Review: Interesting Read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 26, 2011
precious_boy is a page turning short story, and K.Z.Snow easily engages the reader with a well-written and unique plot.Jonathan Wright is both captivated and repelled by the porn video starring Justin Time aka precious_boy. He is instantly drawn in by the young man's blatant sexuality, but Justin's obvious youth is what ultimately repels him as Jon becomes more and more certain that Justin is most likely underage.His curiosity draws him back to the video where he discovers he vaguely recognizes the young man from somewhere but he is unable to pin down exactly where. When it finally dawns on Jon exactly who the young man most likely is, he sets up a meeting which in turn confirms his suspicions. Justin is Ethan who Jon knew as a child, but has not seen in over seven years.Jon's decision to help the young man escape a life in the porn industry has Jon confronting a lover from his long ago past, and he is forced to come to terms with his attraction to the much younger, but mature beyond his years, Ethan.Jon, Ethan and the supporting cast are well-drawn, three-dimensional, realistic characters. Jon is twenty eight, whose disillusionment with love is illustrated by his meaningless casual one night stands. Ethan is about to turn eighteen, and while he is mature and wise beyond his years, he has the naiveté found in most young adults. I found Jon's desire to "save" Ethan from his much older manipulative boyfriend (or more aptly, pimp) believable and touching, and his turmoil over his attraction to the much younger Ethan added a great authenticity to his character. While Ethan has a great deal of maturity, his youth and inexperience with life are apparent in his attitude that there is nothing wrong with selling his body for sex, and his belief that leaving the porn industry will be easy.While I found precious_boy an engrossing novel, I found myself very conflicted by some plot elements. There is a connection between Ethan and Jon that I cannot reveal because it would be a major spoiler, but it plays a pivotal role in the storyline, and it is the first area of conflict for me. I also found myself greatly troubled by the age difference between Jon and Ethan. Put the two events together along with some of Jon's actions with another character, and the result leaves me with a very uneasy feeling about Jon and Ethan's romance. It is a testament to K.Z. Snow's skillful writing that I was so intensely drawn into precious_boy despite my misgivings about Jon and Ethan's relationship.Overall, precious_boy is a compelling novel with a unique storyline and an unexpected plot twist. The protagonists are likeable and sympathetic, and K.Z. Snow is a five star author. I will definitely be reading more of this author's work in the future.Originally posted at Whipped Cream Reviews