Book: SURRENDER YOUR SONS by Adam Sass
Genre: Thriller
Series: N/A
Publisher: Flux // North Star Editions
Source: ARC via NetGalley!
Where to Buy: Shop local! Find your local independent bookstore at IndieBound!
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[ TK ]
Series: N/A
Publisher: Flux // North Star Editions
Source: ARC via NetGalley!
Where to Buy: Shop local! Find your local independent bookstore at IndieBound!
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[ TK ]
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Goodreads Summary:
Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare. His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.” But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director, and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are— and taking this place down.
Connor Major’s summer break is turning into a nightmare. His SAT scores bombed, the old man he delivers meals to died, and when he came out to his religious zealot mother, she had him kidnapped and shipped off to a secluded island. His final destination: Nightlight Ministries, a conversion therapy camp that will be his new home until he “changes.” But Connor’s troubles are only beginning. At Nightlight, everyone has something to hide from the campers to the “converted” staff and cagey camp director, and it quickly becomes clear that no one is safe. Connor plans to escape and bring the other kidnapped teens with him. But first, he’s exposing the camp’s horrible truths for what they are— and taking this place down.
Check out my full review after the jump! Click "Read More" below to continue!
I received a copy of SURRENDER YOUR SONS from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
I was absolutely floored that I was given the opportunity to read this eARC as it was my first ever NetGalley "wish" from a publisher- I'm very thankful for the opportunity!
*Be warned, I'm somewhat vague in this review- but some stuff could be seen as potential spoilers*
This has been on my radar ever since I first heard about it a few months back, I heard that a debut author had penned a story about an actual nightmare that many gay teens may have worried about ever being a possibility. When I came out in high school, gay conversion therapy and gay conversion camps were something I'd heard about, but never really worried about much. To me it seemed to be a concept too messed up to ever actually exist, parents would never actually hate the idea of their own children being LGBT so much as to send them to these types of establishments right? As I grew older, I realized that this wasn't something "cooked up" to scare young gay teens into being straight, and that this was something that apparently still happens today. While the practice is illegal in many states, it still exists in others. What an actual freaking nightmare.
I had a tough time coming up with a genre for this book. Horror? Because why the hell do these things exist? Thriller? Because of the panic the characters go through? Fantasy? Because this shit can't be real, right? I ultimately decided on thriller because I think it more closely aligns with the content of the book, even though horror would fit too.
The book is about a recently (and forcibly) outed gay teen who is unexpectedly and dramatically removed from his normal life and is dumped at a gay conversion camp. Confused and a little freaked out, he immediately attempts to figure out how to get the hell of the island he was brought to. Along the way he realizes that he doesn't just need to escape the island, but to bring it down and stop the whole operation.
Reading this as a teen, I would probably be freaked out that this could happen to me. The details are extremely vivid, no doubt in an attempt to highlight just how messed up these camps can be, and haunting. One event in particular had my jaw on the floor, another had me smiling and hugging my kindle close to my chest. I didn't particularly care for the ending, but you know what? So many gay youth don't get a happy ending like we all want. So many gay youth live traumatic lives and don't get the opportunity to achieve their dreams. So I'm okay with the ending, the realness of this book is powerful. The events that happen are real, have happened, and unfortunately may still happen until something is done to end conversion therapy.
Overall, I devoured this book. Even though some of the subject matter was a bit tough to deal with, I still think it's an important read. I definitely laughed, cried, shook my head, and slammed my kindle down on the bed multiple times, but I'm still so glad I read it. This is one that will be with me for a long, long time. As an educator, I am excited to have this in my classroom library and would happily recommend it to my students.
Thanks again to Flux, North Star Editions, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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