The Cultural Impact of Rainbow Boys, and Why Stories Like It Are Still So Essential

It’s been twenty-five years since Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez was born and changed lives (and our bookshelves)

About The Book

Navigating through the intolerant world of the early aughts and their own insecurities, three teenage boys find each other and the confidence to come out of the closet in this seminal queer coming-of-age novel.

Jason Carillo is a jock with a steady girlfriend. He’s on track to play ball, marry his high school sweetheart, and get as far away from his abusive dad as possible—but that’s if he can get into college with his shaky math grades…and if he can stop dreaming about having sex with guys.

Kyle Meeks is definitely gay, but he’s not planning on telling anyone, least of all his parents. All he wants is to keep his head down and get through high school without incident—until Jason asks him for help in math and all of a sudden, Kyle is spending long hours with a boy he’s always found cute and it’s getting harder and harder to keep his feelings under wraps.

Nelson Glassman is out and loud about it, but being proud of who you are doesn’t mean things don’t get lonely. He’s got a target on his back for the school bullies to kick, and while his mom supports him, she doesn’t entirely understand him. To make things worse, he and his best friend—and longtime crush—Kyle have been spending more and more time apart, and he doesn’t know how to deal.

Messy, honest, and raw, Rainbow Boys follows these three boys as they come of age and come out of the closet in the early aughts in one of the most revolutionary young adult novels in the last quarter century.

Despite being released in 2001 in the US, we didn’t get Rainbow Boys until May of 2023 in the UK. I was just seven years old then (pretty much obsessed with Rainbow Magic fairies) so I didn’t read Alex’s book until I was twelve years old, outgrew the middle grade section, and started reading anything interesting I could get my hands on. I remember borrowing Alex’s book from the library (before I starting building my own at-home one that is starting to spill into multiple rooms…) and absolutely adored the story.

I grew up in a completely accepting family who have always instilled love is love in the world, fictional and real, with parents who only encouraged my genre-hopping reads where it didn’t matter who the love interests were or who they loved, so for me, unlike some families, towns and countries across the world that can be quite repressive and unaccepting of books like Rainbow Boys, let alone if I were part of the LGBTQIA+ community, reading Alex’s book was just another story I couldn’t put down and fell wholly in love with. That in itself is privilege, and I am grateful to have not only grown up in and around people and an environment who were openly accepting of everyone, but of also having a book like it in the hands of youth, especially, who are coming from different backgrounds and coming of age in a family or situation that might not always be safe or easy for them. That means there will be readers who aren’t growing up in isolation, and I can only champion that feeling for life.

And so, I am incredibly honoured to be celebrating Rainbow Boys: the 25th Anniversary Edition (with an introduction by Gender Queer creator Maia Kobabe) and sharing just why I think it was more than a milestone, but also belonging to a pivotal era of YA Literature that redefined what was possible for queer teens, replacing that isolation and fear with hope and genuine romance. I’ve been reading LGBTQIA+ stories for over half my life now, way before Pretty Little Memoirs was an idea in my head, and so I have compiled a post bursting with the joy that has always been woven into these monumental stories. From the classics to modern loves, tying back into the very heart of Rainbow Boys, I’ve put together a lineup of essential contemporary reads that echo its legacy, from early pioneers to today’s swoon-worthy favourites and recent viral sensations. Settle in with me and let’s seek out some beautiful books together…

The Legacy Reads

• Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman — Even though this one is a graphic novel, the story (and subsequent feelings of falling in love, coming out in the modern era, finding your community and worrying about bullying) is still one of the most popular, iconic, modern LGBTQIA+ YA love stories of recent times. Two boys falling in love at school echoes back to that same feeling I get when I read Rainbow Boys, the giddiness of first loves, the emotion that comes with opening yourself up to a world where people might not be accepting, yet still finding that community that leaves not only the characters, but the reader, less lonely. Why I think it’s a modern icon: Alice’s graphic novel turned TV series has made readers and watchers swoon since day one, not only showing the joys of a gay romance, but trans joy, lesbian romance, bisexuality and asexual characters who explore their own sexualities within the world. Alice created a space for a new generation of readers to see their identities reflected within a friend group that feels like family.
• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender — Kacen created something painfully honest and simultaneously beautiful with Felix’s story of transitioning during high school, falling love and dealing with transphobia, whilst still being true to himself by constantly evolving who he is, how he feels best to be true to himself, and leaning into messiness. Behind the catfishing schemes and unwavering love though is the beating heart of this story: Felix’s journey toward actually loving himself for who he’s always known he was. Why I think it’s a modern icon: Kacen weaves in complex friendships and a messy exploration of a young Trans boy finding himself, without ever straying from the most vital message of all, that no one should ever have to compromise on the kind of love they deserve or try and fit into places they know aren’t right for them.
• Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli — Becky’s stories have always radiated a warmth that echoes everything beautiful and heart-wrenchingly honest about LGBTQIA+ stories, but Simon has always been that modern trailblazer for the sweet, digital-era romance. The anonymous email exchange between Simon and his mystery love interest gave readers such an unforgettable romance rooted in vulnerable conversations and so much pining. It captures that exact feeling of falling in love with someone slowly, forgoing the risks of the unknown and going into it heart-first. Why I think it’s a modern icon: I thought I couldn’t have loved Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda more, until the movie came out and I think, collectively, the world just fell so much harder. It’s the kind of read that flows effortlessly into your mind and heart, the ordinariness of Simon’s life alongside his coming-out journey, the bewildering intimacy of love through a digital lens and again, building that same found family bliss that makes it just so unputdownable.

Becca’s Favourites

• I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston — When I reviewed this, I knew it was going to hold such a special place in my heart. Casey is an iconic author of many LGBTQIA+ books that explore love in different forms and times in our lives. In this one, Chloe Green is this badass, headstrong bisexual protagonist, and watching her form an unlikely alliance with Smith and Rory to decode Shara’s cryptic clues is pure magic that brings this story alive in every way possible. Behind the sharp academic rivalry and clue-filled scavenger hunt is a story that feels like the unapologetic feelings of breaking the rules to stand by your friends and step into who you really are without caring what anyone thinks, and that is so vastly important for younger readers to know early on.
• Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley — Way back in 2014, this was one of the first Historical Sapphic books I read, and definitely wasn’t the last I read by Robin. This story was and still is such an incredible, necessary force. It takes two girls on completely opposite sides of a painful historical divide—one of whom is the first non-white person to attend their school—unlearning the prejudices raised on, and forces them to confront their shared truth. Inside the tension-filled, historical setting lies such an intimate, beautifully written story about unlearning hatred, standing up for what’s right, and discovering love in the most overwhelming places, despite adversity.
• Pumpkin by Julie Murphy — Julie’s books have filled my bookshelves since Dumplin (which was one of the first PR packages I received and came with a Dolly Parton CD!) and it’s no wonder why, when you find a story like Pumpkin. It’s a big-hearted and beautiful hug of a book. Returning to the southern-charm-filled Clover City in the Dumplin’ universe, Murphy gave us Waylon—a fat, gay teen whose secret passion for drag leads to an accidental run for Prom Queen. It’s an absolute masterpiece of joyful representation, pairing a heart-fluttering romance with an inspiring message about body positivity, self-worth, and stepping into the spotlight as your boldest, most radiant self in every aspect of your life—a movement that I think Rainbow Boys sparked, a hand passed through time and stories, in cultivating great courage in LGBTQIA+ reads.

Celebrating Rainbow Boys: 25 Years

Alex Sanchez has published ten novels, including the American Library Association “Best Book for Young Adults” Rainbow Boys and Lambda Award-winning So Hard to Say.

His novel Bait won the Tomas Rivera Mexican-American Book Award and the Florida Book Award Gold Medal for Young Adult fiction.  You Brought Me the Ocean, his graphic novel from DC Comics, was illustrated by Julie Maroh. Alex’s newest book, The Greatest Superpower, came out in 2021.
 
Alex has a master’s degree in guidance and counseling and worked for many years as a youth and family counselor.  

Thank you so much for celebrating the joy that is Rainbow Boys and I highly recommend picking up one of the stunning, sprayed-edge 25th Anniversary editions so we can match! Getting to revisit this story was such a heartwarming experience and I can’t wait for another generation of readers to discover it for the first time, too. Please remember that, whoever you are or whoever you love, you are so deserving of happiness, peace, acceptance and all the love in the world. Me, and Pretty Little Memoirs, will forever be an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, and I am here for you, lovely reader.