Category Archives: LGBT

July 6, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Bright Lands by John Fram

Title: The Bright Lands by John Fram
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Genre: Contemporary, LGBT, Mystery, Horror
Length: 480 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The town of Bentley holds two things dear: its football, and its secrets. But when star quarterback Dylan Whitley goes missing, an unremitting fear grips this remote corner of Texas.

Joel Whitley was shamed out of conservative Bentley ten years ago, and while he’s finally made a life for himself as a gay man in New York, his younger brother’s disappearance soon brings him back to a place he thought he’d escaped for good. Meanwhile, Sheriff’s Deputy Starsha Clark stayed in Bentley; Joel’s return brings back painful memories—not to mention questions—about her own missing brother. And in the high school hallways, Dylan’s friends begin to suspect that their classmates know far more than they’re telling the police. Together, these unlikely allies will stir up secrets their town has long tried to ignore, drawing the attention of dangerous men who will stop at nothing to see that their crimes stay buried.

But no one is quite prepared to face the darkness that’s begun to haunt their nightmares, whispering about a place long thought to be nothing but an urban legend: an empty night, a flicker of light on the horizon—The Bright Lands.

Shocking, twisty and relentlessly suspenseful, John Fram’s debut is a heart-pounding story about old secrets, modern anxieties and the price young men pay for glory.

Review:

The Bright Lands by John Fram is a small town mystery with horror elements.

Bullied and humiliated for being gay, Joel Whitley left his small hometown of Bentley, TX behind him ten years ago.  Now living in New York, he has a successful career and he enjoys all the perks of big city life. But after a series of troubling texts with his ten years younger brother Dylan, Joel returns to Bentley to find out what is going on. When Dylan vanishes, Joel will do whatever it takes to find him. He eventually teams up with Sheriff’s Deputy Starsha Clark and together they attempt to learn the truth about Dylan and ultimately, their town.

Joel is wracked with guilt that his relationship with Dylan is distant and superficial.  Which is why he vows to do better once he realizes something is wrong with his brother.  Immediately after his return to Bentley, he is plagued by unpleasant memories and exhausting, terrifying dreams. After Dylan fails to return home after a weekend away with his football buddies, Joel and his mother fear the worst.

Dylan is a star quarterback and he is revered by everyone in Bentley.  He tries to downplay his texts to Joel and goes forward with his weekend plans with his friends. In the aftermath of his disappearance, Joel  discovers disquieting information about his brother that leads to more questions than answers. But he remains committed to exposing the truth about what happened to Dylan.

After Dylan goes missing, Clark is surprised when she is assigned to work with Inspector Grady Mayfield. They begin questioning the quarterback’s circle of friends which is somewhat frustrating due to their lack of candor. As the situation worsens over the course of a week, Clark and Joel find help from very unexpected sources. And their quest for answers leads right to mysterious whisperings of the Bright Lands.  Are Joel and Clark prepared for what awaits them as their investigation takes a shocking, horror-filled  turn?

The Bright Lands is a riveting mystery with a large cast of characters and an imaginative storyline. Written from multiple points of view, the tension rises with every chapter. Exhaustion and fear are palpable as Joel, Clark and Dylan’s classmates venture deep into the surrounding  flat lands in hopes of finally uncovering the secrets that some of Bentley’s residents are keeping. With plenty of action and suspense,  John Fram brings this spine-tingling mystery to an edge of the seat, action packed conclusion. An impressive debut that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

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Filed under Contemporary, Hanover Square Press, Horror, John Fram, LGBT, Mystery, Rated B, Review, The Bright Lights

January 29, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Lion’s Head Revisited by Jeffrey Round

Title: Lion’s Head Revisited by Jeffrey Round
Dan Sharpe Mystery Series Book Seven
Publisher: Dundurn
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, LGBT
Length: 280 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A case brings PI Dan Sharp to the northern Ontario wilderness, where he has to face his own dark past.

When a four-year-old autistic boy disappears on a camping trip, his mother is reluctant to involve the police. Instead, she calls in private investigator Dan Sharp after a ransom demand arrives.

On investigating, Dan learns there are plenty of people who might be responsible for the kidnapping. Among them are an ex-husband who wrongly believed the boy was his son; the boy’s surrogate mother, now a drug addict; the boy’s grandmother, who has been denied access to her grandson; and a mysterious woman who unnerves everyone with her unexpected appearances.

A trip to Lion’s Head in the Bruce Peninsula, where the boy disappeared, brings Dan unexpectedly into contact with his own brutal upbringing. But when a suspected kidnapper is found dead, Dan suddenly finds himself chasing the ghosts of the present as well as the past.

Review:

Lion’s Head Revisited by Jeffrey Round is a multi-layered mystery that is quite compelling. Although this newest release is the seventh novel in the Dan Sharpe Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone.

Private Investigator Dan Sharpe’s new clients bring him what should be a straight-forward  investigation. Janice Bentham’s four year old autistic son Jeremy has been kidnapped and a ransom demand has been made. She is accompanied by her girlfriend Ashley Lake and friend Eli Gestner who also love young Jeremy. They point Dan in the direction of surrogate Sarah Nealon, who has addiction issues and has asked for money from them in the past.  Janice also casts suspicion in the direction of her ex-husband Dennis Braithewate. Eli admits his former business partner Elroy James is furious with him over a deal that lost money. Janice would rather the police not become involved so Dan retraces their steps the night when Jeremy went missing. This part of the investigation brings him face to face with his own unresolved childhood. Will Jeremy be safely returned to his family? And will Dan make peace with the ghosts of his past?

Dan tries to keep an open mind as he begins questioning the people in Janice’s life. But as he quickly discovers, Janice’s life is complicated and she is less than honest with him. He is also taken off guard when he discovers an unknown woman is bothering them at their home. Although bringing Jeremy home is his first priority, Dan cannot help but wonder what she and her loved ones might be trying to hide and more importantly, why?

Dan’s personal life is in a bit of a muddle as he grows frustrated with his best friends’ lack of support with his relationship with police Sergeant Nick Trposki.  He is also worried about his son Kedrick’s lack of enthusiasm about Nick. Although his friends and family have reason for concern, Dan is becoming upset over their resistance to getting to know Nick.

Dan is emotionally guarded and closed off so he is struggling to fully let Nick into his life as their relationship grows more serious.  As he confronts his past throughout his investigation, Dan begins to understand himself better, but will these realizations result in positive changes in his life?

Lion’s Head Revisited is an intriguing mystery with an engrossing storyline. Dan is a multi-faceted, complex character who is quite intuitive. His inner musings provide valuable insight what makes him tick and he begins to identify the areas in life where he needs to make changes.  The investigation into Jeremy’s kidnapping is quite riveting and Dan is tenacious in solving the case. With stunning twists and jaw-dropping turns, Jeffrey Round brings this clever mystery to a pulse-pounding conclusion. An outstanding addition to the Dan Sharpe Mystery series that old and new fans are going to love.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dan Sharpe Mystery Series, Dundurn, Jeffrey Round, LGBT, Lions Head Revisited, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

September 2, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar

Title: We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Historical (80s), LGBT, Young Adult
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A poignant, heartbreaking, and uplifting, story in the tradition of The Perks of Being a Wallflowerabout three friends coming-of-age in the early 1980s as they struggle to forge their own paths in the face of fear of the unknown.

Michael is content to live in the shadow of his best friends, James and Becky. Plus, his brother, Connor, has already been kicked out of the house for being gay and laying low seems to be Michael’s only chance at avoiding the same fate.

To pass the time before graduation, Michael hangs out at The Echo where he can dance and forget about his father’s angry words, the pressures of school, and the looming threat of AIDS, a disease that everyone is talking about, but no one understands.

Then he meets Gabriel, a boy who actually sees him. A boy who, unlike seemingly everyone else in New York City, is interested in him and not James. And Michael has to decide what he’s willing to risk to be himself.

Review:

Set in New York during 1983, We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar is a poignant young adult novel set against the backdrop of the beginning of the AIDS crisis.

Sixteen year old Michael Bartolomeo is navigating his life with best friends James Barrows and Becky Kaplan.  He is gay but considering his parents kicked out his older brother Connor after he came out, Michael is struggling to remain in the closet. He escapes the pressures of his home life through music and evenings dancing at The Echo.  Michael is also quite close to James, who is making his mark in the theatre world and Becky who lives on tenterhooks due to her mother’s drug use. Michael’s budding romance with Gabriel takes place at the start of the  AIDS epidemic.  With little information available about how to protect himself against this frightening disease, will Michael be willing to jump into a relationship with Gabriel?

Michael is an interesting narrator but the lack of quotation marks and the abrupt scene changes between the vignettes makes it difficult to connect to him and the unfolding story. The story does not really come together until well after the halfway point as Michael truly understands the realities of being gay during a deadly health epidemic. His brother Connor’s reckless and risky decisions also serve as a cautionary tale as Michael begins to fall in love with Gabriel.

We Are Lost and Found is a thought-provoking young adult novel with an interesting storyline. The plot is well-researched, quite informative and offers a realistic portrait of coming to age at such a fraught time period.  While the writing style might work not for everyone, this young adult novel by Helene Dunbar highlights a compelling and important part of LGBT history.

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Filed under Helene Dunbar, Historical, Historical (80s), LGBT, Rated C, Review, Sourcebooks Fire, We Are Lost and Found, Young Adult

June 1, 2016 · 11:58 pm

Review: You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Title: You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, LGBT
Length: 256 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really?

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.

That is until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other — and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.

A book told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour, the award-winning author of Hold Still and The Disenchantments, and David Levithan, the best-selling author of Every Day and co-author of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (with Rachel Cohn) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with John Green), You Know Me Well is a deeply honest story about navigating the joys and heartaches of first love, one truth at a time.

Review:

Set during pride week in San Francisco, You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour is a charming coming of age novel.  This beautiful young adult novel explores the intricacies of friendship, young love and facing fears.

Although Mark Rissi and Kate Cleary have sat beside each other all year in Calculus, the two have never spoken to one another. But that all changes after a chance encounter in a gay bar at the start of pride week.  Kate ducks into the bar while she is working up the nerve to meet the girl of her dreams when she notices Mark dancing on the bar in his underwear. Despite this awkward first meeting, the two become fast friends who support one another during a tumultuous, life-alternating week.

Mark convinces his best friend Ryan to sneak out to a gay bar in the Castro to celebrate the beginning of Pride Week.  Although they are extremely close and their relationship has occasionally crossed into “friends with benefits” territory, Mark has been in love with Ryan for a long time.  While he is hoping this adventure will give Ryan the courage to come out of the closet what he really wants is for his friend to fall in love with him.  Much to Mark’s dismay, the night does not exactly go as planned when Ryan begins to fall for someone else.  Mark is heartbroken but with Kate’s encouragement, he finally confesses his feelings to Ryan but he is not at all prepared for the effect his admission has on their friendship.

Kate is on the verge of finally meeting her long distance love interest Violet for the first time.  However, right before their introduction, Kate’s doubts and insecurities get the best of her and she runs away.  This becomes a common theme for her as she ducks out on commitments and avoids her best friend, Lehna. The two young women have been best friends for most of their lives, but they are beginning to drift apart now their senior year is coming to a close. As graduation nears, Kate tries to pinpoint why she less enthused about her future than her fellow classmates. Her budding romance with Violet is also fraught with tension as Kate continues to resist truly committing to their relationship.

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour is a unique young adult novel that is both angsty and heartwarming.  The characters are well developed and their struggles are realistically portrayed.  The storyline is engrossing and well-written but it is sometimes a little difficult to figure out which character is speaking.  The novel is written in first person and the chapters alternate between Kate and Mark’s points of view but these shift in perspective are not marked. Despite this issue, You Know Me Well is an entertaining and moving story of friendship and new beginnings that will appeal to readers of all ages.

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Filed under Contemporary, David Levithan, LGBT, Nina LaCour, Rated B, Review, St Martin's Griffin, You Know Me Well, Young Adult