Review: Powerful, poinant, perfect...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2012
Spoiler--Well not exactly a spoiler but, sort of..."I can't move. I can't do anything. I can't go left, I can't go right. I can't win this game."I keep saying this; these books are not what I had expected.Most surprisingly, I found a simple but strong message that was completely unexpected. A message in a sexy, gay, mafia romance; come on, really? From out of nowhere a deeper meaning came clear and it was a lovingly placed punch to the gut that is becoming a pattern with Voinov.Often, I thought I knew what was coming and I found myself changing my mind on that score, several times. I had glimpses of what the ending might have been, but I had no idea what it would mean to me.________________SPOILER:I often think about why we choose to cherish the four leafed clover or the white flower with the one purple petal or earth's rare elements.  Of course, we cherish and collect these things because they stand out from the norm.  They're different.  They're special.  But, when it comes to our fellow humans, we want perfection.  We don't like different.  We don't cherish it or honor it or want to be like it.  So often, we shun it.Silvio is that one-of-a-kind creation and Stephano has learned how truly special that is and loves him for it.  Not despite it, but because of Silvio's weaknesses and uniqueness, Stephano cares and needs and worships Silvio.END SPOILER________________"There was just something fundamentally right about a good-looking guy with a stupidly cute puppy."Precisely written, the author given us an interesting perspective into a dark realm of society where we don't expect to find affable characters that we find our self identifying with, emotionally. Not to mention, creating a character so sexually intriguing, discordant, beautiful and impaired. I found this to be a great combination of qualities.I want to thank Aleksandr Voinov for giving me, once again, more than just an entertaining read but an emotional token that is a gift to be shared.