Destination Unknown transports readers to the year 1987 in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Micah, a teen who knows he’s gay but very much closeted, is at a dance club pretending to be an extrovert to please his friends. When Micah meets CJ, an out and proud guy whose fearlessness and exuberance shine brightly, Micah can’t help but be attracted to and scared for the boy who travels so proudly through life. As their lives become more and more entangled in the AIDS epidemic that’s decimating their community, Micah and CJ’s budding friendship and romance will be tested time and again—but it will also serve as a lifeline in a time of utter uncertainty. With a bond that will determine the course of their futures, can these two find their way when the final destination is unknown?
To say that Destination Unknown completely caught me by surprise would be a crass understatement. I don’t know what I was expecting from this novel, but goddamn, did it deliver! Destination Unknown had me hooked from its very first sentence and didn’t even let me go after finishing it. I don’t want to talk about the plot too much because I feel like the best thing you can do is read this book without knowing where it’s headed, so let me gush about everything else instead.
What drew me into Destination Unknown was the vivid characters Konigsberg creates. Much of what drives this story is the crass juxtaposition between Micah and CJ. On the one hand, we have Micah who is closeted for a multitude of reasons that could all be condensed to stigma—Micah fears AIDS, fears the reactions from his parents, fears being part of a community that has received nothing but backlash from everyone else. Then we have CJ, who is as out as you can be—he’s not afraid to be himself, act and dress the way he likes no matter what others say and he’s also not one to be shamed for his sex-positive mindset. To watch these two boys who grew up in the same world and yet didn’t fall in love with each other is spellbinding. Every interaction, every prejudice, every point of contention between them was impossible to look away from—my eyes were glued to the pages. In part, I think, this was because I related to both characters and understood where they were coming from— Micah has valid reasons for being scared and holding back and CJ has even more for spending the time he has on this earth being exactly who he wants to be, no matter what others try to tell him. Yet their connection is so genuine that you can’t help but feel angry, sad, happy, ecstatic and terrified for both of them throughout the novel.
The way Konigsberg reflects on the AIDS crisis in this novel is also incredibly powerful. Granted, I can’t speak for its representation since I—well, I wasn’t around back then—but the way Konigsberg manages to transport you to that time period and describe the AIDS crisis in both an educational and emotional way is incredible. I’ve read quite a few novels that thematise this time period but never have I felt so…connected to the lingering fear and, in turn, the overarching theme of love being love than while reading Destination Unknown. This book somehow manages to show both what people must have gone through back then—especially queer men—while also showing the power of love, community and acceptance and how, yes, we need a cure, but we also need to drop prejudice surrounding this illness. This is very much a story that emphasizes the importance of having a good support system, of educating yourself on topics such as safe sex and HIV and most of all, not forgetting that kindness and contact shouldn’t be taken away the second someone gets sick.
Honestly, I can’t recommend this book enough—there’s really no way to put into words how much I not only learned but gained emotionally from Destination Unknown thanks to its emphasis on community and support but I wish this was a novel that kids had to read in school, if only to show them the inherent and indestructible power of kindness.
A poignant story about what it was like to come of age during the AIDS epidemic in 1980s New York City, Destination Unknown is at times funny, ecstatic, gut-wrenching, devastating, life-affirming and most of all, a timely reminder that while love might not cure all ills, it certainly is the best thing we humans do.
Destination Unknown is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 6th 2022.
Will you be picking up Destination Unknown? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
From Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg, a remarkable, funny, sexy, heartbreaking story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic.
The first thing I noticed about C.J. Gorman was his plexiglass bra.
So begins Destination Unknown — it’s 1987 in New York City, and Micah is at a dance club, trying to pretend he’s more out and outgoing than he really is. C.J. isn’t just out — he’s complete out there, and Micah can’t help but be both attracted to and afraid of someone who travels so loudly and proudly through the night.
A connection occurs. Is it friendship? Romance? Is C.J. the one with all the answers… or does Micah bring more to the relationship that it first seems? As their lives become more and more entangled in the AIDS epidemic that’s laying waste to their community, and the AIDS activism that will ultimately bring a strong voice to their demands, whatever Micah and C.J. have between them will be tested, strained, pushed, and pulled — but it will also be a lifeline in a time of death, a bond that will determine the course of their futures.
In Destination Unknown, Bill Konigsberg returns to a time he knew well as a teenager to tell a story of identity, connection, community, and survival.
I wish this was posted a bit closer to the publication date! I’m really interested but will probably forget by the time September rolls around….