Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Playing It Out Straight
AUTHOR: Andrew McQuinn
PUBLISHER: Independently Published
LENGTH: 306 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 7, 2020
BLURB:
All coming out stories are told in two parts
The Before and After…
This is the year I come out.
Repressed by his father to be someone he is not, and feeling alone in his quaint, sleepy coastal Maine town, seventeen-year-old Kyle McKinley needs a fresh start. Then his father dropped a bombshell. They were moving across country to Santa Monica, California.
Recently, nineteen-year-old up and coming actor Scotty Valentin gave up all hopes of finding a boyfriend. Relationships in Hollywood came with a price, all for the cost of his privacy and trust.
Kyle and Scotty meet by chance. The chemistry between them is instantaneous, leaving Kyle wanting more. But at what cost? Could Scotty be the answer Kyle’s been bother running from and searching for?
Playing it out Straight is the Before.
REVIEW:
Kyle is a confused wallflower at a small-town high school. He’s on the brink of discovering his sexuality. However, Kyle has no hard evidence to back up his thoughts. When his family suddenly moves to LA, he believes it’s his chance to discover more. There, Kyle crosses paths with Scotty, and attraction blooms. Unfortunately, his father has ingrained beliefs on homosexuality.
Kyle faces an internal battle between mind, body, hormones, and a controlling father. What follows is a delightful story that I would say is a recommended read for anyone who likes coming out stories or wants insight into the dilemma.
Here, I also think it is best to highlight a section from the blurb
‘All coming out stories are told in two parts
The Before and After…’
The manuscript is a full-length novel, and there is no indication from the cover that it is part of a duology tale. The blurb says it is a story of two halves, but confusion can remain. We are talking about two separate manuscripts. The first ‘before’ novel is Playing It Out Straight, the second ‘after’ book is Living It Out Gay coming in 2021.
The whole story is told in Kyle’s voice – in the first person. He is a thinker, so there is a lot of internal monologue between dialogue. He self-analyzes and is obsessed with his first male kiss. Kyle also craves love and acceptance from his family – striving to secure it before revealing anything. His stumbling block is his homophobic controlling father.
The extended cast is typical for this genre, as in there’s the female best friend, school dicks, homophobic dad, insightful mom, various siblings, etc. My favorite is Kyle’s twin brother Stephen – I wanted to munch him.
As for the main protagonists, Kyle and Scotty, I’ve already said, Kyle is a thinker with an artistic side. He has a lot on his mind, which can tie him in knots, causing a hefty dose of insecurity. He also has a definite sense of what he wants, under what circumstances, and when the time is right. Scotty is interesting. For a recognizable actor, he’s a total darling. There doesn’t seem to be an ounce of ego, and is Kyle’s rock, though their time apart for shoots is a strain on their relationship.
Throughout, there are plenty of instances where Kyle initiates meaningful conversations that get derailed for one reason or another. After a while, this pattern became a little annoying. Nevertheless, I found this story to be a detailed, slow burn, super insightful novel surrounding the anxiety and thoughts of a young man on the brink of discovering his sexuality and when to come out. It is an absorbing page-turner.
RATING: 
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