Book Description
for Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Teenage Felipe, 17, has dealt with jokes and bullying about being fat all his life. He's never been teased for being gay, thankfully, but only because no one looks beyond his physical appearance to consider him as someone sexual. When Felipe's upstairs neighbor Caio comes to stay with Felipe and his mom over winter break, Felipe is mortified. They attend different schools and haven't spent time together since they were 12, but he's had a crush on Caio for years. What will they talk about? What will Caio think of his body? And they'll be sharing a room! It turns out Felipe finds it easy to talk to Caio as they lie in their beds in the dark, but during the day he's far too worried about what to say and how he looks to converse with any ease. Felipe's mom loves and supports him unconditionally. Felipe's therapist gently challenges him. But it's Caio's college-age friend Becky, who's been a source of support for Caio since he came out at his private school the year before, who convinces Felipe that Caio likes him, too. As a narrator, Felipe is as honest and genuine as he is laugh-out-loud funny at times. His growing confidence and self-esteem are as triumphant as the romance that develops between these two sweet, lovely young men in this novel set in Brazil. (Age 13 and older)
CCBC Choices 2021. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2021. Used with permission.