The Last Boyfriends Rules for Revenge

February 15, 2024
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)

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March 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 Seventeen-year-old Ezra feels like a third wheel. His two best friends, Lucas and Finley, have boyfriends, while Ezra is single. Or is he? Well, no, he does have a boyfriend, golden boy Presley, but it's a secret since Presley is deeply closeted. The status quo is shattered when Lucas' and Finley's boyfriends dump them, and Presley turns out to be a player, using Ezra to make his intended jealous. It's Ezra who suggests exacting revenge. He begins secretly posting anonymous videos of their machinations to TikTok, where they go viral, attracting millions of views as the boys fight their school's homophobic Watch What You Say policy. Will they succeed and will Ezra find true love? Stay tuned. Hubbard's first novel is an agreeable success, though it sometimes requires a willing suspension of disbelief. But it is well plotted, even inspirational in the boys' idealized fight for visibility. The characters are empathic, including Ezra's father, who is a supportive sweetheart who wisely declares, "Believing in yourself is the best revenge."

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Starred review from June 28, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Hubbard's debut is a clever, funny, coming-of-age romance where teens who are being silenced for who they are learn to fight for what they believe in, and in the process revolutionize a whole freedom movement. Ezra and his best friends Finley and Lucas are out for revenge against their ex-boyfriends for the way they were humiliated during their relationships. Their plans for revenge are full of the antics reminiscent of 1990s teen comedies. But these antics are set in today's Alabama where a school district is enforcing their campaign of "Watch What You Say" to silence LGBTQIA+ students and maintain the old "family traditions." As each boy enacts his revenge, they learn more about themselves and the idea of forgiveness, but they get the notice of the school board who want them silenced. When Ezra decides to run for Winter Formal King against his ex-boyfriend things begin to get serious as some adults take to harassing him to stop. Witty dialogue abounds; Hubbard's ability to add humor amidst serious moments is truly a wonderful gift. The friendship between the boys is written so well, readers will want to hang out with them. And Ezra's dad couldn't be a more perfect single dad. VERDICT This book is already getting social media buzz, so students are going to gravitate to it. The messages within this lovely, powerful novel will give courage to teens to believe in themselves no matter what path in life they follow.-Maria Ramusevic

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