Life is hard when you're 9th grader, Wyatt. He's trying to keep his head above water in a school where he's bullied constantly and dating his best friend MacKenzie. He loves MacKenzie and he wants to want to date her, but he just doesn't. Dating MacKenzie does give Wyatt a bit of relief from the gay jokes and digs that he receives daily... so maybe it's a good thing?

When their class is assigned a book report on Abraham Lincoln, Wyatt is given a rare book by the librarian: Joshua Fry Speed: Lincoln's Most Intimate Friend. As Wyatt is reading the book he comes to the conclusion that Lincoln was gay! What if the world found out that Lincoln was gay? Would that change anything? Wyatt does some research and posts on his school blog about the relationship between Lincoln and Speed.

A simple book report creates a huge splash and soon Wyatt is drowning. The bullying worsens, the Principal threatens to hold him back a grade if he doesn't delete his work and even the girlfriend he couldn't want... dumps him. When his blog gets picked up by the media everything spirals out of control and the welfare of Wyatt's family is in jeopardy. The Lincoln-themed B & B that Wyatt's parents own begins to lose customers, his Mom's employment is threatened and the town fights back.

The one bright light is Wyatt's out, gay friend, Martin. Wyatt got connected to Martin online and he's helping to promote Wyatt's theory that Lincoln is gay. But that's just making things worse! HIs parents are furious, no one at school talks to him except to insult him... pretty much the whole town hates him.

When Martin and his lawyer Mom arrive at the B & B, the tide begins to turn.

Struggling to find his way through the mess his life has become, Wyatt begins to fight for Lincoln and Speed's right to be who they were, and by virtue of that... his own.

This is a lovely story about the "battle of 9th grade". Middle school is a difficult time for kids... I still remember. Wind writes Wyatt's journey of self-discovery well; leading the reader through the panic of thinking you're different, the terror of finding out you are and then the hope that comes with finding allies on your journey.

I will happily recommend this book to all the kids in my life because I want them to read about a small town kid who is fighting to be himself. This is a good story and it means something to my heart.

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Queer As A Five Dollar Bill is available at Amazon, Indigo & from other online booksellers!

I received a digital ARC copy of "Queer As A Five Dollar Bill" from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wyatt is a ninth-grader in Lincolnville, lives in the Lincoln Slept Here B&B with his parents, and has a best friend, Mackenzie, who confesses she has feelings for him on a day a classmate bullies Wyatt, teasing him and accusing him of being gay.

Except Wyatt IS gay, closeted, and doesn’t know how to tell Mackenzie that even though she thinks she’s his girlfriend, he’s not attracted to her that way. Things take an interesting turn when, in acquiring books for the required Lincoln book report, the librarian slips Wyatt a book that implies Abraham Lincoln had an illicit romance with a male friend, Joshua Fry Speed. As soon as Wyatt’s blog is posted, all hell breaks loose in Lincolnville.

Lee Wind’s debut novel is a treat – there is humor woven into the story, as well as the poignancy of a gay teen boy in a “straight” small town. Injected into the story of a boy not sure about coming out is his fascination with a Civil War soldier’s image, who he imagines is gay like him (as well as his crush), and his attraction to a real boy who is gay and out. Wyatt meets Martin through a video Martin posted, and when things start getting scary for Wyatt (the town threatens to sue him to get the library book back, saying it was loaned to him in error), Martin and his lawyer mother Rhonda show up to lend their help and support in making sure Wyatt’s rights are defended.

Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill is a fun read, and has a satisfying ending on all fronts. Wind intersperses the text with text messages, radio transcripts, and transcripts from videos posted online. It’s a good story, and as an ally, it’s always heartwarming to read a story with a gay protagonist. I also enjoyed Wind’s nod to one of my favorite books with a gay protag, David LaRochelle’s Absolutely, Positively Not.

Unique writing and story that kept me interested. A story that had me wanting to read more. Relatable characters and a good flow. Would recommend!

I don't think I fall under target audience of this book as it seems to be written for younger readers. The main idea and the romance are sweet, and the history facts are interesting, but I do agree with other reviewers that some parts were over the top. There are potentially triggering moments in the book that are filled with homophobia and might be difficult to read, so be warned.

Generally, this is really good, and I enjoyed it, but there are still some questions... Like, is this not a little over the top? Why would it be such a big deal that a kid put proof of Lincoln being gay online? There are loads of stuff online - if people don’t want to believe it they just won’t believe it. I don’t understand why they all tried to get Wyatt to shut up about it (nor why it was such a big deal in the first place, but then again, I’m not from the US, sooo...)
Also, the whole TV show fiasco - wouldn't they consider what type of talkshow it was before just agreeing to have their son appear on it?
Aaand, I kinda wanted Jonathan to be gay, but (spoiler alert!) that didn't happen

Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill was a fun story of a closeted gay teen trying to find acceptance through history. I was not expecting it to become as political and dramatic as it did, but that made me enjoy the novel even more. Between the history lessons and the budding romance, this novel really has it all.

Like most of the people in Lincolnville, OR, I never imagined Lincoln being gay or even bi, but the evidence Wyatt comes across is enticing and I admire Lee Wind for using these real letters and examining them in a different way than most historians.

The story was written well and captivating. After starting it, I didn't want to put it down. Wind's characters are realistic and dynamic. Seeing the character growth in every character, especially the bully, was incredible. Wind really does a fantastic job in telling this story that needed to be told.

As a non-american english reader, that has had absolutely zero historical knowledge of Abraham Lincoln, safe for some random facts due to tv, books and so on, this read has been super eye opening.
American history feels like a super sensitive subject to talk about, when we’re including gay (and other LGBTI+) people, which I can understand in some small way.

The book itself was built really nicely around the fact that 1. Abe might be gay, 2. People are giant jerks. 3. Justice happens anyway. And that made it the perfect feel good book for me!

Who was Abraham Lincoln? Has history lied to us, or perhaps left out important parts of the story? Wyatt Yarrow needs to know. After being given a book for by the local librarian for a class assignment, Wyatt reads between the lines, seeing what is obvious to most people who have "lived between those lines."
But, is he strong enough to survive the fallout? Will his family lose everything because of his actions?

You will need to read the book to find out. But you will see that people are not always what they seem, some are worse and some are much much better. Wyatt's story is one that will pull you in and have you wondering about the truth of history. We must remember that history is written by the victors - and is also re-written at times. But historical documents can lead us to see truth that has been glossed over in many books used for teaching history.

Mr. Wind did a wonderful job both in research and in story telling. The characterizations are both complex and true to life. The story is one that will draw you in and hold your attention right up until the final pages - and in my case to the very end of the author's endnotes. Kudos, Mr. Wind, sir.

Let's put it out there, this book wasn't realistic at all. The reactions were truly out of proportions, I guess to make it crystal clear that these were bad attitudes. One exemple that pops in my mind was the scene where Wyatt's parents basically told him that he ruined his whole future and was responsible for their business flopping just because he had ONE (1) bad grade. Basically everyone annoyed me in the book. But the worst gotta be Mackenzie and her whole relationship with Wyatt and Jonathon. The fact that Jonathon, a bully, homophobic and overall horrible human being was not held accountable for his actions and even forgiven at the end when he realized that "maybe gay people aren't THAT bad" truly made me want to scream. Needless to say I didn't enjoy this book. And lastly, for a queer book, the amount of homophobia within was outreagous for me.

Queer as a Five Dollar Bill is a story about Wyatt Yarrow who wants to believe in himself and the people around him. Written by Lee Wind the book is a coming out story that is more about acceptance and equality for everyone. 

I had a lot of fun while reading the book. Even though at the start it didn't seem like a very impactful read with basic and simple writing but halfway through there was no way I'd give up even for a second.

Bonus: The swoon moments between Wyatt and Martin had me squealing.   

You can read the complete review here: https://www.thr4sam.com/single-post/2018/10/21/Queer-as-a-Five-Dollar-Bill

This was a fun read that would make for a great introduction to classroom discussions about what is missing from how we learn history, and how heteronormative assumptions guide the interpretations of even the most accomplished scholars. I found myself struggling to suspend my disbelief over the plot of the story itself at times, but the overarching themes and questions the book raises are important.

I ended up enjoying Queer as a Five Dollar Bill by Lee Wind much more than I expected to. The premise itself was super interesting, but the initial chapters were a bit slow and I couldn’t decide if I was really into the book or not. The writing style was decent but not awesome. However, I’m really glad that I stuck with it as the plot quickly started to unfold.

In Queer as a Five Dollar Bill, Wyatt lives in Lincolnville, Oregon, in the Lincoln Slept Here Bed & Breakfast that his parents own. The town, thanks to its name, is pretty much dedicated to Lincoln history, and idolizes President Lincoln. In his high school history class, Wyatt and his classmates are assigned a project in which they have to read a book about Lincoln and write blog posts about it. In his research, Wyatt discovers that Abraham Lincoln was in a gay relationship at one point and wrote his blog post about that, hoping that it could become a bridge to his own coming out in his conservative town. However, quite the opposite happens, and when his blog posts gain national attention, Wyatt is forced to deal with the consequences.

Like I said, there is nothing remarkable about Lee Wind’s writing style, but it had a lot of redeemable factors that made me ultimately really enjoy the book. I loved Wyatt’s character – he was really easy to identify with, I didn’t find him annoying, and I found his process of coming out relatable and credible given his circumstances. I also loved the use of history in the book, with direct quotes from primary sources – Lee Wind included actual letters, as well as sources marked in the back of the book, from Lincoln’s letters to back up the thesis that Lincoln was, in fact, queer. After the first few chapters, the plot picked up and I literally could not put the book down because I just wanted to know what was going to happen next and how Wyatt was going to deal with it. The pace was really well written.

Above all, I loved the theme of unity, where people of different beliefs and backgrounds are willing to put down their weapons and stand together for a common belief and a greater good. I think this is a book that is really relevant in today’s political and social climate, and it has a great message of how to deal with it. In a few words, don’t judge others – we are all different, in many different ways, and we just can’t let those differences come between us.

Ok, I’m going to start off by saying that I absolutely loved this book. I think Lee Wind wrote such a provocative and enlightening story of self-discovery and I have been recommending it everywhere.

Now, I’m from a small town but unlike Wyatt, where I come from is so openly diverse that it borders on the ridiculous. I mean, we have rainbow crosswalks. It is more socially acceptable to be gay or trans than it is to be a smoker. I’m absolutely not saying that there is anything wrong with that, but I bring it up to make the point that I was so mind blown at the town wide rage and hatred at the slightest hint of a gay historical figure and at the intense cruelty shown to Wyatt that I was completely speechless. Pretty disgusted, if I’m being honest. I know that there are still communities in the world where the idea of a gay person, regardless of historical significance, would bring about this kind of reaction and I honestly don’t understand it. This is not something that I am able to identify with so I found that entire reaction throughout the book very, very overwhelming and heartbreaking.

I think that the idea of Wyatt stumbling across “proof” of Lincoln’s sexuality was a pretty forced idea. I read the letters between Abe and Joshua and I did not get the same translation as he did. Obviously, the idea of Lincoln being a closeted gay man isn’t new. The book mentioned in Queer as a Five Dollar Bill is an actual text and others have come up with the same conclusion (I know, I Googled the hell out of this when I finished reading Wind’s book)but I just didn’t see it. Mind you, I’m not a gay 15 year old boy who feels trapped in the closet so, again, not something I can relate to. I think that the book that began it all was given to Wyatt at the time he needed it the most and he found that he could relate to the letters sent from Abe which is why he got them message from them that I could not. That’s just a theory of mine.

I really felt for Wyatt through this entire book. I can’t even imagine the emotional turmoil he must have went through and there were a lot of times that I had to remind myself that he was only a 15 year old boy and not even a man yet but he was dealing with so many issues that I think would be hard for anyone, even beyond his years. I also felt so much for his parents; dealing with so much change, scrutiny and outright hatred that threatened their livelihood, challenged their beliefs and ultimately tested their love and acceptance of their son.

Although the ending felt a little rushed and a lot like a Hallmark special, I think that the overall message was a powerful one that needs to be shared. This book wasn’t about the possibility of Lincoln being gay and how that would affect people’s lives, but about a young boy coming to terms with himself and seeking acceptance from the community that would condemn him. It is an important story that I think could help others, not only struggling with their own identities, but the loved ones who are struggling to find acceptance. The wonderful mixture of factual history and fiction is just the icing on the cake.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to read and provide my honest opinion.

Queer as a Five Dollar Bill was definitely a wild ride. One that to be honest made me yet again think over and over again that I’m glad not to be American (at least how it’s written/shown).

I love the concept of the story and I love that the history used in it is real. That we can read real words Lincoln said/wrote and learn from it, even though we’re reading a work of fiction.

And I do believe that this is an important YA book with a very real, fundamental message for queer people and especially closeted queer teens.

A nice detail is also the explanation of the book title in the story and its double meaning.

Still, it took me a while to actually get into the story. In the beginning I had to guess half the connections between the characters and what was going on. I also kind of didn’t know if I could take Wyatt serious, the characters closest to him were kind of flat and assholes (even his best friend) and the fact that 99% of people in his town are garbage people without backbones or reason. Since I’m not American, I can’t know if a story like this would actually play out into extremes like that or not - but from what media tell me, I kind of believe it could. And thinking about that is not the most fun activity.

But I got more invested when Martin and Rhonda came into view. They are great and interesting characters, gave the whole thing a bit more direction and structure and offered the first real support for Wyatt.

And while I don’t care for bully-redemption arcs at all and was a bit annoyed by that, there was development on a few instances, Wyatt got to come out and get a nice first kiss and there was a great ‘bang’ for a happy end.

Wyatt, 15, is gay but no one knows. Not even his best friend Mackenzie who is in love with him, when she tells him that and kisses him. He goes along with it...
Anyway, everything changes when his class is supposed to do an assignment on Abraham Lincoln. Each student will have a blog that talks about a book given to them randomly.
Wyatt's book is a collection of letters between Abraham and Joshua Fry Speed who might have been his lover.
And then, all hell breaks loose. Homophobia everywhere.

I wanted to love this. But I couldn't.
I found Wyatt profoundly immature. He was supposed to be 15, I felt like he was 10 or 11 most of the time. I really really didn't like him.
Honestly, all the characters were all kinds of immature and annoying.
The parents weren't much better than the kids were.
The whole plot seemed really unlikely to me and I was so mad from beginning to end, about a lot of things.
Honestly, the writing seemed pretty immature to me... I also didn't like how the words "gay" and "lesbian" were always written with an uppercase, it felt like it was a trademark of something...
I guess I was disappointed and, actually, I almost didn't finish it, I had to power through...

Wind brings an exciting new take on Abraham Lincoln’s history. This book was not what I expected it to be. At first, I felt that the characters were immature and struggled to find their own voices. Wyatt does the unthinkable, by putting Abraham Lincoln as gay. The aftermath is much more than he bargained for. Just when he thinks his life is ruin and he must hide his sexuality, he meets Martin. This novel is history meets sexuality.

I wanted to thank Net Galley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

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3.7/5 rounded up

Wyatt is a closeted gay 9th grader who, due to his book report assignment, (sorta) discovers that Abe Lincoln was gay. Or at least bi.
When the assignment requires him to set up a blog about his findings, reaction might be varied. And in a town like that, might not be positive.
So what would Wyatt do? Continue being in the closet with his bestfriend Mackenzie? Fight nail and tooth to be accepted that could cost him, and his family, everything they own?
--

Oh Wyatt you precious oblivious and at times frustrating child!
I shook my head numerous times because Wyatt would do something without thinking about it first. I also shook my head when he kept convincing himself that he wasn't gay.

But then, I thought to myself 'hey, this kinda happened to me, too'
Not the gay part, but the realisation that you pushed yourself far enough that you question everything before finally you can accept what you truly are.

I need to remember that Wyatt is depicted as a 9th grader (somehow I was thinking of Wyatt's older cousin, Simon from Simon and the Homosapiens Agenda), that he lives in a town where everyone is straight white families (or at least the majority), that everyone around him is not as accepting as some people I know, and that it's OK to not telling everyone, you don't have to.

The book took too long to my taste to get in the 'action' and it was quite cliched towards the end, too. But reading it was a form of rollercoaster that I like.

A complimentary copy was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I wasn't in love with it from the start and I had my doubts about where this was going, but I did read "early reviews" and people raved about the story so I pushed on thinking it had to get better. And it did, but not as much as I hoped. I'm not sure if I will be able to articulate my feelings clearly but I am going to give it my best shot, and reserve the right to edit this review and better/clearer words come to mind.

So, Mackenzie. Let's start with her. Because I didn't like it, maybe some in the beginning, but that didn't last long. She is Wyatt's (our MC) BFF, and has been for years, possibly since infancy I am not sure. At first she was cool, but wow, when she is "defending" Wyatt from school bullies (who loudly call him gay and fag and fairy) by kissing him in front of said bullies to stop the bullying comments, Wyatt is of course shocked and confused and scared, nervous and then resigned. Because it's obvious at one point that Mackenzie LIKES Wyatt in that way, and she rolled right over him by proclaiming them boyfriend/girlfriend, and saying they could kiss again when it's just the two of them. Her entire selfish and narrow view of Wyatt was infuriating because she never ONCE asked him if he was gay, how it made him feel when he was bullied by Jonathan and Charlie and gang, if he even wanted to date her or if he liked her in that way. She just assumed that obviously he would want her because she is so hot and they've been friends for years so of course this is how their relationship progresses. And THEN, THEN!!!! When the shit really hits the fan with Wyatt and his blog about Lincoln, she doesn't support him and in fact "breaks up" with him and dates Jonathan the mean and douchebag bully! Like, WTF? Some BFF she turned out to be.

Now for Wyatt, I liked him. He is a little neurotic but hey, who isn't right? :) Wyatt's history class is given an assignment to write a blog about Lincoln, based on a book they will be ASSIGNED at the library. Wyatt is the last person in line and they have already given out all the books available, but the guy behind the counter does a little nudge, nudge, wink, wink at Wyatt and pulls a book out about Joshua Speed (I am blanking on the title). Wyatt eventually reads the books and inside are letters from Lincoln to Speed, showing what Wyatt believes is proof that Lincoln and Speed were in love. His history assignment is to post a blog on the school site about his first impressions upon reading the book, and Wyatt doesn't hold back. In very clear English Wyatt says Lincoln was Gay. Wyatt is extremely excited by this fact because if Lincoln was gay, then it would be ok that Wyatt was gay, or so he hopes.

Here is where the story goes off the deep end, in my opinion. The reaction Wyatt's blog receives is unbelievable. I mean, I just don't buy it. First, Wyatt is accused of lying by the teacher (uh, hello! That's a pretty harsh statement from a teacher without proof either way!), then the principal get's involved, then eventually a radio program want's to interview him, then the blog blows up even more, the Mayor is furious, Wyatt is given detention, sent "we will sue you" letters because Wyatt won't return the library book, threatened with suspension, possible expulsion, Jonathan and gang up their bullying which is awful, Wyatt's parents are telling him to take down the blog, their B&B is in danger because it's the Lincoln Slept Here B&B, the town parade is being cancelled because nobody wants to associate with a town for bringing down Lincoln's good name, Wyatt is hijacked by a TV show villain who is a real asshat who spouts intolerance and wants anyone who isn't a rich, white male to get out of his world. I just couldn't believe how much negative attention Wyatt's blog was receiving. Maybe someone can explain it to me, but I don't see how a kid doing a homework assignment can be threatened with lawsuit and suspension. I don't see how it's illegal to give a book report about letters between Lincoln and Speed and state they were lovers. All one would have to do is read the letters and each person could make up their own mind.

But I guess because there are small minded people in this world who don't like people different than they are, they are just waiting for an excuse to let out that hate and anger. My whole point is that my enjoyment of this story was lessened because I found it unrealistic. So much of what happened didn't make sense (and Mackenzie being a jerk wasn't helping either), and not once did I hear anyone say they actually read the letters between L & S and could point out that no, those words don't mean what you think they mean, or yes, you are right Wyatt, these letters do indicate more was between them than friendship. It was denial all the way without looking at the evidence, and that just shows you how cruel and self serving people can be.

Do I recommend this story? Yes I do because despite all the above, I enjoyed learning about Lincoln and Speed, regardless of if it's true. I don't really care, honestly, because it doesn't change who they were, and there will never be a way to prove it either way. These people are long dead, and what L did for the US wouldn't be tarnished if this was true. I guess I give this 3.5 stars because of the unrealistic reaction (my opinion) of the world, Mackenzie's attitude, Jonathan and his douchery, Jonathan and Mackenzie as a couple (view spoiler), Wyatt's parents were all over the place (but they love their son so thumbs up there), and the overall drama that was this story all negatively impacted my rating.

This is a story about a part of history I knew little about. The idea that Lincoln might have been gay is an interesting one, and the town’s reaction to the revelation feels all too real in the current climate.

I felt the ending was a little weak, and the characters were not as well drawn or complex as I would have liked. Especially Jonathan, whose actions toward the end of the book didn’t feel consistent with his character as drawn throughout the rest of the story.

That said, I did enjoy reading this, and would recommend it to people who like revisionist history.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read it.