Only Paul seemed to have any trouble coping – everyone else fell neatly into “For” or “Against” camps. In addition, the issue of homosexuality was treated in a very black and white fashion: either a character was open to the concept, or they weren’t. Paul’s only major character trait seemed to be his inability to accept his sexuality, while Manuel was the Perfect Christian, open and forgiving and (I’m sorry!) irritatingly flawless to boot. I’ve rewritten this review about ten times trying to clearly express what it was that bothered me, and I think basically what it comes down to is both writing style and characterization failed, in my opinion, to give any suggestion of depth to the narrative. Unfortunately, however, I really didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped I would. The author was very thorough and I think this will be a good resource for teens looking for ways to defend themselves on a rational playing field or to reconcile with their own religious beliefs. I particularly enjoyed those conversations between Paul and Manuel where Paul tries to “deconvert” Manuel from homosexuality but finds all of his arguments neatly shot down. While it didn’t break new ground for me, it did give a clear depiction of the way the controversy surrounding homosexuality can impact the lives of both gay and straight teenagers. On an intellectual level, I found this book very interesting. Naturally, his arrival stirs up a great deal of turbulence both for Paul and for the rest of the town, culminating in a brutal and unprovoked attack on Manuel one night in the theatre parking lot that nearly takes his life. The only real difference (aside from personality) is that Manuel also claims to be a devout Christian. Like Simon from Child of My Right Hand, Manuel is gay and he’s not shy about it. His carefully constructed life is shaken, however, when a new boy, Manuel, starts at his high school.
He has a girlfriend, is deeply involved in the Bible Study Group, and goes to church religiously (pun totally intended). In some ways, God Box could almost have been the flip side of Child: the main character has lived in a small, conservative American town since he was born and has consequently been denying his attraction to other guys since he entered puberty. I read this book directly after I finished Child of My Right Hand – the same day, actually – and I think it suffered a great deal from the inevitable comparison.
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