Luke Mauerman

This book wasn't at all what I was expecting. At the beginning of the book, there's a huge earthquake in southern California. Stephe is in the school gym when it comes down around him. By the time he gets a hold of his brother a few days later, he's discovered that both his parents were killed when their office building collapsed after the earthquake.

Stephe already knows he's gay at the beginning of the novel. He's not really hiding it, but the world can still be a bit hostile. As the novel progresses, being gay becomes less and less accepted in society. Eventually, it's dangerous to even mention one is gay.

I feel as though I can understand the author coming up with this idea given how dramatic some of the setbacks have been in the US since Trump became President. The novel is full of dark times for the gay community.

The relationships that Stephe has throughout his life aren't all that satisfying. He's definitely searching for someone to spend his life with, but he seems to keep running into people who are less than stellar. I found it a little dark at times.

This book is written in a very flat style. Even though the emotions are there, the author is very economical with words and sometimes it felt almost like reading an "account" of events rather than a story.

I was a little confused by the ending. The book almost seemed to switch genres about 75% of the way through. I certainly wasn't expecting the end...but I can't say that I thought it fit with the rest of the novel.

It's an interesting exploration of a dismal future. Hopefully, the US won't actually get as bad as things are in this novel.… (mais)