ARC Review: Autoboyography by Christina Lauren

Autoboyography
Author: Christina Lauren
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT
Release Date: September 12th 2017
Book Length: 288

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 

Fangirl meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this funny and poignant coming-of-age novel from New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren about two boys who fall in love in a writing class—one from a progressive family and the other from a conservative religious community.

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester—Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.

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Do you have tissues? No? Then put this book down and get some, you are going to need them! This book tore out my heart, then healed it, then broke it again. Honestly it’s just one viscous cycle of emotions, I felt so much! Two boys, two wildly different backgrounds and a love that can never be allowed to happen? Like I said, grab those tissues! 

 Autoboyography is about Tanner Scott and how his life is turned upside down and inside out in the space of a few weeks. In his final year of college he decides to take a seminar class were he’s expected to write a book in four months. It’s in his seminar class that he meets Sebastian Brother, a Mormon and honor roll student who sold the rights to his own novel the year before in the same class. While still at college and preparing for his book launch Sebastian is this year's seminar TA.

"It opens with a boy and a girl, a dare, and crumbs on a bed.

But where it really begins is with a double take and the words "His smile ruins me."

So by now it’s obvious that Tanner falls head over heels in love with Sebastain and I know it’s not possible but it honestly feels like the phrase ‘head over heels’ was created for Tan and Seb. This is an actual love story and brilliant one at that.

But if a tree falls in the woods, maybe in makes no sound.”

And if a boy falls for the closeted bishop’s son, maybe it makes no story.””

This book is funny, awkward and so painfully real that it’s impossible to read this book with any type of emotional distance, you are transported into the lives of Tanner and Sebastian; when they’re happy, you’re elated, when they’re sad you’re downright devastated. I know with absolute certainly that I will be coming back to reread this book time and time again.

Autoboyography tackles sexuality and religion with such care but also explores how one person can’t be defined by these factors. There was also really interesting family dynamics with both characters. One of my favourite characters was Tanner’s parents especially his mother, she left the Mormon community when she was a teenager and fears for her son being involved with Sebastian. Her relationship with Tanner was truly heart-warming, she’s so supportive and proud of him and goes above and beyond to show him.

“I forget not everyone lives in a household where a parent sleeps in a MY QUEER KID RULES nightgown.”

Overall this book was everything!! I fell in love from the opening pages. Autoboyography will break you and put you back together again, it’s a beautiful love story about finding yourself, being exactly who you are and of course falling desperately in love.