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A review by ex_libris_volantes
Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams by Brent Hartinger
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Terrible character development. The main character comes across as a narrator, more than a believable life; listing his observations of other people around him, but not having much in the way of introspective thought throughout. It was aggravating that the story more or less happened around him this time, and his only credit to deserving to be in the story is he “wrote the script” (screen play) that we barely even get information about. Not to mention it has a cliche (pun) name, and doesn’t sound like the type of film any realistic person expects a chance at getting top Hollywood backing even from an experienced or credited writer. It makes the character overly naive, but also seems to assume the target audience of the book is dumb enough to believe in such naivety. It is great to follow your dreams, but Russell basically shoots out into the world with no safety net and goes with any whim that comes his way; he has no strive or passion or struggle, which makes him hard to relate to.
Then there is the main romantic relationship witch I have continuing issues with from the first book. These two have no business being together. The only thing they have as a cementing experience and milestone to their entire relationship is that they were basically each other’s only option to date as gay men in their small town high school from the previous books. Then they were the typical idiots growing into adulthood and going separate ways. Kevin had a career and a new, live-in boyfriend, and their is no logical reason for why he would implode his life to be a side character in Russel’s chaotic life. Basically they succumb to hormonal angst and decide they maybe still love each other from high school, but we as the reader never really get emotional connection to the relationship. Most of the time the only reason it seems like they are together is because they “have a history,” and they both are at least attractive still, so they might as well progress together and just have sex every chance they can.
Lastly there is the random other side characters introduced with some weight of substance to their character, but the most important quality seems to be that they are attractive. The most annoying aspect being the erotic daydreams that seem to exist for no other reason than the author had to actually put some action every chapter or two to keep anyone interested in reading on, since character development and believable plot movement seem a task he is unsuited to…
Anyway, I wish that this story actually felt more genuine toward Otto, and the strive to create opportunity and reduce stigma against people like him with physical barriers (his facial scars). Like he gets his “happy ending,” but I didn’t feel connected to the character enough for it to feel genuine.
My least favorite story arc was Daniel. He starts off as a little pendejo to Russel and Kevin, then suddenly it seems to be because he was struggling with his sexuality. I want to empathize with that situation, but the character development was so poor up to and after this revelation, that he was just always a little underage jerk that I didn’t care for. His story ending with him in the porn business too really rubbed me the wrong way, but for issues with the way it was written, not with the choices. For all the information we know of the character, he and his sister have no parents, and are all each other has, and constantly struggle to make ends meet. They never have much money, so it is totally believable that a sexually curious and newly 18 kid might end up doing porn. Buf the author rights of it as shameful; Shameful from every angle too. Russel mentions he found Daniel in a porn while searching the web, but shames the idea that he was doing that in the first place, and shames the thought that anyone should want to look at porn, or especially that he or Kevin could ever be interested in viewing such a video (even though they had no problems having an erotic fantasy over him a few chapters ago when he was still underage). And then the author shames the porn industry, putting it down, and coming off as superior in mind to anyone who could be “so desperate,” as he puts it. He doubts that the outward persona of pornstars is true, and reflects on how insecure they must be to need attention. It was very off-putting to read such hostile judgement and putting down of an entire group for merely working in a clearly desired industry and trying to make a living.
The fact that this was in the last chapter made the entire experience of this novel fall flatter than it already was because it left an extra negative taste in my mouth.
Then there is the main romantic relationship witch I have continuing issues with from the first book. These two have no business being together. The only thing they have as a cementing experience and milestone to their entire relationship is that they were basically each other’s only option to date as gay men in their small town high school from the previous books. Then they were the typical idiots growing into adulthood and going separate ways. Kevin had a career and a new, live-in boyfriend, and their is no logical reason for why he would implode his life to be a side character in Russel’s chaotic life. Basically they succumb to hormonal angst and decide they maybe still love each other from high school, but we as the reader never really get emotional connection to the relationship. Most of the time the only reason it seems like they are together is because they “have a history,” and they both are at least attractive still, so they might as well progress together and just have sex every chance they can.
Lastly there is the random other side characters introduced with some weight of substance to their character, but the most important quality seems to be that they are attractive. The most annoying aspect being the erotic daydreams that seem to exist for no other reason than the author had to actually put some action every chapter or two to keep anyone interested in reading on, since character development and believable plot movement seem a task he is unsuited to…
Anyway, I wish that this story actually felt more genuine toward Otto, and the strive to create opportunity and reduce stigma against people like him with physical barriers (his facial scars). Like he gets his “happy ending,” but I didn’t feel connected to the character enough for it to feel genuine.
My least favorite story arc was Daniel. He starts off as a little pendejo to Russel and Kevin, then suddenly it seems to be because he was struggling with his sexuality. I want to empathize with that situation, but the character development was so poor up to and after this revelation, that he was just always a little underage jerk that I didn’t care for. His story ending with him in the porn business too really rubbed me the wrong way, but for issues with the way it was written, not with the choices. For all the information we know of the character, he and his sister have no parents, and are all each other has, and constantly struggle to make ends meet. They never have much money, so it is totally believable that a sexually curious and newly 18 kid might end up doing porn. Buf the author rights of it as shameful; Shameful from every angle too. Russel mentions he found Daniel in a porn while searching the web, but shames the idea that he was doing that in the first place, and shames the thought that anyone should want to look at porn, or especially that he or Kevin could ever be interested in viewing such a video (even though they had no problems having an erotic fantasy over him a few chapters ago when he was still underage). And then the author shames the porn industry, putting it down, and coming off as superior in mind to anyone who could be “so desperate,” as he puts it. He doubts that the outward persona of pornstars is true, and reflects on how insecure they must be to need attention. It was very off-putting to read such hostile judgement and putting down of an entire group for merely working in a clearly desired industry and trying to make a living.
The fact that this was in the last chapter made the entire experience of this novel fall flatter than it already was because it left an extra negative taste in my mouth.