Chasing Pacquiao

Bobby has one rule for getting through a high school where violence is common: protect yourself first. As a queer teen in a Filipino-American community that looks down on homosexuality, he knows that being open would make him an easy target, so he blends in, works for good grades, and stays out of trouble.

That plan collapses when Bobby is outed in a cruel and very public way, and a brutal confrontation leaves him needing a different approach. Surviving now means fighting back. Inspired by Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing champion, he takes up the sport so he can stand up to the classmate who tormented him.

Things grow harder when Pacquiao publicly declares a position against queer people. Bobby has long admired his idol and relied on his own sense of who he can become, and both kinds of trust are badly shaken. This debut novel is a coming-of-age story for young adult readers. Content warning: profanity, violence, and homophobic language.