Book Review: Absolutely, Positively Not by David LaRochelle

"There is one thing Steven knows for sure: He's absolutely, positively NOT gay.
Steven's a 16-year-old boy with two obsessions: sex and getting his driving license. The problem is, Steven's not thinking girls when he's thinking sex. Could he be -- don't say it -- gay? Steven sets out to get in touch with his inner he-man with Healthy Heterosexual Strategies such as "Start Hanging Out with the Guys," and "Begin Intensive Dating." But are Steven's tactics going to straighten him out, or leave him all twisted up?

Absolutely hilarious. Positively sidesplitting. But absolutely, positively NOT GAY!"

Genre: Contemporary, YA
Pages: 219 (Paperback)
First published: June 1st 2005

This book is such a quick and light read, one that you could read in two hours. It has a simple but fun storyline and follows a teenage boy who is trying to make sure that he is NOT gay. It is the main theme in this book and therefore everything that Steven says, thinks or does has to do with being gay. I liked it because I love gay people, but if you're not exactly attracted to those people, don't read it                                                                     because Steven also likes to think about male.. bodyparts.


Steven is not an ignorant, boring kind of guy who is simply sexually confused, but because of something he gets from school, he starts to imagine that he just might be gay. What basically happens is that he starts hanging out with the cool guys in school, he starts dating and kissing girls and attempts to buy a Playboy magazine.

Steven is hilarious, especially in his attempts to fall in love and get a succesful date with a girl he doesn't even know. The ending of the book isn't a surprise, it's very predictable, but somehow it doesn't ruin the effect. I think that this is because his character is playful and kind of idiotic. The writer did a great job at creating the obvious effect of a small, nerdy boy sitting with the big and muscled hockeyplayers, which I think everyone can visualize.

There is really nothing special about this book, no big plottwists or special characters. It does have a cute ending, which I appreciated, but like I already said, it's just a book for inbetween and not one you should get super excited about.

So, as an end to this short review, I'd say go pick it up if you want to read a simple but enjoyable book about a teenager who is trying to figuring out whether he is gay or not, including a society that offers a handbook to turn your kid from gay to straight, if you'd ever need it.
I gave the book 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads!