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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Found family, coming of age feel, grief, several laugh out loud moments, LGBTQIA+, an awesome title.
I found the characters endearing and entertaining. There were a few saucy scenes, but there was a lot of story here too. I was honestly just hopeful things would work out!
I found the characters endearing and entertaining. There were a few saucy scenes, but there was a lot of story here too. I was honestly just hopeful things would work out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Violence
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For Fire Island lovers, this novel will transport you back to The Pines in a whimsical yet haunting story that highlights the Fire Island you love while confronting the devastating history of those Holy Lovers lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Highly recommend.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great premise that could’ve used a little zhuzhing. The pacing was off for me—needed more gay witchcraft and needed it earlier.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“Just remember that life goes fast. That doesn’t mean it’s not wonderful. So don’t waste too much time worrying about the ending.”
This is the story of a young man in the throes of grief after losing his partner to HIV, as he accompanies his best friend to Fire Island for an unforgettable 1989 summer. The book dives into the many strong emotions surrounding relationships and the HIV/AIDS epidemic ravaging the queer community during this time period, and so many parts of the book were incredibly and vividly heartbreaking.
There were some excellent quirky side characters that brought a bit of light to the story, in the form of of a disco witch coven whose aim is to bring life and joy to the party, as well as protecting the island through the art of the boogie. This added lovely banter, disco shenanigans, and fantasy elements into the story, in such a unique and campy way!
The writing was incredibly vivid, and the fear and pain and joy were palpable. The main character is a realistically flawed character who makes excellent growth by the end of the book, but watching him make horrible decisions pained me at times while reading. There were some pacing issues and tropes I tend not to enjoy (but don’t want to spoil for others), but overall I thought this was a powerful story that felt deeply poignant while also having some really fun and campy moments to lighten the mood.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Homophobia