By: Paul Rayes

"Hey. Etienne," 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 Etienne to offer him a ride home. Etienne is immediately suspicious-this has to be a joke, right? But nobody is around, and Thad seems genuinely interested to hang out. All Etienne has ever wanted is to have a guy friend, and here's his chance to start something new. What would you do?

Etienne 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.