All teenagers struggle with issues of selfacceptance, and age fourteen generally marks a turning point in our lives, a point where soaring hormones and confusing emotions mold our perceptions of self. It is a time when the experiences we have and the people we encounter can help us understand those soaring hormones and decipher those confusing feelings. Larson's tale of Dave's longings illustrates the typical teen identity struggle, but adds a sexual identity struggle to further the dilemma.

For many teens, coming to terms with homosexuality often makes self-love and selfacceptance harder to achieve. This was particularly true in 1957, when homosexual love was rarely discussed. Larson deals with Dave's struggle and his adolescent emotions in a sensitive manner. He skirts the issue of homosexuality, but makes it clear that Dave has a crush on Gene Tole.

All teenagers understand crushes, and Larson uses kind, sympathetic characters...