*Spoiler free*

This book had me from it's synopsis. Queer teens plotting to take down the conversion therapy camp they've been forced to attend. I found out about this book a bit after I read and loved Foul Is Fair, a book about taking down horrible boys, so I was eager for more books where the world crashes down around terrible people. And this seemed like another one. Trigger warnings: homophobia, conversion therapy, transphobia, suicide, blood, gore

This book lived up to the yearning I had for it. It fulfilled by expectations and it will proudly sit on my shelf next to Foul Is Fair when it finally comes out.

This book is about queer pain. But it's also about queer perseverance, queer strength, and how every queer person handles their identity differently. Sometimes it goes really dark, but it also makes sure that there's light in hidden places as well. I feel like this book showcases a broad number of things and it showcases them really well.

I feel like it's hard to talk about the individual aspects of this book, like the characters or their relationships, because what I felt like made this book so powerful is what lies underneath all of them. But I'm going to try to talk about both, because both made this book what it is.

I think one of my favorite parts of this book was how every queer person in this book is different. They all reacted differently and they all handled things differently. No one way is correct or better than the others. Some are more fearful, some are more angry, and some are more out and proud. All are alright. I really liked how each character was allowed to be queer in their own way. They were given the space to react and handle the horror around them in a way their brains could process. Just, I liked how many different queer experiences were in this book and how well each of them were written.

Speaking of all the queer characters, all of them have a special place in my heart. All the little kids, to the older ones. I loved all of them. I loved the ones who were scared and I loved the ones who were angry. I loved how there were the Moms of the group and I loved how even in the darkest of places, a boy with a puppy like personality could still exist. I liked Connor and his bravery and his anger and his fear and his whole journey. I liked how he came into his queerness and how real his pain felt. Nothing about his journey is shied away from. In all it's messiness and hurtfulness, it's there.

Another thing this book does really well is that is does everything above, really, really well, but it also incorporates a mystery and thriller elements. And neither take away from each other! While I felt a bit confused here and there with the mystery plot and I felt like the dramatics just weren't quite there in some aspects, I still enjoyed reading it. Though, there were some moments, particularly at the end, where chills ran down my spine. Because wow. In the end, it was able to pull the story together and it pulled the emotional elements together in a way that brought them full circle.

The ending was spectacular. It fit so incredibly well with the book as a whole and I'm so happy with what happened. It's happy and it's painful and every emotion is there so starkly. Everything that happened is at play in the ending. It was just a really great way to end it.

This is a hard book. It shows the horrors of conversion therapy plainly. It shows how every queer person experiences their identity differently. It shows how there can be light, even in a place filled with the worse things imaginable. It's a really great book and it accomplishes what it's trying to do wonderfully. Thank you for visiting me in my loneliness.

The premise of this book caught my attention. It was fast-paced, full of drama and action and... romance? This book kind of had it all. I enjoyed the realistic and complicated relationships. Even though it’s technically YA, it’s not fluffy. I wouldn’t give it to a child under 16 due to sexual content.

For fans of Boy Erased and Hunger Games.

Really intense, super messed up but sooo good.

Honestly I think I was holding my breath throughout the entirety of this book. Personally being all too familiar with religious zealot's hatred and homophobia, Connor's story is a powerful read that will impact everyone who reads it.

I've gone on about how much I enjoyed this book that it's the first book my boyfriend has started reading in over five years and so far he's loving it as well.

I received a eARC from NetGalley for a review and if I haven't already convinced you that you need to read this book I'm just going to say I can't wait for the hardcover copy I pre-ordered.

I will be very honest and say another book about a conversion therapy camp did not excite me at first. Thankfully a friend and I were both granted ARCs and he asked to read at the same time. If not it would have taken so much longer to read this masterpiece. It is the farthest thing from the assumptions I made. A thriller, where one of the primary clues is a Broadway Playbill? IM SOLD. This book hit so many weird intersections in my life that I haven’t thought about in years and tells a queer story that I haven’t seen told before. All 4 years of high school I attended a Christian Summer Camp - ON AN ISLAND(granted that camp was lovingly known as “Gay Jesus Camp” because it was attended by queer Christian youth from around the country). There are as many queer experiences as their are queer people in the world and @itsadamsass was able to construct a group of rag tag queers that really shines a light on so many different identities(catch a whole scene with they/them pronouns until the character identifies himself). I also love the conversation it started about romantic relationships and the complexity within those. Relationships that we want/relationships that we need and realizing that a relationship can not be good for us even when we think it’s what we need. This book was scary, thrilling - a true page turner. While it did so many scary things it really was a story filled with discovery of identity, chosen family, love, and loss. All this is woven into this complex and contemporary thriller. It is the gay hunger games I have been dreaming of for years!

A fast paced thriller about Queer teens fighting back against the adults who have kidnapped them and trapped them in a conversion camp located on a remote island in Costa Rica. While the novel follows the formula of a thriller, it also has some extremely moving and relevant discussions surrounding identity, acceptance, family and love. I thought Connor was a relatable main character and I feel like a lot of young people will be able to connect with him as well as the other side characters, who have their own backstories and experiences regarding their sexuality.

I read this book over a couple of days and it was definitely something that kept me hooked, I was quite invested in the story and there were some powerful moments. The author does mention in the beginning that while this book features Queer pain, it's not solely about this and in my opinion it doesn't feel exploitative or overdone, but just very sad and realistic. There is also characters dealing with the tough stuff through humour and banding together, which were some of my favourite moments. I love the family these teens create through the course of the novel and that Connor especially realises that family can be found even in the most unexpected places.

My major issue was the pacing or time frame in the book - all the action in the novel takes place over 2 days, I believe. It just felt a bit unbelievable that all of this went down in such a short space of time from Connors arrival at Nightlight to figuring out the mysteries and then eventual progression.

Overall, this is an important book and one I enjoyed reading, although some of the subject matter is quite intense and some questions are left up in the air. I feel like this is the kind of book that needs to be out there and if even one young person can read this and feel less alone, then that's an incredible thing. I have no doubt this will be big on it's release come September.

Incredibly paced thriller about the horrors of being sent to a conversion camp on a small island off of Costa Rica.

When queer teens fight back.

I was stunned into plowing through this book. 2020 is the year of queer for me. I can't get enough gay YA and Adam Sass is going to be a big part of that year. Grab this one now.

I am not even sure where to begin as there is so much to unpack in this book about acceptance, family, revenge and love. When Connor is pressured by his boyfriend to come out to his very religious mom he knows it isn’t going to go well. However, he definitely underestimated just how badly it was going to go....he never could have dreamed up Nightlight. A conversion camp on a remote island it is the site of so many horrors, all with the purpose of making young kids who were across the spectrum of the LGBTQIA no longer identify with who they were as a human. With a murder mystery subplot and a battle against nature to rival The Hunger Games this book is a force to be reckoned with. This book made me angry and sad and finally happy, although not all books have traditional happy endings, but it will remind the reader that there is good and evil in this world and we all need to support the good!

Conversion therapy is still being considered by families who believe being heterosexual is the correct "choice." This novel stresses -- love is love, love is life, and love looks differently for everyone. Overall, this novel is an interesting glimpse into a conversion camp (and the lives of its campers) that is unbelievable in many respects but its base story resonates.

Surrender your sons was quite a tough read. It really hit hard in the feels compartment. Super intense and very emotional.

Connor Major who recently came out to his not understanding mother was kidnapped and sent to conversion therapy camp on a far away island. But it turns out that this won’t be his only problem as the camp leader, the Reverend, has many dark and dirty secrets that will bring Connor and his fellow hostages in great danger. The kids plan their escape and try to expose the whole truth about that camp.

This book is really dark and painful at times but it also has its quiet and tender moments. I really enjoyed the writing style and thought it was a very well paced thriller. Impossible to put down. I did like all the kids at the camp and was so worried about the outcome. The loyalty and growing love between all the young campers was so special and important.

The ending felt like there might be a sequel which I’d definitely read.

Absolutely chilling conversion-therapy horror story that doesn’t let you go until the very last page.

Content warnings include: homophobia in all forms, parental abuse, conversion-therapy, suicide, murder, cheating, violence, emotional torture, racism, sexism, transphobia, electroshocks, abduction, non-explicit sex between teenagers.
Mentions of: islamophobia, statutory rape, teenage pregnancy, hate crime leading to death and disability.

Author Adam Sass is very upfront in the foreword about this being a story that features a lot of queer pain and suffering, with it’s focus being how queer people react to this pain. And how that reaction and coping strategy can sometimes be humor.

I didn’t find Surrender Your Sons particularly humorous. Connor, the protagonist, isn’t a guy who makes a lot of jokes, and while there were funny moments, they were mostly born out of the combination of a horrible situation and horny teenagers who don’t always have a filter (either verbally or mentally) and had a certain shock factor to them.

Related to that, the book was also messy. Or rather, Connor was. He flip flops between emotions and which actions to take, he makes mistakes, overreacts, does stupid things and says things that aren’t okay in the heat of the moment. Most of his mistakes are adressed, be it by other characters or his own realization. In my lack of experience, I found him to be a believable portrayal of a seventeen year old teenager.

Despite it not being as humorous as I thought it would be and starting from a different point I imagined, I was sucked into the plot immediately. I binged the book in a single day because I could not put it down. The horrifying events, shocking twists and chilling turns were executed in a way that kept me reading and reading towards the end.

Speaking of the ending, I liked how much of it was focused on the aftermath. Because despite escaping and unearthing the camp’s secrets, the horror is far from over. Ultimately it does have a hopeful ending and left me feeling satisfied (and I’m usually only satisfied with happy-rainbow-sparkling-everyone-loves-each-other endings.)

If there was one thing I had to complain about it would be the timeline. The vast majority of the book (safe for flashbacks) plays over the course of one or two days, and to me that felt just a little bit too tight. It was still all believable and made sense, but the choice to not let things play out over a larger timeframe surprised and baffled me a bit.

Overall, Surrender Your Sons was a fantastic reading experience. It’s brutally frank at times, and paints a stark, shocking picture of our society, and doesn’t gloss over some of the often ignored ugly details.
If you decide to read it, especially if you are queer, please mind the content warnings, take care of yourself and make sure that you’re in the right mindset for it. Reading it was like watching a horror movie for me – as such it was truly horrifying and it shocked me with it’s gruesomeness several times. Additionally, the writing style is very descriptive and often used blunt, harsh adjectives to describe everything.

Speaking of, I did like that there was quite a bit of representation. The love interest as well as several other characters are fat, and multiple characters are POC. I can however not speak about if the representation was executed well.
The queer representation also isn’t limited to gay boys, but features lesbian, bi and trans characters.

This book was something different and I love it!
It was really easy getting into and understanding the struggles of Connor and his life. He is such a cool character and a lovely human being. So where all the other kids at this god forsaken (hehe) camp. I loved them all and they were all special in some way or another.
The reverend and his staff were scary, creepy and a holes (and crazy af).

The mix of thriller and ya in this book is crazy good! It reads like a horror story at times, but never too much for the young reader. I can only compliment the author for this book. The writing style is fantastic and the level of sass was so so good, the theme was picked so well and executed brilliantly. I had all the emotions while reading it! I only had one problem at times because Connor didn't take everything seriously at first I couldn't either and had a hard time feeling horror at first. But that's my only complaint.
Well done!

Thank you thank you thank you Flux/North Star Editions, and thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3.5 (rounded down)

In the ‘Author’s Note’ we’re preempted with: This book is “...not about queer pain. It’s about what queer’s do with pain.” And if that doesn’t just fucking hit hard...

If I were to compare this to other more familiar books, I’d say it’s a mix between Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith, and Family, Lord of the Flies, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and a little sprinkling of The Hunger Games. You would never think a hodgepodge of those novels and genres would create anything decent, but believe me when I say that it WORKS!

The writing is exceptional! Mr. Sass has a way of getting my emotions all frayed with how he writes certain scenes. He does so, however, with care, as there are some triggering topics and dark subject matter within: TW’s for homophobia, suicide, physical and mental abuse, graphic violence, swearing, and sexual content.

From the start, I was not a fan of Ario (Connor’s boyfriend) for essentially pressuring him into coming out. That is unacceptable. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Parts of the story got a little too explicit, I’d say, for a YA book. Even though the characters range in age from 12-20, there is some semi-graphic sexual content, and quite a lot of swearing. I’m against censorship, though, and I feel the average teen is not going to balk at the content within this novel. But I’m no prude, either... this is just a forewarning to anyone sensitive to such things.

Let me just say: “The wolf and the calf” section GAVE. ME. CHILLS! Holy shit, what a gut punch! I must reiterate how little this happens to me as of late—there are so few books that give me such strong emotional reactions—but this one did me in. Another scene that struck me hard (and I understand the point of the symbology) was the urn in the closet.

On characters: I mean, I thought they were believable and well fleshed-out. A few of the antagonists had some questionable motives—Lots of unanswered questions, plot holes, and disbelief over some of the dramatics—but all the campers really grew on me. The rep here is pretty phenomenal, too! The trans character having proper pronouns and not once being dead-named is a plus... not many authors these days seem to have that kind of sensitivity, or know how to handle it well.

I have a few complaints, however: one is with the pacing. Don’t get me wrong, the book had me hooked from the start, but lulled a bit between 20%-40%, and then picked up again, but was unfortunately kind of clunky towards the end. It was pretty damn anticlimactic (though, I don’t think I could’ve handled it getting too violent; I don’t think it would have been appropriate given the subject matter). Still, I found lacking. My biggest issue, however, is with the time frame. Are we really supposed to believe that the entire narrative on the island happens over the course of only 2 days??? I find that absurd; the suspension of disbelief only goes so far with me. If the plot was drawn out a bit more over, say, a week even, then I would’ve been satisfied. But 48 hours is totally unbelievable for how much goes on in this book. I wanted to rate this higher, I mean, it should be rated higher, but I cannot get past the brief narrative timeline on the island.

If anything, it’s set up perfectly for a (maybe?) sequel. I’d love a continuation, in fact! These are important stories; the structuring just needs tidying up. All-in-all, I’m thrilled to have read this, and beg the author for MORE!

This book is a must read.
Even though it covers a very serious and sad subject, it manages to walk the line in between being serious and funny.
The main character is resilient and adds lightness to a heavy subject .
This book shows how trauma affects people differently, but that also people are resilient and can come out on the other side of it.
Loved this book. Can not wait to read other books from this author.

wow what a book. I am so thank ful to netgalley for giving me this e arc. This book has it all. Querness, mystery, and murders. The book also deals with mental health issues and coming to terms with what or Who you are. And It leaves me withe a big question. How can people hide behind religion and justify what they do with that way?

5* I suspect that even the most unlikely audience of this book will be moved by it.

I won't rehash this tale, as it follows the blurb faithfully. I will tell you that it's about relationships formed in a matter of days that'll probably last a lifetime. It's about doing something good out of tragedy. It's about the evil that I suspect still exists in sects like Nightlight, and about the parents who can't love without strings attached. It's about manning up and doing the right thing, even when you get a chance for a quick, if selfish, way out, and putting others first. It's about selflessness and belief and about triumphing and not being broken by the devastation wreaked by the actions of others. It's a slap in the face that reminded me how lucky I am, and how lucky that I'm not in a country like the US, where conversion is still a thing.

It's an excellent book that I think should be a must-read in schools in the US.

ARC courtesy of North Star Editions Flux and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

To the surrendered: find each other, and survive together.

Thank you North Star Editions at Flux & Netgalley for granting my wish to read a copy of this arc!

Connor Major is gay. However coming out was not a tender moment of acceptance with his Mother. Instead - he is taken in the middle of the night to a dark place built on secrets.

Adam Sass prepares of for what is to come by saying this,"You’ll find scary things in this book, but just like in life, when the trouble hits, you’ll also find humor, good friends, and courage you couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams." He does not steer away from queer pain but gives it it's space to be felt. Sass dives in headfirst into the guilt of queer kids coming from extremely religious roots.

Nightlight Ministries serves a cruel purpose. To soothe the minds of the loved ones that their children will return "normal." At what price does "normal" come? This book tore me apart. It had so much heart. I will be honest with you that I was tears by the time I got to the acknowledgements. I am so glad I have been able to read this book. It touches on how coming out may not always be safe

However my only wish for this book were that what happens when Connor gets to Nightlight took place in a longer time frame. I feel like it would've been stronger with the discoveries Connor made and the main romance.

Thanks to Flux for the ARC – I’ve never had a Netgalley wish granted before!
The fact that it was a wish, rather than a request, meant I didn’t know a lot about Surrender Your Sons going in. I was part expecting a fantasy novel (and I was amused to read in the acknowledgements that the book had started out as one). In trying to get a bit more information, I was puzzled by the reviews – it seems everyone had given it either 1 or 5 stars, with no in-betweens. After reading it, I think I understand that a bit more (though I’m much closer to the 5-star group).
It took me several chapters to get into the book – the writing style didn’t always sit well with me, and I took longer to warm to Connor than expected. However, once I got past this first hurdle I was completely hooked – I didn’t want to put the book down. It’s been a long while since I so enthusiastically recounted what was happening in a book to anyone who asked “what are you reading?” (and the book’s content led to some interesting conversations with colleagues).
I’m nonetheless torn how to rate this – should making me cry on the train be an instant 5 star? Perhaps. However, this is another YA book that I objectively might rate lower, except it's poking me right in the heart and I can't give rational thoughts on it. I’m sad that books like this didn’t exist when I was a teen, but so glad that today’s teenagers get to read it. It feels like an important book, though it’s deeper layers perhaps only become clear towards the end. I’m being purposefully vague here, but I will add that I was shocked at the book’s capacity to make me feel something approaching sympathy for people doing truly reprehensible things. I would also definitely read a sequel all about The Moms and / or Molly.
This is a bittersweet, deeply engaging book, with some important lessons for young and old alike. Whereas my instinctive reaction to Connor’s situation was anger, Surrender Your Sons left me feeling sad, grateful, and hopeful, all at once.

Wow. That’s all I’ve got, a hard wow. I can not believe how good this book was, how it went from making me laugh to making me cry to making me feel like I could taste ash in my mouth. It was incredible, and so well written. Just...beyond belief good.

This book is about difficult truths. Don’t look away from them. Conversion therapy, suicide, abusive families, coercive relationships, hate crimes...it’s all covered in this book, and quite frankly, I’ve been waiting a long time to see a book that is this upfront and candid about the issues. Places like Nightlight Ministries exist, and queer kids are sent there daily. Some of them don’t come home. All of them don’t come back the same. It’s a horrifying reality, but we cannot look away from it.

The characters are so well developed, complex, and wonderfully, wonderfully queer (I mean, to be fair, who else would quote ‘Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?’ in a life or death situation?). I just wanted to meet all of them, be friends with them, making them hot cups of tea. When I’m sitting there reading a book wanting to meet the characters, it is something special. Connor is a sweet protagonist, and incredibly courageous, and all of the others are given so much attention and care from the author that they all feel so fully formed it boggles the mind.

The plot? Twisty, mysterious, and incredibly engaging. An absolute roller coaster in the worst and best possible ways, it took so many turns but they all made sense and were all dropped hints early on. Nothing came out of the blue. Relationship wise, there was no insta love- everything felt like it came from somewhere, even though the time period the book is set over was so short. It made complete sense, and worked really well given the circumstances.

Just an incredible book. I can’t wait for it to come out officially so I can tell everyone I know to go get a copy.

I think the representation with this book is important, but it falls flat for me. The grammar is occasionally horrid and the sexualities aren't equally mentioned. They're more like an afterthought, which frustrated me for some reason. Only one trans child and the lesbians are just kind of there. Usually titles pull things together, but it's not only males that are sent off and that makes the title not that great for me. Also a certain couple were slapped together out of the blue even after one of the individuals were noted to have a crush on the protagonist. It just felt forced. I also didn't care for the stereotyping I felt was going on with the protagonist. An interesting read, but I doubt I'd read it more than once.

That hurt.

I'm going to be vague in this review until the book actually releases because I don't want to spoil this wonderful, painful, hopeful story for any other readers. Anything that might be a spoiler will be tagged as such, so if you decide you want to take a look that's up to you.

Conversion therapy has always been a heavy subject for me and many others. To have the people who are supposed to love you no matter what send you off somewhere to be tortured into "fixing" or "curing" yourself is... unbelievable to me. From the moment this book started, I knew it was going to make me feel - and it certainly did. I rooted for Connor and his friends; I cried for them; I got angry for them. I want to applaud the author for that because a book like this should make you feel.

I loved these characters. In the span of a single book, I loved Connor and Marcos and Molly and Darcy and all the other queer boys and girls trapped on an island from hell.

It's a brutal, painful read, but it ends with hope. Frankly, if the author had decided to just let the characters shrug off everything they endured at camp and move on like nothing happened, I'd have been extremely disappointed. That's not to say I wouldn't want a happily ever after for every character but if you're dealing with a subject like conversion therapy... it's not going to leave people the same way they went in. So, there is some bittersweetness to the ending but there is so much hope and that's what made me truly love this book.

This is a good I'm not going to shut up about, and I can't wait for the release date so I can get this book on my shelf.