Micah is a gay teen in New York City in 1987 when he meets CJ, 18, at a club. Unlike CJ, a club is the last place quiet Micah is typically found. He’s closeted, and his only relationships have been secret hookups with a couple of “straight” boys at his school. He’s also grown up incredibly sheltered and has only recently gained some independence. CJ, by contrast, has been largely ignored and neglected by the adults in his life and feels certain there’s only a narrow margin between what safety he has and life on the streets. He works as a dancer at a gay night club and often goes out with mostly older men. It takes CJ a long time to drop his many defenses and be honest with Micah about his life; once he does, Micah is all in, falling in love with this beautiful boy who, when he isn’t busy doing whatever it takes to survive, delivers meals to men who are homebound with AIDS. Micah also comes out to his parents, who are trying but struggling in their efforts to support him. AIDS looms even larger in this book once both teens confess they’ve never been tested despite knowing they should be; they commit to getting tested together. Micah and CJ (both white) are characters to root for in this book alive with vivid details of New York City, the gay community’s rising AIDS activism, and the boys’ evolving and intimate relationship. (Age 14 and older)