No Going Back — Reviews, Interviews, Etc.

Scroll down or follow the links below for brief summaries and links to online reviews, interviews, etc.

Newspapers
Mormon Literary Sites and Organizations
Reviews from the Mormon Gay/Same-Gender Attracted Universe Mormon Mom and/or Book Blogs
non-LDS Reviews
 Collective Review Sites
Oddball Reviews
Other/Miscellaneous

Reviews

Newspapers

Salt Lake City Weekly
A short, positive notice by Dallas Robbins, connected to my upcoming book signing (on July 13, 2010). He writes in part: “Langford’s novel explores complexities of life without preaching to preconceived ideologies or pandering to false dichotomies, and it reminds readers of the need to ‘comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.’ Langford succeeds in this novel, which does what good stories do: make us all a little wiser about human nature.”

Ogden Standard-Examiner
A mostly positive review by Doug Gibson, who calls No Going Back “too didactic sometimes” and complains about one of my common patterns for starting scenes, but also calls it “a powerful tale” and says, “I wish this book was on the shelves at Deseret Book. A lot of us could benefit by reading it.”

BYU Daily Universe
Not a review but a feature article about the book on the front page of BYU’s daily newspaper, Jan. 19, 2010, including quotes from me, Rex Goode, and Steve Walker. Positive overall and pretty accurate. See the easy-to-read online version, or a PDF showing the article on the actual front page.

Daily Utah Chronicle (University of Utah)
A positive review by Devin Richey at the University of Utah student newspaper. It states in part, “No Going Back is a coming-of-age story, but it manages to not fall into the formulaic pitfalls of that genre. Langford handles the characters with an authenticity that might baffle those who have already made firm assumptions about either of the groups.... [Readers] who do hold opinions one way or the other... will find allies in the book and might be surprised when ideological opponents defy their generalized and expected behaviors.”

UVU Review (Utah Valley University)
A negative review by Matthew Jonassaint at the UVU student newspaper. The reviewer found No Going Back “contrived” and unengaging. Ah, well. Can’t please all readers... A later article by the same writer clarified that his chief objection was that it “advocate[s] refusing the 'homosexual lifestyle' and remaining in the Church to stick it out,” something he feels is “damaging to men and their friends and families.” I posted a couple of comments in response.

USU Statesman (Utah State University)
A mostly positive review by Chelsey Gensel, a “reader and a former Mormon” for the USU student newspaper in Logan, Utah. Despite “predictability and poorly-masked attempts at ‘twists’ in the plot,” the reviewer calls the characters “well-developed” and says that “Langford succeeds in making it realistic along most of the way, particularly in his ending.” The review concludes: “It is the best attempt I’ve seen, in text or otherwise, at exploring both sides of a complex and often misrespresented situation, whether one shares Langford’s perspective or not.”

St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press
A short, positive mention of No Going Back by Mary Ann Grossman, the book review editor for the Pioneer Press, as part of a column titled “Worthwhile midsummer fiction from Midwest writers.” Sadly, it’s no longer freely available on the Internet, but I included the text in a blog entry that you can find here.
Highlight: “Your heart will break for Paul, the teen told by church leaders that it’s OK to be gay as long as he doesn’t act on it.... Langford’s dialogue is pitch-perfect, and these boys are as real as the kids you see on St. Paul’s streets.”

Mormon Literary Sites and Organizations

AML-List
A positive review by Richard Packham, posted on the email discussion group of the Association for Mormon Letters Oct. 30, 2009. He wrote in part: “LDS readers who want to know more about what life is like for a young Mormon homosexual, or who want insight into how to deal with a young Mormon with same-sex attractions, should read this novel.” Click here to read this review in the AML Discussion Board.

And another positive review posted on AML-List, this one from Vickie Cleverley Speek. She writes in part: “The characters in this book are very real, with human frailties and characteristics — some good, some bad.... No Going Back is an important story.... I highly recommend this book.” Her one criticism — something I admit had not occurred to me — was that the names of the teenagers seemed “a generation older” than the actual setting for the story. There's always something you miss...

A Motley Vision: Mormon Arts and Culture
Katherine Morris at A Motley Vision blog wrote in part, “One of the things that always concerned me when reading [gay Mormon] narratives was the lack of any kind of well-balanced position from a faithful Latter-day Saint perspective... Most things written on this subject tend to say one of two things: (a) ‘Keeping your covenants isn’t possible, so give up now’ or (b) ‘You have to keep your covenants, but we can’t really tell you how to do that in practical terms.’ That’s what’s so remarkable to me about No Going Back... [W]hat impressed me even more about the story was the charity and compassion with which Langford portrays his protagonist and his other characters... Jonathan doesn’t gloss over the difficult, emotionally dissonant position Paul is in. He doesn’t pretend like it’s a struggle that has easy answers... But Jonathan also respects Paul by not pretending that his struggle can’t on some level be resolved in a way that brings internal peace. He presents Paul with the option of finding joy in keeping his covenants with God.” She concludes: “I know that it’s kind of cliché to use the term ‘brave’ when describing a work, but in the case of No Going Back, the word applies in a very literal way. It’s not easy to write about something so controversial in an honest way... Thanks for taking that risk, Jonathan, and giving Mormonism something that will help a lot of people who are struggling.”

Dawning of a Brighter Day: AML Blog
Not a full-blown review, but a positive mention in a column titled “More on Messages and Agendas” by Annette Lyon, author of multiple LDS novels, a Whitney Award finalist and (it turns out) judge. Talking about the dangers of didacticism, Lyon wrote: “[No Going Back] was a potential didactic landmine, but the topic was handled skillfully. The characters were real. They were put into heartbreakingly difficult situations. And in the end, they stayed faithful to the gospel even though they had no clear-cut, easy answers. It was downright refreshing. Kudos... Langford didn’t set out to teach or preach. He set out to explore the ‘what if’ of being a faithful LDS teen who happens to be gay.”

Coming Down the Mountain
Based on a description of the topic of No Going Back, LDS author Karen Jones Gowen was sure she didn't want to read it. Then her editor won a copy in a contest and passed it on to her. On reading the book, she found it to be “a deeply spiritual, faith-affirming story that is neither contentious nor agenda-driven.... richly layered and complex, thought-provoking and heart-wrenching, a finely written tale of depth and meaning.” According to Gowen, “The character development is incredible. Read it if only to see the artistry with which Langford creates his cast of players. Even minor characters come to life on the page.” Click here to read this review.

Karen also posted a three-part interview with me about my writing process, the novel itself, and my publisher Zarahemla Books.

LDS Forever Friends Book Nook
Teri Rodeman awarded No Going Back 5 stars, writing: “For his debut novel, Jonathan has hit a homerun with this heartfelt, compassionately honest coming-of-age story of a fifteen year old's struggle with same-sex attraction.... This powerful novel is about friendship.” Click here to read this review.

Teri also posted an interview with me about the writing of No Going Back, the use of graphic language in the novel, and a variety of other interesting questions.

Reviews from the Mormon Gay/Same-Gender Attracted Universe

Springs of Water
A positive, thoughtful review/personal essay by Rex Goode, whose comments on AML-List years ago helped spark the ideas for this story and whose endorsement appears on the back to the book. He writes about the difficulty and importance of discussing same-sex attraction in a faithful LDS context, noting: “I can definitely guarantee that young people in our day are hearing about homosexuality in all sorts of places: the classroom, the streets, at friends’ houses, and the media. What seems most sad is that they don’t hear it from their parents and priesthood leaders.... That is why I was so anxious to endorse No Going Back and to encourage Jonathan Langford in writing it.... It... opens up opportunities for discussion. It seems to me that this is what good art is all about.... In an era where parents are struggling to be the main voice their children heed in matters of morality, we can’t afford to think that silence is the best way to teach them.”

North Star
Not a review per se, but several positive mentions of No Going Back on this website, which describes itself as a “place of community for Latter-day Saints dealing with issues surrounding homosexual attraction who desire to live in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the values and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”:
I also was invited to write a Community Voices column at North Star, which you can find here. It focuses on my goals for writing No Going Back and some of the choices I made.

Northern Lights
From a website affiliated with North Star, another positive review by FoxyJ. The reviewer writes in part: “For me, one of the strengths of the book is [its] mundanity. While the focus of the book is on Paul’s struggle to understand himself and make sense of the relationship between his orientation and his membership in the Church, his character is firmly grounded in a world that feels real and believable.... Despite the fact that the main character is a teenager, this book really is for everyone. The worldview of the book is faithfully LDS, but in a way that still acknowledges the fact that all members of the Church face challenges to their faith.”

Family Fellowship
A mixed review from Janet Heimbigner, mother of a gay ex-Mormon man, who reviewed No Going Back for a Family Fellowship Forum in Provo, Utah, June 27, 2010. She found the teenage characters and their interactions realistic, liked the character of Paul’s mother, but found the character of the bishop “contrived.” She states, “I found the ending to be crushingly depressing and at odds with the book’s title, ‘No Going Back’ as Paul does, indeed, try and go back.  Back into the closet and hiding what and who he is.” However,  she also writes, “I give the writer high marks for tackling this subject at all. And whether I agree with the ending or the church’s position, it did open a very enlightening discussion with my son and his friends. For that reason alone I would recommend this book.”  The review also includes comments from one of her son’s friends.

The Fobcave My first full public review! And about as positive as I could hope for. Some highlights: “I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I flew through a year and a half of young Paul's life in less than three days.... I was a little hesitant going into No Going Back because I knew it was written from an orthodox Mormon view of homosexuality.... [Langford's] main characters remain loyal to orthodox Mormon doctrine, but he places them in a world that rings true to the world I see, where other characters are just as loyal to other beliefs... and none of them are portrayed two-dimensionally. Just about every character, from the protagonist to his straight best friend to his mom and the bishop and the members of the high school gay-straight alliance, breathes with the life only an author's love can infuse.”

Reaching Upward
Another positive review. Some excerpts: “No Going Back by Jonathan Langford is an amazing book.... It is written with an exceptional understanding of the challenges of being both gay and Mormon. The author is sensitive to a wide variety of feelings and opinions.... I am very happy I read this book and wish everyone I know would read it. For members of The LDS Church who might be cautious of the subject matter, I would say that this is a doctrinally sound book; it remains in harmony with the teachings of Christ. To people who do not belong to the LDS faith, this book is not an attack on gays in any way. It is neither homophobic nor bigoted.... GO READ IT!”

Mormon Mom and/or Book Blogs

Boojoos & Aprilcots
A positive review, though the reviewer disliked the “unnecessary bad language and crudeness” and felt the plot wandered. She wrote in part: “I was proud of this little book. It fights an uphill battle. It's courageous and honest and probes the darker side of Mormonism with a very fair and realistic, yet respectful point of view.”

Queen of the Clan
LDS author, editor, reviewer (and mom) Danyelle Ferguson was reluctant to look at No Going Back for a variety of reasons, but when it came up for an award for which she's one of the members of the awards committee, she felt she had to give it a chance. She wrote in part: “I almost put this book down at page 14 because of the derogatory and demeaning language [in Chad's reaction to finding out his best friend Paul is same-gender attracted].... But I kept reading and I'm glad I did. The nasty words tapered off and a compelling story began to unfold - a story about Paul, a Mormon boy who happens to be attracted to other boys, but who's greatest desire is to keep the covenants he's made with Heavenly Father.... Overall, I'm glad I had the opportunity to read No Going Back. It was thought provoking and had just the right balance to truly portray the conflicts and struggles of a young Mormon boy dealing with same-sex attraction. Very well done.”

Shelah Books It
In process of reading for the Whitney Awards, this reader posted an  “off-the-cuff, ‘first impressions’ review” that nonetheless makes a number of interesting and thought-provoking points. While taking issue with some of the stylistic choices in the book, she goes on to state that she “really liked” it, particularly the characters: “In so many of the books I've read... the Mormon characters seem sanitized, as if they've undergone a good, hot scrubbing before being sent off from central casting. Langford's Mormons are the Mormons I know: they're crusty, they complain about their husbands' callings, they swear, they get depressed, they gossip; they're not trying to make a statement about who Mormons are or should be, they just are... No Going Back touched a nerve with me, and I'm sure it will touch a nerve with all of its readers, no matter where they fall in their relationship to homosexuality and church policy. But sometimes touching a nerve is a good thing, as I think it is in the case of this novel.”

Books Your Mother Would Approve Of
In our initial email exchange, the reviewer cautioned that while she applauded the goals I had outlined for my novel, she wasn't really sure it was possible to pull them off, so I needed to prepare for the possibility of an  “absolutely scathing review.” I sent a review copy anyway and was both pleased and relieved with her generally positive assessment. She writes in part: “Jonathan Langford has given a voice to many who struggle to remain true to God against nearly impossible odds. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to parents, leaders, or teachers in the church who want to understand some of the struggles involved. I also suggest it to anyone struggling with same-sex attraction in the Mormon community. It might not teach you a lot, but it could help you know that you are not entirely alone in trying to balance spiritual and physical desires and come out on God's side. Other people do experience the same struggles, remain determined to overcome, and even succeed.”

Jewel's World
Jewel Adams, a wife, mother of eight, and published LDS author, reports: “Every parent knows how painful it is to watch your child make poor choices.... But then again sometimes they face weaknesses that they honestly fight to overcome, and it becomes a day-to-day struggle for them. You ache for them immensely, but you can't shelter them from the pain that could strengthen them and help them to grow.... No Going Back.... is the story of a Mormon teenager dealing with the issue of same-sex attraction. I was deeply touched by the story and I read the whole book in a day.... I was completely drawn in to the story and it stayed with me long after I finished the book.”

Exclusively Books
A mostly positive review (4 stars out of 5) from a book blog of 7 LDS women from Australia. The reviewer states, “Having three boys of my own this story touched my heart.... I thought the author did a good job of writing from a boys point of view and as a mum it helped me a little to see where they are coming from.” However, she disliked the bad language and didn't feel the book “dealt fairly with the reaction from the members in the ward or the bishop.”

Mormonhermitmom's Book Blog
A fair and (I think) mostly positive review from the perspective of an LDS mom. She calls it a “strong PG-13” but says those elements were mostly necessary for the story. She advises that if parents feel it's appropriate for their teens to read, they should read and discuss it together (a recommendation I endorse). She concludes: “This book is not for the faint of heart. It's a hard one to read in the sense that there aren't easy answers for the challenges Paul goes through. I believe that the book encourages virtuous living by teens, whether gay or straight, with a hard look at the possible consequences should one go looking for comfort in places that are not spiritually healthy.”

Mormonhermitmom also posted an interview with me, where she asked about what led to my writing this novel and about resources that are available to help teens and their parents dealing with situations like the ones I've depicted in my book. Good questions! I just wish there were better answers out there...

Dear cjane
Not exactly a Mormon mom or book blog, but a positive review that generated many comments. She writes in part, “it is a hopeful, insightful and faithful story.”

non-LDS Reviews

American Library Association GLBTRT Newsletter
A positive review from Dave Combe in the Spring 2010 newsletter of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Round Table of the American Library Association. He wrote in part: “There is much to admire in No Going Back, given its intended audience... Just as we fight for LGBT YA books to be in our libraries, so that LGBT youth can find themselves and their lives on the shelves, we should consider material that suggests to youth another choice, so that those who decide to choose faith will also find themselves there. Libraries located in communities or states where there is a sizable Mormon population should consider this book.” For full text of the review and some of my associated thoughts, click here to see the blog I wrote about it.

River Falls Journal
A positive review by retired English professor Ruth Wood was published in my hometown newspaper. Because online access to this review has been inconsistent, I've copied the relevant text here. I also wrote an online blog article about the review.

Eureka Pride
A positive review from the non-Mormon gay world by Amos Lassen, author of almost 3,000 reviews on Amazon.com, where this review was cross-posted. He writes in part, “This is a book about friendship and how Paul’s friend, Chad, learns the importance of it. The characters are real and not perfect as we find in other books that deal with Mormons, The struggle between desire and faith seems to always be with us and the author has us examine ourselves closely so that we can be more understanding and accepting of others.” Lassen awarded the book 5 stars (out of 5) at Amazon.com. See also my blog essay, Writing Mormon Literature for a non-Mormon Audience, which was inspired in part by this review.

Gather.com
Actually, this positive review (by Connie C.) is by a Mormon, but it's at a general (non-LDS-focus) site. Highlights: “I give this book a 5 star rating and recommend it to anyone who wants to be a better person and learn to love everyone no matter how they live their lives. I found it refreshing to read a more life like novel than most LDS fiction allows.... I think this book will appeal to all readers. No matter what the readers opinion is before they read [the book], they will have a better understanding of the real life emotions that come from same sex attraction as well as how society treats them in reality. I thought this book was written with adults in mind even though most of the characters are teenagers.”

Collective Review Sites

Goodreads
As of August 31, 2010, there are 24 ratings of the book (averaging 3.75 out of 5 stars — two 5s, fifteen 4s, six 3s, and one 2), 14 posted reviews, and 30 people who are currently reading the book or have marked it to-read. To see the ratings and reviews, click here.

Amazon.com
As of August 31, 2010, there are 7 posted reviews, with three awarding 5 stars (out of 5), two awarding 4 stars, and two awarding 1 star. To see the ratings and reviews, click here.

Oddball Reviews

Main Street Plaza
A rather mixed review, leading to a vigorous discussion that took some odd turns. I found myself disagreeing both with some of the conclusions and with what I felt were unjustified (and uninformed) assumptions about my personal life.

Standard of Liberty
A highly negative review from a website that states, “one can't be both a true follower of Christ and proclaim a gay identity.... If a young person you know announces he’s gay, do not accept this deception to any degree.” Describes the book as “overlong, self-conscious... including vulgar sex jokes among kids, that cannot decide its audience and goes nowhere.” Another highly negative review quoting extensively from the book (often out of context) was posted on the website maintained by this group calling me and publisher Chris Bigelow latter-day Korihors.

Interviews

Coming Down the Mountain
Following up her review of No Going Back, LDS author Karen Jones Gowen posted a three-part interview with me about my writing process, the novel itself, and my publisher Zarahemla Books.

LDS Forever Friends Book Nook
Following up on her review of No Going Back, Teri Rodeman posted an interview with me about the writing of No Going Back, the use of graphic language in the novel, and a variety of other interesting questions such as my reasons for choosing a 2003-2004 timeframe, whether some readers shy away from Zarahemla Books (my publisher) and why, and how my ward has reacted to my writing of this novel.

Preparing Kids for Society's New Gay Attitude
Chris Bigelow, owner and operator of Zarahemla Books (my publisher), emailed me an article from the New York Times on kids across the United States coming out as gay or bisexual in middle school. I replied in part: “Reading this article underscores just how ill-prepared we are as a Mormon culture to try to help kids deal with this. We're still playing catch-up from when most LDS kids who experienced same-sex attraction were in denial until after their missions. The greater openness of today's society means we can't afford the luxury of waiting until our kids have a firm spiritual foundation before we try to address this." Then we expanded it into an interview on the Zarahemla Author Blog. (Interview posted 10/1/09.)

Update on Previous—On Oct. 4, Janice Graham at the Standard of Liberty blog objected at length to what she saw as an endorsement of the idea that “homosexuality is innate and immutable" in the email sent by Chris Bigelow in connection to the New York Times article on middle schoolers coming out, and the quote from me in that email. That night, I posted a response, which has not however appeared on the Standard of Liberty site. This is what I said. (See also my link to their later, highly critical review of my book, above under Oddball Reviews.)

Mormonhermitmom's Book Blog
Following up on her review of No Going Back, Mormonhermitmom asked about what led to my writing the novel and about resources that are available to help teens and their parents dealing with situations like the ones I've depicted in my book. (Interview posted 10/5/09.)

Miscellaneous

Striving for Understanding
A Community Voices column written by me and published at North Star about my goals and some of my choices in writing No Going Back.

On Writing a Realistic Novel
A blog entry I wrote and feel fairly pleased about on why I felt it was important to write No Going Back as a realistic novel.

Whitney Awards Discussions
No Going Back was mentioned by William Morris at A Motley Vision and by Shelah at Segullah in talking about their recommendations for the 2009 Whitney Awards.

Gay YA Books Discussion on Amazon.com
With some degree of trepidation, I mentioned No Going Back in a discussion on Amazon.com about gay young adult books. A couple of people there read it, with mixed results: one hated it (and used it as a chance to express his strong anti-Mormon sentiments), while another person liked it (for his comments, look under batchelorboy on the No Going Back Comments page on my blog).

Press Releases

Book Release (22 Sept. 2009)

This page last updated August 31, 2010.