I Will Be Okay - by Bill Elenbark (Paperback)

The intensity of two boys' feelings for each other threatens to be overwhelmed by family tensions that rip them apart before their relationship even starts.

Mateo's father is overly obsessed with his fifteen-year-old son's baseball achievements, while Mateo's mother comes from a sprawling Puerto Rican family that provides little privacy and complicated support.

Meanwhile, Stick--the boy from the "troubled" family down the street--is dealing with the sudden loss of his father and living up to an image he believes his father saw in himself.

Despite these challenges, Mateo and Stick come together and fall apart, repeating a mantra of hope and resilience: I WILL BE OKAY.

This powerful and uplifting novel explores the weight of coming out to one's family and oneself with gentle thoughtfulness, committed to a triumphant finale.