This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 Openly Straight is one of those novels that is so fantastic for so many different reasons. It's a layered story with complex characters and I hope my review does it justice. 
 To start out, I liked that it wasn't a coming out story. Not that I don't think coming out stories are important. I just think there are a lot out there already and there are other issues that need to be addressed. Particularly the issues of labels. Rafe wants to go to boarding school because he's tired of being known as "the gay guy." It's not that people aren't understanding or accepting. But anyone is going to be annoyed if you're only known for one thing. People are complex and I understood Rafe's desire to be known for more than just being gay. His methods may not have been the wisest but I think his motivation is something all readers - young and old, gay or straight - will be able to relate to. 
 In addition to labels, Openly Straight is also about friendship and the different forms love can take. Throughout Rafe's experiment at boarding school, we get an up close and personal look at his relationships with a bunch of different people - his parents, his best friend, her nerdier roommates and in particular a boy named Ben. He loves all of these people in different ways and each relationship affects him and changes him. I liked that Bill Konigsberg didn't just focus this story on Rafe finding a boyfriend/falling in love. He made his story a lot more rounded than that. 
 An added bonus to Openly Straight were the bits of writing advice that appeared as the story progressed. As part of one of Rafe's classes, he submits a journal that is read and critiqued by his creative writing teacher. As an aspiring writer myself, I found a lot of tips incredibly helpful in terms of examining my own work and I think others will too. 
 Finally this book really made me want to move to Boulder CO. It just seems so wonderful there! It was a nice juxtaposition of the incredibly accepting area that Rafe comes from and a the more challenging (though not expressly negative one) that Rafe moves to. 
 Recommendation: An absolute must read for contemporary fans, Openly Straight is a touching and poignant read that will speak to readers of all ages.