Open, Heaven

Sixteen-year-old James dreams of nothing more than finding someone to love, someone who loves him back just as much. He meets and befriends Luke, a rebellious boy who works and lives at the village's farm for the year. They spend time together and go on little adventures, and James finds himself falling for Luke, obsessing over every little detail in their conversations because he doesn't want to accept that the love he has for Luke is unrequited. Seán Hewitt debuts with a story about an outcast, a gay teenage boy who has a lot to say but is too withdrawn into himself to ever speak his truth. The novel reveals to the reader what is going on inside James's mind, treating his thoughts, worries, and sexual desires as something valuable and sacred. This puts his inside personality and his perceived personality into perspective, proving that his life is, like everyone else's, a simple, human truth. "Open, Heaven" is a novel of poetic nature. The author treats even inanimate aspects like their own character, adding linguistic tools which develop James's story further, showing hidden parts of his inner monologue, and revealing important meaning between the lines. An outstanding queer coming-of-age novel for adult and young adult readers.

'open heaven' is just soo beautiful. Seán Hewitt tells the story of an all consuming first love and how it feels to be lost in the world and finding yourself in love for another person. It's incredibly atmospheric and moving. I just enjoyed reading this so much.

“now i was afraid that i would never be myself without him, that if he left id always be stuck here, half made, only just beginning.” a slow burn, i dare say. the empty pages at the very end of the book tell it all. seán hewitt himself said to read this during summertime, which i did, and i have to disagree. this is pure autumn: crisp air, fading light, leaves curling at the edges. this debut novel was everything i want in a book: sad, hopeful melancholy with a hint of nonchalance and some poetry. it lingers like the last lines of a song you cant quite forget. if this doesnt end up a bestseller, i truly don’t know whats wrong with yall.