Caterpillars Can't Swim

Gr 8 Up—A standard problem novel discussing small-town life as a gay teen. Ryan is thrust into the position of hero when he saves a classmate from drowning in the local river. A member of the school's swim team, Ryan enjoys the freedom swimming gives him away from his wheelchair. Jack, the person Ryan rescued, was escaping to the water for a different reason: he is afraid the small-town community he lives in would not accept him once they knew that he is gay. Everyone calls Jack's near-drowning an accident, and Ryan continues to keep Jack's secret for him while realizing how difficult it is to be someone's rescuer. This story is told entirely from Ryan's perspective, and he forms a relationship seemingly out of obligation as the one who rescued Jack. They never truly develop a friendship, as Jack doesn't seem any more interested in spending time with Ryan than Ryan does with Jack. The difficulties of living as a queer person in a small town are not truly explored, either, and Jack's second unsuccessful suicide attempt near the conclusion of this book makes it difficult to recommend to LGBTQ teens. The overall story has the feel of an after-school special without the hopeful ending; Jack does survive, but he does not thrive.