Review: Love Drugged by James Klise

Love Drugged by James Klise

Review by: Lauren

Copy From: Author--his site

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Offiical Summary: If you could change who you are, would you? Should you?

Fifteen-year-old Jamie Bates has a simple strategy for surviving high school: fit in, keep a low profile, and above all, protect his biggest secret-he's gay. But when a classmate discovers the truth, a terrified Jamie does all he can to change who he is. At first, it's easy. Everyone notices when he starts hanging out with Celia Gamez, the richest and most beautiful girl in school. And when he steals an experimental new drug that's supposed to "cure" his attraction to guys, Jamie thinks he's finally going to have a "normal" life.

But as the drug's side effects worsen and his relationship with Celia heats up, Jamie begins to realize that lying and using could shatter the fragile world of deception that he's created-and hurt the people closest to him.

Told with equal doses of humor and suspense, Love Drugged explores the consequences of a life constructed almost entirely of lies . . . especially the lies we tell ourselves.

Review: I love LGBT literature, but Love Drugged doesn't seem to completley fit that category. Don't get me wrong...yes, Jamie is gay and yes, he is dealing with his own coming out story (in a very unique way, might I add you)...but I'd classify this as more pre-LGBT. Why? Well, Jamie never fully becomes himself until the end and he spends a lot of time trying to make the pills work and hoping that his relationship with Celia will actually begin to feel real to him

Parts of the book dragged a bit, only because I really wanted Jamie to come to terms with who he was and  find someone to really appreciate him. This does and does not happen in the book, but I won't give everything away. I will say that I loved the end. The suspense really picked up and the pills become one interesting addition to this coming-of-age/coming-out story that really makes Love Drugged intriguing.

By the end, it's like you've entered an action film with fire and threats, and I certainly enjoyed this book's villian. It's not your classic YA fare...at least when it comes to contemporary novels, but it's certainly fun.