The Dangerous Art of Blending In

By: Angelo Surmelis

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

~Lambda Literary Award finalist for the best LGBT YA novel of 2018~

A raw, powerful, but ultimately uplifting debut novel perfect for fans of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe from debut author Angelo Surmelis.

Seventeen-year-old Evan Panos doesn’t know where he fits in. His strict immigrant Greek mother refuses to see him as anything but a disappointment. His quiet, workaholic father is a staunch believer in avoiding any kind of conflict. And his best friend, Henry, has somehow become distractingly attractive over the summer.

Tired, isolated, scared—Evan finds that his only escape is to draw in an abandoned monastery that feels as lonely as he is. And yes, he kissed one guy over the summer. But it’s Henry who’s now proving to be irresistible. Henry, who suddenly seems interested in being more than friends. And it’s Henry who makes him believe that he deserves more than his mother’s harsh words and terrifying abuse.

But as things with Henry heat up, and his mother’s abuse escalates, Evan has to decide how to find his voice in a world where he has survived so long by being silent.

This is a powerful and revelatory coming-of-age novel based on the author’s own childhood, about a boy who learns to step into his light.

INCREDIBLE

This book made me laugh and cry, there were times where I saw myself in the characters. this book was a pleasant surprise and I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

Good story, but slightly upsetting

The narrator does a phenomenal job, and overall the book is very good. However the mother really makes the reader incredibly angry. I do wish the book showed more options for people who are situations similar to Evan- no one should ever have to deal with something like that.

Good Read

The book was good. The only rough spots were the mom. She is a monster and the way he read her part, while probably accurate, really annoyed me. The rest of the story I enjoyed. It is not a love story so much a survival story.

Not super relatable

I feel like the story here is an important one, but the way it was told didn't hook me. I couldn't relate to the characters and it left me wanting.

Amazing performance. Heart touching story.

The narrator was absolutely amazing. the story had a lot of depth and character development. There is a delicate balance between growing up in a mentally and physically abusive home while also trying to hide the damage and keeping a heavy secret. The father surprises you!