Snag Tales From Foster High Illustrated By John Goode Publication

this entire seriesis reminiscent of enjoying one of the most dramatically compelling emotionally gripping feelgood afterschool specials.
. . ever. A multilayered, characterinfused story you just can't help but get involved in, Kyle and Brad remain some of my favorite characters, sitelinkTales from Foster High is the beginning of their love story,

This second edition omnibus includes the first three novels of the Foster High series with added material but the core of the story remains the same.
You're still getting to know, through a first person narrative, two kids who are still very much growing up, maturing, and finding their footing while navigating a society that very much does not want them to be open about who they really are.


On top of dealing with everything else, neither kid's home life is good, Kyle's mother is an alcoholic who lets her boyfriends tune him up when he needs "discipline" note: only anecdotally, and Brad's parents fight like manic wolverines, and sometimes Brad's dad gets drunk and physical.
With everything they have going on it's just enough to get through a day, but then they have to go and fall in love with one another.


This is the beginning of Kyle and Brad's love story, and I love that Brad, who's sort of a douche in the very beginning, has a redemption arc that ultimately makes him such a better person.
I love that we get both Kyle and Brad's POV in this, and love that the situations are so real, while the story is such a romance.
The characters fall in love quickly, and by the end I fully buy in that, yes, they're meant to be together.
Of course they are, and hopefully forever,

Young Adult Romance both MC's are, with real world concerns, character growth, a dash of angst, some humor, a massive amount of pop culture references, and a happy ending.


Recommended, along with the next book in the series: sitelinkEnd of the Innocence, but have your tissues handy though no worries KyleampBrad's HEA always remains strong.


Galley copy of sitelinkTales From Foster High provided by sitelinkthe author in exchange of an honest review.
A really well done high school coming out story, I especially enjoyed Kyle's voice, His views on life, and perspective were interesting, and I really liked his sense of humor, and his metaphors especially made me laugh.
It's not really a mystery why I felt I could relate to Kyle on some level, but I was surprised by how much I liked Brad.
When just seen from Kyle's perspective it would be easy to see him as some sort of jock stereotype, but once Brad's perspective was introduced he proved to a much more than he first appeared.
I enjoyed seeing both boys view point, It made for a much richer story, and I could understand the fears, frustrations, hopes, and desires that brought them together, and drove them apart.
Living in a small town makes me appreciate that there is no romanticizing of small town living, and the author captures the pitfalls, and traps that exists in places like that.
I like the fact that Brad never denies some of the truly rotten things he has done, but seems resolved to do better by people.
I like that characters make choices, and not everyone that seems bad in the beginning stays that way.
The ending is triumphant, and the sort of conclusion I'd wish for any boy or girl in this sort of situation.
I loved that in that moment Brad chose to take a stand, not just for himself, and for Kyle, but for all the other students

at their school who were living with similar torment, harassment, and torture.
It made me respect him all that much more,
Overall, barely an OK read for me, Didnt really like the writing, especially Kyles voice, I felt that most of the characters were underdeveloped and flat, and this made many scenes unbelievable, The second tale and Brads voice saved the book from being a bad read,

Reading some of the reviews I understand the series gets better but I dont think Im interested in continuing.


I loved the authors note at the end, It told me that Tales from Foster High came from his heart, So, I feel really bad for not liking the book but the truth is it fell short for me.



Maybe With a Chance of Certainty

Kyles PoV,

So many things happen in such a short time, it felt rushed and unnatural,

Sweet, smart and quirky Kyle was too stereotypical, nothing about him was special enough to grab my heart.
And it was even more difficult for me to connect when thisyo kid said things like:

I spent the next hour or so packing my emotions back into the containers from which they had escaped.
Previously mintcondition desire and love, still in the box, were now forever ruined as I taped up the plastic covers and tried to stack everything back where it belonged.

I would never argue that Kyle and Brads family and school situations are unrealistic but I felt that the obstacles the author threw at them were too many considering the length of the story.



The End of the Beginning

Brads PoV,

I liked Brads voice more than Kyles, There was a lot of back story here that explained how Brad became who he was a lost kid hiding under the façade of a popular jock.
This made his character arc much more believable,

The second tale was better paced than the first, the only surprise was how quickly the argument Brad had with his father started and ended.
I get it, teenagers are impulsive, I just didnt expect Brads father to accept everything so easily, given their history.



Raise Your Glass

Dual PoV,

I liked this one the least of the three,

Similar to the first story, everything that happens within these two days felt rushed, side characters changed suddenly and acted opposite to the expectations built in the first two stories.


Im not sure what exactly I expected from this third tale, mostly I think I wanted to see Kyle and Brads relationship develop, and when it didnt happen I was disappointed.


Didnt get why there had to be so many pop culture references, For example while Kyle was being humiliated in front of his classmates, he was thinking about Richard Gere, Pretty Woman, the Stepford Wives, and Michael Jackson, etc.


All the things that happened, especially in the final pages made me feel as if I were watching a mediocre Hollywood teen drama.



Perhaps if I had read this a year and a half ago before Id read so many YA novels I would have enjoyed it more.



So I'm sitting here stressing about this review, You see ing is not my thing, I'm pretty sucky at it and I'm ok with that, But when I read a books like this one, is the moment I wish I knew what the heck I was doing.
Not to feel like I'm the shit, but to give the characters, the story, and the author the acknowledgement/OMG's it deserves in hopes that it gets the chance to affect others the way it did with me.


Tales of Foster High is a M/M YA romance series, But at the same time it is so much more, Even though this is a work of fiction it touches on a topic that unfortunately for a lot of gay students it's their truth.
. . it's their life.

Now I know these things exist and happen everyday, but reading about them, putting a "face" to the situation makes you feel/see it differently, Which is why even though I have always been open with my kids and they know what it is to be gay and bullied, I can not wait to share this book with them.
And hopefully one day they get to make a difference in someones life, . . or maybe it will make a difference in theirs,

This real life, adorable, and yet fun read is highly recommended to everyone!



Paul, because of reasons.
. . thank you!

.