Two very different teens living in California during the 1970s and 80s face the heart-wrenching reality of being outcasts. As you read this controversial  book, you will become invested in the alternating perspectives of the quite opposite protagonists: Doug the seventeen-year-old punk neo-nazi and Jason the thirteen-year-old homeless gay boy. Ride the funky roller coaster that is Freaks and Revelations through their lives months before, during, and years after the day that changed everything : March 27, 1980. Doug, the punk, will have to deal with judgement, the law, his parents, and a society that does not exactly know what to do with reckless adolescent punks. Jason, the homeless gay boy, will have to figure out a way to survive and come to terms with the fact that his family will never be a part of his life anymore, the law, judgement, and a society which in some ways supports homosexuals but also leaves them desperately stoned with prejudice and hate.
Explore the themes in this moving novel that include self love, identity, trust, and  respect. Can someone really hate others for simply being themselves? The author shows that she believes that the world is a harsh and cruel place, but there is hope through humanity and redemption. While reading this book, I realized how important it is to accept others for whoever they are, be less judgemental, and to always have respect for others.
This novel opens up a world that I never thought I could be a part of: the 1970s and 80s with the drugs, sex, and hate, along with homelessness, abuse, homosexuality, assault, and masculinity. Its relevant conflicts and issues are written in an engaging and intriguing manner that certainly has numerous loops and twists. Any person looking for a page turner who likes real-world situations with a great amount of relevance should most definitely peruse this book. An interesting aspect of this book is the last memoir that Davida Wills Hurwin adds to the end about the process of writing the novel: the interview, meeting Timothy Zaal and Matthew Boger (the real life people that the book is based on), the research, and the struggles. Feel the pain, solitude, humiliation, and loss along with these two retro teens on their way to something great. It is truly a life changing event. As you turn the last page, expect to feel like you do at the end of the roller coaster: blown away, shocked, and wishing for more.