The Romantic ­Tragedies of a Drama King

Gr 8 Up–British 16-year-old Patrick (who goes by Patch) is in search of his first boyfriend, and he needs to have one before prom in December. Enter Sam and Peter, who have both recently joined the after-school Drama Club; Patch can’t decide which one to choose. He isn’t even sure that they are also attracted to boys, but one of them just must be the right guy for him. Patch quickly falls head over heels for Peter, the newly transplanted American who, as it turns out, is still reeling from his breakup with his girlfriend back in New York. Further, Patch has convinced himself that Sam doesn’t care for him in the slightest. Amid preparations for his upcoming performance in Sweeney Todd, Patch learns the painful difficulties of building, breaking, and mending relationships. In his debut novel, Trevaldwyn successfully captures the intense, and often rushed, emotions that come with being a teenager. Patch and supporting characters all read as white.