Sanchez, Alex (2005). So Hard To Say. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
http://www.alexsanchez.com/So_Hard_To_Say/So_Hard_To_Say_Home_Page.htm
So Hard to Say is a novel intended for middle school students and captures the lives of two teens specifically: Xio and Frederick. Xio is a typical middle school girl who is interested in boys but is still trying to find her identity and figure out who she is as a person. She likes Frederick romantically, but he does not seem to share her affection in the same way. Frederick is the new kid at school who seems to be confused about his sexual identity for the majority of the book. Frederick likes Xio, but just as a friend; he does not understand why he does not have romantic feelings for her but is instead attracted to his friend and soccer player Victor. The book provides a glimpse into the minds of both Xio and Frederick as both kids are struggling to figure out their place in society. The book also shows the inward battle Frederick goes through as he tries to figure out his sexual orientation in a place where being gay is social suicide.
Alex Sanchez is the author of many other young adult novels dealing with LGBT issues such as Rainbow Boys, Rainbow Road, and Rainbow High (those novels are geared towards high school students). In an interview with Alex Sanchez about what draws him to write stories with gay themes, he said “Books often hold a special place when you’re gay or different, giving you hope for a world in which it’s okay to be who you are.” I found that Sanchez explores a lot of important issues dealing with the LGBT community in So Hard to Say. While reading the book, I found myself relating to both the characters of Xio and Frederick, although I’m not gay myself. Although I’ve never had to go through anything close to what Frederick went through, I could really feel his emotions coming off the page and imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes. I thought that Frederick was a very well-developed character because he was truly struggling to figure out his sexual orientation while having to deal with the romantic pressure from Xio as well as deal with the consequences of admitting to himself and others that he was gay. I also found the character of Xio believable and authentic as well because while she was hurt and confused when she found out Frederick might be gay, she also accepted him and remained friends with him; this is a positive message to send to students who may also be questioning their sexual identity. Additionally, I thought that the character of Iggy (a homosexual classmate of Xio and Frederick) was important to the story and to students who read this book. Although other kids at school made fun of Iggy, he remained optimistic and happy and accepted who he was no matter what people thought. I think that that sends an important message to students who read this book, no matter if they are LGBTQ or straight.
One thing that I noticed about the book that I did not particularly like was some of the aspects of Frederick’s personality. For example, he is described in the book as “artsy,” “creative,” and someone who loves to design things and wants to be an interior designer when he gets older. One of the articles we read in class talked about this aspect of gay and lesbian stereotypes in novels: “A recurring stereotype that, as an insider, I found annoying was that of the artistically sensitive homosexual” (McLean, 185). However, besides this instance I consider So Hard to Say an outstanding piece of LGBT literature that children should have access to in libraries and bookstores.
Alex Sanchez is the author of many other young adult novels dealing with LGBT issues such as Rainbow Boys, Rainbow Road, and Rainbow High (those novels are geared towards high school students). In an interview with Alex Sanchez about what draws him to write stories with gay themes, he said “Books often hold a special place when you’re gay or different, giving you hope for a world in which it’s okay to be who you are.” I found that Sanchez explores a lot of important issues dealing with the LGBT community in So Hard to Say. While reading the book, I found myself relating to both the characters of Xio and Frederick, although I’m not gay myself. Although I’ve never had to go through anything close to what Frederick went through, I could really feel his emotions coming off the page and imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes. I thought that Frederick was a very well-developed character because he was truly struggling to figure out his sexual orientation while having to deal with the romantic pressure from Xio as well as deal with the consequences of admitting to himself and others that he was gay. I also found the character of Xio believable and authentic as well because while she was hurt and confused when she found out Frederick might be gay, she also accepted him and remained friends with him; this is a positive message to send to students who may also be questioning their sexual identity. Additionally, I thought that the character of Iggy (a homosexual classmate of Xio and Frederick) was important to the story and to students who read this book. Although other kids at school made fun of Iggy, he remained optimistic and happy and accepted who he was no matter what people thought. I think that that sends an important message to students who read this book, no matter if they are LGBTQ or straight.
One thing that I noticed about the book that I did not particularly like was some of the aspects of Frederick’s personality. For example, he is described in the book as “artsy,” “creative,” and someone who loves to design things and wants to be an interior designer when he gets older. One of the articles we read in class talked about this aspect of gay and lesbian stereotypes in novels: “A recurring stereotype that, as an insider, I found annoying was that of the artistically sensitive homosexual” (McLean, 185). However, besides this instance I consider So Hard to Say an outstanding piece of LGBT literature that children should have access to in libraries and bookstores.
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