Jeffrey Ricker

This book confounds me. I feel like it's marketed as a romance, which it mostly definitely is not. I feel like it has some interesting characters, but they're shoved into the book, most with only the broadest strokes of a personality, abruptly discarded when the book is done with them. I don't know that I've read another book where important secondary characters literally walk off stage without their plotlines being resolved, and without the reader having any clue as to who they are, never show more to be seen again. Its baffling.

Some of the characters are baffling as well. Motivations are murky and some actions seem driven by the plot rather than by the character. Then there are characters that the author clearly thinks the reader should either like or dislike, as every other character in the book feels that way about them, but we're never given evidence of that in the writing. It's not a poorly written book by any means and I don't want to say that I didn't enjoy it. I know this was the author's first novel, and I'd be curious to see him grow with subsequent novels or see his short stories. show less

For such a short story, 'Straightening Up' delivers quite a punch. The situation as such is bad enough: Greg and Michael live together, but Michael has only told his father the truth about them being lovers. When Michael's mother announces a surprise Christmas visit, Michael rushes back into the closet, and forces Greg into a role as roommate. What impacted me even more though is the quiet sadness with which Greg reacts. Yes, he gets angry, but overall he is sad and pretty much resigned to show more his fate.

It isn’t until Greg has to live through the indignity of being relegated to the guest room, Michael not even coming for a 'visit' once his mother is asleep, followed by Michael's mother cooking roast because Michael hasn’t even told her Greg is a vegetarian. As much as Greg loves Michael, that is just one step too far. So he leaves to stay with a friend. At that point, it was probably the only thing he could have done to get through to Michael.

Michael is too caught up in 'keeping the peace', not upsetting his mother and risking her scorn, or whatever other excuses he has come up with to justify his lack of standing up for himself – and Greg. The thing is, the woman isn’t even horrible! It just goes to show that the prejudice against gays can do tremendous damage to some gay men by undermining their self-confidence to the point where they deny themselves at any cost.

If you like stories that will make you think, if you're looking for a high dose of realism, and if 'walking in another's shoes' means something to you, this story is a great opportunity to see the world from a gay man's perspective – the one who becomes an outcast because his lover is afraid of confronting what he believes to be his mother's disapproval.




NOTE: This book was provided by Untreed Reads for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

This was a well written adventure story they played heavily on the mythological. The three main characters, Jamie, Billy and Sarah were well developed average teens dealing with the pressures of growing up. The story starts moving when Jamie's mother comes on the scene. Jamie has to cope with meeting this woman he believed to be dead and learning that she is an amazon. Billy's step-mother is also an amazon. The story boils down to a battle of good vs. evil in the amazon's mythical city. The show more oracle has foretold that the future of the amazons depends solely on Jamie but that a death will occur. The transformations that takes place in Jamie, Billy and Sarah are amazing. The story is not a romance per se though Jamie and Billy have a young love. The story is about personal growth and life decisions that change everything. The story is an easy read with good underlying message. Mr. Ricker us a new author to me but one that I will keep an eye on. This adventure story is easy to get caught up in and well worth the time. show less

I had the wrong idea this was an almost comedy type of romance, and that is the spirit I started reading it, to then, almost immediately, realizing there was something deeper, and even if Joel, the main character and narrating voice is a mix of bittersweet and spicy, I tend to classify the novel more on the discovery/journey life genre other than romance. Truth be told, and that is also where the major points lie for me, I felt like the real relationship was that between Joel and his dog show more Dudley, more than that between his current lover Philip, temporary lover Lincoln and past lover Matt… and no, don’t get the wrong idea, Joel is not “easy”… well, not soo easy at least.

Getting things on perspective: Joel is having a relaxing two weeks in London, middle of the second week, he meets Philip. Love at first sight, or better, good sex at first sight, they spent the last 4 days together, practically without leaving the bedroom. Then Joel is back home and to the awful news that his mother died, and Joel is not ready, and maybe that is the reason why, he continues to see, and talk, with his mother’s ghost, like she is the last linking chain to his past, a past Joel is not ready to letting go. Back in the US, Joel also has a return of flame with Matt, his former boyfriend, a man that is a positive character in the novel; not like instead Lincoln, an old acquaintance of Joel that basically invites himself over for the road travel Joel needs to take from Maine to San Francisco. And the self-invite includes also Joel’s bed. In the meantime, Philip from UK is trying to reconnect with Joel as well… and Joel’s main trouble is not choosing among Matt, Lincoln or Philip, or choosing what to do now that he suddenly quit his job, or where to live since he basically is homeless… his main thought is what to do with his ten years old dog Dudley, who sincerely seems to be way more independent than Joel!

I quite enjoyed this novel even if it had imperfect characters. Actually the one who really needed to grow up was Joel, since both Matt and Philip were positive figures, and good example, and above all, supporting friends and lovers to Joel. They didn’t push but let Joel arrive to his own decisions… even if Joel was painfully slow.

Like Philip tells Joel, he needs to realize there is no time like today, and it’s not good to delay to tomorrow because you are never sure if tomorrow will arrive. Joel is seeing his mother’s ghost not since he has something to conclude with her, but since his mother represents his past life, his previous self, something/someone he has to learn that is gone, he needs to look ahead and not behind.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602825777/?tag=elimyrevandra-20 show less