I absolutely loved this MM romance.

Such a great book with a solid storyline and great characters.

I eagerly look forward to reading more from this author.

A definite recommend!

Coming to Life on South High was a rich narrative about a young man's bloom into adulthood. The story started with our protaganist, Gabe, living with a roommate and still in the closet and follows him over the course of the next decade-plus of his life. We get to witness him falling in love multiple times, exploring what it means to be queer at the turn of the century, and discover himself. The voyage of self-discovery is the very core of this story and Patton explores the concept beautifully and gracefully.

The story seems timeless at first. There are a few hints that tell us when the book is set, but it is not until approximately halfway through the book when we are really hit with the setting. When that line came across the page, my jaw dropped and everything prior fell into a slightly different context.

There are also Gabe's struggles with his family. His father in particular provides an interesting counter-character to Gabe. I will warn that when dealing with his father, you will come across a lot of racism. You will read the N-word at least a hundred times in the early parts of the book and the racism his father exhibits is not casual. If you are triggered by this, I would shy away from this particular book.

Outside of Gabe, the book is supported by a colorful cast of supporting characters - ranging from friends to love interests to even the aforementioned parents. (Gabe's mother is far more palatable, I promise.) Each of the characters come to life on the page for however long they are in the story.

My only possible complaint about this book is the disjointed nature of time - but it provides a rich narrative and manages to cover a vast period of Gabe's life, highlighting the ways that he came to life on South High.

I wanted to love Coming to Life on South High. But I just couldn't connect to the Gabe. His journey is interesting, but it did nothing for me.

One thing I want to give credit to this author is that they constructed a full twelve years for Gabe, from where he was 21 to 33 years of age, the story always moving and eventful. Lots of secondary characters and a great attention to detail, in a way that it was always easy to picture people and places. But...

Not one feeling reached me from the pages. Maybe precisely because of two much happening, too many characters and environments described, too much dialogue that felt more like filling rather than conclusive...and sadly the story ended up being emotionally flat. Aside from having a good idea of Gabe's movements in the past years and the people he's met, I reached the final page of the book without really knowing him. So... I applaud the effort the author has made but I wish the story had left me with some emotion.

This is a tough one to review. I felt disconnected from the main character, Gabe. It was difficult to maintain interest in his love life, his friends, his family...The POV is what I think tripped me up with this story. Perhaps if it would have been written in first person, I could have connected better with Gabe.

Patton's novel is a lyrical coming of age story that follows a recent college graduate as he finds his way in the world. It's hard to describe the central character, Gabe, as a protagonist since so much of the novel is defined by all the ways he avoids making decisions or moving the plot forward. He's in a sincere state of ennui and floats through things happening to him. It's really not until deep into the story that we finally get an idea of what Gabe wants, which allows the story to pick up considerably. Yet, that would be giving away too many spoilers. This is for a patient reader who is willing to go along with the experience Gabe's journey; not someone who wants a traditional linear story/plot. Fans of Andre Aciman's novel "Call Me By Your Name" may find a spiritual companion here.

The story is told through a 3rd person viewpoint and that's my biggest issue - it felt so impersonal and seemed to skip right through a lot of the MCs decision making and though process and left us behind a bit when it came to his emotional development across the story.