Honestly Ben
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Narrated by:
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Dan Bittner
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Written by:
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Bill Konigsberg
About this listen
In this companion to Openly Straight, Ben confronts pressure at school, repression at home, and his passion for two very different people in figuring out what it takes to be Honestly Ben.
Ben Carver is back to normal. He's working steadily in his classes at the Natick School. He just got elected captain of the baseball team. He's even won a full scholarship to college, if he can keep up his grades. All that foolishness with Rafe Goldberg the past semester is in the past.
Except...there's Hannah, the gorgeous girl from the neighboring school, who attracts him and distracts him. There's his mother, whose quiet unhappiness Ben is noticing for the first time. School is harder, the pressure higher, the scholarship almost slipping away. And there's Rafe, funny, kind, dating someone else...and maybe the real normal that Ben needs.
Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Andrew Smith, and John Green, Honestly Ben is a smart, laugh-out-loud novel that will speak to anyone who's struggled to be "honestly ____" in some part of their lives.
©2017 Bill Konigsberg (P)2017 Scholastic Inc.You may also enjoy...
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Openly Straight
- Written by: Bill Konigsberg
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rafe is a normal teenager from Colorado. He's been out since 8th grade, accepted by his peers & championed by his progressive parents. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to be a regular guy. To have his sexuality be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time. So when Rafe transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret - not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate.
-
-
I wish I listened to this sooner.
- By Adam on 2020-08-22
Written by: Bill Konigsberg
-
Date Me, Bryson Keller
- Written by: Kevin van Whye
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone knows about the dare: Each week, Bryson Keller must date someone new - the first person to ask him out on Monday morning. Few think Bryson can do it. He may be the king of Fairvale Academy, but he's never really dated before. Until a boy asks him out, and everything changes. Kai Sheridan didn't expect Bryson to say yes. So when Bryson agrees to secretly go out with him, Kai is thrown for a loop. But as the days go by, he discovers there's more to Bryson beneath the surface, and dating him begins to feel less like an act and more like the real thing.
-
-
Adorable!
- By Geeky Mama on 2020-08-13
Written by: Kevin van Whye
-
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
- Written by: Benjamin Alire Saenz
- Narrated by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship - the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
-
-
a book I've never connected with more
- By Anonymous User on 2019-10-01
Written by: Benjamin Alire Saenz
-
The Long Run
- Written by: James Acker
- Narrated by: Lee Osorio, Max Meyers
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.
-
-
One of my top reads of this year
- By Sade on 2024-04-04
Written by: James Acker
-
The Gravity of Us
- Written by: Phil Stamper
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Jonathan Davis, Gabra Zackman, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a successful social media journalist with half a million followers, 17-year-old Cal is used to sharing his life online. But when his pilot father is selected for a highly publicized NASA mission to Mars, Cal and his family relocate from Brooklyn to Houston and are thrust into a media circus. Amidst the chaos, Cal meets sensitive and mysterious Leon, another "Astrokid", and finds himself falling head over heels - fast. As the frenzy around the mission grows, so does their connection.
-
-
Cute Story with beautiful relationships
- By Darcy Tyrrell on 2020-08-25
Written by: Phil Stamper
-
Top Secret
- Written by: Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
- Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Christian Fox
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling authors Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy return with their first Male/Male romance in 3 years. LobsterShorts, 21. Jock. Secretly a science geek. Hot AF. SinnerThree, 21. Finance major. Secretly a male dancer. Hot AF. LobsterShorts: So. Here goes. For her birthday, my girlfriend wants…a threesome. SinnerThree: Then you’ve come to the right hookup app. LobsterShorts: Have you done this sort of thing before? With another guy? SinnerThree: All the time. I’m an equal opportunity player. You? LobsterShorts: [crickets!]
-
-
I want to see the movie!
- By ROBERT on 2020-10-20
Written by: Sarina Bowen, and others
What the critics say
"Dan Bittner's narration develops the unique personality of 17-year-old Ben, a secondary character in Konigsberg's earlier book Openly Straight.... In this follow-up, Bittner quickly reveals Ben's intelligence and introspection.... In a complex portrait, Bittner captures Ben's confused central conflict - is he gay, or straight, or is he only 'gay-for-Rafe'? Keeping the plot engaging, Bittner highlights Ben's search for his identity." (AudioFile)
What listeners say about Honestly Ben
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Adam
- 2020-08-22
Just great.
I bought this right after finishing Openly Straight, I loved the story, the characters from Openly Straight, and was fully hyped to continue to follow the journey Bill Konigsberg wanted to tell. I had some anxiety about the novel following Ben instead of Rafe, but I trusted Konigsberg and bought it.
It was the right choice. Just as good as Openly Straight, this expanded the characters, had the same comedic energy, and allowed up to see into the mind of Ben, to see how he thinks, how he comprehends life.
This story was amazing, following after Openly Straight, It was great, the characters were portrayed amazingly, following the struggle, and emotions Ben has to go through following the events of the first novel was amazing. Highly recommend if you enjoyed Openly Straight.
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- David R
- 2020-07-19
Glad I purchased it!
I really enjoyed Openly Straight, and I was a bit reluctant to get Honesty Ben, as sequels are often a letdown. I was also concerned that it changed from Rafe’s perspective to Ben’s. I was pleasantly surprised.
I don’t want to post any spoilers, so I’ll just say it was great to see how things developed with the characters and to see more depth into Ben’s character, and to see how...magenta he is.
I’m sad to see that the author doesn’t plan a third book with these characters.
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1 person found this helpful
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- ssuther7
- 2019-04-19
Love the characters!
Love the characters, they have realistic struggles about understanding and accepting their identities. Performance was great as well.
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