The History of Us

3.25 stars. I think if I were a teen reading this book I would find it very helpful and validating to discover along with Bradley that coming out as gay is only the first step in a process. As an adult it was a little slow and at times didactic, with characters literally quoting stats about the percent of homeless youth who are LGBTQ+ and the percent of trans people killed who are black women (not that the numbers aren't horrifying, it's just that they're presented in an awkward way). The interview subjects for TJ's documentary are mostly there to teach Bradley important Life Lessons about love and acceptance, which again could be impactful for a younger reader but not quite as engaging for me. The romance between Bradley and TJ is a sweet, slow burn as Bradley becomes more and more comfortable with his identity along their road trip, and the relationship between Bradley and his three basketball bros feels appropriate for a bunch of teenage boys. Nothing really wrong with the book, just didn't strike any sparks with me.