Rainbow Boys is the first novel in a trilogy by Alex Sánchez, focusing on the issues gay and questioning youth face as they come of age.

The story follows the overlapping lives of three high school seniors, with the chapters alternating between their different points of view.

Jason Carrillo, the popular jock, finds himself questioning his sexuality and decides to attend a meeting for gay youth.

Nelson is the most "flamboyant" or extremely gay of the three main characters, referring to himself as a "queen" and dyeing his hair bright colors.

Based on Sanchez' novel, Rainbow Boys: The Movie (เรนโบว์บอยส์ เดอะมูฟวี่), a Thai-language film directed by Thanyatorn Siwanukrow, was released in 2005.

[4] Sanchez recalls that he did not have a particular audience in mind when he wrote Rainbow Boys; however, when he sent it to his agent, she told him that it would be well suited for young people.

Sanchez notes that prior to Rainbow Boys, hardly any young adult novels featured LGBTQ characters, and if they did, they were often “lonely and isolated”.

[5] Publishers Weekly notes that while the novel may seem to have an “educational agenda” by including names of support groups and listing contact information for LGBTQ organizations at the end of the book, the characters and their struggles feel well developed.

[6] While the Rainbow Boys series has been praised by both critics and scholars for its positive portrayal of gay characters, Thomas Crisp has drawn attention to several of its themes that are still problematic.