By no means a book to knock 'em out of the park, this is a great book none-the-less. It's the kind someone could turn to if looking for fiction where homosexuality and religion resolves itself peacefully and realistically. It's also reminiscent of those books I flew through in middle school. Although those were 'easy' and 'light' this books has a similar feel, it packs a good message and is something that teens in search of some positive stories should not miss. You won't be wasting your time here, even if you don't think it's 'brilliant' or 'a waste of time'.

From Book Obsession: http://bookobsessiongpl.blogspot.com/2012/04/kearstens-book-club-god-box-by-alex...

"This past Monday night, book club members gathered to discuss Alex Sanchez's The God Box, a realistic/contemporary fiction title in which Paul, a born-again Christian in a small-town, struggles to reconcile his devotion to his faith with his growing attraction to the new boy in school, Manuel, an openly gay Christian.

Our conversation was respectful and thoughtful, ranging from censorship (one book club member attends a private school, and after a curious teacher read the book's summary, he told the student to leave the book at home), to self-acceptance, tolerance and 'loving thy neighbor', and finally, to fictional grandmothers (Paul's Abuelita was COMPLETELY charming).

Though we did agree that The God Box got a little preachy/pedantic at times (the text includes a LOT of Bible verses, causing several of us to check the book against family Bibles while we read), and relied on a couple of very stereotypical, flat characters, overall the group liked it, giving it an average of 6 on a scale of 1-10.

Looking for other books that deal with struggling with one's faith, sexuality, or with homophobia? Try these titles, all suggested by Kearsten's Book Club members!

The less-dead by April Lurie. (Teen Fiction) Sixteen-year-old Noah Nordstrom, whose father is the host of a popular evangelical Christian radio program, believes that the person who has been killing gay teenagers in the Austin, Texas, foster care system, is a regular caller on his dad's show.

Shine by Lauren Myracle. (Teen Fiction) When her best friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover the culprits in her small North Carolina town.

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker. (Teen Fiction) High school junior Lacey finds herself questioning the evangelical Christian values she has been raised with when a new boy arrives in her small town.

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan. (Adult Fiction) In the future, abortion has become a crime as a series of events threatens the existence of the United States. One woman wakes up to discover that her skin color has been changed to red as punishment for having the procedure done. Now she must embark on a dangerous journey in order to find refuge from a hostile and threatening society.

Posted by Kearsten Labels: faith, guilt, homophobia, homosexuality, Kearsten, Kearsten's Book Club, realistic fiction, self-acceptance, teen fiction ( )

Not as good as Robin Reardon but interesting. ( )

Homosexuality and christianity are two concepts that is no easy to put in the same sentence without them being at the opposite.

Paul is the perfect teenager: a beloved son, an attentive boyfriend, a good friend, he is perfect in anything he wants to achieve. But I felt something uneasy in Paul, a drive to be accepted that is almost unhealthy: Paul is a latino american, but when he moved to Texas with his parents, he was the odd kid out and the only to accept him was Angie, a kid his same age who was beautiful and kind, and very religious. Angie is the good kind of religious girl, the type who really understands the concept of “love your neighbor as yourself”. In the little child Paolo, the concept to be accept was similar to the concept be like Angie, if he was like Angie he would be part of a group. And so little Paolo became Paul, and he also became a good Christian boy, every Sunday in the church, and of course he became also Angie’s boyfriend. To excel in everything was for Paul a proof that he was one of them, one of the good boy.

When he is a teenager, Paul starts to have “strange” feelings for other guys, feelings that Paul is more than able to indentify, but that he doesn’t want to acknowledge: being gay means being not perfect, it’s against the religion he was taught, it’s against the life he is expecting to have, it’s, above all, against his feelings for Angie, being gay means that he has to leave Angie, and leaving Angie is something he doesn’t want to consider, Angie represents everything little Paolo wanted.

When Manuel, an out and proud gay guy, transfer to their school, it’s not the first time Paul was questioning his sexuality. It’s not fault, or merit, of Manuel that Paul realizes he is gay, Manuel is only giving to Paul the proof that there is another way to consider the question, being gay doesn’t mean being excluded, being unhappy, being a paria. Manuel is not hiding his feelings, and moreover, he is not denying his love for Jesus Christ and God; Manuel achieved the result of accepting himself and at the same time continuing to love God and religion, only that his concept of God and religion is a concept of love and acceptance, not a concept of refusal and limitation.

Paul and Manuel’s path is not easy, and they will have a chance only since, among the majority of people who will refuse them, they will find also people who will accept them, not since those people are good or kind, but simply since those people will understand that Paul and Manuel are like any other teenager.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1416909001/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

This book was a book that turned around my thinking of homosexuality completely.
Paul lives in a small town, he's a Christian, and he has a girlfriend. When Manuel comes, Paul questions everything he once believed - God and his sexuality, forcing him to ask himself two questions: "am I gay?" and "is it okay to be gay?" He answers his questions with help from his former girlfriend, Angie; his new friend, Manuel; and the Bible. ( )