Alex questions his Catholic faith, witnesses a family friend involved in an affair, is hot for his girlfriend Laura, and learns that his younger brother is gay. There's a lot happening here, resulting in not entirely satisfactory outcomes for me as a reader, other than the main storyline of Alex's brother. ( )

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

When Alex Straker observes the father of one of his friends in a risqué situation with someone that wasn't his wife, Alex starts to question everything he knows. He's always gone to Church with his family and never rocked the boat. But the person he observed was an upstanding Church member and to Alex, it is all just hypocritical.

Alex disappoints his parents when he informs them that he no longer will go to Church with them. It causes a distance between him and his father, but his mother understands and supports his decision. To further confuse Alex, his brother, Mark, confides to him that he is gay. This is so not what Alex wants to hear. He had an inkling that this might be the case, but to hear the words uttered by his brother make them true, and he has a hard time dealing.

Alex is a jock and he knows that his brother will be harassed if he ever announces his orientation. When a fellow teammate is found taunting Mark, Alex keeps his mouth shut that Mark is his brother. Torn with his guilt and turmoil, Alex struggles to come to terms with what his life is about and how God, family, and friends all interconnect.

OUT is a short novel, but one that packs a punch. It gives the reader a lot to contemplate and ponder. Ms. Diersch is able to make Alex an authentic character. Alex struggles with real issues and handles them in believable ways. I was angered with the way he initially treated his brother, Mark, but his attitude is understandable, and probably more the norm rather than the exception.

By making me connect with the characters, I believe Ms. Diersch has achieved her goal...making the reader care. ( )