Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out: The uplifting, feel-good read of 2023

Product Information

Teddy's story was less successful for me, in that he's a nepo baby who gets upset whenever anyone less privileged dares point out that he's benefiting unfairly from flagrant and overt nepotism, and also a terrible self-centred boyfriend. A beautiful read…I picked up Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love to take with me on a weekend away. Then there's Elisabeth, who comes across like a caricature villain rather than a daughter who is struggling to deal with her father's news. However that being said, it was a Heart-warming story about a grandfather and his grandson both coming to terms with revealing to the family, that they are gay.

Two people at very different stages of their lives deciding to come out of the closet and live their authentic lives despite all their fears and insecurities sounded captivating. I loved that it wasn't all mushy and fake - the romance plot is full of lovely moments but also packed with angst, and I enjoyed how things ended up. His habit of putting himself down and avoiding taking risks is one so many readers will recognise and it’s his development over the course of the story that is so engaging.Teddy in particular gets quite a confused ending where it feels like the book just ran out of space. This was a solid and original debut novel with some gentle humour and sweet moments, and I would happily read more from this author.

There were plenty of lovely moments in the story, along with ones that were realistic to the situation and not nearly as lovely. There are a lot of characters in the book, both in the family and outside, and some of them don't really become more than a name due to this (like Teddy's sisters, who it is hard to tell the difference between).It's also perfectly paced - I didn't feel bored at all while reading it, and every part seemed to move the story forward.

Having queer versions of this kind of finding-yourself-at-any-age light read genre is a good thing, allowing more people to see different kinds of stories about sexuality, but the narrative pacing and writing of this one wasn't quite for me. Teddy is an insightful study of self-doubt and self-sabotage as he struggles to find the right moment to come out as gay. Alongside this depth there’s a lightness of touch too as Ryan Love has his characters create memories through simple moments and pleasures, as well as through the larger events, making the narrative feel familiar and real. Natürlich gibt auch hier und da großes Drama und den ein oder anderen Plottwist, aber am Ende steht Arthur and Teddy are Coming Out für ganz viele Emotion, für Verständnis für einander und für den festen Glauben an die Liebe, mag sie auch platonisch sein. But unfortunately I didn't find the story itself as colorful, vibrant and full of promise as the beautiful cover.But Teddy doesn’t feel ready to come out yet – especially when Arthur’s announcement causes shockwaves in the family.