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writerlibrarian's review
3.0
The weakest one of the first three Rios' novel. Less about the characters and more about the plot, the why and who of the case. Which wasn't that interesting in the first place or probably a little too cliché for my taste.
The plot : Rios is asked to defend a young gay man accused to have murdered his tormentor at work by an old friend who is dying of AIDS. This is set late 1980's, there are no tri-therapy here, only death and ostracisms to look forward to.
This is the novel where Rios meets Josh, who becomes his lover. Josh who is mixed up in the murder, who is in his early twenties. Nava plays with the whole Hollywood dark sides here to mixed results for me. The whole Edward II metaphor didn't hook me.
So 3 stars because it sets up Rios' move to LA, his relationship with Josh but the plot is nothing to write home about.
The plot : Rios is asked to defend a young gay man accused to have murdered his tormentor at work by an old friend who is dying of AIDS. This is set late 1980's, there are no tri-therapy here, only death and ostracisms to look forward to.
This is the novel where Rios meets Josh, who becomes his lover. Josh who is mixed up in the murder, who is in his early twenties. Nava plays with the whole Hollywood dark sides here to mixed results for me. The whole Edward II metaphor didn't hook me.
So 3 stars because it sets up Rios' move to LA, his relationship with Josh but the plot is nothing to write home about.
claudia_is_reading's review
4.0
Michael Nava is a hell of a writer, and that is in plain display in this book. The story is dry, sad, hard to read for moments, but utterly engaging.
And I'm not talking only about the mystery, here. It's everything: the portrait of the times, with AIDS playing a big role in the lives of gay men; Jim's sorrowful life and his subdue death; love, in all his ways: wistful and bleak, rejected and embraced...
We get to know a bit more of Henry, but he is still a mystery to me, I still don't understand how his heart works. I love his mind, he is smart and fully dedicated to protecting those who are oppressed. But at the same time, he is emotionally detached, and it's hard to empathize with him at an emotional level.
I don't understand his relationship with Josh. Is it really love? Or it's just a reaction to Larry's death sentence and leaving? To Josh's need? I don't know...
So, if you are looking for romance, this is not for you. But if what you want is a great story, fantastically written, dealing with loss and love, with sickness and homophobia, with greed and lost innocence? Then, go ahead, you have the right book.
And I'm not talking only about the mystery, here. It's everything: the portrait of the times, with AIDS playing a big role in the lives of gay men; Jim's sorrowful life and his subdue death; love, in all his ways: wistful and bleak, rejected and embraced...
We get to know a bit more of Henry, but he is still a mystery to me, I still don't understand how his heart works. I love his mind, he is smart and fully dedicated to protecting those who are oppressed. But at the same time, he is emotionally detached, and it's hard to empathize with him at an emotional level.
I don't understand his relationship with Josh. Is it really love? Or it's just a reaction to Larry's death sentence and leaving? To Josh's need? I don't know...
So, if you are looking for romance, this is not for you. But if what you want is a great story, fantastically written, dealing with loss and love, with sickness and homophobia, with greed and lost innocence? Then, go ahead, you have the right book.
golem's review
4.0
Extremely readable and a kind of marvellous, bittersweet look at gay life in 1980s California by an author who experienced it. I thought the insta-romance was pretty realistic in the circumstances but I would have liked a little more of Henry's feelings to explain why it was happening so quickly. The 80s Jewish parents were so real. I did not feel 100% compelled by the mystery but it was fine; I will definitely read another. I cannot at all figure out why Henry kept saying Josh's alibi was a lie. Meeting a guy for drinking and sex is definitely a date!! Is it Josh's fault that people seem to assume a "date" is some kind of thing with shoulder pads and cigarettes in a restaurant?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Suicide
Moderate: Racial slurs
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