Note: I know the author of this book socially and read and provided feedback on an early draft of this novel.
As is probably implied by the above, I am too close to this book to claim objectivity about it. But man, I love this book. It's the story of a college student during his year of studying abroad in London. Nick's family emigrated to the U.S. from Russia when he was young, and he's been an outsider for all of his life. But when he goes to London, he finally finds his people in the form of a queer social circle, which is not the most emotionally comfortable way for him to find belonging, since the idea of being gay terrifies him. That terror isn't enough to kill off his attraction to Dex, though, or to prevent him from opening up for the first time to Izzy, who's having a bit of her own sexual identity crisis.
The story alternates between the POVs of those three characters, so you really get a sense of the entire world of their social circle, and all of the various personalities and emotional entanglements that exist within it. Part of what I love so much about this book is that there's a gay romantic relationship that isn't the only gay thing in the story--Nick and Dex aren't the token queers of their friends group, and it's not comprised solely of gay guys, either. There's an authenticity to both the complications of friendships and sexual relationships in college and the specific realities of queer social circles, and it's so nice to read a story and recognize the people and the conversations and what matters to them.
The same is true of the examination of Dex's experience as a black British gay man, which feels fully integrated into both the character and his emotional arc, and Nick's as a Jewish Russian immigrant who feels out of step no matter where on the globe he is. Following him as he gradually finds a way to inhabit himself fully is very emotionally satisfying. And Izzy's shock at discovering something new and unexpected about herself also rings true, as does the subsequent fallout she has with an unexpected person.
I'm about halfway through the second part of this story, and I cannot wait to discover what happens to all three of them and the rest of their friends. With a lot of romance writing, gay or straight, you have a pretty good idea of how everything will end up, even if you don't know how they'll get there. I honestly don't have any idea how the story ends in this case, but I have complete confidence I'll be satisfied by it.
Grade: A
As is probably implied by the above, I am too close to this book to claim objectivity about it. But man, I love this book. It's the story of a college student during his year of studying abroad in London. Nick's family emigrated to the U.S. from Russia when he was young, and he's been an outsider for all of his life. But when he goes to London, he finally finds his people in the form of a queer social circle, which is not the most emotionally comfortable way for him to find belonging, since the idea of being gay terrifies him. That terror isn't enough to kill off his attraction to Dex, though, or to prevent him from opening up for the first time to Izzy, who's having a bit of her own sexual identity crisis.
The story alternates between the POVs of those three characters, so you really get a sense of the entire world of their social circle, and all of the various personalities and emotional entanglements that exist within it. Part of what I love so much about this book is that there's a gay romantic relationship that isn't the only gay thing in the story--Nick and Dex aren't the token queers of their friends group, and it's not comprised solely of gay guys, either. There's an authenticity to both the complications of friendships and sexual relationships in college and the specific realities of queer social circles, and it's so nice to read a story and recognize the people and the conversations and what matters to them.
The same is true of the examination of Dex's experience as a black British gay man, which feels fully integrated into both the character and his emotional arc, and Nick's as a Jewish Russian immigrant who feels out of step no matter where on the globe he is. Following him as he gradually finds a way to inhabit himself fully is very emotionally satisfying. And Izzy's shock at discovering something new and unexpected about herself also rings true, as does the subsequent fallout she has with an unexpected person.
I'm about halfway through the second part of this story, and I cannot wait to discover what happens to all three of them and the rest of their friends. With a lot of romance writing, gay or straight, you have a pretty good idea of how everything will end up, even if you don't know how they'll get there. I honestly don't have any idea how the story ends in this case, but I have complete confidence I'll be satisfied by it.
Grade: A
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