Out in Greenwood by James A. Lyons

Out in Greenwood is fun, heartfelt, engaging, and leaves you with that nostalgic feeling of remembering what it’s like to be young and full of possibility.

-ARC Review: Coming-of-age, heartfelt, and delightfully raunchy.

Sometimes, you just want to read about teenagers being teenagers—navigating friendships, first loves, awkward family moments, and all the chaos in between.

Out in Greenwood delivers exactly that with humour, heart and a cast of characters that mostly feel alive on the page.

Synopsis

The story follows Tim Johnson, a fifteen-year-old, navigating the ups and downs of adolescence in a small town. He’s out, but life hasn’t changed as much as he expected. Between summer jobs, family drama, and complicated friendships, he’s still figuring out who he is and what he wants.

When a new friendship begins to stir unexpected emotions, Tim finds himself at the centre of a whirlwind summer filled with self-discovery, personal challenges, and the kind of moments that define growing up.

Thoughts

There’s a rawness to the story. It doesn’t shy away from the messy parts of growing up—the uncertainty, the self-doubt, the awkwardness of relationships (romantic and platonic), and the moments that feel like the end of the world but turn out to be just another step toward figuring things out.

Although sometimes the novel leans into semi-unrealistic conversations, its high level of entertainment and dialogue-heavy storytelling makes it feel like you’re right there, listening to a group of witty, dramatic, and seemingly charming teens.

And honestly, I think that is part of its magic.

Verdict

It’s refreshing to see a story that embraces both the highs and lows of teenage life—more so a queer teenage life—without trying to fit into a perfect mould. I believe these experiences also matter.

I’ll be honest—this isn’t the kind of book I would usually pick up on a shelf. Perhaps because it is a little too YA for my taste? But if it were a movie, I’d absolutely watch it (maybe a movie adaption for this, too? It would be swell!)

That said, Out In Greenwood was a nice YA read. The book balances lightheartedness with emotional depth. It’s fun, heartfelt, engaging and leaves you with that nostalgic feeling of remembering what it’s like to be young and full of possibility.

I will recommend it.