Night of San Juan

By Robert Karl

"When you ride the moonbeams, you can go anywhere. You can be anyone you want to be. There are no limits." Saint John to Mateo

Two teenage boys. Two families. Two cultures. One forbidden friendship.

Saint John, an Army brat, is always the outsider. He first meets Mateo at orientation at The Bilingual School in San Juan. Tensions immediately arise between the two families. Can the two boys overcome the many obstacles they face? Can they break the familial and cultural barriers between them?

The Night of San Juan is a magical night in Puerto Rico. A night of celebration, music, food, and bonfires on the beach. Will the two boys be torn apart, or will they ride the moonbeams to find a path of their own choosing? And can they find the inner strength to share their secret desires?

Night of San Juan is an LGBTQ+ YA novel set in 2017. After Saint John moves to Puerto Rico with his family, he learns to appreciate the natural beauty, the culture, and the complicated history of the place known as La Isla del Encanto.

"A powerful coming-of-age story." US Review of Books

... "by leaning into Shakespearean motifs of forbidden love, Karl successfully blends tragedy with hopefulness, and by illuminating misunderstood people and experiences, he presents queer joy as worth fighting for, no matter the time or place." Publishers Weekly

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HB5WMM7P
• ISBN13: 9798992951325
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Robert A. Karl
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"