Book 1 in Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years

I guess this was what they meant by a loss of innocence. Who knew?

Russel Middlebrook is twenty-three years old, gay, and living in trendy Seattle, but life isn't keeping up with the hype. Most of his friends have a direction in life -- either ruthlessly pursuing their careers or passionately embracing their own aimlessness. But Russel is stuck in place. All he knows is that crappy jobs, horrible dates, and pointless hook-ups just aren't cutting it anymore.

What's the secret? What does everyone else know that he doesn't?

Enter Kevin, Russel's perfect high school boyfriend. Could rekindling an old flame be the thing Russel needs to get his life back on track? Or maybe the answer lies with a new friend, an eccentric screenwriter named Vernie Rose, who seems plenty wise. Or what the hell? Maybe Russel will find some answers by joining his best friend Gunnar's crazy search for the legendary Bigfoot!

One way or another, Russel is determined to learn the all-important secret to life, even if it's a thing he doesn't even know he doesn't know.

Author Brent Hartinger first made a splash writing books for teens. The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know, Hartinger's first book for older readers, is just as much of a page-turner as his earlier works, with plenty of his trademark irreverent humor. But now his books have grown up along with his readers, exploring the issues of new adults, especially the complicated matter of love and sex.

REVIEWS

"A great read. Russel's narrative voice is engaging and unflinchingly honest. You can't help but love him... I finished the book smiling."
- ISRBR

"A real page turner and I laughed, I gasped, I cheered for Russel, and everything in between as I read it. Brent hits the nail on the head when describing adulthood for the new generation: how we have dreams, fears, and are lost."
- Sensible Reason Magazine

"Russel Middlebrook is an extremely engaging character, and I positively adored him... For as little as Russel seems to think is going on in his life, he certainly kept me captivated with his story."
- Swept Away by Romance

"A success -- and hopefully the first of many books of its genre."
- Gay City News

PRAISE FOR BRENT HARTINGER

"Hits the narrative sweet spot."- NPR's All Things Considered

"Downright refreshing."- USA Today

"I really think this guy could be the next Judy Blume." - Pop Candy

ACCOLADES

• #1 Amazon Bestseller (Gay Fiction)

• An Audio Book on Audible.com

• We started tracking this book on October 16, 2014.
• This book was $5.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 7 times in the past 3,978 days.
• The current price of this book is FREE last checked 3 minutes ago.
• The lowest price to date was FREE last reached on September 3, 2025.
• This book has been FREE one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $5.99 last reached on September 8, 2015.
• This book has been $5.99 2 times since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionGenre FictionLGBTQ+ FictionGay Fiction
• LGBTQ+ eBooksLGBTQ+ FictionGay Fiction
• LGBTQ+ eBooksLGBTQ+Gay Romance
• Literature & FictionGenre Fiction

• Publication Date: December 15, 2014
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 256 Pages
• File Size: 12 KB