7.2 /10 1 Votes
3.4/5 Barnes & Noble Language English Publication date June 2005 Pages 224 Genre Fiction | 3.8/5 Goodreads Country United States Publisher Arthur A. Levine Books Media type Print (hardcover) Originally published June 2005 Page count 224 Cover artist Chip Kidd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Awards Sid Fleischman Award for Humor Similar David LaRochelle books, Sid Fleischman Award for Humor winners, Homosexuality books | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Scholastic booktalk for absolutely positively not
Absolutely, Positively Not, also known as Absolutely, Positively Not Gay is the first book by author David LaRochelle. The book centers on a 16-year-old homosexual boy, who struggles with his sexual feelings.
Contents
Plot summary
Steven DeNarsky, a 16-year-old Superman fan, starts to develop sexual feelings for his substitute homeroom teacher, Mr. Bowman. Steven tries to reassure himself by buying such magazines like Playboy and the Victoria's Secret catalog, and dating attractive girls. Unable to bottle his emotions any longer, he confesses to his friend, Rachel, that he is gay. To his surprise, Rachel and her entire family had previously assumed that Steven was gay. Rachel urges Steven to create a gay/lesbian alliance club at their high school, but Steven is not optimistic about completely "coming out of the closet". Steven later does reveal that he is gay to both his parents, who don't think much of it. Steven eventually accepts his homosexuality by attending a teen gay/lesbian club, but mistakenly goes when it is specifically a lesbian meeting. Despite this, he has a good time and decides to embrace his homosexuality.
Reception
The novel was well received by Booklist Review and School Library Journal.