Fraternity

July 1, 2022
Queer teenagers unleash literal and metaphorical demons. In 1991, Zachary "Zooey" Orson Jr. leaves his fancy Upper East Side high school after a scandal involving a teacher and is starting his sophomore year at an even fancier all-boys boarding school in Adders Lair, Massachusetts. He's immediately targeted by both the school bully and the Vicious Circle, a well-established secret society of gay and bi students. Little does Zooey know that several VC members--campy queen Leo; his athlete boyfriend, Daniel; and Steven, who reads like a stereotype of an autistic person--have stolen a grimoire from the headmaster's desk and used it to make their lives a little easier. Homophobia and supernatural events collide, but after a delightfully intriguing first third, the story veers toward the sentimental. While an ancient evil force named Frateroth threatens the world via conspiracy tropes that, through referencing Hebrew and the control of banking, unfortunately evoke antisemitic stereotypes, the plot becomes bogged down with an overt desire to teach important lessons about history (ACT UP, Stonewall), racism (Zooey is White and Korean and passes as White; Daniel is Black), biphobia, and other topics through plot points that feel shoehorned-in and anachronistic flights of exposition. Teen readers with a taste for horror will have fun and they might learn something, but the two elements form an awkward whole. A ripping tale that ends up missing the mark. (author's note) (Horror. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 25, 2022
Three queer teens reckon with supernatural powers beyond their control in this sweeping work of dark academia by Mientus (the Backstagers series), set in the early 1990s. Students Leo, Daniel, and Zooey have bonded over the fact that they all like boys. While Zooey “wouldn’t, couldn’t, admit it,” he’s relieved when Daniel and Leo welcome him into their Massachusetts all-boys boarding school’s secret gay club, the Vicious Circle. After the homophobic bullying of Zooey by classmates outside VC takes a severe turn, Daniel and Leo share the grimoire with which they’ve been experimenting, which contains spells they believe can help him manage his torment. The powers they summon, however, and their devastating consequences, leave the trio struggling to protect themselves from unpredictable paranormal forces. The teens perform spells that lean into anti-semitic stereotypes, referencing conspiracy theories regarding Jewish peoples’ control over “the systems of the world.” Alternating perspectives explore myriad facets of queer experiences and their intersections with race and class, and fantastical occult happenings adeptly intertwine with real-world issues such as conversion therapy and the AIDS crisis. An author’s note contextualizes instances of sexual violence. Zooey is white and Korean; Daniel is Black; Leo is white-cued. Ages 14–up. Agent: Michael Mahan, Peikoff Mahan.

September 15, 2022
Grades 9-12 Told from the rotating first-person points of view of three sophomores at a boy's boarding school in the 1990s, this is a frank exploration of the meaning of friendship and family. The three boys come from different backgrounds and experiences, but one thing unites them: all three are gay at a time when being out is not easy. There is, however, a gay community at Blackfriars School, concealed as a secret society called the Vicious Circle. The society meets in a forgotten area of the campus, and Zooey, new to the school, is introduced to the Vicious Circle by roommates (and partners) Daniel and Leo. Another campus secret society--the Oldfellows, comprised of influential Blackfriars alumni--has imprisoned a demon to do their bidding. The two societies clash with a huge impact on all three boys, and even on the future. The narrative is gripping and intense, and the three protagonists are remarkable in their individual voices. Mientus also neatly folds in an exploration of the struggles of being gay in the '90s, many of which still exist today.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 20, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Zachary "Zooey" Orson is powerless. He can't control how he looks, which he doesn't really like. He can't control where he gets sent to school, a boarding school in Massachusetts called Blackfriars. He definitely can't control being gay, and has never really explored that part of himself fully. When Zooey starts getting bullied in gym class, he befriends local jock Daniel, who introduces him to a school secret society called the Vicious Circle. The VC is a monthly gathering of the queer boys on campus. The star of these soirees is Leo, Daniel's vivacious roommate slash boyfriend. The boys spend more and more time together and a love triangle begins to form, but Leo has a dark secret. After discovering an occult book in the headmaster's office, he connects with his friend Steven to decipher the Latin held within the grimoire. Leo, Steven, and Daniel invoke a dark force in its pages to make their lives better at the school. When Leo decides to use the book to punish the bully giving Zooey a hard time, they include him in their latest conjuring. They ultimately unleash a darkness that they aren't prepared to deal with and have no idea how to stop. Part-unrequited love story, part-supernatural thriller, this title ultimately succeeds at both objectives at different times in the narrative. Zooey's development as a queer kid coming to terms with himself will no doubt hook many readers. What they will ultimately stay for is the dark magic that, once revealed, consumes the rest of the story. VERDICT A recommended first purchase for public library YA collections.-Ryan P. Donovan

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.