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    The Dangerous Art of Blending In
    The Dangerous Art of Blending In
    The Dangerous Art of Blending In
    Audiobook8 hours

    The Dangerous Art of Blending In

    Written by Angelo Surmelis

    Narrated by Michael Crouch

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    ~Lambda Literary Award finalist for the best LGBT YA novel of 2018~

    A raw, powerful, but ultimately uplifting debut novel perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe from debut author Angelo Surmelis.

    Seventeen-year-old Evan Panos doesn’t know where he fits in. His strict immigrant Greek mother refuses to see him as anything but a disappointment. His quiet, workaholic father is a staunch believer in avoiding any kind of conflict. And his best friend, Henry, has somehow become distractingly attractive over the summer.

    Tired, isolated, scared—Evan finds that his only escape is to draw in an abandoned monastery that feels as lonely as he is. And yes, he kissed one guy over the summer. But it’s Henry who’s now proving to be irresistible. Henry, who suddenly seems interested in being more than friends. And it’s Henry who makes him believe that he deserves more than his mother’s harsh words and terrifying abuse.

    But as things with Henry heat up, and his mother’s abuse escalates, Evan has to decide how to find his voice in a world where he has survived so long by being silent.

    This is a powerful and revelatory coming-of-age novel based on the author’s own childhood, about a boy who learns to step into his light.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 30, 2018
    ISBN9780062821690
    Author

    Angelo Surmelis

    Angelo Surmelis was raised in Greece until he immigrated to Illinois at the age of five. He currently lives in Los Angeles. An award-winning designer, Surmelis has been featured on over fifty television shows, including the Today show and Extra, as well as in magazines such as InStyle, TV Guide, and Entertainment Weekly. He has worked as a host on networks like HGTV and TLC. He can be found online at www.angelohome.com.

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    Reviews for The Dangerous Art of Blending In

    4.5/5

    119 ratings9 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Finished this book in a day. I connected with the main character so well, empathized with him. Evan’s character development was completely gratifying and I was gripped by the thrill of the interactions between him and his mother. I also love that it wasn’t necessarily focused on the romance aspect and more on his self discovery. It’s so different from all the YA novels I’ve read. Excellent story.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I really can't do this book justice, but to say the least, it's now one of my all time favorites. :)

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This was a wonderful read. I appreciated the story and Evan and wanted nothing but the best for him. I was rooting for him the whole time.
      Wonderful read
    • 3/5
      Great book dealing with physical as well as psychological abuse and the trauma that stems from it. Woven in is a romance that brings a balance to the heavy topics discussed in the book.

      Compared to many other YA books I dnfed recently this one does pull its weight most of the time. It doesn’t spoon feed all of the emotions but it also isn’t 100% consistent and sometimes I felt the main character was simply not reacting to some important changes in their life such as when they moved houses and it’s barely brought up.

      Overall my three stars are not meant as discouragement but rather in context of other books that made me feel more than this.
    • 1/5
      This book was the definition of unpleasant. I can't stomach it anymore and I'm only in chapter 7. But honestly, there's no redeeming this book for me now. The father and the mother are the worst. The main character is not my cup of tea either; that Jeremy guy is annoying...I'm done here.
    • 4/5
      Ugh. I liked this book. I really liked it. I binge-listened to Crouch read as an entirely new character and it was gripping and exhausting. The story ...and the narration.

      Caution: This is not a light-hearted love story; there's lots of emotional work that may trigger personal traumas or just sit really shitty in your gut. I do not recommend listening to this while falling asleep...or be contrary and try it, dare ya! This story was gripping enough for me to jaw clench through wee morning hours. But engaging and endearing and ...like, I couldn't stop until it was over. Which I think is the very definition of a good book, if not a great one.

      In short, (invoking teenage nonchalance) yeah, this book is worthy... of a marathon-level read or listen.

      Is it a SPOILER if I say: the ending is happy(?) Rest assured, you will not go through this coming-of-age, often exhausting journey that dredges up unpacked personal emotional sludge only to have them all die at the end...I swear.
    • 4/5
      Good story, trigger warnings for physical, psychological and domestic abuse. It’s not a perfect story, but for being a debut dealing with such heavy themes it was good. I do think that Evan should have sought help from a mental health professional. Victims of abuses, especially for so many years, definitely are not in a good place to just go start relationship without letting themselves heal. Especially the kind of abuse that Evan suffers, that can affect the way he establishes relationships and copes with stressful or painful situations.The description about a person that going through any kind of abuse (especially as a child) is very raw. The message that the only one that can save you is yourself not any romantic interest was good in my opinion.
    • 5/5
      Uncannily similar to 'honestly Ben' another book about a misunderstood gay boy and his misunderstanding family. That book less jarring, this one more raw in its details. This one is about physical abuse and coming out and it's quite raw. I don't understand why so many young adult books deal with coming out when such a relatively small percentage of the population deals with these issues.Is everybody else's life perfect?
    • 4/5
      I honestly can't believe this book is a debut! It was so emotional and very well-written. I definitely binge-read this one, I just couldn't put it down! Although some of the ways Evan's abuse was dealt with bother me, the majority of the book was realistic, in my opinion, for a teenager. The way Henry is Evan's only confidante and how distant his dad seems to be are a little odd, but again I have no personal experience with anything of this sort.