There Goes Sunday School

By: Alexander C. Eberhart

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

In 16-year-old Mike Hernandez's life, only one thing is clear: Gay is not okay. His family's life revolves around the church, a church run by the vocally intolerant Pastor Myers, so Mike has resolved to spend his life in the closet. His only escape - besides the occasional, anonymous gay make-out session - is his art. He pours his complicated emotions into risque drawings he keeps in a secret sketchbook. A sketchbook he carries everywhere.

When his sketchbook goes missing in the middle of Sunday school, Mike is sure his life is over. He's going to be outed, ostracized by their community, condemned by the pastor, maybe even homeless. What's worse, the pastor's son, Chris, suddenly seems hell-bent on adopting Mike and his friends, and he has no idea why.

When an awkward confrontation with Chris leads to an unexpected kiss instead of a much-expected punch, Mike's world is turned upside down. As their friendship grows and faith is questioned, Mike may be forced to choose between the comfortable life he's always lived and a chance at the love he never thought he deserved.

©2018 Alexander C. Eberhart (P)2020 Tantor

A coming-of-age story, not a romance

I thought it was quite good for what it was (a YA/ high school book), though could not differentiate between the 2 MCs voices. Some of it was hard to believe, but the voices felt genuine. I actually liked the ending (spoiler) bc I think portraying that kind of relationship - one that feels like love, where they even say the words, can just be a brief stop on the romance journey and not the end. I actually dislike when high school romances are made out to be HEAs cause so rarely does it happen. It's possible to feel strongly for a person and stay friends or go back to being friends after trying a relationship.

Relatable and sympathetic

I sometimes wondered if the author was reading my thoughts. My experience is similar to these characters. I’d imagine a lot more out there feel the same way

Very Good Story!

An all true story of how many sadly still today go through being gay but raised in religious households. I loved how the ending was. The ending to me was very realistic. I loved that even tho Chris and Mike did not end up together, they both grew and learned acceptance from each other in their brief time. Just like that sometimes the people that make the biggest impact on ourselves sometimes don't stay in our lives and thats ok.

So much better than I thought it would be

Audible is full of slapdash romance books a plenty, but this one actually feels like a real book, with thought out complex characters, deep emotions and situations that feel realistic in ways that very few other romance books manage to pull off. I'd dare say that's because it's a book about people and their lives, about dealing with hard situations, finding yourself and the courage to be true to who and what you are. It's a book about acceptance and love and growing up. Major plus that the author is absolutely wonderful with snarky wit and a brilliant ability to breathe life into the characters and make you feel for them. Granted there are loose ends I really would have liked the author to have gone into, like the resolution of faith the MCs had, since it was such a massive part of the plot, but then it resolved into seemingly nothing. This is absolutely a YA book by the way, but still wonderfully done that I think any age group would enjoy it. The narrator does a great job too. I'd definitely recommend this book.

beautiful book!

this book has the ring of authenticity to it. A coming of age story that touches on very real conflicts and the journey taken to find one's self and place in the world. there's humor and pain in this story and it is well worth exploring. joel Leslie does a remarkable job bringing the characters to life. his interpretation and presentation make "There Goes Sunday School" a pleasure to listen to, and impossible to put down.

Awesome coming out story…

This is a great love story. It is witty, tragic and shows both positive and toxic reactions to being true to who you are. Loved it!
The artist(s) telling the story does an amazing job acting the story out. I will definitely listen to more stories told by Joel Leslie.

Great book. Okay voice acting

I enjoyed this book. I found the story to be interesting and fun and relatable. Joel Leslie's narration feels a bit extra at times but I still enjoyed it overall.

Great coming of age story

This book may seem like an angsty teenage book and trust me it has its moments but it does a wonderful job explaining the terror one feels of growing up gay in a religious community. For those who understand the terror and the sadness of going through this if your anything like me it will have you a sobbing mess more times then not. Great book glad I read!

A very touching story.

This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed listening to it very much. I can’t even imagine what these young people are going through. I wish I didn’t think that this could be a true-to-life story but I’m sure the scenario is all too common.

Joel Froomkin (AKA Joel Leslie) did a wonderful job portraying all of the emotions the characters had throughout the story. I’m ready to listen to another book by this author and narrator combo.

Funny, Relatable, Well Written

I loved the story, but it was a little triggering at times. The struggle of the main characters was completely relatable for me. Joel Leslie did a great job with the narration. I highly recommend this book to anyone that who grew up in the south.