Because I already know all about the true story that inspired this novel, the book was nearly ruined for me. All eerie similarities to Brandon's real life aside (the accidental phone call and the rollerskating date, Brandon's girlfriend bailing him out of jail with a check her mother intended for the hairdresser, being put in a psychiatric ward after swallowing an entire bottle of antibiotics when his first serious girlfriend dumped him when she found out her boyfriend was really a girl...etc. ), this book is very good. You can't put it down- I read it in two days.

I was only disappointed that there wasn't even a paragraph about Brandon at the end or beginning of the book (but there was the little disclaimer paragraph that states any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.? ....or do they put that in all books?).

Like the movie "Boys Don't Cry", this book recounts the character's, in this case, Dean's, last month alive. So if the end seems rushed, it is. That's how it happened.

Written with an eye for small town desperation, and hidden desires that smolder beneath the smudged veneer, this book captivated me in a manner similar to Jeff Eugenides' "Virgin Suicides". An insightful look at our expectations and illusions, our needs and our denial. Good read.

The book is incredibly powerful. It deeply examines the meaning of gender in our culture.