Thanks a Lot, Universe

By: Chad Lucas

Narrated by: Ruffin Prentiss, Mark Sanderlin

A moving middle-grade debut for anyone who's ever felt like they don't belong

Brian has always been anxious, whether at home, or in class, or on the basketball court. His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself, and his mom helps as much as she can, but after he and his brother are placed in foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. And he doesn't know if things will ever be normal again....

Ezra's always been popular. He's friends with most of the kids on his basketball team, even Brian, who usually keeps to himself. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he's too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him....

But when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra has no choice but to take the leap and reach out. Both boys have to decide if they're willing to risk sharing parts of themselves they'd rather hide. But if they can be brave, they might just find the best in themselves and each other.

©2021 Chad Lucas (P)2021 Recorded Books, Inc.

absolutely amazing but heartbreaking

I thought it was just a little gay story. I’ve been crying for days. No one prepared me for unrequited love…

Great Story

This is a great story about friendship, family, and finding yourself. I highly recommend it.

Yay for lgbtq+ kids and young adult books being made available.

I wish books like this were available when I was a kid. Some things are going backwards but I hope libraries and bookstores still continue to offer diversity in their selection.

LOVED THIS BOOK!

I can't reiterate how much I loved listening to this story and how each of the voice actors brought all of the characters to life in a clear and effective manner. The book does a good job of tackling a wide variety of realistic subjects in a manner that makes it easier for the intended audience to digest while not downplaying the realism and severity of those topics. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys middle-grade books or anyone who is just looking for something light and heartwarming to read.

Really good but

I love books don’t get me wrong but what I hate about them is when they give you so much information and then leave you off on a cliffhanger so now I have to read the second book and I hope it goes well