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A review by claudiaslibrarycard
Big Gay Wedding by Byron Lane
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Big Gay Wedding is a must read! I cannot believe I'm not seeing more buzz around this book. It is certainly one of my top uplifting reads this year (you know I usually like 'em dark and twisted) and it is solidly in my top ten audiobooks of the year. This is so well narrated, which is quite a feat when you are writing about Southern folks. A half baked, not just right Southern accent is not going to work for me! Noah Galvin is an extremely talented narrator who brought this cast of characters to life in a way that made me laugh so loud my family asked questions and had me crying at the most tender parts.
The title says it all for the plot, but there's really so much more to it than that. Barnett is returning to his small town to tell his widowed mother that he's engaged to be married. His fiance is wonderful, but is certainly from a different world and a much more supportive family. While this book ends in happiness and cheer, it is full of dark and realistic content about homophobia and unaccepting family members. There were parts that made me incredibly angry and heartbroken, but there were also parts that I laughed so hard I was grateful I wasn't drinking anything.
When it comes down to it, this is a book about a mother and a son finding their way to what unconditional love means. When you throw in a hilarious, whip smart grandfather, a truly devious Catholic minister, as well as love and criticism for small towns, this book is a recipe for a big hearted good time.
The title says it all for the plot, but there's really so much more to it than that. Barnett is returning to his small town to tell his widowed mother that he's engaged to be married. His fiance is wonderful, but is certainly from a different world and a much more supportive family. While this book ends in happiness and cheer, it is full of dark and realistic content about homophobia and unaccepting family members. There were parts that made me incredibly angry and heartbroken, but there were also parts that I laughed so hard I was grateful I wasn't drinking anything.
When it comes down to it, this is a book about a mother and a son finding their way to what unconditional love means. When you throw in a hilarious, whip smart grandfather, a truly devious Catholic minister, as well as love and criticism for small towns, this book is a recipe for a big hearted good time.