Suitabook

With or without you

Brian Farrey

Reading: Consider checking in after the early bullying and again when the Chasers become important. Invite reflection on belonging and trust, while allowing the reader to decide how the relationships should be judged.
Themes: Belonging and protection: Evan and Davis are recruited by the Chasers, a fringe crowd promising protection and status after they have been beaten up. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
Secrecy and relationships: Evan has kept Erik secret while trying to maintain both his relationship with Erik and his loyalty to Davis. The story foregrounds the strain created by divided loyalties and concealed information, without establishing whether Evan’s choices are presented as justified or harmful.
Anti-gay bullying and identity: Evan and Davis are attacked for being gay, for being loners and for being themselves. The premise places prejudice and physical harm at the centre of the characters’ circumstances, but does not show how the wider story interprets or resolves this treatment.
Worth knowing: Be ready for depicted anti-gay bullying and physical assault, secrecy around a same-sex relationship, and possible emotional strain as Evan’s relationships come under pressure. The ending and intensity of later events are unclear.