S.L. Danielson

I liked this book OK, but I was more frustrated with Cid's relationship with Barry. Barry was a whiny and annoying character that I didn't really fall for. I found myself wondering what point it had in any of this story other than to show Cid wasn't interested in relationships. I could've bought that, though, if Cid didn't then fall into a relationship with Kellen. Yes, I thought Kellen was a much better partner and match for Cid. He understood where Cid was coming from and knew when to push and when to be patient. He was a great character and I enjoyed them. When we finally got to these guys, I liked the book much more.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy provided by Gay Book Promotions… (mehr)

I hate leaving bad reviews. I really do. But...

I must have gotten a different version of the book than what others read because I can't understand how it got the high rating it has. The writing is poor, the characters are caricatures and sometimes I felt this had been a re-worked M/F story. "Sid gently parted the folds around Roger's opening and inched his way inside his lover." Don't think an anus is supposed to have 'folds' around it. It did make me laugh sometimes though. Unfortunately, I don't think it was meant to be funny.… (mehr)

I liked this story about two high school seniors who form a very tight friendship when Scott (the 'nerd') is asked to tutor Jared (the 'jock') in maths.

The developing feelings on Scott's side are described with sensitivity. The slow pace of the novella adds to the realism of how a very shy young adult (with weight issues on top of his 'nerd' status) might go through a development like that. The issue of Jared's bruises and occasional hints at a troubled home life with his father add tension.… (mehr)

Even in heaven there are trouble. After falling in love in Love by the Numbers, for Scott and Jared everything seemed easy and clear, they go to college, they graduate and then they build a family together. Only that living outside the protective shield of their family (at least Scott’s family), is not so easy after all, and they are also really young, truly more teenagers than young adult. Even if they see the truth, and what they should do, they face everything like a teenager would do, with drama, lot of it, and are not able to see the straight path (no pun intended) to the right exit. Actually there is nothing really big against them, nothing they shouldn’t be able to overcome, but at that age it seems an insurmountable mountain.

Even if sometime Jared got to me with his emotional way of approaching everything, there is also to consider he didn’t have a supporting and helping family in the background like Scott did, and so it’s understandable he needs more reassurance than another boy his same age; but while this is clear to an adult, that is not the same to a teenager like Scott, who sees the needy attitude of Jared like something he should let go. Sincerely I sided more with Jared than Scott, even if, as I said, sometime I felt like Jared was just a little bit too emotional. In a way that is even more striking, considering he is the “jock” in contraposition to the “nerd” Scott, and usually the stereotypes are exactly the opposite, strong and careless the jock, attentive and moody the nerd. Another originality in playing with stereotype was the chosen physical aspect for the two of them, with Scott being taller and sturdier than Jared, even if part of the build was in part due to a weight issue Scott had while in high school (on a side note, I found a little too much the times the author highlighted how much weight Scott lost, once was fine, twice was good, more than that was too much).

All in all a nice and somehow ingénue coming of age story, young love and big emotions and all that is around.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/146117631X/?tag=elimyrevandra-20… (mehr)