Draw the Line - an out of the ordinary super hero tale

Here is another one of those rare instances where I pick up a book that is NOT a series book - but the premise intrigues me enough that I step outside of my norm and give it a try.  The reasons I picked up this book are pretty obvious - first, it deals with a young man who loves super heroes and who writes and draws his own online comic; second, it has actual comic pages within the book (which, it turns out, are pages from the protagonist's online comic); and third, it deals with that age-old struggle of a young gay man who is afraid to come out in a community and at a school who is very much antagonistic towards gay men.  Bundle all three of these together, and there's a likelihood I will enjoy the read.  And, I did.

Draw the Line is the story of Adrian Piper, a young high school student in a backwater Texas town.  Adrian stays in the background, preferring not to be noticed.  While he secretly publishes an online comic about a gay superhero, he keeps his own sexuality a secret (except from his two closest friends).  Adrian expresses his dreams and fantasies through his comic book alter ego - but when a vicious hate crime happens right in front of him and his friends, Adrian does something he never thought possible - he stands up for the gay kid who was being attacked!

Author Laurent Linn tells a compelling story that is more than just a teenage coming out tale.  This is a story about choosing to stand up for what is right.  It's about conquering your fears and helping your fellow man, even when it could cost you everything.  It's about asking yourself where do you draw the line when it comes to discrimination and bigotry?  And considering this is Linn's first novel (which, by the way, he not only wrote, but he drew all of the illustrations found throughout the book!), I'd say he did an exceptional job!

As I reader, I easily found myself drawn into Adrian's world - identifying with his desire to just blend into the background, hoping to avoid all of the bullying and drama, while at the same time, wishing he could be that super hero that fights injustice, stands up for what is right, and is loved by everyone.  I definitely found myself rooting for Adrian when he finally did take a stand, and getting angry when the police department and school refused to believe him, because the bully was the start quarterback (whose father happens to be on the police force).  It's definitely a situation that occurs in the real world, where people are protected from the wrong-doing that they do simply because of their "star" status!).

What was not so real (but, which I realize was written simply for the storytelling aspect) was the fact that Adrian's crush happens to also have a crush on him - how many times in the real world does the little wallflower have a crush on one of the hottest guys in the class, and it turns out that the guy happens to also be gay and happens to also like the wallflower?  That is Hallmark movie material, not real world identification.  Yet, it does bring those "awwwwww" moments into the story and provides Adrian with a "reward" of sorts for all the trauma he faces once he decides to be honest with the world about who he is.  There is, however, a very much real-world aspect to the story and the bully, which I won't specifically reveal here, as it will spoil the story, but let's just say that the author definitely got that part right!

Kind of a shame this is only a one-off book, as I would love to read more of the adventures of Adrian and his friends!

RATING:  10 rounds of Teen Drag Queen Bingo out of 10 for giving the world a not-so-typical coming out story with comic books and super heroes, in every sense of the word!