Dear Alex

by Clare London

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Dear Alex is the story of Alex Palmer a cynical, sarcastic and cruel, gay men’s advice columnist. This book is told in first person through Alex’s pov.

Alex Palmer started “Is he Really the One?” with Robbie Cooke. Both writers, they were also lovers, for a while at least. Then Alex grows afraid, he’s not even sure of what and Robbie and Alex’s relationship ends. Soon Alex’s attitude changes, growing more heartless towards those who write in to the column, while Robbie still understands and feels the men’s pain. Events start to come to a head and Alex needs to figure out what’s happening with the column, his relationship with this co-workers, and himself.

This is a book about second-chances written from Alex’s very narrow pov. The readers are submerged in Alex’s mindset from the very beginning. His contempt for the men who write to him, his lack of understanding or empathy for their situations, and his inability to see what’s happening to himself. Alex lacks introspection, he’s too afraid of ‘something,’ which the readers eventually learn by the end of the story. Alex hasn’t always been so cynical, but he changed when he started to get 'famous' and it went to his head, plus breaking up with Robbie.

We don’t learn much about Robbie since the author focuses on Alex’s tight pov. Robbie is just a foil for Alex’s problem. What we do know of Robbie, is partly revealed through Alex and Robbie’s co-worker, and how Robbie responds to the letter writers. However, we learn that he is smart and has a good heart. He’s still upset by Alex and his break-up, but tries to get along for the sake of the column.

I liked the way the author slowly revealed what was bothering Alex, how samples of the letters were interspersed throughout the story that represented the current situation that Alex was going through. They revealed much of his own issues, until Alex finally sees the similarities between his own life and the men who wrote in.

I give Dear Alex, 4 Stars.

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