Why this book needs to be on your shelves:
- It’s two coming out stories for the price of one
- Sibling dynamics in this one are so accurate it hurts
- The “second puberty” once you come out phenomenon is off the charts
- Your stomach will be hurting, both from laughter and from queasiness at some of the characters’ life choices
Review:
This book took me completely by surprise and there was so much I loved, from the dysfunctional family dynamics to the accurate portrayal of what it means to come out and how family and friends cope with it to the portrayal of frayed relationships that are not always beyond mending.
What I most enjoyed about this book, though, was the fact that we got a coming out story of a guy who’s just hit thirty. I’ve read a lot of coming out stories and I love that they’re so popular, but what I loved in The Magnificent Sons was that we got to see someone who has spent his life somewhat living in denial of his attraction to men actually realising that he is bisexual. There’s a lot of questioning about whether Jake is still bisexual if he ends up with a woman or whether he’s gay if he ends up with a guy and it just really resonated especially with all the stereotypes that are so often boosted about bisexuality and people being greedy. I loved that things weren’t clear cut from the get-go. Jake has a lot to figure out and most of that happens through trial and error. What does Jake like? What does he want out of life? Where does he see things going? We follow Jake on his journey to finding other LGBTQ+ peers while also learning that it’s not his job to make sure his parents are comfortable with his sexual orientation and that sometimes, the best thing you can do is give people space, even when they tell you they don’t need it.
It was also extremely cool to see the juxtaposition between Trick, who’s very out and proud about his sexuality and has already found his tribe, and Jake, who’s hesitantly searching for those who will accept him and realising that some of his old friends may not be who he thought they were once he comes out. Trick has his own cross to bear even though he’s almost always known that he is gay, and some issues are even partly Jake’s doing. Jake, on the other hand, resents how easily his brother deals with his sexuality (even discussing it on his YouTube channel for everyone to see) whereas to Jake, his newfound understanding of who he is upends his entire life. He has to break things off with his girlfriend who just moved in, stay at his parents’ home who don’t understand why he doesn’t just choose to be with a woman if he’s attracted to both men and women and so on – life really doesn’t give him any breaks in this emotional turmoil. It just really drove home the fact that coming out or coming to terms with your sexual orientation isn’t easy; there is no how-to guide that works for all and, though they are not often talked about, there are people who don’t know what or who they like when they’re teens. For some, it takes years to figure out and for others, it comes as easy as breathing. I really loved that we got two coming out stories in this one and that, despite the hiccups, eventually they both find their stride.
Neither Jake nor Trick is perfect. They both do and say things that are not only harmful, but also downright cruel. They kiss and fall for the wrong people, they let their frustrations out on innocents, and they love to butt heads with each other. However, both of them eventually grow from their mistakes and find a way to be supportive of each other instead of living in constant competition.
Portraying a realistic brother dynamic and not holding back on the hard truths of life, The Magnificent Sons highlights that there is no “one size fits all” mindset to coming out as well as that everyone has their own path in life, and that uniqueness only makes it that much more entertaining to walk.
The Magnificent Sons is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Two brothers. Two different journeys. The same hope of a magnificent future.
Jake D’Arcy has spent most of his twenty-nine years trying to get his life just right. He’s nearly there: great girlfriend, great friends, stable job. A distant relationship with his boisterous family – which is exactly the way he wants it. So why does everything feel so wrong?
When his popular, irritatingly confident teenage brother Trick comes out as gay to a rapturous response, Jake realises he has questions about his own repressed bisexuality, and that he can’t wait any longer to find his answers.
As Trick begins to struggle with navigating the murky waters of adult relationships, Jake begins a journey that will destroy his relationship with girlfriend Amelia, challenge his closest friendships, and force him to face up to the distance between him and his family – but offers new friends, fewer inhibitions, and a glimpse of the magnificent life he never thought could be his.
The Magnificent Sons tells the tale of two very different brothers, searching for the life they want – and for the person they want to be. Fans of The Last Romeo will delight in the same wicked sense of humour, for this timely coming-of-age story is as wise as it is witty and as sharply observed as it is deeply moving.
