The book is about a group of high school kids in small-town America who form a secret gay support-group that they call the Geography Club. They figure that no one else will try to join such a boring-sounding club, so they'll be able to meet up and talk about their lives without raising any suspicions. Like many queer folks in high school, they feel like they're undercover in enemy territory, where survival depends on remaining safely closeted. They acknowledge that in bigger cities, schools have gay-straight alliances, but they don't believe that would be possible in their small-minded town. This book was published seven years ago now, but I suspect that's still the overall feeling in much of the American "heartland."
Geography Club is a very inclusive outsider story. The characters are all realistic, full of human imperfections and familiarly intense high school fears. Gay or straight, most teens can identify with Russell's yearning to fit in and his fears of social alienation. I like that he and his friends fumble around and make selfish or short-sighted choices just like everyone I knew back in high school. I also like that everything doesn't end perfectly. It's well-written, charming, and doesn't slip into simplistic plot devices. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
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