Getting It- Alex Sanchez

Pages: 210

Published: 2007 Simon Pulse

Date Finished: 18th August 2011

Rating: 4 Stars ****

Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Carlos Amoroso is a virgin — and he isn't happy about it. He'd love to hook up with gorgeous Roxy, but she has no idea he's alive. Watching a TV show one night gives Carlos an idea: What if he got a makeover from Sal, a senior at his school who's gay? Sal agrees — but only if Carlos helps him start a Gay-Straight Alliance. Carlos doesn't expect the catch. What are his friends going to think? And is he ever going to get what he wants?

Review:

I don’t remember reading this book, as much as I do reading Alez Sanchez other novels, but am glad that I decided to pick this one up because it faced an important topic that I am always reminded exists.

Getting It starts our main character Carlos, who has the hots for a ‘Plastic’ hot-chick in his school. Stuck with his group of offensive and derogatory friends Carlos goes through life unnoticed by any girl let alone Roxy. It isn’t until after watching an episode of Queer eye for the Straight Guy that Carlos has an instantly wonderful idea to ask the school Gay [Sal] to help him land his lady. At first he is hesitant, but when the boys form a friendship things start to change for Carlos for better and for worse and that’s where the story picked up.

This novel was a little slower for me to get into than the last one I read, but none the less it starts with action and keeps going to the end. I love how developed the story becomes with each short chapter and felt more like I was watching a movie than reading a book at times as each passage flowed without a bump to the next one.

I loved the light humour in this novel. Several times I laughed out loud and smiled to myself warming to that wonderful feeling you get when you’re reading and relaxed. Sal was such a funny character and I almost wished that I had him as a friend to give me a make-over. I thought the take on Queer Eye for the Straight guy was fabulous and I loved that it was in a teenage setting. His friends though were complete and utter assholes and I wanted to rip the book up every time they made a snide comment about’ Fags’ or ‘Queen’s.

Throughout the novel we see Carlos progress dramatically in a way that I rarely see in life and that’s sad. It gave me faith that if one person can stand up for the rights we all know every human deserves than maybe we can help promote better education and understanding of LBGT people. Though at times regardless Carlos was an asshole –period and that annoyed the shit out of me.

This book expressed the topic of equal rights and Gay Straight Alliances wonderful and yet again I am not disappointed with Alex Sanchez.

It is a sad truth that Homophobia is alive and well, not just in Australia or America but around the world. It is with these books and there characters that we too can grow and learn about different aspects of homophobia and LGBT issues. I believe Getting it, is another novel teens can turn to Gay or Straight in both a time in need and for the joy of reading.