Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2022
304 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
From Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg, a remarkable, funny, sexy, heartbreaking story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic.
The first thing I noticed about C.J. Gorman was his plexiglass bra.
So begins Destination Unknown -- it's 1987 in New York City, and Micah is at a dance club, trying to pretend he's more out and outgoing than he really is. C.J. isn't just out -- he's complete out there, and Micah can't help but be both attracted to and afraid of someone who travels so loudly and proudly through the night.
A connection occurs. Is it friendship? Romance? Is C.J. the one with all the answers... or does Micah bring more to the relationship that it first seems? As their lives become more and more entangled in the AIDS epidemic that's laying waste to their community, and the AIDS activism that will ultimately bring a strong voice to their demands, whatever Micah and C.J. have between them will be tested, strained, pushed, and pulled -- but it will also be a lifeline in a time of death, a bond that will determine the course of their futures.
In Destination Unknown, Bill Konigsberg returns to a time he knew well as a teenager to tell a story of identity, connection, community, and survival.
"Konigsberg expertly balances Micah's wonder, fear, despair, and outrage at coming out during the AIDS crisis. Strong characterizations of Micah and CJ are buoyed by excellent dialogue and believable secondary characters...propelling this exhilarating page-turner. It's sure to be an emotional eye-opener for those who did not live through this time and a resonant picture of resilience, community, and activism for those who did." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Konigsberg draws on personal experiences, as detailed in an author's note, to deliver a touching love story between two gay teens, set in 1987 New York at the height of the AIDS epidemic...Konigsberg's keen sense of time and place, coupled with an optimistic atmosphere, make for both a swoony romance and a sensitive, nuanced look into a tumultuous period in history." - Publishers Weekly
This information about Destination Unknown was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Bill Konigsberg is the author of six books for young adults, which have won awards including the Stonewall Book Award, the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor, and the Lambda Literary Award. Bill lives with his husband, Chuck, and their two Labradoodles, Mabel and Buford.
Above the Salt
by Katherine Vaz
A sweeping love story that follows two Portugueses refugees who flee religious violence to build new lives in Civil-War America.
The Witches at the End of the World
by Chelsea Iversen
Two sisters find themselves at odds in this historical fantasy set during a dark Norwegian winter.
The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
