Kate Walker (2) (1950–)

A young adult novel, told from the first person perspective of a 15 year old boy exploring and questioning his sexuality. Something about the voice didn't ring true with me, but admittedly I know very little about 15-year-old boys, and I don’t read a lot of YA fiction. I think what I'm perceiving is that the author had a point to make (that there are all sorts of variations of "normal"), and felt it was best made from the point of view of a 15 year old boy, but perhaps she isn’t quite as clear on how they think as she ought to be either. Peter is a sensitive boy, sometimes sounding much younger than 15, and sometimes displaying insight beyond his years. His older brother seems a bit too teenager-ish for a university student, too. For that matter, none of the characters quite worked for me. They all felt just a bit too tailored to their roles, not quite stereotypes, but mighty close. I think the book, while it does have a lot to recommend it, suffers from a cultural disconnect---it was written almost 20 years ago (Original publication date is 1993), when maybe the subject of accepting the possibility of one’s own homosexuality was less talked about than it is now.
NOTE: Review written in 2007 Minor editing before posting in 2012… (meer)

Kate Walker's Peter is a coming-of-age story told from the first person perspective of 15 year old Peter Dawson, who starts to question his sexuality after meeting his older brother's gay friend, David. David is tall, good-looking, perfectly dressed; everything that Peter is not. Peter hides his sensitive side and his love of photography from the local boys by joining them in their dirt bike races, and is increasingly concerned by his disinterest in girls; something the other boys only ever talk about. After meeting David, Peter begins to understand that you can't be the person that other people think you should be, that you can only be the person you yourself are meant to be.

I was surprised by Kate Walker's portrayal of the confusion and sometimes self-hatred that can come with discovering your sexuality may not be the "norm." Having gone through many of these same emotions myself, I could relate to Peter and sympathize with his character. I think this would be an excellent book for any young person who is questioning their sexuality to read.… (meer)