BOOK: Dwaalsporen - Jacques Brooijmans

Title: Dwaalsporen
Author: Jacques Brooijmans
Genre: Teens, Sexuality
Publisher: Clavis, 2001
Pages: Hardcover, 199
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Joost and Daniël live in a fosterhome and become good friends, mostly because their situation at home is quite similar. They both have parents who struggle with life and they both feel different from other boys. Daniël often prefers to behave like a girl.

Spoilerfree review
The author obviously aimed to write for teenagers and for some reason tried to make it sound like the boys had this big adventure, which to me was a bit overdone.
Now the tension in the story has nothing to do with the complex subject of homosexuality/transvestism/transsexuality; the difference between those gender issues isn't even made clear. Instead this story focuses on Joost's memories of Daniël. Their history together is only slowly revealed and it's obvious you're supposed to think something REALLY BAD happened. Because of this big build up the ending could only be disappointing and that was indeed exactly as expected.
A missed opportunity that nevertheless needs a follow up.