A breezy, pleasing double dose of collegiate gay fiction, serviceably written and easily digested.
Two brisk novellas affably depict the vulnerable, complicated landscape of burgeoning homosexuality.
The title story features the first-person narrative of a young man confused about his sexuality. Besides his staunch Catholic mother and Protestant father, there’s Debbie, Jay’s sister, an observant sibling who recognizes her brother’s gay tendencies even before he does. After a misguided effort to join the priesthood (he’s kicked out by the monsignor for an excessive masturbatory habit), Jay enters college with the hopes of becoming a teacher. A night of flirtatious binge drinking with his handsome, fit-bodied, straight new roommate turns mean-spirited when he outs Jay as the “dorm faggot.” A desperate suicide attempt soon follows and fails, but Jay’s heart is rescued by cute, cocky classmate Benson Singer, whom he brings home to meet his Mom. Eventually, both boys help spur students’ rights initiatives across campus. Just as lighthearted but more maturely drawn is the second tale, “David,” about two freshman dorm mates, wide-eyed Brad and carefree former-GI Mike, who become eagerly attached to each other as friends, then as lovers. While Mike recalls stories of his time as a soldier to an obsessed Brad, their attraction blossoms and is eventually consummated, but self-doubt and a horrific tragedy cast a grim shadow on their relationship. Although both stories have contemporary inspiration and carefully skirt explicit language, the plots seem underdeveloped, their potential stifled by brevity and, particularly in the title tale, a dependence on clichéd tropes: Jay feels the need to reach out to Benson “and hug him while saying, ‘Where have you been all my life?’ ” Strained dialogue aside, Russell’s dynamic characters buzz with moxie and emerge as the kind of hip, cheeky chaps best appreciated by a YA audience, gay or otherwise.
A breezy, pleasing double dose of collegiate gay fiction, serviceably written and easily digested.Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2012
ISBN: 978-1479305261
Page Count: 144
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 11, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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