Emmett

By Author / Illustrator

L. C. Rosen

Genre

LBGTQ+

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Allen & Unwin

ISBN

9781761180736

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

09-11-2023

Synopsis

Modern and very gay, with a charmingly conceited lead who is convinced he knows it all, and the occasional reference to the classic movie Clueless, Emmett brings you lush romance all while exploring the complexities of queer culture-where your lovers and friends are sometimes the same person, but the person you fall in love with might be a total surprise.

Emmett Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence and had lived nearly eighteen years in the world with very little to distress or vex him.

Emmett knows he's blessed. And because of that, he tries to give back: from charity work to letting the often irritating Georgia sit at his table at lunch, he knows it's important to be nice. And recently, he's found a new way of giving back: matchmaking. He set up his best friend Taylor with her new boyfriend and it's gone perfectly. So when his occasional friend-with-benefits Harrison starts saying he wants a boyfriend (something Emmett definitely does NOT want to be), he decides to try and find Harrison the perfect man at Highbury Academy, the candy-colored private school they attend just outside Los Angeles.

Emmett's childhood friend, Miles, thinks finding a boyfriend for a guy you sleep with is a bad idea. But Miles is straight, and Emmett says this is gay life - your friends, your lovers, your boyfriends - they all come from the same very small pool. That's why Emmett doesn't date - to keep things clean. He knows the human brain isn't done developing until twenty-five, so any relationship he enters into before then would inevitably end in a breakup, and loss. And he's seen what loss can do. His mother died four years ago and his dad hasn't been the same since.

But the lines Emmett tries to draw are more porous than he thinks, and as he tries to find Harrison the perfect match, he learns that gifted as he may be, maybe he has no idea what he's doing when it comes to love.

'Charming, romantic and gay as all get-out, Rosen's contemporary reimagining of Jane Austen's classic gives its themes a new life.' Erin Gough, award-winning author of Amelia Westlake. 'Stylish, bitingly funny and buckets of fun...as addictive as your latest Netflix obsession.' Cale Dietrich, co-author of If This Gets Out

Reviews

Emmett is almost eighteen. Handsome, clever, kind and popular, he has everything going for him. He is happily gay, but does not want a serious boyfriend as he believes that the human brain is not fully developed until the age of 25 and thinks that, until then, he will not be able to cope with a relationship. Aware of his good fortune, he wants to give something back and so he turns his hand to matchmaking. Having already paired up his best friend, Taylor, with West, he's now determined to find the perfect boyfriend for his 'friend with benefits', Harrison.

Emmett is sure that hunky Clarke would be ideal for Harrison, but his plans seem doomed to failure as his attempts to match up the pair are thwarted time and again. Meanwhile, Miles, Emmett's former best friend, comes out as gay, and Emmett finds himself in a total state of confusion. He'd once had a crush on Miles, but had thought Miles was straight. Will Emmett ever see that he can't always be right, and realise that real love could be right in front of him?

Set in an affluent American high school, this lively, modern and thought-provoking novel is based loosely on Jane Austen’s 'Emma'. It boasts a richly divergent cast of characters: Emmett is gay, Taylor is trans and both are Jewish. Miles has two mothers, one black and one white, and he was donor conceived. There are many other queer characters within the story, all totally accepted within their school. The book depicts a well-balanced LGBTQ+ community, all existing easily together. We are told that Emmett and Harrison are in a sexual relationship, but the scene is sensitively written and is not at all graphic.

While Emmett is witty, fast-paced and gloriously camp, it does cover some serious themes. Emmett is grieving the loss of his mother, who died from cervical cancer. Emmett's father is also suffering from her loss, and he is a hypochondriac, constantly worrying about Emmett's health and lifestyle. The death of his mother has obviously affected Emmett in that he worries that if he enters into a relationship, he will not be able to cope with the possibility of a break-up. There are some lovely scenes between Emmett and his dad, particularly towards the end of the novel when the two confront their loss.

Emmett is a charming character, loyal to his friends but convinced that he knows what (and who) is best for everyone. Eventually he has to admit that he sometimes gets it wrong!

The novel is funny and moving in parts, well-written and interesting, it gives a great insight into the intricacies of queer culture and dating protocols. The American setting may be a little confusing to some readers, but this is an important book, showing young people that they can be whoever they want to be nowadays. There is a satisfying conclusion, the author cleverly shows us what is happening to all of the major characters, and we are left with a sense of hope that Emmett's brain may just be ready for a relationship after all!

272 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian