He confides in his coach, a teacher, and a few friends before he is outed by an unscrupulous reporter for the school newspaper. This sets off a firestorm of national media attention, which Bobby faces bravely. At the same time, he also comes to terms with his father′s cancer, and he meets a young man, whom he starts to date. At the end, Bobby finds acceptance at home, at school, and with his friends. Most of the elements in this story, told in Bobby′s authentic first-person voice, ring true, from Bobby′s initial struggle with his sexual identity to the sometimes hostile reaction of his teammates. Bobby′s father′s illness adds an unnecessary element of melodrama, but this is a minor quibble with a thoughtful, powerful novel

Bill Konigsberg is a sports writer for The Associated Press. He received his MFA in Fiction from Arizona State University. 

His first novel, 'Out of the Pocket', was released on Sept. 18, 2008. A second, 'Not Exactly Hank', is scheduled to come out in 2010.