“Hey. Étienne,” he said from the top of the school parking lot, behind me. It’s the last day of junior year when Thad, the quiet, popular guy, approaches Étienne to offer him a ride home. Étienne is immediately suspicious—this has to be a joke, right? But nobody is around, and Thad seems genuinely interested to hang out. All Étienne has ever wanted is to have a guy friend, and here’s his chance to start something new. What would you do? Étienne and Thad have been acquaintances since elementary school, nothing more. But now as their friendship develops into a timid and budding romance, the two must come to terms with defining their relationship—and facing the bigoted opinions of their friends and Thad’s family. Tender and immersive, Paul A. Rayes’ coming-of-age novel I Asked the Moon examines the raw feelings of a teenage boy in an exploration of identity.