The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge

by Matthew Hubbard Narrated by Lee Osorio

Overview

A queer coming-of-age about three teenage boys in small town Alabama who set out to get revenge on their ex-boyfriends*and end up starting a student rebellion. Perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Jason June!

Ezra Hayes has always felt like a background character compared to BFFs Lucas and Finley. He would do anything to be seen as a romantic lead, even if it means keeping his boyfriend, Presley, a secret. But when he discovers that Presley is a lying cheater, and his best friends are having boy problems of their own, they want revenge.

Their plans to get even involve sabotaging the largest party of the year, entering a drag competition, and even having Ezra run against his ex for Winter Formal King. Then the school district starts to actively censor queer voices with their Watch What You Say initiative. Taking to TikTok to vent frustrations, Ezra begins “The Last Boyfriends Student Rebellion.”

Between ex-boyfriend drama and navigating viral TikTok fame, Ezra realizes this rebellion is about something more important than revenge. It's a battle cry to fight back against outdated opinions and redefine what it means to be queer in small town Alabama.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge: 

"Brave, bighearted, and searingly relevant with an ending that gave me chills—a glitter-dusted revolution of a book."—Becky Albertalli, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

"A triumphant, inspiring novel about finding your voice and standing up for the voices of others. Filled with a swoony love story and friendships (and dads!) that will bring you to tears, every page rings with an empowering, heartfelt message for queer people of all ages: We are here."—Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl

"A fun, fabulous, and fierce story that proves you can find the best parts of yourself after someone's done you wrong, and there's often no better revenge than doing just that. These Last Boyfriends will leave a lasting impression!"—Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue and Jay's Gay Agenda

"Heartfelt and harrowing—a clever coming-of-age tale that expertly explores the challenges of being a young queer person in today's America. I'm certain Hubbard's poignant debut will stick with readers for years to come."—Robbie Couch, New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow

“Fiercely witty and empowering, Last Boyfriends explores identity, heartbreak, friendships, and existing on your own terms with a dynamic, relatable cast. A fiery, showstopping debut.”—Julian Winters, award-winning author of Right Where I Left You

“Rom Com vengeance is back, baby! This debut is just the kind of (justified) hate-fest we need right now. Last Boyfriends is a delicious helping of gay rights—and gay wrongs!”—Adam Sass, award-winning author of The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers

“With a cast of authentically messy teens and a timely message, Last Boyfriends is the hopeful, empowering novel the world needs right now. Get ready to join the revolution!”—Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of Us

"Deeply emotional, empowering, and poignant, LAST BOYFRIENDS is a glitter bomb of hope and optimism."—Steven Salvatore, author of And They Lived...

"A pride-filled story complete with sass, love, and a timely message."—Kirkus Reviews

"Hubbard’s first novel is an agreeable success...it is well plotted, and inspirational in the boys’ idealized fight for visibility."—Booklist

"[An] inspiring and uplifting story."—The Bulletin

"A delightful YA romp."—Paste

"This book is funny, bright, and a fiery push toward revolution."—Southern Review of Books

Kirkus Reviews

2024-01-19
When three queer best friends in Alabama are inspired by The First Wives Club to exact revenge on their terrible exes, a homophobic school initiative takes their mission in an unexpected direction.

Ezra Hayes, who’s coded white, is accustomed to hiding in plain sight, but he feels that he’s fallen by the wayside once his two best friends, Lucas Rivera, who’s cued Mexican American, and Finley Lewis, who’s Black, get into relationships. Ezra thought his summer romance with Presley, the school’s star football player, would finally give him the chance to feel like the main character. But when Ezra discovers that Presley is cheating on him, Lucas and Finley also open up about the poor treatment they’ve received from their partners. Each teen has his own plan for revenge, and they set up an anonymous TikTok account called “Last Boyfriends.” Ezra decides to run against Presley for Winter Formal Lion King; he also burns Presley’s varsity jacket and posts the video to TikTok, tagging it #breakupchallenge. When their account goes viral, and Ezra’s Lion King campaign comes under fire (from the same leadership that dissolved the gay-straight alliance and is censoring library books), the trio’s priorities change, and they begin fighting for queer students everywhere. The friendships are fun and believable, Ezra’s single father is heartwarmingly supportive, and exciting twists keep the plot moving.

A pride-filled story complete with sass, love, and a timely message. (Fiction. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159497451
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	04/30/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	937,399

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