Sometimes, very rarely, you stumble across a book and think: this book is going to change lives. Fin & Rye & Fireflies is one of those books. It is important and soul wrenching in the most delicious way.
It is about two boys: Fin, who just had his first kiss with a boy he likes, who then cruelly outs him to his parents, and Rye, who always thought being in a relationship would be everything he ever dreamed of and is now realising that it isn’t. At least not with his current boyfriend.
They meet when Fin and his family move to Rye’s town, to get Fin back on the ‘straight and narrow’ after the incident with Fin’s first kiss and are seeking a fresh start. Fin quickly integrates himself into Rye’s friend group, which is completed by Poppy and June and all four of them are part of the high school’s Queer-Straight-Alliance. When Fin and Rye start getting closer and closer, Fin’s parents intervene by sending him to conversion therapy. There is only one course of action for Rye and their friends: Get Fin out of there as soon as possible!
This book is everything and it offers everything. It not only has the most tender love story imaginable, it also touches on important subjects such as mental illness, bad relationships, bigotry, and when it comes to the conversion camp, it tackles straight up hostility and abuse.
The relationship between Fin and Rye is nothing short of beautiful. It is careful and it is all-consuming at the same time. It is everything a first love should be. It is impossible not to swoon and sigh in contentment while reading about these two precious boys falling in love with each other. From secret rendezvous in the midst of nature, to hand holding at school, to notes passing during class, this love story is like a huge rainbow cake with the very sweetest icing on top and it is absolutely addictive.
Another thing that is phenomenal is the representation in this book. We get to meet characters with different sexualities and gender identities, as well as POC characters and representation for anxiety and OCD. I was blown away with how much care the author describes these characters and how much they come alive while reading. Not at a single point does it feel like too much, there is exactly the perfect amount of heavy heartedness, seriousness, happiness, and love.
I especially enjoyed reading about the Queer-Straight-Alliance, their meetings and that these kids are determined to change the world. They are all stronger than they realise at various parts of this book and it was lovely to discover how courageous every single one of these kids can be when they feel that it is their time. Some other things that I desperately need to mention because they made my heart soar: The actual fireflies and Rye’s utter adoration for his dog. I just couldn’t get enough of it!
Fin & Rye & Fireflies gives off a clear message: You are strong and you are perfect the way you are.
This book is for everyone. Gay, straight, teenager, adult – I wish every single person on this earth would read this. I bet if they did, discussions about whether or not conversion therapy should be banned wouldn’t even be an issue anymore. The debate about which bathrooms should be used by trans people would seem absolutely absurd. This story is important because it doesn’t only show one side. It shows all the sides of everyone involved in this story. On top of all that, this is a book that manages to address serious topics while simultaneously exuding an overwhelming amount of love – not just between a romantic couple, but between friends and family members. Simply put: This is a book about love and life. And it is as beautiful as it is important.
Fin & Rye & Fireflies is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
“It started with a kiss…as love stories often do. Jesse Andrews had the arms of a Greek god and he was on the track team. The night of our kiss fell on a Friday.”
Then, only a few days later, Fin’s world is turned upside down – and not in a good head-over-heels-in-love way – when Jesse cruelly outs him. An event which ultimately leads to his family leaving town.
But a fresh start isn’t going to change the truth of who Fin is. And it’s not going to stop his sexuality causing everyone all sorts of problems. Everyone, that is, apart from his new best friend Poppy, her girlfriend-in-waiting June, and his new crush Rye… So, while Fin and Rye are enjoying some seriously intimate moonlit moments together, Fin’s parents decide to pack him off to the local ReSouled ‘therapy camp’.
It’s a nightmare – and there’s no easy way out. Can Fin’s squad hatch a plan outrageous enough to spring him before the ‘conversion’ acolytes force him into the straight and narrow?
