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A review by the_novel_approach
Bashed by Rick R. Reed
4.0
What do you do when everything is taken away from you in the blink of an eye? How do you pick up the pieces and move on when your foundation is shaken and nothing feels the same anymore? We watch Donald, the main character in Rick R. Reed’s Bashed, struggle with these very questions.
This is the most powerful book I’ve read from Rick R. Reed yet. Intense and gripping from start to finish, Bashed tells the story of Donald and Mark, a gay couple in love, who are the victims of a vicious hate crime while on their way home from the Brig, a leather bar they frequent. The beginning of the book is tough. Rick’s writing style lends perfectly to setting the stage, taking us through the details – as much as we don’t want to know – of the horrific attack. In fact, the entire story is so well written it’s obvious that along with the more lighthearted love stories in his catalog, Mr. Reed is a master at suspense.
In tandem with the actual event of the bashing and Donald’s story of how to go on with his life afterwards, we also see the POV of Justin, a sixteen year old kid who participated in the attack that night. Getting a glimpse into the minds of both Justin and Ronny, the main antagonist in the bashing and the one that causes the injury that kills Donald’s partner Mark, is a truly disturbing and scary thing. Justin is very much a scared kid who gets sucked into activities that he doesn’t entirely have the stomach for…But, Ronny is truly filled with hate and epitomizes the quote I chose to use above.
The way Rick ties everything together is very compelling, and I really enjoyed the paranormal aspect to the story. In fact, my favorite scene in the book is one in which Donald talks to his sister Grace about some things he has been experiencing, and instead of thinking him crazy, as he is convinced she will, she completely stands by him and offers him some amazing words of support.
This is definitely a recommended read. And, don’t miss the Afterword, wherein Rick gives insight into where the story idea came from. For me, reading it made this powerful story even more so.
This is the most powerful book I’ve read from Rick R. Reed yet. Intense and gripping from start to finish, Bashed tells the story of Donald and Mark, a gay couple in love, who are the victims of a vicious hate crime while on their way home from the Brig, a leather bar they frequent. The beginning of the book is tough. Rick’s writing style lends perfectly to setting the stage, taking us through the details – as much as we don’t want to know – of the horrific attack. In fact, the entire story is so well written it’s obvious that along with the more lighthearted love stories in his catalog, Mr. Reed is a master at suspense.
In tandem with the actual event of the bashing and Donald’s story of how to go on with his life afterwards, we also see the POV of Justin, a sixteen year old kid who participated in the attack that night. Getting a glimpse into the minds of both Justin and Ronny, the main antagonist in the bashing and the one that causes the injury that kills Donald’s partner Mark, is a truly disturbing and scary thing. Justin is very much a scared kid who gets sucked into activities that he doesn’t entirely have the stomach for…But, Ronny is truly filled with hate and epitomizes the quote I chose to use above.
The way Rick ties everything together is very compelling, and I really enjoyed the paranormal aspect to the story. In fact, my favorite scene in the book is one in which Donald talks to his sister Grace about some things he has been experiencing, and instead of thinking him crazy, as he is convinced she will, she completely stands by him and offers him some amazing words of support.
This is definitely a recommended read. And, don’t miss the Afterword, wherein Rick gives insight into where the story idea came from. For me, reading it made this powerful story even more so.