Take a bow, Noah Mitchell by Tobias Madden

This second book by Tobias Madden has similar gay romance themes to his highly praised first novel Anything but fine but instead of the ballet world, Noah Mitchell is thrust into the world of musical theatre in Ballarat, in an endeavour to get to know his secret gaming partner MagePants69. Noah, aka RcticFOx, only knows his fellow combatant online, but a subtle slip gives him the clue that maybe MagePants69 is performing in the same musical that his mother, Rose, is starring in. Noah, going against all his normal inclinations, decides to join the theatre too, in order to secretly find out more about the person he has become so enamoured of online. Reading those first few chapters, every reader knows that something is going to go terribly wrong. How can he be sure that MagePants69 is Eli, and how will it all pan out?

Although issues of catfishing and online ensnarement are duly raised, these are not the central focus of Madden’s novel. It is more about the deception that Noah becomes involved in, and the betrayal of trust that Eli experiences. There are also issues of school-time bullying, friendship betrayal and loss, and difficult parent-child relationships. But this is ultimately a rom-com, and it is the relationships within the theatre group, the budding friendships, and the slowly developing romance that Noah gradually finds, that are at the heart of the novel.

While there are some shared issues with the more confronting The brink by Holden Sheppard, Madden’s novel has more in common with more gentle love stories such as Golden boys by Phil Stamper, Here’s to us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, and Date me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye . Take a bow, Noah Mitchell is a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging romantic comedy of errors that deals with real issues of youthful self doubt and tentative attraction, in a way that every young reader can relate to.

Themes: LGBQTI+, Romance, Deception, Trust, Self confidence, Video games.

Helen Eddy