Review: Loved it
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 21, 2012
I was so impressed by, and so enjoyed, JF Smith'sFalling Off The Face Of The Earththat I jumped right into his other novel "Latakia" right off.A few chapters in and I was completely lost in the story, enjoying it every bit as much as the author's other book. The blurb perhaps give the plot more of an action/adventure feel than it actually has, because most of the overseas drama takes place in the first half of the story only; the rest of the novel deals with the many ways that Matt's life changes as the result of being the innocent victim of international intrigue.I loved both of the main characters---and many of the secondary ones as well. (Yes, I even came to grudgingly like red-headed psychopath Petey, even though I absolutely hated him at the beginning of the story!) I confess I was often a bit impatient with Matt, because he lets his boyfriend Brian treat him like garbage due to (quite misplaced) poor self-esteem issues. So very often I wanted to take him aside and say "You know Matt, you're worth more than this"---or maybe just shake some sense into him! But rest assured, he eventually sees the light, with the help of a certain Navy SEAL....Now, the book isn't perfect. It starts out with the hero in a desperate situation, and then a few of the early chapters a few early chapters flash back to his everyday life in Virginia before jumping forward again to the present. This bit seemed just a little clunky to me, with the transitions not as smooth as they might be. But honestly, overall I thought the story was excellent.So, my question is, does anyone know anything at all about JF Smith? He doesn't seem to have a web presence, and I've become quite curious about him. I'm extremely enthusiastic about both his novels, and am hoping that he is continuing to write; the only thing of his that I haven't read yet is the short storyThe Sticks. I can't believe he's self-publishing, because this material is every bit as good as---or better---than what I've seen being professionally produced. I can't imagine that he'd have any trouble getting a contract with one of the independent gay-themed publishing houses --- and he should certainly be charging more than 99 per book! Recommended.