Paul's religion meant a lot to him on a personal level, and I think it's nice that Sanchez showed the positive side of religion as well as the negative - the friendly minister as well as the homophobic one, the support Paul's dad recieved.Īs you may have guessed, this isn't a book that shys away from tackling homophobic. But if you've not read much about the Bible and homosexuality, you'll doubtless find it more interesting. The problem was that I'd heard all these interpretations of the Bible before - both the homophobic and non-homophobic ones, so there was a lot of dialogue where characters were repeating what I already knew. But I'll trust Alex Sanchez if he says that they do. So I did struggle with the idea that teenagers - popular teenagers, even jocks - would go to a Bible club and discuss scripture. Here I should probably point out that I'm not religious, my family isn't religious, and I don't live in an overly religious society (unless you count the football!). The religious element also played a large role.

In the end, it took a suitably dramatic event for Paul to let go of everything he'd believed growing up - and snog Manuel! Both of them were struggling with their own issues (Paul moreso than Manuel) which got in the way of them getting together.

There might have been attraction at first sight, but it wasn't love. It was slow and sweet, and I found it very believable. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Paul and Manuel: there were no big flashy moments of epiphany, just Paul's initial denial then slow realisation that, actually, he was gay. This is essentially a romance, so I'll focus on that first. In The God Box, however, there's an added religious element. All are about gay teenagers either coming to accept their identities or struggling against homophobia. The God Box is, in some ways, fairly similar. I already own Rainbow Boys and Rainbow High, and enjoyed them both. This is the third book I've read by Alex Sanchez. Manuel's outspokenness triggers dramatic consequences at school, culminating in a terrifying situation that leads Paul to take a stand. Talking to Manuel makes Paul reconsider thoughts he has kept hidden, and listening to Manuel's interpretation of Biblical passages on homosexuality causes Paul to reevaluate everything he believed. Manuel is the first openly gay teen anyone in their small town has ever met, and yet he says he's also a committed Christian. But when Manuel transfers to their school, Paul has to rethink his life. They have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church choir and being active in Bible club. High school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good together.

The God Box by Alex Sanchez