“I’ve squeezed as many bookcases in this tiny space as possible. Being surrounded by books and magazines makes me feel calm. It makes the room seemed wrapped in a layer of protection. As if nothing or no one can get to me.”
-Angelo Surmelis, The Dangerous Art of Blending In
Evan Panos is constantly seen as a disappointment by his Greek-American mother. His non-confrontational father never steps in and defends him, so Evan spends most of his days trying to be invisible and do the right thing. But hiding is becoming exhausting, especially since Evan kissed a boy over the summer. And his best friend Henry is becoming more and more attractive to him. As the end of high school nears, Evan has to figure out how to live with his own voice.
So I saw this book at work, as well as Jeff Zentner’s mention of it on Twitter, and I knew that I had to pick it up. I mean, just look at the cover. It’s gorgeous. This is Angelo Surmelis’s debut novel, and I’m hoping that this means we’ll get more from him. His writing is so emotionally driven, crafting an impressive amount of empathy in the reader. You want good things to happen to Evan, someone who is constantly beaten down by his mother. His story is absolutely heartbreaking; but it is also ultimately a story of hope.
One of the only things that threw me off about this story was the jump in time in the middle. I think it was like three months or something, but the jump in time felt a bit out of place. I wanted to know what bridged this jump into the future. There were also scenes with Evan’s mom that were difficult to read, but that was the point, I think. There are many teens that find themselves in these abusive situations because of their sexuality, and it’s important that these stories are getting published.
Surmelis’s debut is heartbreaking, brutal, and hopeful. It’s this thread of hope that is the most important part. Evan has hope, and is eventually able to craft his own family.
4.5/5 stars