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Brent Hartinger Books in Order

19 Books
5 Series & collections
2003 – 2021 Published
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How to Read Brent Hartinger's Books

Brent Hartinger is a pioneer in modern LGBTQ+ young adult literature, best known for his landmark debut novel, Geography Club. If you want to dive into his books, the main decision you will face is how to tackle his interconnected fictional universe. Hartinger’s most popular works center on the character of Russel Middlebrook and his friends, taking readers from Russel's closeted high school years into his self-discovery-filled twenties, before branching off into a spin-off series starring his friend Otto Digmore.

For the best reading experience, it is highly recommended to read these books in chronological order. This allows you to watch the characters grow, mature, and deal with increasingly complex life milestones in real-time. Below, we have mapped out the ideal reading path for the Russel Middlebrook and Otto Digmore universe, followed by a breakdown of Hartinger's standalone works and collections.

The Recommended Chronological Reading Order

The core universe spans three distinct series. The first details Russel's high school years. The second, sub-titled "The Futon Years," follows Russel as a young adult in his twenties. The third is the Otto Digmore spin-off, which runs parallel to and slightly after the Futon Years. Here is how they fit together chronologically:

  • Geography Club (2003): The essential starting point. We meet sixteen-year-old Russel Middlebrook as he and his closeted peers form a fake "geography club" to have a safe space to talk without attracting suspicion in high school.
  • The Order of the Poison Oak (2005): Russel and his friends work as summer camp counselors, exploring new romances, testing friendships, and dealing with social hierarchies outside of high school.
  • Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies / Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (2007): A unique "double feature" book where Russel and his best friend Min work as extras on the set of a low-budget horror movie. The book features two flip-side novellas depicting the same timeframe from two different perspectives.
  • The Elephant of Surprise (2013): Russel's final high school adventure, where he, Min, and Gunnar get mixed up with a mysterious new student, secret identities, and the realities of preparing for the future.
  • Two Thousand Pounds Per Square Inch (2013): A transitional short story and public service announcement where Russel faces the stress of getting tested for HIV, reflecting on his past and preparing for his adult life.
  • The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know (2014): The launch of the Futon Years series. Russel is now twenty-three, living in a duplex in Seattle, and navigating the messy reality of jobs, romance, and shared living spaces in early adulthood.
  • Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams (2015): Russel moves to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting, encountering the glamorous, high-stakes, and often frustrating realities of Hollywood.
  • The Road to Amazing (2016): The final book in Russel's primary trilogy, centering on a major life event—a wedding—and bringing Russel's coming-of-age story to a satisfying conclusion.
  • The Otto Digmore Difference (2017): This spin-off shifts the spotlight to Otto Digmore, a young actor with a facial scar who was introduced in the early Russel Middlebrook books. Russel joins him on a road trip, linking the two series.
  • The Otto Digmore Decision (2020): Otto struggles with a massive career and personal choice when he is offered a life-changing role that forces him to decide what he is willing to compromise for success.

Publication Order of Series and Standalones

If you prefer to read books in the exact order the author wrote and published them, here is the complete breakdown of Brent Hartinger’s bibliography:

The Russel Middlebrook Series

  • Geography Club (2003)
  • The Order of the Poison Oak (2005)
  • Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies / Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (2007)
  • The Elephant of Surprise (2013)
  • Two Thousand Pounds Per Square Inch (2013)

Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years

  • The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know (2014)
  • Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams (2015)
  • The Road to Amazing (2016)

The Otto Digmore Series

  • The Otto Digmore Difference (2017)
  • The Otto Digmore Decision (2020)

Standalone Novels

Hartinger is also an accomplished writer of standalone novels, spanning genres from lighthearted capers to dark psychological thrillers. These can be read in any order at any time:

  • The Last Chance Texaco (2004)
  • Grand & Humble (2006)
  • Dreamquest (2007)
  • Project Sweet Life (2009)
  • Shadow Walkers (2011)
  • Three Truths and a Lie (2016)
  • Project Pay Day (2021)

Anthologies and Collections

  • Young Warriors: Stories of Strength (2005) - Featuring Hartinger as a contributor.
  • The Letter Q: Queer Writers' Notes to their Younger Selves (2012) - Featuring Hartinger as a contributor.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into Brent Hartinger’s catalog, here are a few practical tips to help you get the most out of your reading experience:

1. Tone Shifts Between Series: The original Russel Middlebrook series is firmly rooted in the Young Adult (YA) genre, capturing the specific anxieties, humor, and innocence of high schoolers in the 2000s. However, when the series transitions to The Futon Years, the tone shifts into "New Adult" territory. The characters deal with post-college struggles, career failures, and long-term relationship choices. The Otto Digmore spin-off matches this slightly more mature, adult perspective.

2. The Split Screen Format: Keep in mind that Split Screen (sometimes published under the title Double Feature) is experimental. It is designed to be read from both sides of the physical book, containing two separate, parallel novellas. One side follows Russel, while the other follows Min. They can be read in either order, but you should read both sides to get the complete story of their time on the movie set.

3. Standalones Offer Genre Variety: If you are not in the mood for contemporary coming-of-age stories, Hartinger's standalones are an excellent alternative. For instance, Three Truths and a Lie is a tense, Edgar Award-nominated psychological thriller set in a remote cabin. Grand & Humble is a puzzle-box mystery told from two alternating perspectives that converge in a shocking twist. Project Pay Day is a fun, fast-paced caper about three teens trying to make money over their summer vacation.

4. Adaptations: If you enjoy the books, you can also check out the film adaptation of Geography Club released in 2013, as well as the movie adaptation of Project Pay Day released in 2021, both of which Hartinger worked on or wrote the screenplays for.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the best starting point for Brent Hartinger's books?

The recommended starting point is Geography Club (2003). It is Hartinger's breakout novel and introduces the central characters of the Russel Middlebrook universe.

QIs the Otto Digmore series connected to Russel Middlebrook?

Yes. The Otto Digmore series is a spin-off of the Russel Middlebrook books. Otto is a supporting character in the original books who later gets his own series, in which Russel also appears.

QWhat is unique about the book Split Screen?

Originally published as Split Screen (and later as Double Feature), this book contains two parallel novellas in a flip-book format, showing the same timeline from Russel's and Min's perspectives.

QCan the standalone novels be read in any order?

Yes. Standalones like Three Truths and a Lie and Grand & Humble are completely independent stories and can be read in any order without prior knowledge of the Russel Middlebrook books.

QWhat is Two Thousand Pounds Per Square Inch?

It is a short story written by Brent Hartinger as part of a safe sex PSA project. It features Russel Middlebrook getting tested for HIV and is best read between the high school series and The Futon Years.

QHow does the tone change in Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years?

While the original series focuses on high school struggles and YA themes, The Futon Years shifts to New Adult fiction, following Russel in his twenties as he navigates career challenges, moving to LA, and marriage.