Product Description

Sam Findley and Charlie Perrin. Best friends. At least they used to be. But a year ago Sam cut Charlie out of his life—no explanation, no discussion, nothing.

Fast-forward one year, and both Sam's and Charlie's lives are spiraling out of control. Sam has a secret he's finding harder and harder to hide, and Charlie is dealing with an increasingly absent dad and a dealer whose threats are anything but empty.

As told in alternating chapters from Sam and Charlie during the sticky Florida summer before their senior year, the ex-best friends are thrown together once again when they have no one else to turn to.

P. E. Ryan's Saints of Augustine is a witty, enthralling, and unforgettable novel about the power of friendship.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #361370 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-01
• Released on: 2007-06-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Teens Charlie and Sam were best friends, until Sam stopped speaking to Charlie. In his first book for young people, Ryan (Send Me, 2006) slowly reveals the cause of the rift in chapters that alternate between the two boys' viewpoints. Over a Florida summer, each boy wrestles alone with problems. Following his mother's death, Charlie worries about his shut-in dad, who drinks too much. He escapes by smoking pot, a habit that's put him into deep debt to a threatening dealer. Sam's dad lives with his male lover, and Sam, who has been hiding his own male attractions, worries if he is gay, too. When each boy reaches a crisis point, he finally turns to the other. In a less-gifted author's hands, this novel could have felt crowded. But Ryan offers complex views of family lives, realistic language (including some anti-gay slurs), and convincing characters in Sam and Charlie. Sam's new romance with another guy is a buoyant subplot; just as welcome is the sensitive story of two teen boys forging a close, honest friendship. Engberg, Gillian

Review
"P.E. Ryan has created not one, but two complex, genuine main characters. One of the best books of the year." -- Young Adult Books Central

"Poignant. An exploration of a deep friendship where friends truly support and encourage one another to do the right things." -- KLIATT

"Ryan offers complex views of family lives, realistic language and convincing characters in Sam and Charlie." -- Booklist (starred review)

"Teens will find both boys’ storylines thoroughly compelling right through to the end, which leaves many ends rightfully untied, underscoring the lingering effects of life’s messier moments." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[This] tightly wrought YA debut moves fast, and each boy’s voice is ragged, distinct and desperate enough to wrangle the hearts of most teen readers, both guys and girls." -- Kirkus Reviews

Review
"[This] tightly wrought YA debut moves fast, and each boy's voice is ragged, distinct and desperate enough to wrangle the hearts of most teen readers, both guys and girls." (Kirkus Reviews )

"Poignant. An exploration of a deep friendship where friends truly support and encourage one another to do the right things." (KLIATT )

"P.E. Ryan has created not one, but two complex, genuine main characters. One of the best books of the year." (Young Adult Books Central )

"Ryan offers complex views of family lives, realistic language and convincing characters in Sam and Charlie." (Booklist (starred review) )

"Teens will find both boys' storylines thoroughly compelling right through to the end, which leaves many ends rightfully untied, underscoring the lingering effects of life's messier moments." (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

Customer Reviews

Honest portrait of a sensitive subject
Once upon a time, Sam and Charlie were best friends. But then Sam ended the friendship-no explanations, no nothing. Now, one year later, Sam has a secret he's finding harder and harder to keep, and Charlie's dealing with an emotionally absent dad and an all-too-present dealer. The ex-best friends are thrown together once again when they have no one else to turn to.

I find myself hooked from the first page. This book deals with friendship or the disintegration of one through the eyes of two teen boys. Each teen wonders why the friendship ended and both go on paths that though destructive lead them back to each other.

P.E. Ryan has written an honest and very real portrait of a sensitive subject. Not preachy but an accurate description of the conflict that must go through a teen's mind when dealing with his sexual orientation.

This book has an important message--it's okay to be yourself.

I'd highly recommend this book.

Excellent YA
I was really refreshed by this book - it's honest and real and doesn't pull any punches. One of the other reviewers didn't like that it wasn't fleshed out more, but I found that part of the book's charm. Sam and Charlie are expertly drawn and I found that I cared about them from the get-go. Ryan interweaves their two stories expertly and avoids any stereotyping or easy solutions. I think both guys and girls will be able to relate. A great summer read!

Honest and true
This is a very, very good entry into the growing number of gay-themed young adult fiction - many of which have good intentions but are clunkily executed. If you want to see how a real writer writes, read this tale.

P.E. Ryan has convincingly written a story juggling two narrators, Sam and Charlie, and their separate struggles. Both young men, estranged from one another, have "lost" a parent yet continue to suffer alone. The events that led to the estrangement, and the fallout from it are presented realistically without any unnecessary melodrama or eye-rolling resolutions. I started the first chapters of the book not sure if I was all that interested in Charlie as a character, but Ryan drew me in and I was surprised by how absorbed I became and I couldn't put the book down until I was finished.

"Saints of Augustine" is a great read, better written than many other gay-themed YA books, and deserves to find a wider audience. Here's hoping it does.