Intolerance and ignorance are both dangerous things, but both are a part of humans as a whole. Although there are plenty of accepting people in the world, there aren’t always enough. Homosexuality and gay marriage are both hot-button issues in this country, even though they shouldn’t be. In small towns, it can be even worse. Lauren Myracle specializes in young adult novels and takes the issue head on in her newest book Shine, which was published by Amulet Books.
Cat is a 16-year-old girl who lives in the small town of Black Creek, North Carolina. Although for the last years she has been withdrawn and reclusive due to “the incident”, Cat was once a vivacious and curious girl with a love of life. Her then-best friend, Patrick, was what Mama Sweetie called a “kindred spirit”. Because Patrick was a sweet boy who always tried to do the right thing, no one really had a problem with the fact that Patrick was gay, or as the church ladies call him, “light in his loafers”.
However, when Patrick is found beaten within an inch of his life and tied to one of the gas pumps at his work with a gas nozzle shoved down his throat, Cat realizes that she hasn’t been much of a friend to him. In fact, she hasn’t been much of anything. When a week passes and the sheriff decides that the culprits were out-of-towners, Cat decides that it’s time to join the land of the living and find out who hurt Patrick, even if it means facing her worst fears.
This book addresses so many issues in today’s society that everyone should read it. Myracle tackles homosexuality, bigotry, drug use, dysfunctional families and a myriad of other topics. She doesn’t flinch from the difficult areas and she doesn’t back down. Because of this, Shine blossomed as a tale of love, forgiveness, redemption and pain. The plot flows beautifully and the characters are interesting and guarded, which makes you want to learn as much about them as Cat does.
A portion of the proceeds from this book are being donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
You can find Shine at any of Tulsa’s local book stores: Barnes & Noble and Gardners.
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