Review: Companion Novel to The Lonely
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 18, 2013
This is a companion novel to The Lonely, told from Eli's point of view(POV).  I think I enjoyed The Lonely a bit more than this.  Both books deal with disturbing content and have adult sex scenes in them.  The issues surround kidnapping, child molestation, rape, psychological dissociation, bondage/domination, PTSD, obsession and maybe a touch of Stokholm syndrome in a loose sort of way.So why would anyone want to read this book?First off, probably because you read The Lonely and can't get enough of broken, abrasive, messed-up-yet-still-loveable Eli and the equally screwed up, dissociated, OCD object of his obsession and bizarre affection, Emalyn.If you haven't read The Lonely, stop.  Don't read this until you have read that.While I was not prepared for the mind trip of these books(I read the books before reading the reviews, tsk tsk), it helps to remember they are FICTION.  Also, if you are INTO this kind of romance, probably better to live vicariously than to act on one's own deviant urges (i.e. better to not kidnap the object of your affection and try to Stockholm him/her into loving you and just read about it instead- though that isn't a true interpretation of what goes on in these books).Margaret Atwood once wrote a piece on women's 'rape fantasies' and she pointed out that is an oxymoron because rape isn't something anyone wants.  Rather, she acknowledge that the root of the 'rape fantasy' was really a woman's desire to be so violently desired and dominated- but that's not the same as rape.  You could probably say something similar about the relationship in this book.  It probably is appealing to some because Eli is so broken he can only love his equally broken obsession, who in turns can fix him somewhat and accept the rest.OTOH, there are probably a number of readers who will find pretty much everything in these books- from graphic depictions of sex and violence to psychological pathologies to language(plenty of f-bombs)- repugnant.  I bet there will be a certain subset of readers who will find these books to be a guilty pleasure.Lost Boy isn't a fun read but both The Lonely and Lost Boy have great, well-developed characters, a good degree of actual romance and good endings.  The author is a good writer.  How do I know?  Because these books don't leave me feeling like I just washed a porn video and I'm dirty.  Some of the content is far-fetched but it is an interesting mix of harsh reality and romantic fantasy.  Definitely an enjoyable read.