When you are an openly bi high schooler moving from liberal, open California, to conservative, highly religious Utah, things change for reasons that aren't always comfortable. Tanner hides his true feelings in order to blend in better in a town where he already stands out, as he is not a member of the LDS church. When he meets the TA in his senior writing seminar, his carefully hidden secret is in danger of being revealed. But there is no way the strict Mormon former student at his high school would be interested in him. 
 Tanner knows himself, even if he keeps his true self quiet in his new conservative hometown. He is pretty sure his close friends wouldn't care if he came out as bi, but he also knows his best friend would be hurt. She might be harboring secret feelings for him. I really liked the friendship between Tanner and Autumn. It was real. It was everything a friendship between a boy and a girl faces during high school. 
 Sebastian faces some of the biggest self-questioning and reflection of any of the characters in this book. I hurt from the beginning watching this relationship blossom, as the biggest conflict was one I could see from a mile away. 
 The allies developed in so many of the side characters gave hope to what would otherwise feel like an impossible relationship. Tanner and Sebastian find allies all around them, in places they would never have imagined. But even having allies around, there is a lot for Sebastian to have to figure out to decide if he can even have a relationship with Tanner. 
 Some of the religious focus felt heavy handed, but to someone not familiar with the LDS church it is necessary to set the scenes the characters face. Having grown up in an area with a large LDS population, most of the religious aspects were very familiar to me and grew tedious. 
 But that being said, religion and the views of religious bodies is a huge plot point in this story, and the way Tanner and Sebastian face their roadblocks are understandable from both of their perspectives. 
 This was not an easy read by any sense of the word, and there were times I wished it moved faster because it was so heavy. But it was also worth the pain in the way it made me think about stereotypes, religious communities, and family loyalty. 
 I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.