I picked up Freaks and Revelations one afternoon in our school library because the cover caught my eye.  I opened the book to a random page and I was hooked.  I flipped back to the beginning and finished reading at 1:00 am.  The stories of Jason and Doug captivated me and I couldn't put it down.  Davida Wills Hurwin tells the story of 2 teenage boys who are both products of circumstance.  Both boys are living on the streets but the similarities between them end there. 

Jason is literally thrown away by his family when he tells them he is gay.  At 13 years old, his mother packs his bag and puts him out of the house.  He finds his way to Castro street in SanFrancisco where he eeks out a "living" as a "working boy".  Jason has every reason in the world to give up, but he doesn't.  Throughout his teen years, which are spent living on the streets he maintains resilience and hope.  In fact, the level of hope we expereince through Jason broke my heart.  Adults who should have helped him didn't.  At best, they looked the other way and most took advantge of him in all of the worst possible ways.  Jason only wants to be loved, and he deserves to be, fully and  unconditioanlly. 

Doug is another street teen who is consumed by anger.  His anger is so intense that his story is hard to read.  His odyssey begins in the counter culture of punk rock and he ends up immersed in raw hate. Doug becomes a "god of thunder" in a white supremesist street gang with Neo-Nazi associations.  He eats, breaths and lives hate.  The hate in Doug's story is so palapable it takes on a life of it's own. 

A twist of fate brings the boys together in a violent encounter that made me hold my breath as I read it.  Entwined in the tumultous life of each boy is the story of the power of hope.  Fate brings them together again, 26 years later, and leads them on a journey of hope and acceptance.  When I discovered that Freaks and Revelations is based on the true story of Timothy Zaal and Matthew Boger I had to go back and read it again.  Freaks and Revelations is a must read for teens and parents.  I also recommend this book for every high school library.  As an educator, I consider this book an important read that explores complex social issues in a voice that is genuine and true.

 SPOILER ALERT:  To learn more about Matthew Boger and Tim Zaal you may want to check out the following link which features a short film called Blood Brothers.  Matthew and Tim have also appeared on 20/20.