I’ve never actually met Blake Mitchell, nor did I really follow his career. A friend pointed him out to me one evening and like a lot of guys I started following him because he’s hot. I’m not sure when exactly it happened, but through the snippets of his non-work life that he would share on Instagram my fantasies of meeting him changed from the bedroom to hiking his favorite trails in his beloved Washington state or just having a beer and a laugh. His openness and self-awareness were a breath of fresh air, so when I heard there was a book about the events that helped shape the man he became I had to get it. I was not disappointed.The book is written as a story with Blake as the main character rather than a typical biography. I wasn’t sure about this at first, but as I read more and more I realized that in writing the book this way it enabled Taylor to put actual emotion into what normally would have been an interesting but clinical experience. This isn’t a coming out story since it takes place after his being outed, nor is it really a coming of age story, as Blake shows an awareness that belies his age and I get the impression that even before the events in the book he had to grow up faster than he should have. This is a book about choice. Blake makes some choices that lead him to trouble. The key though, is that he recognizes this, takes responsibility for his actions, learns from his mistakes and strives to be better. Even the speedbumps that life threw at him that weren’t really in his control (ok, not speedbumps, more like those spike things that totally shred your tires) he chose to learn and again, be better. Blake comes to recognize his own faults and through Greg and Jay he surrounds himself with friends that make him a better person even if he doesn’t always realize it and sometimes causes himself unnecessary pain by lashing out instead of listening.While this book will have the largest impact for LGBT youth, I think it is a good read for anyone taking those first tentative steps into adulthood. The lessons Blake learns are for everyone, and this book should be too.