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briggamooz's review against another edition
4.0
Adorable sweet, nerdy, and full of all the good and sad feels. I was blushing along with our awkward crush, pumping my fist for victory in the campaign, and utterly charmed.
ripavengers's review against another edition
2.0
This book could have been a lot more. All of the characters had something to them that makes you go “yeah this is going to be good” but I felt as though the author did not take full advantage of them.
So we have Ben as the main character, which fine. Completely understand his plight as a mid twenty year old with no job prospects. But that was kind of his only personality trait. And I feel as though by Ben’s story taking the forefront, everyone else’s stories were undeveloped.
Mooneyham and Huey probably had the next most page time. But Mooneyham’s whole thing was “should I come out at work?” and Huey’s whole character existed to be subject to homophobia, and even a few remarks towards Asians.
Valerie’s subplot was so weird. She had a kind of girlfriend and also a run in with vampires that honestly I still don’t understand. Her having povs made no difference to the plot at all.
And Celeste. She had a couple of povs for really no reason. Like she didn’t really have a plot in this.
Also I guess Albert had a few povs at the end to make us feel bad for him? I’m not sure.
I just think this book had so many characters and not enough time to do anything with them. They were all pretty one dimensionally and bland. Also there was a continuous use of the g slur thats used towards romani people in one chapter which was quite uncomfortable to read.
The positives of this book would be that everyone was unapologetically LGBT and the relationships were cute. Also some scenes were funny. But really I think it needed to be fleshed out a bit more and scanned for harmful comments from various characters that were unnecessary.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
So we have Ben as the main character, which fine. Completely understand his plight as a mid twenty year old with no job prospects. But that was kind of his only personality trait. And I feel as though by Ben’s story taking the forefront, everyone else’s stories were undeveloped.
Mooneyham and Huey probably had the next most page time. But Mooneyham’s whole thing was “should I come out at work?” and Huey’s whole character existed to be subject to homophobia, and even a few remarks towards Asians.
Valerie’s subplot was so weird. She had a kind of girlfriend and also a run in with vampires that honestly I still don’t understand. Her having povs made no difference to the plot at all.
And Celeste. She had a couple of povs for really no reason. Like she didn’t really have a plot in this.
Also I guess Albert had a few povs at the end to make us feel bad for him? I’m not sure.
I just think this book had so many characters and not enough time to do anything with them. They were all pretty one dimensionally and bland. Also there was a continuous use of the g slur thats used towards romani people in one chapter which was quite uncomfortable to read.
The positives of this book would be that everyone was unapologetically LGBT and the relationships were cute. Also some scenes were funny. But really I think it needed to be fleshed out a bit more and scanned for harmful comments from various characters that were unnecessary.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
vmckayn's review against another edition
3.0
Some strange plot holes and some problematic choices, but I like what this book was after. A light and fun little reward.
horrorwine's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
0.25
weird, racist, and bad
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
Copious use of a slur against Romani people in one scene. Very uncomfortable.sandmoe's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with an arc in exchange for a honest review!
TW: Homophobia
This book follows a group of D&D players as they deal with their daily struggles of life, romance, and coming out, and their meetings on Thursdays that deals with evil cults and sleeping gods. Things take a turn for Ben when the group gets infiltrated by a new, extremely attractive, way out of his league, not single, guy, Albert.
I must be honest, I don’t know much about d&d, I have never played it, but I’ve always been curious about it, so it was interesting to get to know the game though the love and passion these characters have for it. I did really like how the story setting completely changed when they got to the D&D parts, and it was those parts that felt the most thought out. I admit though, I still don’t 100% understand the game, but that’s on my peanut brain.
This book felt very pointedly targeted against an extremely specific demographic, male, gay d&d nerds who are in their mid twenties to thirties who also are constantly thinking about sex. Which me as a queer girl who isn’t even in her twenties yet had trouble relating to. You’d think since this book had a wlw couple, it would appeal to the queer women demographic on some scale, nope. No such luck.
I was not fond of any of the characters, Ben and Valerie both came off as whiny and entitled, and just stayed that way with no development. Mooneyham really is just another asshole and I never really got a feel of Celeste’s character. Huey really was one of the better characters in this book, but he barely showed his face.
Most of the relationships felt forced, Ben was always on Alberts tail, even though he had a boyfriend, and he acted like he deserved for Albert to like him back. Valerie was so overprotective of Polly that it almost came obsessive and honestly it did not seem healthy. She takes zero responsibly of her actions and in the end she blames it all on the vamp.
I did however like the one scene with Mooneyham and Huey, where we got to see how they met. The scene was very short, but it was the only scene in this book that actually felt genuine to me.
The language was sort of brutal at times and weirdly constructed and the monologues felt forced. The story jumped around a lot and I honestly think the story would be easier to follow and more well rounded if it all was from Ben’s POV.
TW: Homophobia
This book follows a group of D&D players as they deal with their daily struggles of life, romance, and coming out, and their meetings on Thursdays that deals with evil cults and sleeping gods. Things take a turn for Ben when the group gets infiltrated by a new, extremely attractive, way out of his league, not single, guy, Albert.
I must be honest, I don’t know much about d&d, I have never played it, but I’ve always been curious about it, so it was interesting to get to know the game though the love and passion these characters have for it. I did really like how the story setting completely changed when they got to the D&D parts, and it was those parts that felt the most thought out. I admit though, I still don’t 100% understand the game, but that’s on my peanut brain.
This book felt very pointedly targeted against an extremely specific demographic, male, gay d&d nerds who are in their mid twenties to thirties who also are constantly thinking about sex. Which me as a queer girl who isn’t even in her twenties yet had trouble relating to. You’d think since this book had a wlw couple, it would appeal to the queer women demographic on some scale, nope. No such luck.
I was not fond of any of the characters, Ben and Valerie both came off as whiny and entitled, and just stayed that way with no development. Mooneyham really is just another asshole and I never really got a feel of Celeste’s character. Huey really was one of the better characters in this book, but he barely showed his face.
Most of the relationships felt forced, Ben was always on Alberts tail, even though he had a boyfriend, and he acted like he deserved for Albert to like him back. Valerie was so overprotective of Polly that it almost came obsessive and honestly it did not seem healthy.
Spoiler
The last straw was after she assaulted the vampire, she really had the nerve to think that she did no wrong.I did however like the one scene with Mooneyham and Huey, where we got to see how they met. The scene was very short, but it was the only scene in this book that actually felt genuine to me.
The language was sort of brutal at times and weirdly constructed and the monologues felt forced. The story jumped around a lot and I honestly think the story would be easier to follow and more well rounded if it all was from Ben’s POV.
cseanread's review against another edition
2.0
This title left me feeling.... shorted. I have several complaints:
The first mainly being the amount of sexual innuendo in the story. Yes, The Gays (TM) love a good sex joke, but this felt excessive to the point of stereotype. With how much queer folx have had to work to get out of the over-sexualized image we've had for decades, it's disheartening to see it reflected in a story that's meant to be for and about us.
Second, some of the story arcs felt very loose and out of place. The vampire subplot in particular I just did not understand and felt deserved it's own book alone. I don't know enough about the author, but this feels like a first-novel type of problem, where the author wants to include All The Ideas instead of focusing on a singular plot hook.
Some of the supporting characters felt flat. Particularly the feminine ones -- but I suppose I can let that slide a little since this is a book about gay male romance. But still, would've been nice to see some of those characters fleshed out a little more.
And worst of all -- I didn't want the two main boys to end up together. I don't know if this is a failing on the author to create characters I could empathize with and like (and thus hope they ended up together) or if it was a lack of writing good chemistry between the two. Either way, I thought Ben was kind of a whiny incel-type, and Albert was too far up his own ass. Again, there's a stereotype that people who play D&D all live in their parents' basements with zero friends -- and Ben kind of fits the bill for that, which might be why I disliked him. Albert is wishy-washy about what he wants and hurts Ben in the process, which makes me unsympathetic to Albert, so why would I want the two of them to end up together?
I really, really love the idea of a book centering around a queer-focused D&D group. Though it's a little bit niche, I feel like there's a lot of potential for compelling characters and exploration of a number of contemporary topics.... but I just feel like this one missed the mark and left me unsatisfied.
The first mainly being the amount of sexual innuendo in the story. Yes, The Gays (TM) love a good sex joke, but this felt excessive to the point of stereotype. With how much queer folx have had to work to get out of the over-sexualized image we've had for decades, it's disheartening to see it reflected in a story that's meant to be for and about us.
Second, some of the story arcs felt very loose and out of place. The vampire subplot in particular I just did not understand and felt deserved it's own book alone. I don't know enough about the author, but this feels like a first-novel type of problem, where the author wants to include All The Ideas instead of focusing on a singular plot hook.
Some of the supporting characters felt flat. Particularly the feminine ones -- but I suppose I can let that slide a little since this is a book about gay male romance. But still, would've been nice to see some of those characters fleshed out a little more.
And worst of all -- I didn't want the two main boys to end up together. I don't know if this is a failing on the author to create characters I could empathize with and like (and thus hope they ended up together) or if it was a lack of writing good chemistry between the two. Either way, I thought Ben was kind of a whiny incel-type, and Albert was too far up his own ass. Again, there's a stereotype that people who play D&D all live in their parents' basements with zero friends -- and Ben kind of fits the bill for that, which might be why I disliked him. Albert is wishy-washy about what he wants and hurts Ben in the process, which makes me unsympathetic to Albert, so why would I want the two of them to end up together?
I really, really love the idea of a book centering around a queer-focused D&D group. Though it's a little bit niche, I feel like there's a lot of potential for compelling characters and exploration of a number of contemporary topics.... but I just feel like this one missed the mark and left me unsatisfied.
handful_of_frogs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
aquaphase's review against another edition
4.0
** This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review **
I’ve been thinking a bit about how to approach reviewing this novel. Let me be very clear, I absolutely loved it, and I really enjoyed the very raw and emotional struggles and triumphs Mr. Henderson very smoothly navigates in it.
My quandary comes from approaching this book without discounting the very heartfelt issues presented within. Yes, this is a LGBTQ+ focused story, but, while the viewpoint is presented from and about largely homosexual characters, the core story presents situations and feelings that are far more inclusive.
Plus, its about the amazing glue that a game of Dungeons & Dragons sticks people together with.
Ben is a young man of twenty-five who lives in his parents basement with his cat — Onigiri — and spends his time thrifting and selling old toys and collectables online. Ben is openly gay, but has never really had a real relationship. Ben is also a member of a gay gaming group at a Cleveland-area local comic book and gaming shop along with the other primary characters of this story.
This is the annoying part of any of my reviews where I tell you that I’m not going to tell you anything more about the story, but, in this case, I think that it is particularly important not to. The primary charm for me, aside from the amazing role play that happens during the gaming sessions, is how each character, and their story, unfolds in the context of where everything opens.
The Cleveland Heights LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Role Playing Club (a title that I absolutely love and is an utter mouthful) is about how each of these individuals set up their personal orbits: how each of the characters sees themselves, and the whos and whats they surround themselves with.
Everything in this book seems so incredibly personal to me, and, while I started out trying to identify with it as a gamer, I realized very quickly that the identification really came from being a normal human with human doubts, fears and desires. This story loops way out into the day-to-day hopes and angst of just being a member of society in a harsh reality, and then circles right back in to the semi-controlled comfort of the Thursday night gaming session. There is even a little jab at discrimination that doesn’t exactly land where the reader thinks it might land.
This was a hidden gem for me. I really thought there might be more “in-world” parts of the book, but I found myself turning more from that aspect being the core of the story to seeing as the neutral ground each of the characters could work out their inter-personal issues with. Kudos to Mr. Henderson for presenting probably the most realistic — to my experience — gaming session presentation I have ever read about in a work of fiction.
This one is a real winner.
I’ve been thinking a bit about how to approach reviewing this novel. Let me be very clear, I absolutely loved it, and I really enjoyed the very raw and emotional struggles and triumphs Mr. Henderson very smoothly navigates in it.
My quandary comes from approaching this book without discounting the very heartfelt issues presented within. Yes, this is a LGBTQ+ focused story, but, while the viewpoint is presented from and about largely homosexual characters, the core story presents situations and feelings that are far more inclusive.
Plus, its about the amazing glue that a game of Dungeons & Dragons sticks people together with.
Ben is a young man of twenty-five who lives in his parents basement with his cat — Onigiri — and spends his time thrifting and selling old toys and collectables online. Ben is openly gay, but has never really had a real relationship. Ben is also a member of a gay gaming group at a Cleveland-area local comic book and gaming shop along with the other primary characters of this story.
This is the annoying part of any of my reviews where I tell you that I’m not going to tell you anything more about the story, but, in this case, I think that it is particularly important not to. The primary charm for me, aside from the amazing role play that happens during the gaming sessions, is how each character, and their story, unfolds in the context of where everything opens.
The Cleveland Heights LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Role Playing Club (a title that I absolutely love and is an utter mouthful) is about how each of these individuals set up their personal orbits: how each of the characters sees themselves, and the whos and whats they surround themselves with.
Everything in this book seems so incredibly personal to me, and, while I started out trying to identify with it as a gamer, I realized very quickly that the identification really came from being a normal human with human doubts, fears and desires. This story loops way out into the day-to-day hopes and angst of just being a member of society in a harsh reality, and then circles right back in to the semi-controlled comfort of the Thursday night gaming session. There is even a little jab at discrimination that doesn’t exactly land where the reader thinks it might land.
This was a hidden gem for me. I really thought there might be more “in-world” parts of the book, but I found myself turning more from that aspect being the core of the story to seeing as the neutral ground each of the characters could work out their inter-personal issues with. Kudos to Mr. Henderson for presenting probably the most realistic — to my experience — gaming session presentation I have ever read about in a work of fiction.
This one is a real winner.
phngtrnreads's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you NetGalley and University Of Iowa Press for granting me access to this book
Ok... this book is ridiculous, but also enjoyable. I don't know how, but it is, to me at least.
While the whole plot was enticing, there are details that still irk me, mostly the characters: Ben is a whiny fuck and his arc feels unfinished (despite being the MC); Valerie is just constantly being rude for no reason at all. At some points, the whole story seems over-sexualized I'm not even sure if it's needed.
Still, I enjoyed the writing a whole lot. The author's choice of words was on point and I don't think it was poorly narrated or overly descriptive. The idea for this book was unique and intriguing. Yet I feel like Mr.Henderson should have focused on some other events than the MC's pathetic love life.
Anyway, surprisingly fun read. 3/5
Ok... this book is ridiculous, but also enjoyable. I don't know how, but it is, to me at least.
While the whole plot was enticing, there are details that still irk me, mostly the characters: Ben is a whiny fuck and his arc feels unfinished (despite being the MC); Valerie is just constantly being rude for no reason at all. At some points, the whole story seems over-sexualized I'm not even sure if it's needed.
Still, I enjoyed the writing a whole lot. The author's choice of words was on point and I don't think it was poorly narrated or overly descriptive. The idea for this book was unique and intriguing. Yet I feel like Mr.Henderson should have focused on some other events than the MC's pathetic love life.
Anyway, surprisingly fun read. 3/5
annieb123's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Cleveland Heights LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Role Playing Club is a slice of life narrative about a group of tabletop gamers and their interrelationships written by Doug Henderson. Released 21st April 2021 by the University of Iowa Press, it's 252 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
I am a lifelong gamer (and proud geek). This book ticked a lot of boxes for me. The setting is clearly one which is familiar to the author and there's a lot of potential here. He's an adept storyteller and there are glimmers of good ideas which never quite gel. The book reads like a young adult/NA offering but is in no way appropriate for younger readers. There are adult themes which wouldn't be appropriate for younger readers (threatened/actual homophobic violence, sexual situations, rough language, etc). I also admittedly had trouble engaging with any of the primary characters. They were all too caricature-ish or unpleasant.
The problems with the narrative and plotting all feel surmountable with some ruthless rewrites and careful trimming (the entire vampire subplot was fairly superfluous). The author is undoubtedly a creative soul and has an interesting and valid voice. Although this particular book fell flat for me personally (way too many cheap sexual "jokes" and innuendos), I am interested to see how his storytelling develops in future.
Three stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Cleveland Heights LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Role Playing Club is a slice of life narrative about a group of tabletop gamers and their interrelationships written by Doug Henderson. Released 21st April 2021 by the University of Iowa Press, it's 252 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.
I am a lifelong gamer (and proud geek). This book ticked a lot of boxes for me. The setting is clearly one which is familiar to the author and there's a lot of potential here. He's an adept storyteller and there are glimmers of good ideas which never quite gel. The book reads like a young adult/NA offering but is in no way appropriate for younger readers. There are adult themes which wouldn't be appropriate for younger readers (threatened/actual homophobic violence, sexual situations, rough language, etc). I also admittedly had trouble engaging with any of the primary characters. They were all too caricature-ish or unpleasant.
The problems with the narrative and plotting all feel surmountable with some ruthless rewrites and careful trimming (the entire vampire subplot was fairly superfluous). The author is undoubtedly a creative soul and has an interesting and valid voice. Although this particular book fell flat for me personally (way too many cheap sexual "jokes" and innuendos), I am interested to see how his storytelling develops in future.
Three stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.