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PRAISE FOR K.M. SOEHNLEIN AND THE WORLD OF NORMAL BOYS

New York Blade bestseller

Washington Blade bestseller

One of the 10 Best Gay Novels of the year as selected by Amazon.com

A Selection of the InSight Out Book Club

A Selection of the QPB Book Club

“A stunning debut novel. While the setting is impeccably established, this is no nostalgic romp through tacky pop culture. Beneath the polyester veneer lies a work of uncommon craftsmanship which successfully chronicles the torrential turmoils seething within a thirteen-year-old as his life takes a sudden, dramatic change. Through Robin, Soehnlein explores a number of issues and dilemmas which readers of all ages will find relevant. Raw and painful (but in a good way), The World of Normal Boys may have to be put down several times, but you’ll soon find yourself picking it up again to discover what happens.”

—Southern Voice

“A gay teen’s coming-of-age tale with a nostalgic twist, The World of Normal Boys captures a familiar world where conformists are rewarded, and anyone different is tormented. Soehnlein is at his best when describing scenes in which Robin’s confusion runs up against the cultish homoerotic behavior of boys. By articulating the feeling of danger so well, Soehnlein sheds light on the threat of self-expression and discovery that must haunt many gay teenagers. It’s easy to get hooked on the plot of The World of Normal Boys.”

—The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut)

“Every once in a while a book comes along that grabs you, pulls you in, and—even after you’ve finished the last page—refuses to let go. Such a book is The World of Normal Boys. Flawless in its physical and emotional detail, the story of Robin MacKenzie is one boy’s spiritual awakening—funny, heartbreaking, but most of all, real—familiar to anyone who has ever dared to dream about the world beyond their front door.”

—William J. Mann, author of The Biograph Girl

and The Men From the Boys

“Wonderful . . . a well-written tale.”

—After Dark (Chicago)

More Outstanding Praise for

K.M. SOEHNLEIN and THE WORLD OF NORMAL BOYS

“... captures that queasy, terrifying adolescent period of questioning sexuality.”

—The Washington Blade

“Soehnlein’s astonishing, heartfelt tale of growing up different in the suburbs is as vivid and fascinating as a page from a high school yearbook. The seventies unfurl here like a polyester shirt: sexy, ugly, utterly unsuitable to the demands of childhood. For everyone who was ever picked on in their youth, here is comfort, revenge and understanding.”

—Stacy Richter, author of My Date With Satan

“Compulsively readable . . . Because his characters are so engaging and his observations so acute, [Soehnlein’s] story is a welcome addition to the canon. In Robin, Soehnlien has given us a character ready to handle anything the world throws at him.”

—The Lambda Book Report

“Soehnlein skillfully depicts the background era of the late 1970s. He sensitively portrays Robin’s awakening homosexuality and is especially effective when detailing the family dynamics.”

—The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

“The World of Normal Boys is so richly evocative of the year in which it is set, 1978, that the novel will have special meaning for those readers old enough to remember such scary ephemera as the Bee Gees, Saturday Night Fever, feathered hair and powder blue leisure suits. The World of Normal Boys is often so true to life in its recollection of the bittersweet conundrums of adolescent queer love that it will prove painful for some readers. Others will be elated to revisit a time in life when emotions were never so vivid or held greater promise. Either way, readers will not fail to be moved by this engaging story of spiritual and mental awakening.”

—San Francisco Frontiers