What Readers Say

Steve is a nerdy bookworm raised by laid-back Catholic parents who give him a quirky, and incomplete, education about girls. “It’s like the birds and the bees,” they tell him, but the details are fuzzy and mostly confusing. Coupled with some unsettling early childhood experiences, Steve comes to an unfortunate conclusion: when it comes to girls, he doesn’t stand a chance.

By the end of junior high, Steve stumbles across his mom’s sex education book – meant for her rhythm method class – and shares it with his buddy, Coby. The two boys learn more than they bargained for, not only the basics, but also some eye-opening lessons on alternative lifestyles. Despite having only kissed other boys, and never a girl, Steve realizes he’s probably heterosexual.

After this revelation, Steve struggles with a shifting sense of identity. Feeling frustrated and betrayed, he lashes out at his domineering friend Coby, and begins a downward spiral. He slowly morphs into what his father has always called him – a little shit-ass kid. Driven by impulse, and a growing list of bad habits, Steve finds creative ways to keep his pockets full; and by watching an older friend skillfully work his charm with a young lady at a party, he begins to understand what it takes to get a girl’s attention.

Lemon is a deeply personal confession, told with raw and uncomfortable honesty, in which Kubacki reflects on his past, recounting a mix of joyful, vibrant, and somber stories from his formative years.

Stephen Kubacki earned a Bachelor of Science in Language, Literature, and Writing from Eastern Michigan University. He lives near Jackson, Michigan, with his wife, Wendy, and their dog, Boomer.