I am so torn on this book. I have so many conflicting emotions on such a wide spectrum. A part of me absolutely loves it, but a part of me hates it. (Hence my middle-of-the-road star rating.) My reasoning: 
 I love it: When the summary compared Billy Abbott to the likes of Owen Meany and T.S. Garp, it wasn't lying. There's something endearing about the way Billy views his world: He has an innocence about it, that despite his "crushes on the wrong people" (ie, men) he doesn't see anything wrong with himself. He's trying to find himself in a world where homosexuality is shunned--his teachers aim to change anyone who admits to such feelings--but not once does he consider he's "wrong." 
 There are many other loveable characters, my favorite of which is Grandpa Harry. He's a cross-dressing old man who encourages Billy to find out "who he is." And I can't not love Kittredge, the stereotypical bastard/Billy's love interest. What a jerk. He's great. 
 I hate it: Firstly, Billy is a self-proclaimed bisexual, but this isn't accurate. He's pansexual, as he's also attracted to people who fall outside the gender spectrum. But this term isn't used once. I thought that maybe pansexuality wasn't well-known in the era this was set (the 50s/60s), which I could understand, but once you get to at least the 90s it should be a known term in that "community." 
 Speaking of the community: It's not until the end that you find two gay men who don't have sex with everyone. If I knew nothing of homosexuality, I would be under the impression that all gays have loose morals and sleep around with each other. And who cares about monogamy? Certainly gays aren't into that. 
 I'm torn because I loved the story and the way it was presented. It read like a memoir; from the beginning we know that Billy is an old man reflecting on his life. But it's his life I have a problem with. I don't buy it. People are defined by more than their sexual preference and Billy, even in his old age, never stops thinking about it. Ask me in a month what I know about Billy Abbott aside from him being bisexual (sorry, pansexual), and I won't have any idea.