History Literature / TheVastFieldsOfOrdinary

* TheStoryTeller: Alex reveals close to the end he's writing a book called [[NamesTheSame "The Vast Fields of Ordinary."]]

* AllFirstPersonNarratorsWriteLikeNovelists: Averted.

* BoomerangBigot: Pablo to a minor extent.
* CastFullOfGay

* DarkAndTroubledPast: Alex has one.

* FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator: Pablo.
* IJustWantToBeNormal or ArmoredClosetGay: Pablo again.
* [[ImportantHaircut Semi-Important Haircut]]: An entire party filled with shirtless guys about it.
* IncompatibleOrientation: Fessica and Dade.
* JerkJock: Several of these form Pablo's group of friends. Pablo himself.
* LittleJimmy: The Jenny Moore sublot
* LoveHurts: Pablo intially rejects Dade but for the rest of the novel, Pablo comes to regret it.
* LoveTriangle

* NostalgicNarrator

* SorryImGay: When Fessica tries to come on to Dade a second time.
* TheStoner: Alex's friends.
* StraightGay: Pablo, Alex, and Dade.

* TimeToMove: Except Dade's dad succeeds in moving.

* TokenLesbian: Lisa can come off as this.

* TheTwink: Lisa Takes Dade to a local gay bar to introduce him to the scene. The results are underwhelming.
* YaoiFangirl: Lisa.

* TheBeard: Judy for Pablo. It's a story about gay people, what did you expect? A Moustache?

* TheIshmael: Pablo.

The story begins with a short description of dade's life since childhood ranging from his mother's transformation from a Hippie to an average housewife who sips martinis and gardens things other than weed, his father's interest in life in a cul-de-sac, and his secret relationship with football player Pablo *The Sexican* Soto. It establishes Dade's life as average, until one day he decides to admit his feelings to Pablo and things start going crazy.

%% Needs More Love

* TheBeard: Its a story about gay people what did you expect? A Moustache?
** GenreSavvy: She also suspects her status and in her few appearances tries to keep Dade away from Poblo
* BittersweetEnding: Bordering on complete downer: [[spoiler: Dade learns things aren't always as perfect as you make it to be no matter how perfect your boyfriend is, his parents divorce (Which is a good thing), he finally gets friends of his own, and Alex decides to break the mold his father and sister set before him and not run away and stays in town to help his grandma, but Pablo kill himself by running into a tree after all the gay confusion he went through, Dade and Alex mutually break up, and Lisa moves back to L.A.]]

* ComingOutStory: An odd one since Alex and Dade both don't care who sees doing affectionate things, and when Dade finally tells his parents he's gay they're a bit shocked but are still loving and supportive, they might actually be more so than before since it snapped it out of their own drama.

* DeathByNewberyMedal: The main readon why the summer this book covers is considered by Dade to be his last real summer. It certainly not forgettable.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler: Pablo decides life isn't worth living and has a heartbreaking in hindsight goodbye with Dade, and you don't see it coming!!]]

* LoveHurts: Pablo rejects Dade and for the rest of the novel Pablo regrets it.

* RomanticRunnerUp: Pablo [[spoiler: until the end of the novel we find out it was actually Alex, but then Pablo dies]]
* SorryImGay: Not outright stated but Dade makes it really clear to Fessica that he is gay.

* StraightGay: All three of Alex, Pablo, and Dade.

* TimeToMove: Except Dade's dad Succeeds in moving.
* TitleDrop: Happens twice once in the middle when Fessica mispronounces song lyrics, and again in the end. It gets explained on the last page, though the reader always gets a vague idea about it.

* YaoiFangirl: Lisa, despite being a lesbian.