The Boyfriend Academy
I found this book on the bottom shelf in a Barnes & Noble. Judging the title alone, I was interested. I mean "the boyfriend academy"? an all boy academy where they learn to become boyfriends? thats just gay as hell no way around it. Reading the back of the book had me more interested though, it described a dystopia in which love is forbidden (woah). I had been wanting to read a queer book (esp for pride!!), though the cover and synopsis doesn't exactly advertise this like most queer romance novels I had seen. I had to get my friend to look it up for me so I wouldn't be spoiled (if ur reading this hi jade :3) and she confirmed it was in fact Gay. hooray! Probably should have been obvious from the "this book was entirely written by a human, a gay one at that" but I wanted to be sure lol
I first came into the book hoping/expecting something like a romance. I haven't read much in the genre admittedly, it's not my favorite, but I found the premise of this book intriguing.
The book's beginning kind of feels like revisiting Harry Potter, as someone who used to like the books as a kid (up until order of the phoenix that shit was boring) if just for the fun academic setting. Ganymede's, the titular boyfriend academy, is the top school in this sense, and it's opulent in all the ways. They even have houses like hogwarts, but with roman gods. Considering the subject matter I have to think it's intentional. It's almost escapism, at first. I mean the setup is that after a plague wipes out most of humanity, society is rebuilt around a monarchy that strives for individual perfection. Which screams eugenics ofc but from what we see of the school and system it seems, fine, almost. Everyone seems to have a decent life, theres universal basic income, everyone gets a house and a spouse, and it seems like they have at least a better society than ours. Like they directly talk about the current institution and how harmful it is to women and minorities, but its a bit funny hearing that and then having them turn around and say "oh except if you're gay lol"
The book does a really good job of portraying the feeling of being gay and ashamed, which very relatable as a trans guy too. Dylan and Roman's romance is cute, I'm a huge fan of the forbidden love trope and by god this book delivers.
Overall I really enjoyed this one, and I'm definitely invested enough in the characters to want a sequel.
(also the blurb at the beginning says the author is working on a murder mystery with gay male leads and I've never wanted anything more)