Man Up

by Kim Oclon

Overview

With David’s final baseball season starting and college plans still up on the air, he begins senior year on edge. But when his baseball coach, Coach Kelly, wants to know if David is gay, he is left speechless. David knows the answer to the question but was hoping to get through his final year without anyone noticing the hallway glances at Tyler, a star on the boy’s track team, or their rides home together each day. In a school where his friends are turning their backs on him, he finds a new set of allies, that he didn’t know roamed the high school halls. Although he was forced out of the closet before he thought he was ready, what happens next is up to him. David can either cower in the corners or man up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780999388631
Publisher:	Trism Books
Publication date:	04/22/2020
Edition description:	None
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

With a BA in screenwriting and MFA in Fiction, Kim taught high school for six years before becoming a mom to the best girl and boy in the world. While teaching, she was fortunate to teach creative writing and film classes in addition to trudging through the classics. She also co-founded the school's first gay-straight alliance. A reader all her life, Kim's first literary loves were a series of Care Bear Books and Grover's Book of Resting Places. Eventually she graduated on to Sweet Valley Twins and The Babysitters Club. Kim lives in East Dundee, IL with her husband and two kids. MAN UP is her first novel. Her second novel, THE WAR ON ALL FRONTS, will be published in May 2022.

Editorial Reviews

03/09/2020

David Lukas is a varsity baseball player at Lincoln High School, and between his construction worker father’s long-term unemployment, his college prospects, and the homophobic team bully outing him as gay, he’s got a lot going on. Though his best friend, Mike, doesn’t handle the outing well, David finds compassion and kindness directed his way from people he’d never considered friends before, and with support from his boyfriend, Tyler, he decides to take ownership of his own story and be proud of who he is and who he loves. Though not everyone is in David’s corner, even some adults who are otherwise uncomfortable discussing sexuality stand against discrimination and hate. It’s not easy for him to ignore the whispers and rumor-mongering, especially in the locker room, but with his coach’s support, David is able to focus on the sport he loves. Interspersed with interstitials by Tyler, David’s narrations is down-to-earth and relatable, particularly for teens who live in places without large LGBTQ communities. Students preparing for the leap from high school to college in particular will find plenty to identify with. Ages 14–17. Agent: Tina Schwartz, the Purcell Agency. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Man Up is an important and realistic young adult novel that deals with bullying, homophobia, and physical violence against the backdrop of varsity sports." —Ashley Hostrom, Foreword Reviews


"Oclon thoughtfully develops David’s and Tyler’s inner transformations when it comes to self-acceptance, noting how others in their community need to grow with them. Whiteness is situated as the default for all major characters. An engaging and enlightening coming-out tale for teens of all sexual persuasions." —Kirkus Reviews


"Interspersed with interstitials by Tyler, David’s narrations is down-to-earth and relatable, particularly for teens who live in places without large LGBTQ communities. Students preparing for the leap from high school to college in particular will find plenty to identify with." —Publishers Weekly


"Oclon's characters are likable and well developed, with endearing flaws for the heroes, and villains whom readers will love to hate. Fast-paced action sequences stand out in a story that mostly focuses on the main characters' internal lives...VERDICT... this quick read is excellent for reluctant readers. Purchase where sports books—especially those with a twist—are in high demand."  —School Library Journal, Heather Waddell, Sargent Memorial Library, Boxborough, MA


"David grows and changes as a character throughout the book, and as a writing teacher, I appreciate that the story ends at a resolution of his character's "arc." —Jen Reads the Rainbow


"David’s journey to finding his own strength and voice was compelling, but he also learned sometimes you have to deal with curveballs that are thrown your way—you may not be able to control what others think or whether or not you’ll get that specific scholarship you were hoping for. But you can choose whether you’ll let those curveballs passively strike you out or if you’ll step up to the plate!" —Nicole, Feed Your Fiction Addiction

From the Publisher

03/20/2020

Gr 9 Up—David seems to have an idyllic life. He's a talented baseball player, he's up for athletic scholarships at several colleges, and he's dating: Senior year is starting off just the way he wanted it to. David is gay, and keeping it quiet for the rest of the school year—his family is accepting, boyfriend Tyler is almost perfect, but others in his world may make school and sports difficult if David comes out. One of those people is Kevin, star of the baseball team with a father on the school board and plenty of clout when it comes to decisions regarding baseball. When Kevin inevitably sees David kissing his boyfriend, an insidious campaign starts to get David kicked off the baseball team, which will ruin his future as well as his present. Oclon's characters are likable and well developed, with endearing flaws for the heroes, and villains whom readers will love to hate. Fast-paced action sequences stand out in a story that mostly focuses on the main characters' internal lives. A somewhat rushed ending feels like a lackluster fade-out rather than a solid close. VERDICT Despite a weak ending, this quick read is excellent for reluctant readers. Purchase where sports books—especially those with a twist—are in high demand.—Heather Waddell, Sargent Memorial Library, Boxborough, MA

School Library Journal

2020-02-26
High school athletes reckon with being gay.

In her debut novel, Oclon explores the charged playing fields of homophobia and high school sports. The tale unfolds through first-person narratives alternating between Lincoln High School students and boyfriends David and Tyler, who are equally committed to one another but at differing degrees of comfort with their sexual orientation. The novel opens with David’s responding to his father’s asking how he’d like his burger grilled by saying that he is gay—setting the stage for the focus on the unscripted awkwardness and challenges of coming out. A varsity baseball player, working-class David has been secretly dating blond track team member and AP student Tyler, who’s openly gay and gladly participates in the school’s LGBTQIAP support group. Much of the novel centers on David’s gradual acceptance of others’ learning he’s gay as he faces repeated harassment, pressure to remain in the closet from his coach, and physical assault from a homophobic teammate while also dealing with his straight best friend’s feeling betrayed when he learns about David’s orientation from another teammate. Oclon thoughtfully develops David’s and Tyler’s inner transformations when it comes to self-acceptance, noting how others in their community need to grow with them. Whiteness is situated as the default for all major characters.

An engaging and enlightening coming-out tale for teens of all sexual persuasions. (Fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews