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fearsomethings's review
3.0
No rating for you, buddy. I don’t believe it to be fair because this whole book really felt like two people making mistakes and navigating the world the only ways they knew how to. That’s why I can’t compel myself to dislike Ben; even though he’s got this asshole behavior sometimes. Their relationship is so tender and fragile most of the book that I frequently hoped they didn’t end up together, but after witnessing how Ronny had become Ben’s support during his mother’s illness and the depictions of loss, I realized that this could’ve been any of us. Holding onto things we cannot have or that are not possible while yearning for them along with the anxiety, fear and fragility that comes with having what once we thought was impossible.
However, Ben was kind of a douche bag even before Mrs. Nickelsen illness and Ronny kept forgiving him. Amigo, date cuenta. As much as I want to say that I’m glad that everything worked out in the end, it didn’t feel as nearly as satisfying. Maybe it’s because in the sphere of queer literature set before the 2000s, stories are mostly depressing, tragic, and lonely. Therefore, I don’t think it was a dreadful experience once I got invested in the book.
Update: Hey, buddy 3 stars. Take it or leave it.
Update 2: Absolutely infuriating. The only thing I remember was how Tate? Idk called everyone that motherfucker JAJAJAJAJA hilarious
However, Ben was kind of a douche bag even before Mrs. Nickelsen illness and Ronny kept forgiving him. Amigo, date cuenta. As much as I want to say that I’m glad that everything worked out in the end, it didn’t feel as nearly as satisfying. Maybe it’s because in the sphere of queer literature set before the 2000s, stories are mostly depressing, tragic, and lonely. Therefore, I don’t think it was a dreadful experience once I got invested in the book.
Update: Hey, buddy 3 stars. Take it or leave it.
Update 2: Absolutely infuriating. The only thing I remember was how Tate? Idk called everyone that motherfucker JAJAJAJAJA hilarious
looneytunes's review
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
julianc's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
justin_w's review
5.0
I absolutely adored this. Jim Grimsley is a wonderful writer and the way he wrote this romance was just so authentic and sweet. Ronny and Ben need to be protected.
j3rstw's review
5.0
I absolutely adored this. Jim Grimsley is a wonderful writer and the way he wrote this romance was just so authentic and sweet. Ronny and Ben need to be protected.
revisions_pending's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
5.0
lord_crybaby's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was such an intimate read. I love books like these - depicting life exactly how it is with no frills, tugging on my emotions as if I'm there in the moment with the characters.
It hit too close to home a few times, but I try to always find appreciation in reading about a character going through the same things I have.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this, even when I had to put it down for a time and find the strength to return.
It hit too close to home a few times, but I try to always find appreciation in reading about a character going through the same things I have.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this, even when I had to put it down for a time and find the strength to return.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, and Cancer
brittaniethekid's review
3.0
This is a book for people that like slow, quiet "day in the life of" stories with ambiguous endings. We follow Ronny through a year of college in 1970s South Carolina as he tries to figure things out. There is plenty of drama and life changing events but they're all presented here on a low simmer. As a result, while the story itself was easy to follow and kept me mostly engaged, I never really connected with any of the characters and none of these huge events really hit me very hard. Unexpectedly, it has a HFN "ending" but left me feeling like the story still had a long way to go.
The book opens with Ronny starting a new year in a dorm that houses a lot of the football team - who use him as their resident paper writer. He helps them study and pass their classes and they don't give him too much shit. One of the team, Ben, is someone Ronny has always been a bit obsessed with and they end up having a secretive affair throughout the year. Ben is still dating girls during and it's a little convoluted whether he's doing this because he wants to, to keep up appearances, or it's just something that's just expected but meanwhile he's very possessive of Ronny even while he perpetually cheats on him. There are a lot of moments that are major red flags against Ben but there are also a lot of sweet private moments that make you think maybe it's worth it for Ronny, especially when he doesn't have much else in his life.
Besides the relationship drama, we also see two deaths of old women, daily school and local newspaper business, and a vague picture of what college life was like in this time and area. Interestingly, there aren't a lot of mentions of racism or even homophobia (besides blatant use of the word fa**ot) despite the time and location of the story which I thought was strange. There's even a campus-supported LGBT meetup group. Unless this was a particularly liberal city in the middle of the South, it felt a little duplicitous. The author mentions that his own life inspired a lot of the story so who am I to call it fake but it also makes me think he must have been incredibly lucky and/or naive.
Overall, I'd recommend it if the above is your thing. It was well written and the characters felt like real people with realistic dialogue. It just left me feeling a little bereft and wasn't a page-turner for me, taking me 3 weeks to complete.
The book opens with Ronny starting a new year in a dorm that houses a lot of the football team - who use him as their resident paper writer. He helps them study and pass their classes and they don't give him too much shit. One of the team, Ben, is someone Ronny has always been a bit obsessed with and they end up having a secretive affair throughout the year. Ben is still dating girls during and it's a little convoluted whether he's doing this because he wants to, to keep up appearances, or it's just something that's just expected but meanwhile he's very possessive of Ronny even while he perpetually cheats on him. There are a lot of moments that are major red flags against Ben but there are also a lot of sweet private moments that make you think maybe it's worth it for Ronny, especially when he doesn't have much else in his life.
Besides the relationship drama, we also see two deaths of old women, daily school and local newspaper business, and a vague picture of what college life was like in this time and area. Interestingly, there aren't a lot of mentions of racism or even homophobia (besides blatant use of the word fa**ot) despite the time and location of the story which I thought was strange. There's even a campus-supported LGBT meetup group. Unless this was a particularly liberal city in the middle of the South, it felt a little duplicitous. The author mentions that his own life inspired a lot of the story so who am I to call it fake but it also makes me think he must have been incredibly lucky and/or naive.
Overall, I'd recommend it if the above is your thing. It was well written and the characters felt like real people with realistic dialogue. It just left me feeling a little bereft and wasn't a page-turner for me, taking me 3 weeks to complete.
niteskyi's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
castle_42's review
5.0
Toxic yet exhilarating like poison rushing through your veins reminding you of being alive . A story about anger , sorrow , and feeling alive through the biting cold.
Somber , tender . It was a sucker punch .
A love story without gentleness . Just enough to ease . The characters were immaculately written they felt complex and when they felt
pain so did I. It almost brought me to tears.
Definitely well written .
Somber , tender . It was a sucker punch .
A love story without gentleness . Just enough to ease . The characters were immaculately written they felt complex and when they felt
pain so did I. It almost brought me to tears.
Definitely well written .