The novel starts with a chorus of youth gays who died of AIDS three to four decades ago. The gay men are speaking to contemporary young homosexuals about the obstacles they faced during the 1980s. On a Friday night, Neil Kim is going to visit his boyfriend Peter. Kim is fifteen years old and has been hanging out with Peter for almost a year. Freedom has made the lives of gay men easier. Tariq Johnson has traveled for two hours to join a dance in the city. Other young gays like Cooper Riggs have kept it in themselves.
The excitement felt when the day of kissing arrives shows the willingness of these young men to show the world their true sexual identities. The parents seem supportive. Even though Craig does not inform his parents about his sexual identity, they are supportive of him after the revelation. A group of friends and supporters come to witness the big day and cheer the two bold men. Eventually, Harry and Craig break the Guinness World Record for the longest kissing. In the meantime, Ryan and Avery meet in Kindling and become lovers.
Ryan and Avery have different personalities despite their dating life. Ryan is scornful and distastes everyone who judges him. On the other hand, Avery accommodates everyone’s views regarding homosexual judgments. The chorus gives the audience an insight into how gay men who suffered from HIV/AIDS isolated themselves from the world and died painful deaths. All the characters featured in the book seem to have accepted their condition.
