middlebrook is a sophomore in high school. He is also gay. He also believes that he is the only person in the school who is! As the story unfolds, Russell describes the other kids in his school – how there are cliques, with some people in and some out, and some people who no one will befriend. When he finds that one of the most popular boys in school is also gay, he confides in his best friend Min who then surprises Russell by stating that she is bisexual. The friends decide they would like to start a club, a place where they could talk about the loneliness and fear they feel about their sexuality. But they do not want everyone – no, anyone – to know. So they start what should be a very unpopular club – the Geography Club. They learn about themselves and others as their friendships are tested.
    • 5/5
      This sweet little highschool romance grabbed me from the first page. I opened it to see what the writing style was like, and I don't think I blinked until I finished it.I wish I had had friends as smart and funny and caring as this when I was in high school. ANd there was no stick beating me over the head wiht a message, the fact this is about gay (and a bisexual) romances isn't made into a platform, it's just the circumstances of a sweet school story that had me cheering for its hero.
    • 3/5
      Russel is certain that he is the only gay kid at his school. One night he goes to a chat room for people in his town and finds out that there is at least one more. As he explores a little more, he finds out that there are several people, including one of his best friends. Because these students want to hang out, but think people will be suspicious, they form the "Geography Club" a secret fakeout name to confuse the straight people and is suposed to keep them all out. Of course, nothing goes like planned. I found the "straight" sex scenes to be a bit nauseating. I thought his suposed best friend was extremely cruel to him and I don't really get why Russel put up with it. Gunnar was just awful on all kinds of levels. And Min seemed pretty tempermental. One aspect this books covers is that homophobia can be so strong, the gay and lesbian population sometimes feed into it and participate in it. It's a real occurance, but it made me feel somewhat uncomfortable reading it. Not only do the kids stay in the closet throughout the book, but many of the characters don't want to associate with a straight boy because people think he's gay. I thought the school "goat" was WAY to nice to be realistic. Other than that, the epilogue was a little depressing, but realistic.
    • 4/5
      This is a great little story about love and relationships and being the only gay kids in town and how to date and love and be a normal kid and NOT get outed. Not too deep, not to shallow, not hitting you over the head with the lessons you're supposed to learn to much and a quick read. I liked it.
    • 3/5
      Russel is in high school, and secretly gay. He keeps it a secret because he's sure no one else is gay. But, after discovering a gay classmate in a chat room, the two band together with other gay classmates in a group called The Geography Club, purposefully named so that no other students will want to join because they figure Geography is as boring as it gets. This paradise for the closeted gay students quickly bonds the students, as they open up and learn more about each other and themselves. Soon, though, this halfway point between "in" an "out" becomes a problem, and problems crop up in these new friendships. This book is a well-written example of YA lit with a gay protagonist. Russel is so likeable and funny, and I like that he shows how easy it is to be both masculine and gay. I think this would be a great book both for gay teens, and for teens that come from homophobic backgrounds, to show them how easy it is to relate to a gay teen.
    • 4/5
      This was actually a really good book! It tells the story of a boy who knows he is gay, and he finds out there are other gay teens going to his high school, and they form a club, but they call it the Geography Club because they don't want anyone to know what they're really meeting about. Kind of an in-the-closet but yet not club. This was the first novel I've read about gay teens, and I also know it's on a lot of challenged lists, and after reading it, I don't really understand why. Yes, there were gay teens in the book, but it seemed to me that the book was less about being gay than it was about fitting in during High School. Which is a topic all of us can relate to. So it was very insightful and I enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      I haven't found a better young adult book that handles the topic of homosexuality in the realness that Geography Club did. It has a character that kids can easily relate to and is not too far fetched.
    • 4/5
      Great YA read about a group of misfits who start a geography club to disguise their need to talk to others about their homosexuality.