EVERY STAR THAT FALLS

Back home after a stint in the psychiatric ward, Jeff is ready to embrace being an openly gay high school student in this sequel to Suicide Notes (2008).

Jeff’s outlook on life and confidence in his identity transformed during his 45 days in the hospital after attempting suicide. But returning to school means facing his best friend, Allie, and the boy he kissed—who is also Allie’s boyfriend. Further complicating matters, fellow patient Rankin, whom Jeff had sex with during his hospital stay, is now his classmate. At a support group for LGBTQ+ teenagers, Jeff makes new friends, including Goldie, a gay boy with three dads in a triad, and Chrys, a queer Filipino person who uses they/them pronouns. Jeff navigates new crushes and relationships as he adjusts to regular life and gears up for being in the school musical. In the author’s note, Ford expresses how much has changed since Suicide Notes was published; while this story takes place immediately after the events of the first book, the setting is contemporary, allowing for an optimistic story as Jeff is mostly met with acceptance and discovers queer community. The queer joy throughout is the highlight, although slow pacing, particularly at the beginning, and a lack of rich character development make the book somewhat bland. Most primary characters, including Jeff, are cued white.

Fans of the first book may be satisfied, but it likely won’t stand out to new readers.