Rainbow Boys

Infobox Book
name = Rainbow Boys


image_caption = Front cover of "Rainbow Boys"
author = Alex Sánchez
country = flag|USA
language = English
series = "Rainbow" trilogy
genre = Young adult
publisher = Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
pub_date = October 2001
media_type = Print (Hardback, Paperback)
pages = 256 pp
isbn = ISBN 9780689841002
oclc = 82005538
followed_by = Rainbow High

"Rainbow Boys" is the first novel in a trilogy by Alex Sanchez, focusing on the issues gay and questioning youth face as they come of age. This book is followed by "Rainbow High" and "Rainbow Road".

Plot summary

The story follows three high school students during their senior year, alternating between their points-of-view. Jason Carrillo, the jock, finds himself questioning his heterosexuality and decides to attend a meeting for gay youth. He does not expect to see his classmates Kyle Meeks and Nelson Glassman at the meeting. Kyle Meeks meanwhile crushes on Jason and through a number of run-ins the two become more than just friends. Nelson, the flamboyant class clown, finds himself jealous of Kyle and Jason and in his depression he decides to hook up with an online stranger named Brick. He engages in sexual intercourse with Brick and fears he has contracted HIV. He becomes friends with HIV-positive Jeremy and finds himself in love.

Characters

Jason, the first character introduced, is a jock struggling to accept his suspected homosexuality. He insists to himself that he is in love with his girlfriend, Debra, but later begins to question this. Not only is he afraid of consequences for being gay at school, but at home as well. His father is an abusive alcoholic and extremely homophobic, having beaten him and taunted Jason throughout his life.

Kyle is a shy senior, already accepting his sexuality. He’s best friends with Nelson, a stereotypical homosexual, whose sexuality is well known. As the book progresses, he eventually admits his orientation to his parents, and is more open about being gay. At one point in the book, he even spray paints the words "And proud" following the graffiti on his locker which reads "queer". He’d been crushing on Jason forever, until finally Jason needed some help on math. As things progressed, they eventually began a relationship.

Nelson is the most flamboyant of the three main characters, referred to as a queen. He is bullied frequently due to his radical hairstyles and behaviour. He realised he was gay at a very early age. Ever since Kyle started seeing Jason, Nelson had become very jealous, and lonely. Eventually he lost his virginity to a man he met on the internet named Brick, who showed no concern to whether Nelson had loved him or not, and with this he has the chance of getting dreaded HIV's. He later finds new hope in a relationship with Jeremy.