This is another book I spontaneously grabbed at the library, and the one my internet friends were most adamant that I read. I decided to pick it up sooner rather than later, in honor of Pride Month, and I wasn’t disappointed. Autoboyography is a cute love story between two boys, but it’s also an important, sometimes hard-hitting analysis of how the combination of sexuality and religion impact a person’s life.

From the beginning, I understood the hype. It took less than fifty pages for me to fall in love with the characters and the writing style. This was my introduction to Christina Lauren’s work, and I never would’ve guessed they’re an author duo; they write so seamlessly.

The characters in this novel were impeccably written and developed. Tanner, while admittedly not super dynamic, was inexplicably appealing. His impulsive, charming nature and confidence in being bisexual made him hard to dislike. As for Sebastian, debut author and struggling closeted cinnamon roll, well, there’s not much else to say. His character arc was impressively written and incredibly deep, as he learned to balance being Mormon with being gay, to live life how he wanted. If I’m being completely honest, both boys are absolutely cinnamon rolls and they stole my heart.

I also have to applaud the duo on writing wonderful relationships across the board. Although his younger sister Hailey wasn’t my favorite, Tanner’s family was generally great; his parents and sister were nothing but supportive of his identity. From time to time I did think his parents were a bit cheesy in their declarations of love and support, but the Pride bumper stickers convinced me to let it slide. And then there’s his aunt Emily, a minor character with few scenes, who is sapphic and married and therefore brilliant.

Something that usually excites me in YA is friendship between boys and girls that remains strictly platonic. Though Tanner and Autumn did have a couple of moments, and there was some unrequited love, I appreciated that each was always ready to support the other. They teased, they fought, they persevered. In their relationship, the authors weave in discussions of how significant others and college affect your friendships, respectively. Autumn was the best character in the novel, in my opinion, second only to Sebastian.

Speaking of Sebastian, I want to say outright that he and Tanner are one of the cutest m/m couples I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about, up there with Danny and Colton from Timekeeper and Monty and Percy from The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I’m not going to lie, the fact that Tanner was infatuated at first sight, before even talking to Sebastian, seemed a bit ridiculous. However, seeing them squirm and kiss and experience the entire emotional spectrum as secret boyfriends was gold. The authors skillfully navigated the ups and downs of the situation — though I can’t speak on it beyond that, as I’m not a gay boy or religious in any way — without sugarcoating or turning the narrative into one centered on gay trauma. These cinnamon rolls had some baking problems, but ultimately, they came out okay and got their icing. (I’m not sure if the cinnamon roll comparison makes sense, but I like it and am keeping it.)

My primary reason for knocking a star off of my rating was how mixed my feelings were regarding the second half of the novel. On one hand, I understand that Sebastian was struggling to maintain his relationship with God as he came to terms with his sexuality, and had a lot of internalized homophobia to sort through. On the other, I’m not sure how to feel about the numerous instances in which he insisted he isn’t gay. The first few times it tugged at my heartstrings; after that, I simply raised an eyebrow. Take this with a grain of salt, though, as I’m a lesbian with no religious experience or perspective, so what do I really know here?

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude — the authors made Tanner’s and Sebastian’s struggles worthwhile, by giving them a happy ending. That’s the kind of energy I want during Pride Month, and that’s that on that.

I sped through Autoboyography in approximately eight hours, and I’m so glad I did. It was a heartbreaking yet heartwarming read, a perfect way to start Pride Month. (Even though I’ve already read a book this month.) It’s unlikely that I’ll read more by Christina Lauren, as adult romance isn’t my cup of tea. In the meantime, I’ll be recommending this novel to queer and straight friends alike.

Representation:
• Tanner is Hungarian-Swedish, half-Jewish, and bisexual.
• Sebastian is Mormon and gay.

CW: internalized homophobia, external biphobia