Annotation:
Paul has a girlfriend, plays sports, and is a devout Christian fighting what he believes are sinful thoughts he has about other guys. Then Manuel, an openly gay student. moves to town and has Paul questioning everything he believes. Recommended for ages 13/14 and older.
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| Book cover from alexsanchez.com |
Book Talk:
Paul
has a box where he puts all of his troubles.
He calls it his God Box. It’s for
all of his really big problems that prayer just doesn’t seem enough for. He
used it when his mother was sick and when his father turned to drinking. Now he
uses it to ask God to make him stop dreaming about guys because being gay is a sin, right? That’s what his friends say, that’s what his
pastor says, and that’s what he thinks the Bible says. So Paul’s put himself into another kind of
God Box because he's trying to be what he thinks is a
good Christian, what he thinks God wants him to be. He has a girlfriend, plays sports, goes to
church, and does everything “right”. But
then Manuel, an openly gay student and committed Christian, transfers to his
school. Manuel makes Paul question his
religion, what it means to be gay, and his place in God’s love. In a small Texas town though, being openly gay
can be dangerous. Will Paul be brave
enough to be himself and step out of The
God Box?
Book Review:
Sanchez,
in his afterword, mentions all of the letters that he receives from teens who
are struggling with their sexuality and their religion. This book is Sanchez’s answer to all of those
letters. I agree with the message
Sanchez was sending but felt that The God
Box did not reach its full potential.
While the book did a good job of portraying Paul’s fear, confusion, and
growth the rest of the characters seemed flat.
This was mainly because it seemed like they were only there to use Bible
passages to debate whether being gay was a sin or not.
Although I felt that this book fell
short of what it could have been, I think that it still has a place on school
and public library shelves. It would be
especially interesting to teens 13/14+ who are interested in the debate between
the more traditional Christian viewpoints and sexuality as well as for teens
questioning their sexuality.
Awards and Honors:
2008- One of New York Public Library's "Book for the Teen Age"
Want to hear more? Check these out:
Author Website: http://www.alexsanchez.com/
Author Interviews:
Sanchez speaking at a Social Justice Conference in British Columbia schools regarding anti-homophopia and social justice
