Review: Funny and all-time-comfort-favorites
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2014
Liam Davis is a very peculiar guy. He is blunt and to the point, has a dry humor, is driven and focused, emotionally careful but caring, keeps to himself, prefers to be the spectator instead of participating. He thinks it’s a necessary requirement for his planned career in journalism. His office at “Scribe”, the University newspaper, is his home. His colleagues are his only “friends”. His home is so empty, he seriously thinks about buying a cat.This is one of the best described MCs I’ve read for a long time, this guy is through and through genuine, his reactions are all in accordance to his character. It’s written in 1st person, we are witness to his thought-process and it’s obvious that Liam is a logical, genuine and humorous person, who doesn’t rush into things, who weighs pros and cons, even in love. We have the privilege to see him open up to other people during the book, to start to cherish not only love but above that also friendship.Liam is newly assigned to the party-page of the University’s newspaper as an attempt by the chief to broaden his experience. He doesn’t want that, his specialty is politics and he wants to get the job of the features editor to impress his father. After visiting his first party in this capacity he gets assaulted and then rescued by a mysterious person in a “raven-like” hoodie. His rescuer leaves and a guy and a girl are bringing him to the hospital. Meet Shannon and Quinn. Since Quinn just broke off with his boyfriend, he is the perfect person to come home with Liam and watch over him. And so starts a reluctant friendship. Add into the mix Hunter, Shannon’s brother, who doesn’t understand the word “no” and everything is progressing well.For me the real pleasure in this story was Liam himself. He is honest, even mostly to himself, a no nonsense and no drama guy. He offers Quinn a room in his apartment, Quinn asks if him being gay bothers Liam and the answer is a “why should it?” Later in the story they kiss for the first time. Instead of freaking out he finds a way that is working for him to eliminate any doubt if he is gay. And when he is clear about that, he follows through.The there’s Quinn. He is also a great guy, more the “usual” maybe but while you as the reader can already see he has a major crush on Liam, he keeps the balance between hinting and retreating, giving Liam space to figure himself out without being hurt to obvious (yes, once or twice I wanted to give him a hug but he covered it up so well). Why is that so? I think because he had figured our early that Liam really is caring about him and that he needs space to come to his own conclusions. On the other hand he isn’t too shy to not nudge into the right direction once or twice.There are more great side characters and I can say I have a crush on Hunter, Quinn’s friend, who is the most direct person I’ve ever met. Hunter knows life is short, he’d been gay bashed and since then is in a wheelchair. That doesn’t prevent him from trying to live his life to the fullest. He likes Liam and that means he is his friend and therefore, if he needs company to stake out his newest crush, Liam has to come with him – end of story. I like that about Hunter, he is the first who gets Liam out of his own organized world. Shannon is Hunter’s sister and also a friend to Quinn.And Hannah is another great girl, whose reactions to Liam’s behavior had been so good. Love her just for being who she is.Okay – I’m not going to tell anything more about the story. It’s a good one and the book has great moments, for example Quinn and Liam hiding under a bed while ….oh, no, just saying that while reading that I thought “Why had no one else ever used that in a book? I’ve seen it in movies but never in a book before.” It was so funny.And this, I think this dialogue represents Liam very well. He and Quinn are trying to get to know each other:“And what about you? Do you ever relax? Jerk off? Because I just can’t in my life imagine you doing that.”I pushed up my glasses again. “Of course I do that. I schedule that in at shower time.”……………..………………………………………..”So, lately, when I’m in the shower, I fantasize about winning the BCA competition for the best article of the year.”…........…”Are you saying,” Quinn rested his head on the back of the couch and stared toward the ceiling, the side of his mouth curling, “ that you literally get off on work?”In addition this book has something that I really love: The University newspaper Scribe has its own homepage. Check this out:[...]Now – I loved this book. I’ve already reread it once. It’s going into the shelf “all-time-comfort-favorites”. 5 stars and more if I could...