Ingrid Sterling

All the Way Out follows Zach, a gay football player who dreams of being a player and then coach for the NFL. But the NFL isn't always a safe place for queer people, so he remains in the closet while dating his beard, Rebecca, and secretly hooking up with guys on Grindr. While on a class trip to Rome, he meets Liam. They instantly connect, but both expect it to be one night only since Zach must return to America the following day. What will Zach do when Liam unexpectedly shows up in his class the following semester? Can he continue to keep his secret?

I'm really struggling to review this book. On one hand, it was good, with some very interesting discussions on coming out and societal acceptance. Unfortunately, some little parts felt a bit off to me. At one point when remembering Zach's realization that he was gay, the book says "It was the only outing Zach had ever had." I think of "outing" as disclosing someone's sexuality without their permission, so the phrasing didn't totally fit the situation.

It was great that there was both gay and bi rep in this book, though Zach saying "I just didn't think people like you really existed" when Liam came out to him was... weird to say the least. Biphobia is never okay, and it felt like this was just brushed off.

For most of the story, Zach is dating Rebecca, who was certainly interesting. Honestly, the way she was super Catholic was off-putting. The way the Catholic Church approaches queerness is extremely hurtful, so I found it intriguing how much her religion was mentioned. From the way she talked in the small amount of time she got on the page, there was nothing to really like about her. The constant references to her religion distracted from the plot rather than adding to it.

"So much of Zach's life was a façade, false and hidden. He spent so much time wrapped in pads, both figurative and literal, to protect himself from injury and from his own lies."

The romance was very sweet. The many discussions regarding coming out likely had the biggest impact on me, but I'm sure all readers will find a special part of this book to relate to. I'm so glad no one was outed in the story. I wish Liam had been more supportive as Zach considered coming out, though. Considering how much time he spent in the closet, the last thing he needed was to be reminded that people would hate him just for who he loves.

"Not just friends and family, but all the way out?"
I always love seeing if the title is mentioned in books. A little note, it's okay to be out to only friends and family if that's what keeps you safe. Or maybe that's just friends, and that's okay as well. It's great that Zach had such a great support system, but not everyone is lucky enough for that.

*Review copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*… (mere)