Review: In the Desert by Elliot Joyce

Title: In the Desert

Series: States of Love

Author: Elliot Joyce

Length: 106 Pages

Category: Contemporary, New Adult

At a Glance: There were a few little things I wish I could have seen, but, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed In the Desert. There was a definite charm to the story.

Reviewed By: Jules

Blurb: Can a Navajo trans teen and a nerdy Catholic find the place they belong… and maybe themselves? In the desert, anything is possible….

When Wren came out as transgender before his senior year, it cost him most of his friends. His father hopes joining a Boy Scout troop might help Wren meet other young men his age and be accepted for who he is.

Felipe Nieves wants the new guy in the troop to feel comfortable, and he reaches out to Wren. They become fast friends… with something more beneath the surface. Those feelings confuse Felipe, since his religion considers this a sin—and he’s always assumed he was straight—but he can’t help pining for Wren. Asking him out will take courage, and getting together won’t be easy… but through their friendship, both young men might find their identities… and learn to embrace them in a unique coming-of-age story set against the beauty of the American Southwest.

Review: Elliot Joyce’s In the Desert, his contribution to Dreamspinner Press’s States of Love series, came out a couple of months ago, but I just finally wised up and grabbed it. I don’t know why I ever hesitated, to be honest. I should have trusted my gut, and that wonderful cover, and the fact that I have loved almost every States of Love book I’ve read, and jumped on it. This book had so much charm and sweetness and characters that were so easy to fall in love with; I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Wren is newly out as transgender—he came out to his family less than a year ago—and it wasn’t smooth sailing, initially. He ended up having to change schools, as he was getting bullied at his old school, and the upheaval put some stress on the family, causing tension between he and his siblings as well. Things are a bit better now, though; the family is coming around, especially Wren’s Dad, who I LOVED, and he’s liking his new school pretty well also. But, since Wren lost most of his friends in the move and he’s going to be headed off to college the following fall, his dad thought it might be a good idea to check out the Scouts so that he could meet and possibly hang out with some other teenage boys. So, Wren goes to a meeting with his brother, Chris, not really knowing what to expect or how he might be received.

As the new guy in the troop, Wren doesn’t know anyone except Chris, but overall the guys are quite friendly and accepting. He meets a couple of Chris’s friends and some of the other guys, including the fantastically funny Travis and Kyle, and soon one of their friends, Felipe, is chatting him up. Felipe is into video games and Lord of the Rings, among other “dorky” things…but, Wren thinks Felipe has a way of making dorky pretty darn cute. Wren thinks that Felipe is straight, however, and also learns that his family is very catholic, so he fully expects his growing crush to be a one-way street.

Wren also learned from his brother that there is another out trans guy in the Scout troop, who turns out to be a good friend and ally to Wren as the story goes along. I’m not sure how realistic two trans teens in one Boy Scout troop is, and Joyce’s inclusion of the second trans character could have come off as just a convenient way to push the narrative forward, but it didn’t. I think it worked just fine.

Throughout the book, Felipe and Wren grow closer and closer, of course, building a wonderful friendship, and then finally admitting that they each have a major crush on the other. I enjoyed both their friendship and their sweet romance, and I liked both guys individually a lot. Felipe was such a good, good egg. So smart, and super kind and considerate. I also loved his relationship with his family.

There were a few little things I wish I could have seen… A little bit more character development would have been great. Learning some more about Wren’s backstory might have enriched the storyline. But, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed In the Desert. Like I said above, there was a definite charm to the story. I’m so glad I finally bought this one! I’d for sure love to see more stories from this author.

You can buy In the Desert here:
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