This book wasn't your average happy go lucky contemporary YA romance. It is tough, gritty and deals with some really difficult subjects. In my opinion it does everything extremely well and I'm so happy that I read it.

Covering subjects such as loss, grief, addiction, homophobic bullying and mental health struggles, this book really doesn't shy away from how hard life can be for young people, especially those growing up gay in an environment that's not exactly welcoming. One of the things I loved the most was how no character was perfect and flawless. They were difficult, flawed and believable. They reacted to tough scenarios in ways that I could really identify with and I appreciated it.

I was given access to the audio by the publisher via Netgalley. The audio production was excellent and the narrator superb. My one small gripe is that the chapters were often incredibly short and I got confused about what was the story, what was the chapter title and where we were in time. But I suppose that's the (slight) downfall of an audio book.

All in all it's an excellent book for YA and adult readers alike and I would highly recommend.

No one wants to be apart of the Minus One Club, but what comes together is a group of friends all bonded by their loss of someone close. Kermit not only had to juggle the loss of his sister, but also how to come out to his family. Matt is openly gay and the brightest light in the room, but what happens in the dark is closer to the truth.

The Minus-One Club handles a lot of heavy issues: coming out, LGBTQIA+ violence, depression and suicide. Unfortunately these are very real and relatable issues for teenagers and I think this age group is the perfect target for The Minus-One Club. While gritty and heavy, the lessons learned are important and relevant.

Thank you for access to this audio ARC to review.

I really wanted to like this book but it felt so choppy to me. I can't separate whether or not my annoyance is with the book itself or with the narrator's pitch and tone and volume throughout. I hate it when narrators change the volume of their voice as they're narrating like going from a whisper to a regular sounding voice etc. It's really frustrating as a listener because I feel like I need to change my volume constantly but then I'm more concerned about whether or not I can hear it then what I'm actually hearing. I also just wasn't a huge fan of the narrator in general. He was fine for the main character but all of his voices for the secondary characters were just very exaggerated and over the top. The plot of this book felt like nothing happened. Well I understand the importance of having queer representation where religion is involved and there are a lot of intricacies that go along with that, this felt like a story that was just internalized homophobia 101.

Great story that discussed all kinds of themes…grief, sexuality, love, & fear. I highly recommend the audio version of this book! Really brought the story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kermit is reeling from the unexpected loss of his older sister and trying to slog through the "after" that is his life. During his first day back at school he finds an invitation in his locker to the mysterious, Minus One Club.

All members of this club have lost someone near and dear but they never, ever talk about it in their club gatherings. They're simply there for each other.

Through this club Kermit begins a friendship with, Matt, the only openly gay kid at their school who also lost his mother. Matt makes it impossible for Kermit to ignore parts of himself he'd previously been pushing to the side. While Matt always seems careful and lighthearted he is fighting his own battles that his friends can't pretend not to see.

This book delves deep into heavy material: death, suicide, grief, substance abuse, bullying, sexuality - but it does so in a realistic way. I'm from a small town and I absolutely know how difficult it can be to explore, let alone embrace, who you are.

There are a lot of resources shared at the end which is great for such a heavy book aimed at teens.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this. I made it all the way up until 75%, but the addiction became too much. Paired with the possible suicide attempt, (I didn't stay around to find out) It's not a bad book, in fact I actually liked it before I got to that part. It's not a bad book, it's just not for me.

Thank you netgally, rbmedia publisher and author for the #gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review. I Dell in love with the narrators voice and kept me interested the entire book. This was such a raw, emotional, realistic story about found family, mental health, coming out dealing with grief and navigating being a teenager. This is such an important book for kiddos to know they aren't alone and that others are in a similar situation. I love the idea of the -1 club. I will think about this book for a long time.

4.5/5☆

Premise: Following the death of his sister, Kermit Sanders is invited to the Minus-One Club – a moral support group comprising a number of classmates who share the experience of having lost a loved one.

This was a good read that could be really impactful for a specific group of adolescents going through similar hardships. It’s a heavy and emotional book that explores loss, grief, bullying, sexuality, homophobia, religion, and much more. I feel like there is a very long list of content warnings associated with this story – so many that it can seem messy, but in all honesty, adolescence and coming-of-age are just messy periods of life.

While I didn’t fully connect with this story, it did tug at my heartstrings and I did appreciate the character construction. If I ever come across a student struggling with similar challenges, I will definitely recommend this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt and Co., and Kekla Magoon for this ARC of The Minus-One Club.

The Minus-One Club follows Kermit, a closeted gay teen struggling with both his grief and his sexuality. Told in a mix of past, present and dreams, Kermit navigates his sister's death, internalised homophobia and his religious parents' expectations.

After being invited to a group at school of other teens who have lost someone (the titular Minus-One Club), he becomes close to an out gay member, Matt. A developing of a crush forces him to confront himself and his true feelings which is incredibly difficult for Kermit to work through.

A lot of serious topics are tackled in this YA book including grief, homophobia, sex and sexuality, drinking and mental health issues. Whilst it is a heavy book in some ways, it is also hopeful and the fast pace makes it an enjoyable read. Although I'm not usually a fan of character-driven books, the character growth and topics explored meant I really enjoyed this.

5 / 5 ⭐️‘s

"The Minus-One Club" by Kekla Magoon

I must say that this was an incredibly moving and thought-provoking read. The story follows a group of middle school students, all of whom have lost someone close to them, as they navigate grief and come together to form a club for others in the same situation.

One of the things that struck me most about this book was how authentic and honest the portrayal of grief was. Magoon doesn't shy away from the difficult emotions and moments that come with losing someone, but she also shows the characters finding moments of joy and connection amidst their pain. I found myself really rooting for these kids as they worked through their grief and began to find a sense of community with each other.

Another aspect of the book that I appreciated was the diversity of the characters. They come from different backgrounds and have different experiences with grief. Magoon does a great job of exploring the ways that race and culture can impact how we experience loss and grief, without ever feeling heavy-handed or preachy.

I would highly recommend this one!

This ARC was provided by @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was exactly what I thought it was going to be. This is a look into the faces of grief and loss through not only our protagonist, but many others throughout the book.

I was moved by the powerful messages in The Minus One Club from @keklamagoon on topics of loss, healing, and faith. Everyone deals with the death of a loved one differently and she has demonstrated that incredibly here. Kermit, our protagonist is dealing with the loss of his sister and he is approached by a secret club of kids at school who have all met loss like his. They show each other that sometimes you need to be around people who get it without pressure of talking about it.

The character dynamics in this book were so real. Between Kermit and his parents. Between Kermit and the boy he REALLY likes. Between he and his sister, who is a pretty big presence in the book (which I loved).

This was fantastic and heartbreaking, but also really special. I’m so glad I read it.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of The Minus-One Club by Keka Magoon. This is an important novel that covers many important topics. Sibling loss, coming out as gay, suicide. And many more topics.