Review: Absolutely top-notch
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2012
I found this short story in the gay erotica section but I really would not classify it as such.  At the most, I would call it soft erotica for those more sensitive, but in all honesty, I would guilt-free, recommend this to a mature young adult.  Hopefully, this short is classified under more than just gay erotica because it deserves a much wider audience.I'm not sure where to start my praise because this novella has attained perfection in every possible category.  It seems a simple enough story about young love and growing up, but the writing is so top-notch that you really just get entirely whisked away into Joey's world.  It's the type of story you don't just read - you become a part of it:  it makes you remember your own past, it makes you feel things in your chest and your gut, and as a result, when you have to put it down to attend to the everyday particulars of your "real" life, you find yourself more preoccupied with the story and in getting back to it than you do with whatever task is at hand.I am a voracious reader and it has been a long time since I've seen an author so masterfully write a character like Joey, who is (not unexpectedly) a bit overconfident compared to his age and innocence, and whom if you met in real life you might frown upon, but somehow, even though you know you should be annoyed by his seeming shallowness, you spend the whole book simply adoring him.This is the first time I've read this author and it will definitely not be my last.  Bell's writing is expert in every way - many, many thumbs up for this book, and I am looking forward to reading more by him.  Highly recommended!