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jugglingpup's review
5.0
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I got an ARC of this book.
I am not a fan of Greek/Roman wrestling, I am even less of a fan of pro-wrestling. I was interested to see how a gay hero could work in a world that is so hyper-masculine that verbal abuse is considered a good thing. Fans and wrestlers alike shout at each other and the people fight. To this day I know people who believe that pro wrestling is not scripted.
This book not only turned some of my ideas of pro wrestling on their heads it allowed for a wonderful romance. Jorge is expelled for turning himself in the school’s vigilante. He beats up the bullies because the school will not do anything about them and as a way to hide his sexuality away. When he comes out to his parents, it really is a non-issue. They love him and there isn’t really a bumpy road. It was nice that the sexuality crisis was all internal for Jorge at the beginning. He didn’t really have any issues until he started to get recognized for his work in pro wrestling. He was outed and had to deal with the ramification of that. The guy he was working for wanted to use it and so Jorge became this horrifying stereotype of a gay man. He sexually harassed another wrestler in the ring and everything.
The real focus for me was how Jorge developed as a person. He had his first boyfriend. Thom was far from perfect. He was very much out of touch with Jorge’s world. Thom was rich, he came from the good part of town, he planned on being an attorney. Jorge expected to be a pro wrestler or to work in his parents store for the rest of his life. The differences were shocking. They had some moral differences such as steroid use and using Jorge’s gayness as a plot for more fans.
Their relationship was rocky, but I have to applaud Correia for how healthy it was. Thom and Jorge could have gone in a really dark place. Thom could have been a monster. Jorge could have attacked Thom. It could have been scary. Thom stood firm for himself and Jorge learned from his mistakes. It was wonderful to see that the boys tried to grow together. Their relationship seemed weird at first, but it grew on me. They really did compliment each other.
If you want a generally sweet book about a boy getting his head out of his ass, then this is a good choice.
I got an ARC of this book.
I am not a fan of Greek/Roman wrestling, I am even less of a fan of pro-wrestling. I was interested to see how a gay hero could work in a world that is so hyper-masculine that verbal abuse is considered a good thing. Fans and wrestlers alike shout at each other and the people fight. To this day I know people who believe that pro wrestling is not scripted.
This book not only turned some of my ideas of pro wrestling on their heads it allowed for a wonderful romance. Jorge is expelled for turning himself in the school’s vigilante. He beats up the bullies because the school will not do anything about them and as a way to hide his sexuality away. When he comes out to his parents, it really is a non-issue. They love him and there isn’t really a bumpy road. It was nice that the sexuality crisis was all internal for Jorge at the beginning. He didn’t really have any issues until he started to get recognized for his work in pro wrestling. He was outed and had to deal with the ramification of that. The guy he was working for wanted to use it and so Jorge became this horrifying stereotype of a gay man. He sexually harassed another wrestler in the ring and everything.
The real focus for me was how Jorge developed as a person. He had his first boyfriend. Thom was far from perfect. He was very much out of touch with Jorge’s world. Thom was rich, he came from the good part of town, he planned on being an attorney. Jorge expected to be a pro wrestler or to work in his parents store for the rest of his life. The differences were shocking. They had some moral differences such as steroid use and using Jorge’s gayness as a plot for more fans.
Their relationship was rocky, but I have to applaud Correia for how healthy it was. Thom and Jorge could have gone in a really dark place. Thom could have been a monster. Jorge could have attacked Thom. It could have been scary. Thom stood firm for himself and Jorge learned from his mistakes. It was wonderful to see that the boys tried to grow together. Their relationship seemed weird at first, but it grew on me. They really did compliment each other.
If you want a generally sweet book about a boy getting his head out of his ass, then this is a good choice.
acanuckreader's review
2.0
Jorge Gomez is a character with a lot of heart. This is something you definitely see from the beginning of this novella. He can't stand bullies, and he wants to be the best person that he can. But he also wants to be the best wrestler that he can which leads him down a path of almost self-hating homophobia.
Thom tries hard as well, and does his best to support Jorge but knows when not to. Therefore he knows when to step back for himself and Jorge, which is one of the most realistic things I've read in one of these stores.
That being said this would be all the better if it were just a little bit longer. The characters could have been fleshed out more, the story as well and it would have felt less rushed.
Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Thom tries hard as well, and does his best to support Jorge but knows when not to. Therefore he knows when to step back for himself and Jorge, which is one of the most realistic things I've read in one of these stores.
That being said this would be all the better if it were just a little bit longer. The characters could have been fleshed out more, the story as well and it would have felt less rushed.
Received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
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