Review: Nobody does turning 40 like Nigel Gasp
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 7, 2012
So here I was reading along thinking: "This is awesome, this is hilarious,this is hot, this is sweet! Could it actually be a 5 star read for me?" And then...within the span of like 30 minutes reading time, it went from 5 stars...to 4.5 stars...to 4 stars. I will be generous and leave it at 4. After all, I did really enjoy large parts of it aside from a few annoyances.So here is how it all went down......eh! There will be spoilers and a little plot review. But how can I explain myself without a little setup?I loved the beginning!  We get Nigel Gasp; the wealthy, trouble making, spoiled, middle aged, famous, rock star chameleon who looks stunning in drag. Nigel is at the top of the world, but yet he's really not. Then we get Jeff Paxton; the young army veteran suffering from a fishy parasite, PTSD, and alcoholic tendencies. Jeff, for some ungodly reason, agrees to supervise (AKA babysit) Nigel while Diedre (Nigel's manager & Jeff's older sister) goes through childbirth alone with her wife Katje.  Don't let me forget to say that Nigel is the sperm donor of little Hazard!Yes, agree that the whole thing starts out totally outrageous, but it was fun! I laughed my ass off a lot.  (Warning: do not read while running, jogging, or trying to hang on to the elliptical) Nigel was spoiled and reckless but he still touched my heart with his vulnerabilities. Of course, Nurse Nigel was my favorite Nigel! And I loved the Jeff that was in Bluebird Mountain. Not the Jeff that spent so much time in the bottle.Ah, and then the second half comes. There is that dreaded, yet predictable, separation that is not really a breakup. Say goodbye to ALL the sex and ALMOST all the humor. Sad indeed! The story was jumping all over the place. There were so many important, intimate moments that [may have] happened between Nigel and Jeff that didn't exist on the page.  We basically get short little snippets of the next few months and are pretty much told instead of shown. I wanted all the good stuff! For example: I wanted to read about Jeff and Nigel's reunion after several months apart. I wanted to see Nigel take him on that expensive shopping spree in Atlanta. I wanted reunion sex!!! Sad indeed!The inconsistent hospital policies made me want to scream.  And what the hell was wrong with Hazard?  I mean, he almost died. And I want to know why! Was it a virus? Was it some communicable disease? Was it some incurable congenital disease? Is Hazard going to need that kidney that Nigel wanted to give him?! Maybe this was all revealed, but for the life of me...I cannot remember!And what happened with Mac and Colleen? I don't hear wedding bells.And am I the only one who thought Amil was a weirdo? I always suspected him of tipping off the press at the bowling alley.I loved the ending! And I totally cried the last time Nigel attempted to sing "Light a Candle". It  truly is a beautiful song.So here I am, well after 2 am, typing up this review...I know my tenses are all over the place. My fingers are numb and I may regret this in the morning. Only time will tell......after all, Nigel Gasp is 40 years old and finally on top of the world!