Review: Disturbingly romantic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2013
To say that the two main characters in this novel, Frank and Vincent, have serious issues would be a huge understatement. It would also be an understatement to say that the two were made for each other, and this book is about their love story. It's told from the first person perspective of Vincent, a beautiful blond teenager who was orphaned at a young age and learned very quickly to use his attractive appearance to stay off the streets. Not to say that he was a prostitute, but certainly not far from it. After being conned into doing a job for the disreputable Charlie, Frank's handler and pseudo father figure, Vincent gets stabbed and almost dies, only to be patched up by Frank. From that point on Vincent and Frank are inseparable, and the reader is taken along on a fascinating and often disturbing journey across country as Frank continues his job as a killer-for-hire with Vincent as his new companion. As characters, Vincent and Frank are amazingly detailed and full of contradictions and layers. Frank, who thrives on stalking and efficiently killing people, is charmingly naive of popular culture and normal life. Vincent, despite his early life bouncing between any man who would take him, proves to be unswervingly loyal to the first man who truly cares for him. Their romance is just that- a romance- that builds over time through shared experiences. The fact that those shared experiences usually involve the murder of another person is irrelevant. Seen through the eyes of Vincent, it is easy enough to feel only the love and trust growing between them. When Frank tells Vincent about dismembering one of Vincent's past abusers, I actually found myself thinking "aw, how sweet". Needless to say, this is not the typical love story, and there were times when I wasn't sure whether I should be creeped out or not. But despite their very serious and disturbing flaws, I couldn't help but fall in love with the romance of Frank and Vincent.