Review: Great concept, okay book.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 5, 2013
2.5 starsThis was a hard book to get through. From the blurb I got the impression that I would be reading Devlin and Christopher's story exclusively with their circle of friends making an appearance as secondary characters, but it isn't. This is a glimpse in the life of a group of GLBT teens who have bonded over their differences and their struggles. Within THAT we find Devlin and Christian's story.Devlin is the protector of the group. A self-proclaimed realist who doesn't care what anybody but his friends think, he stands up to bullies and defends any one of his friends that needs it. He doesn't let people in easily, says the first thing that comes to mind, has a short fuse and never apologizes. Christian is his boyfriend. He has suffered through a traumatic event that has left behind some lingering uneasiness in him. He tries to be the positive one who does nothing wrong. This is how he thinks he should act for his friends, but he is struggling to keep up the act and ultimately it's this act that breaks him.The other characters in the story are Andy, Devlin's best friend who is away at rehab. He makes an appearance in the first chapter when we get to see Devlin in all his glory putting Andy's mom in her place. We just get a glimpse into his story, mainly how it affected Devlin and the group as a whole. James is the jock who is oblivious to what's in front of him or what he's feeling. Jessica is the only girl in the group who supports the boys in a sisterly fashion. She takes no crap from anybody, but is always there to offer her support. Taylor is the joker who's had a rough past and now lives with Christian's family and Dalton is all about the drama. He has a stressful family life and wants to be a drag queen.All these personalities mesh together to bring us a group of friends whose bond runs deeper than blood. Their struggles are real and their support for each other unbreakable. I wish I could have gotten to know them better. Although the author managed to bring a lot to the page in just over 50 pages, I can't help but to feel that the story lacked in its execution. It felt rushed in places and I could not connect to any of the characters or get a real feeling about Devlin and Christian's relationship.The main concept that kept me reading were the emotions that Stephanie Hecht brought to the page. It was through these emotions that I truly felt the sense of family and loyalty within the group. The characters and their story felt real. I just wished I could have known more about them and gotten the chance to see them develop further. Especially Devlin and Christian's relationship.