Guest post written by author Matthew Hubbard
Matthew Hubbard writes the kind of stories he wished he’d had as a teen in rural Alabama. He grew up on a mountaintop farm and knows more than he is willing to admit about small towns. He studied English, marketing, and psychology in college and has spent a majority of his life speaking up to make a difference. When he isn’t writing, Matthew can be found on a hike in search of breathtaking views, reading as many books as he can get his hands on, and cheering for his favorite hockey team. He lives in Chattanooga with his husband, their dogs, Layla and Phillip, and Jay Gatsby the cat.
Releasing April 30th, The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge is his first novel and it’s a queer coming-of-age story about three teenage boys in small town Alabama who set out to get revenge on their ex-boyfriends and end up starting a student rebellion.
Imagine yourself in a white room. Got it? Okay.
Now let’s unpack your memories. Put your childhood in the corner—all those times you played with your friends and watched cartoons. The ceiling is for your dreams, the wildest ones you can imagine. Go ahead and hang your accomplishments on the walls, showcasing diplomas, awards, photos, and whatever else makes you proud. The floor is for your failures. Think of that one mistake you regret or all your wasted plans.
Still with me? I need you to imagine yourself holding a can of paint in your favorite color. Get a grip on the handle and spin around. Splash the walls of the white room.
Now you’re standing in a room with your childhood in a corner, dreams on the ceiling, accomplishments on the walls, and failures on the floor. Everything is drenched with paint. Do you know what each splatter is? Those are the moments that make us who we are.
For me, growing up as a queer person in the South felt like hiding in those paint splatters. They were the moments when I wanted to play dolls, the haunting dream that made me question everything, or the fight I had because someone called me a slur. These instances were embarrassing and filled me with shame at the time. Now I can look back, as though standing in a white room where paint has been splattered, and see those moments laid out as part of the larger picture of my life. They made me who I am, only I didn’t realize it until much later, when I picked up my first LGBTQ+ young adult novel. All those moments began to make sense as I discovered myself in the pages of a book. It was the first time I truly saw myself, and I felt like I didn’t have to hide my identity. It was both life-changing and lifesaving—a driving force to where I am today, writing young adult books for queer teens so they can see themselves like I did.
Representation on the page allows readers to come of age and come into their unique identity without embarrassment or shame. However, it’s more than that. Seeing themselves represented as a main character lets readers know they aren’t alone. It’s crucial for those coming of age during turbulent times when people in power are attempting to repress their identities. While writing my debut novel The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge, Florida HB 1557 (the “Don’t Say Gay” bill) began targeting queer students. It only furthered the need to remind them that they deserve to be here. Through Ezra, Lucas, and Finley (the Last Boyfriends), I wanted to show readers that all their paint-splattered memories—of their childhood, accomplishments, dreams, and even failures—belonged. These teens, while seeking revenge on their ex-boyfriends, begin to use their voices to fight a bigger foe when their school’s anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives try to force them to hide.
Historically, our LGBTQ+ community has faced opposition, and due to legislation like Florida HB 1557, courtrooms and despicable news networks continue to weaponize our identities. It’s a fight we’ve been forced to endure, an excruciating one that we have battled tirelessly. My characters channel their rage into this fight. They aren’t hiding in the paint splatters. Instead, they’re embracing all the aspects of their identity and claiming their right to be here.
The Last Boyfriends, along with real-life student heroes like Jack Petocz, the student activist who led a walkout in Florida over HB 1557 that caught the attention of the nation, are demanding justice for our community. Showcasing this new age of activism strengthened my anger into resilience alongside my characters. I hope this toughness reminds young adult readers that they are strong too. They have the power within them to make a difference.
EXCERPT of The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge
“No, wait,” I said, trying to grab it from him.
“Why are you freaking?” He pulled the varsity jacket out of my bag. “Uh . . . why the hell do you still have this?”
“It’s not what it looks like.”
“That you’re still holding on to him?” Finley asked with raised eyebrows.
“The fuck? No. No, no, no.” But there was a small voice in the back of my mind that pissed me off. Aren’t you, though? “I just, uh, didn’t wanna give him the satisfaction of returning it.”
“You should do the Maeve Kimball breakup challenge,” Lucas suggested, tossing the jacket onto the table.
“Yeah, dude. Toss his shit so he doesn’t take up space in your backpack, or your mind.”
“Eh . . .”
If I did that TikTok, then everyone would know I was with a football player. I stared down at the HVHS lion, Presley’s threat weighing on me. Embarrassing me. Who’ d believe you? People like me don’t date people like you.
“I don’t want anyone to know it’s me.”
“Just make an anonymous alt account like mine,” Lucas said with a duh expression. “It might make you feel better.”
“Maybe . . . but I’d def feel better about everything if I could play Presley like he played me.” My eyes slid over to the notebook, and I pulled out the form I’d gotten from the front office earlier. “I overheard York and Superintendent Bett talking about how Presley was the ‘right kind’ of student to represent HVHS. How he was guaranteed to win Winter Formal King, just like Homecoming. So what if . . .”
Lucas let out a tiny, shocked gasp as realization set in. “You’re gonna run against Presley for Lion King.”
“I checked the rules, and there’s nothing about juniors not being able to run.”
Finley slapped the table with a loud ha! “With you campaigning against him, Presley will worry his ass off about you telling everyone what he did.”
“I won’t out him,” I said quickly. “I’m not a snake like LJM3. But I want him to doubt everything he’s ever done as much as I do. Show him, show this school and their stupid Watch What You Say initiative, that I can at least be one of the top two candidates on the final ballot. Be part of the Winter Formal Court. Represent HVHS as a queer student. As Presley’s equal.”
“You’re gonna be out there actin’ up,” Finley said with a gleam in his eye. “And I. Am. Living for it.”
“Maybe if I get enough votes—”
“With us as your campaign managers,” Lucas began, rubbing his hands together, “we’ll get you on the Winter Formal Court, trust.”
Nerves fluttered through my stomach as they both looked up at me. Could I really do this, put myself out there? It would mean no more hiding. But maybe I was tired of hiding. Tired of being a background character in my ex’s story, tired of being forced to the sidelines by HVHS’s stupid rules.
It was time to make our own rules.
