FRATERNITY by Andy Mientus

Queer Characters. A secret society that deals in the occult/mystic beliefs. A boarding school for all gentlemen. Sounds like any religious high school in America. Of course there is bound to be an abundance of sexual tension and secret societies but what sets Andy Mientus’ novel apart is that it is just the type of book that younger queer men need.

Although the story is one that we may have seen before, in terms of setting it in a boarding school and having a secret society dealing in the occult. Mientus has given us fully fleshed out and realized characters that we are meant to care about. Zooey is a young man who is questioning where he fits in, Leo is a self confident prima donna, and others who don’t feel like queer tropes.

Setting the novel at the height of the AIDS epidemic is a risky choice but it certainly pays off. Thrown into a turbulent time for gay men, the reader is given a taste of what it was like for the community, and the people who they were surrounded by.

This book will hopefully not only entertain readers but also give a lesson to younger readers that it was not always an easy thing to do, coming out as gay. Even in the current climate within the United States, it may seem like we are in a dark time but Mientus has served up a dose of history that pairs well with the rest of the story, showing that secret societies of gay men was sometimes the only way to find community.

Although the story takes some odd turns throughout the novel which seem to lack a focused eye at times, it is a wonderful first outing and Mientus is certainly an author to keep your eye on.