The story of a ten-aged boy who is so obviously gay that he is constantly mocked by his classmates; he escapes through his love of music. But when he The story of a ten-aged boy who is so obviously gay that he is constantly mocked by his classmates; he escapes through his love of music. But when he develops friendships and begins to Date, things start to look up. Mostly sweet and enjoyable, but the protagonist was so super sensitive he cried and ran off all the time, which doesn't make for the best story. He was kind of the Elsie Dinsmore of YA queer lit and he didn't so much take control of his life as have things happen to him....more
More literary than genre. Set in the 1980s, a gay couple's strained relationships with their families are intensified during the holidays.More literary than genre. Set in the 1980s, a gay couple's strained relationships with their families are intensified during the holidays....more
Warning: this book is extremely dark. And, while it contains a sort of love story, it is not a romance. Don't look here for happy endings.
Jacob CulleWarning: this book is extremely dark. And, while it contains a sort of love story, it is not a romance. Don't look here for happy endings.
Jacob Cullen, forced to flee his home and bride after an act of violence, ends up in Cromwell's army where he falls in love with an idealist who talks him into starting a sort of commune. And it all ends up really badly, not only because communes in the middle of a Civil War are sort of a bad idea (although Cullen is fully aware of this) or because gay relationships in the 1600s were illegal and taboo, but also because Jacob himself is a walking bundle of religious guilt and mental disorders who has no business entering a relationship with anyone. He's sort of the textbook example of an abusive boyfriend/stalker. However, because we see the world through his eyes, we're led to connect with his character, while at the same time acknowledging that he's kind of a terrible person and that his attempts (which do exist) to become a better person don't last under stress. And the ending is terribly sad. I finished the book in the morning, in tears, and wasn't good for anything for hours. ...more
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