Kinky, touching, emotional, and sexually intense.
Still mourning the loss of a friend due to an accident during sadomasochistic sex, Kamen moves in with his boyfriend, Ryan, and has to navigate a spectrum of mixed feelings as he and his close-knit set of friends move into their own lives, loves, and levels of kink.
Kamen is in love, and for some reason he can’t comprehend, his very close friends aren’t happy about it. In his mind, Ryan is perfect for him. They share a goofy sense of humor, an explosive chemistry, and a “we’ll try anything once, but stop if either of us doesn’t like it” sensibility that is a "totes" turn-on for Kamen, whose happy-go-lucky personality is sometimes mistaken for a dim wit or a lack of maturity—possibly also somewhat due to his use of words like “totes,” “amazerbeam,” and “amazigasmitastic.” But at heart, Kamen is a kind, open-hearted young man who doesn’t brood, can be depended on to keep a secret, and is deeply loyal to people he cares about. Which is why he feels disheartened and a little betrayed when his friends subtly reject Ryan. For Kamen, Ryan’s adventurous nature brings out a curiosity he never knew he had, which leads them into all kinds of audacious experiences Kamen discovers he really likes—and a few he doesn’t. These include experimenting with female clothes and lingerie, water sports, and, thanks to some scornful taunting from a mean-spirited fellow client at a local dungeon, an unexpected romp into competitive pony play. Kamen’s first-person perspective is funny and very present, while Rock does a terrific job of creating authentic, realistic characters who are exploring many layers of romance and kink while delving into emotionally deep territory: the preventable death of a friend, the reactions of friends when one begins to explore new aspects of self, and the inevitable tension of grief, guilt, and moving on. Still, not for the faint of heart, since it includes graphic sex scenes and realistic portrayals of a variety of kinky lifestyles.
Kinky, touching, emotional, and sexually intense.Pub Date: April 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62649-348-3
Page Count: 278
Publisher: Riptide
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
Genetically engineered dinosaurs run amok in Crichton's new, vastly entertaining science thriller. From the introduction alone—a classically Crichton-clear discussion of the implications of biotechnological research—it's evident that the Harvard M.D. has bounced back from the science-fantasy silliness of Sphere (1987) for another taut reworking of the Frankenstein theme, as in The Andromeda Strain and The Terminal Man. Here, Dr. Frankenstein is aging billionaire John Hammond, whose monster is a manmade ecosystem based on a Costa Rican island. Designed as the world's ultimate theme park, the ecosystem boasts climate and flora of the Jurassic Age and—most spectacularly—15 varieties of dinosaurs, created by elaborate genetic engineering that Crichton explains in fascinating detail, rich with dino-lore and complete with graphics. Into the park, for a safety check before its opening, comes the novel's band of characters—who, though well drawn, double as symbolic types in this unsubtle morality play. Among them are hero Alan Grant, noble paleontologist; Hammond, venal and obsessed; amoral dino-designer Henry Wu; Hammond's two innocent grandchildren; and mathematician Ian Malcolm, who in long diatribes serves as Crichton's mouthpiece to lament the folly of science. Upon arrival, the visitors tour the park; meanwhile, an industrial spy steals some dino embryos by shutting down the island's power—and its security grid, allowing the beasts to run loose. The bulk of the remaining narrative consists of dinos—ferocious T. Rex's, voracious velociraptors, venom-spitting dilophosaurs—stalking, ripping, and eating the cast in fast, furious, and suspenseful set-pieces as the ecosystem spins apart. And can Grant prevent the dinos from escaping to the mainland to create unchecked havoc? Though intrusive, the moralizing rarely slows this tornado-paced tale, a slick package of info-thrills that's Crichton's most clever since Congo (1980)—and easily the most exciting dinosaur novel ever written. A sure-fire best-seller.
Pub Date: Nov. 7, 1990
ISBN: 0394588169
Page Count: 424
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1990
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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