The Prettiest Star is a beautiful yet heartbreaking and painful read. It follows a young gay man, Brian, who leaves his claustrophobic and small-minded town after not being accepted by his family. To say his family feels deep shame over their son is an understatement. Brian then ventures out into the wide world that is New York City. But within just a few years, he returns to his tiny hometown after his partner and lover has died of AIDS. Brian is now experiencing his own death sentence with HIV/AIDS firsthand. This all takes places in the 80s and many/most of his friends have lost their lives to AIDS or are in the middle of losing their own battles with it.

This book explores something in gay culture that, if you aren't in it, you may not know or experience. Family comes in many forms. Sometimes you are born with a family, and other times you choose and make the family you need. So many gay youth are shunned and kick out of their houses and forced to find a new family - a new mother and new brothers & sisters. But no matter how it comes into your life, family is an important support system.

The Prettiest Star had some difficult parts to read... because you can probably assume there is no happy ending. Again, this is HIV/AIDS in the 80s... and we all know too well the tragedy and gut-wrenching pain and devastation it caused. This is a book that is out of my normal reading genre and comfort zone, but it is also one I will be recommending for some time.