A friendship beyond beliefs. A world separated by hate.
Religiously raised Cyril Hayes spent most of his life believing that he should love his neighbor, but that gay people were sinners and would ultimately spend eternity in torment. His whole faith becomes unraveled when he meets the new kid in school—Avery Branson—who not only happens to be gay, but is also Christian. To Cyril, these two things are unable to coexist. But can they?
Melissa Summers, Cyril’s girlfriend, has spent much of her adolescence in the closet, fearing that if she ever came out as lesbian, she would lose her best friend, her family, and her relationship with God. But when Avery comes to town, and her secret fling of with a relationship with another girl from school, Melissa discovers that maybe it’s not only okay to be gay and Christian—but that everything she has ever been taught could be a lie.
Finally, Avery Branson, the new kid in school, is an openly gay Christian, but it wasn’t always like that. After many years or research and introspection, Avery learned that he could be gay and have a connection to his Higher Power. However, not everyone at his new school holds this belief, and he learns that hatred can often be stronger than his belief that love always wins.
As these three characters’ lives intertwine and their ideologies cross paths, Cyril, Melissa, and Avery find themselves caught in a battle of religion, faith, and what it means to love God in the name of something bigger than themselves.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Religiously raised Cyril Hayes spent most of his life believing that he should love his neighbor, but that gay people were sinners and would ultimately spend eternity in torment. His whole faith becomes unraveled when he meets the new kid in school—Avery Branson—who not only happens to be gay, but is also Christian. To Cyril, these two things are unable to coexist. But can they?
Melissa Summers, Cyril’s girlfriend, has spent much of her adolescence in the closet, fearing that if she ever came out as lesbian, she would lose her best friend, her family, and her relationship with God. But when Avery comes to town, and her secret fling of with a relationship with another girl from school, Melissa discovers that maybe it’s not only okay to be gay and Christian—but that everything she has ever been taught could be a lie.
Finally, Avery Branson, the new kid in school, is an openly gay Christian, but it wasn’t always like that. After many years or research and introspection, Avery learned that he could be gay and have a connection to his Higher Power. However, not everyone at his new school holds this belief, and he learns that hatred can often be stronger than his belief that love always wins.
As these three characters’ lives intertwine and their ideologies cross paths, Cyril, Melissa, and Avery find themselves caught in a battle of religion, faith, and what it means to love God in the name of something bigger than themselves.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Used availability for Alec John Belle's The God We Share