Cover Image: Yay! You're Gay! Now What?

Yay! You're Gay! Now What?

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Member Reviews

I read this book in an effort to understand and empathize with those going through a life not like my own. I learned a lot from a first perspective. I felt like this book would help me understand if my own child was going through if this was their situation. I look forward to reading other reviewers to see what the intended audience thought of it.

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Errata:
“...you’re going more than you’re sexuality“ that second one should be ‘your’.
“If you ignore the bully, and removing yourself from the situation...” 'Removing' should be 'Remove'.
“If you’ve already come out to friends at school, as if they have any LGBT+ pals” Ask if they have!
This isn't so much an error as a point of order, and it wasn't the author who said this, but Simon Anthony-Roden in his advice to his younger self, but there’s no evidence that it was Oscar Wilde who said “Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.“ People are misquoted or misattributed all the time, so no big deal.

This book is a complete guide to how to handle your discovery that you're gay - or at some other place on what's commonly referred to as 'the spectrum' but which I prefer to think of as a slide since a spectrum implies something that's fixed, and I think very few people are solidly fixed in whatever position they're in. Your orientation and preferences can change over your life and no, thats not the same as saying 'gayness can be cured' because there's nothing to cure.

There were times when it felt a little bit over the top for me, but you can't blame a guy for reveling in who he is, so that's no big deal. There were also times when I felt he went a little in the wrong direction - like seemingly implying right up front that gay guys don't play soccer (Justin Fashanu, Robbie Rogers, and and the entire amateur team of Paris Foot Gay would disagree, as would Eudy Simelane, had she not been raped and murdered in 2008), but usually when he seemed to be veering, it was for a reason.

The book covers pretty much anything a young person may want to know if they have perhaps been wrestling with identity and how to face what's becoming obvious to them, and deal with accepting it, and whether to come out and who to come out to. It doesn't matter what your question is, you will find valuable advice in this book, and not just from the author, but also from an assortment of others who have walked this same path.

it begins with asking if you think you might be gay, and moves on to coming out, finding friends and finding love, then appropriately gets to "all about bodies" and "Let's talk about sex," both of which contain excellent guidance and advice. Be warned, there are no punches pulled here. For a gay guy, the author tells it straight! Each of these sections is filled with personal anecdote, good advice and comments on their own sexuality and advice they would have given to their younger selves by some celebrities, the only two I'd heard of, I have to confess, were Stephen Fry, of whom I'm a fan, and Jin Yong, who I heard of only recently. Others are Clark Moore, Simon Anthony-Roden, Rory O'Neill, James Kavanagh, Matthew Todd, Shane Jenek, and Ranj Singh. That said, I'm not a big TV watcher. There is only a few shows that I tend to watch, and I've never been a fan of RuPaul Andre Charles, so I've never seen his Drag Race, but I have heard of Cortney Act, Jenek's alter-ego, a stage name I've long thought was choice!

The bottom of page 171 (page 86 on the iPad I was using) ended with “You don’t need an” but page 172 (87 on the tablet) was the start of a new chapter! I guess we’ll never know how that sentence ends!

This is yet another case of a print book farmed-out to reviewers as an ebook for convenience, but I often wonder if publishers ever consider what a poor impression one of these 'afterthought ebooks' leaves. As it happens, and apart from a very negative experience on my iPhone before I switched to a tablet, this book wasn’t so bad. There was an occasionally 'sticky page' (and no, not that kind of sticky - but sticky in the sense it wouldn't swipe easily tot he next or previous page, and took two or three times to move it. On the iPhone there were also times when pages came up on the wrong oder, so I wouldn't recommend reading it on a device that small.

This book wasn't so bad, but I’m honestly at the point now where I will negatively review a poorly conceived ebook regardless of its literary merit. Here’s why: the modern concept of an ebook was initiated almost half a century ago by Michael Hart who founded Project Gutenberg and even ePub books have been around for some two decades. There really is no excuse for substandard ebooks these days, and if authors/publishers are going to issue one to reviewers, they need to look at the thing in the e-version on one or two different devices to make sure it's worthy of issuing!

That said I commend this ebook for being a worthy read and a useful contribution to helping those in need of advice and a leg up here and there.

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This book is an extremely informative while also relatable and personal guide to everything gay and LGBT+ and I would recommend it especially to every young person out there, questioning or not. I loved reading a bout all these experiences, there were loads of helpful tips and insights in here and it's a quick fun read.

This book also deals with mental health and bullying and even the basic changes of puberty. It really has everything and while I think it is definitely most interesting for gay teen boys, I still think it can help extend everyone's world view.

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Yay! You're Gay! Now What? A Gay Boy's Guide to Life by Riyadh Khalaf is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. I am not in the target range for this book but I still wanted to read this. I am so glad this book is out there to help those that are in the right demographic range. This book deals with a lot of personal issues that the author himself has faced and he passes on advice. He also has advice from other celebrities. Bullying, coming out, dating, and more are all addressed in here. The book is very open. It doesn't sugar coat anything but it does encourage people to be you! There is a lot of support in this book!
I think any one that is not in the LGBTQ community could benefit from reading this. Understanding goes a long way!
If someone feels they could benefit from this book because they might be a target audience, then don't hesitate to pick it up! You will be glad you did!

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This is a wonderful book and a great guide and I think should be read by everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Light hearted and honest insights from a very genuine young gay man. This would be helpful to not only young men who may be questioning their sexuality or have come out, but also for family and friends. I believe the more we discuss and are open then it can only ever be for the better. This should be available in schools and libraries for teenagers. A wonderful read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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I am definitely glad this book exists. Young LGBTQ people will now have a guide to growing up and embracing who they are while enduring whatever struggles life throws their way. This is going to be a necessity in elementary school libraries.

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I am currently on page 35, and to save my eyes, I will be buying this book soon from Amazon. A short review for those 35 pages (and I will write a longer review when I have the book/read it). This is a very fun, interesting read, I really enjoy reading it even though I am not a gay boy (I am a bi woman). The writing style is very nice and pulls you in, I love the photographs, the addition of personal stories or quotes (either by celebrities or teens or other people) is very well done. All in all, a book I would recommend based on those 35 pages.

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This wonderful book is so essential for the new generations of queer kids to come. It conveys so much helpful information to help guide teens as they grow up and maintains a personable tone throughout. Khalaf handles difficult subjects with levity and personal anecdotes, along with letters from various gay celebrities. I flew through this book and couldn’t recommend it enough!

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Yay! You're Gay! Now What? is perfectly crafted to appeal to a teen audience. The layout is engaging, with bright visuals at the start of each chapter and quotes from the text emphasized in pop-out boxes that help to break up walls of text. Each section is short and sweet, giving just enough information to be thorough without becoming overwhelming, and the tone is chatty and conversational. Even when discussing topics teens may view as dull or preachy (safe sex, online safety, etc.) it never comes across as either textbook-dry or as patronizing. I can think of few books that seem so perfectly written for the target audience as this one. I also appreciated that it included a section with Riyadh's parents responding to questions, which could be helpful both for teens trying to gauge how their parents will react to their coming out, and also for their parents after they come out. A well-rounded resource and an unarguably important one.

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I work at a middle school and read this to gain perspective on what my students that come out as gay are going through emotionally. I think this is an inspiring read for any young person that is making the difficult decision to come out. Great writing!

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An amazing book that discusses so many things useful for everyone to read and understand about being lgbt+.

It's not just for those apart of the community but for anyone who's questioning their sexuality or know someone on the spectrum.

It was informative and full of humour and the photography and artwork complemented each page and made it that much more enjoyable to read.

I can't wait to buy my own physical copy and share it with all my friends!

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I gave this book a 3 star rating on the basis that it was informative and it was fun to read to an extent. I enjoyed the author's voice but I feel that the book could have expanded more on the LGBTQ+ community than it did. I found it to be a watered-down version of Juno Dawson's "This book is gay". Overall it was a good book it just lacked a bit in my opinion.

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It’s about time someone wrote a book like Yay! You’re Gay! Now What? A Gay Boy’s Guide to Life. Riyadh Khalaf writes skillfully, knowledgably, truthfully, compassionately and humorously, leaving no stone unturned in bringing information to people who are trying to come to terms with their sexual identity.

Whatever your gender, sexual identity or sexual orientation, you will learn something from this book. Khalaf covers a wide range of topics under 5 sections:
• So you think you might be gay…
• Coming out
• Finding friends, finding love
• All about bodies
• Let’s talk about sex

I admire Khalaf’s honesty and humor, his willingness to lay open his personal experiences to help others, the way he presents information respectful of all cultures, and remains true to his messages: “There’s nothing wrong with you”, “It’s okay to be who you are”, “You are not alone”, “Be proud of who you are”.

This book will help a lot of people find the answers to questions they were afraid to ask, and the reassurance they need to become their true self. What could be better?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Books for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

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This is a lovely book that addresses so many things young gay men aren't getting elsewhere. To have a book about puberty, figuring out your sexuality, coming out, sex, and consent aimed specifically for and about cis gay men is necessary. I would love to see similar books with these topics aimed for gay women, trans folks, and other members of the LGBT+ community.

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I am not the demographic this book was aimed for being a queer asexual AFAB person. So yes I did skip a few chapters. Boners etc I did not need to know much about and sex yeah that doesn't really interest me.
But oh boy this book is amazing. Just what any baby queer is going to need and a great resource for both them and their parents.

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This book was everything.

I'm a questioning straight person but this book was more than for just gay people. It had answers for even anxiety issues.

In some points , this book was unrealistic . I come from a place where people traditionally think being attracted to same gender is abomination. Coming out is not as easy as it sounds here.

Overall , this book was positive and supportive.

I thanks the publisher and Netgalley for granting me an opportunity to read and review this amazing work.

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Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My "coming out" moment was not really a coming out moment. My parents sort of knew who and what I was at a very young age. Looking back, it would help me understand what I'm going through, how I should act, and how I should define myself if I have something like this book.

I haven't really heard of Riyadh Khalaf until my book wish for this book was approved by the publisher, but I was thankful they did! The book is a bible not only for gay boys, but also a manual for every single person who's confused of the LGBT+ community. I am part of this community, but I was still ignorant of how diverse this community was, and this book reconciled all of those confusions.

Direct, honest and fun. Yay! You're Gay! Now What?: A Gay Boy's Guide to Life is one for the books. I hope you get your hands on this book once it's released this month.

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I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this book, received through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a great resource for young people, especially because it was written by someone who has been through it. Although I did not know Riyadh before reading this book, after watching his Youtube channel I have come to the conclusion that his book is a reflection of himself: straight-forward and honest. He is not afraid of delving into personal matters, there is a chapter on every doubt a teenager might have in the book and more that not only LGTBI people might find useful.

While it is mainly focused on Ireland and the UK, I feel like this book might be helpful for people anywhere.

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My review will be posted on my website tomorrow

+++++++++

The descriptive bit: Yay! You’re Gay! Now What? by Riyadh Khalaf is a book for young queer guys. It covers pretty much everything you might want to know, including things you may not have even thought of! This book is a great resource for young people and it’s written by someone who has been through it! What makes this book different is the personal insight from Riyadh

My thoughts bit: I have been watching Riyadh on YouTube for years. He is honest and straight-forward, he’s hilarious, unapologetic and talented. On his channel, he has always shared personal details about his life that have helped people to realize they aren’t alone. This book is an extension of that sharing that Riyadh has always done.

This book has a chapter on pretty much anything you might wonder about if you’re a young queer man (and I would venture to say that a lot of it is relevant regardless of gender or orientation). You can read about coming out, developing crushes, telling friends, dating, sex, the queer community, bullying, and so many more useful things.

Physically, the book is a delight! The colours are vibrant (much like Riyadh!) and there are some great photos. It’s the kind of book that is fun to read despite being about some really life-changing subjects.

Throughout this book, Riyadh shares stories from his own life and experience. It’s this personal touch, complete with Riyadh’s candor and sense of humor that truly makes this book such a helpful tool. Interspersed with chapters full of useful information, there are notes from famous queer role models, and from everyday folks.

This book was a joy to read and very educational. While the focus is on those in the UK – I feel as though the information in this book could be helpful to anyone anywhere. The contact information included at the back of the book provides some great resources for people living around the world.

I received an ARC of this Yay! You’re Gay! Now What? by Riyadh Khalaf from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Childrens via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

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This is exactly what it sets out to be, a guide for a gay cis male teen. Riyadh doesn’t profess to, or indeed want to, speak for any other groups, genders or orientations, as that would be inauthentic. What this is, is a calmly written, relatable overview of what it is to cope with being a gay teen in modern society. It’s not the most in depth analysis of what it is to be gay, but it is written with it’s audience firmly in mind.

It’s approach to sex, bullying, coming out, identity and advice is very personable and frank, without being sensational. Yes parents, there are sections on cumming, sexual roles, masturbation and others, but there are just as many on cyber bullying, where to seek help in a crisis, and how to emotionally engage with your friends and peers. Also emotionally affecting is the chapter written by Riyadh’s parents in an attempt to speak to the parents who may pick up this book.

It doesn’t shy away from the big topics or advise abstinence, but it does advocate for consent, respect for self and for others.

This is an unexpectedly welcome addition to the LGBTQ+ self help family. Now the publisher just needs to find an equally famous lesbian YouTuber, to produce a companion piece with as much warmth or heart as this.

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