Towers of Books Come Tumbling Down!
I love all kinds of books! For all my friends, I am known on GR as Alicja. I don't stick with a genre, that's boring. Instead you'll get reviews from the most random assortment of fiction and non-fiction works. It's probably due to my interests being as eclectic as my book tastes.
I'm a girlfriend-loving bisexual, science fiction geek, PC gamer, historical fiction devourer, hiker, atheist, history buff, opera lover, vegetarian, kayaker, metal and hard rock concert goer, science nerd, politics debater, world traveler, M/M romance fan, and I have the ability to transform from an adult-like hard-working professional into a screaming fangirl in five seconds flat.
Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger
Rating: 3/5
Summary: Travis and Craig fall in love in boarding school. Once they leave for universities on two different coasts, they lose touch with each other. Twenty years later Travis realizes that he’s still in love with Craig so he puts his life on hold and hitchhikes from California to New York to surprise Craig, who has no idea that a blast from his past is about to appear on his (and his boyfriend’s) doorstep.
Review: Have you ever watched a romantic comedy that was witty and funny and sarcastic, it made you laugh and you enjoyed the time spent watching it but afterwards it really didn’t have an impact one way or another on your life? This is exactly that type of book. The story has sweet and dramatic moments but the emotional content seemed shallow, the love between Travis and Craig never seemed to move on past a teenage infatuation stage. Instead of deep character development, the author chose to use a plethora of cultural references and quotes that seemed overbearing and confusing at times. The presentation of the story also occurred in the form of diary entries, e-mails, texts, legal documents, newspaper articles, letters, checklists, etc. The success of this technique wasn’t consistent, at times it worked beautifully but at other times it served as a distraction from the story, sometimes even supplying superfluous information that got a bit tedious. The story also touched on some social issues pertinent to homosexuals like AIDS, gay marriage, discrimination, etc. but only addressed them on a very superficial level.
However, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bad book, just… average. The story was enjoyable (if cliché) and there were times I couldn’t stop laughing (the wit and sarcasm was entertaining as well). It was an easy read that could be finished in a few hours and the ending made me feel good and fuzzy on the inside.