Strings Attached

2006 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award Winner in Gay Lesbian FictionFrom Books to Watch Out For by Richard Labonte, Volume 4 number 1Adolescence is a hazardous way of life for 17-year-old Jeremy Tyler; his father died in a mysterious accident when he was a child, and his mother has since descended into alcoholic hell and forced rehab; thats when hes sent from the Fresno slums of his childhood to the posh estate of his overbearing great aunt Katherine and her censorious husbandliberated from an economic prison, only to land in an emotional oneand is overwhelmed by the change. Its not easy for him to fit into the upper crust, particularly because hes trying to hide how much hes attracted to other boys. Jeremys story of breaking free from the strands of dishonesty, deceit, and self-doubt has its parallels to the tale of Pinocchio, but Nolans take is totally contemporary: think the TV series The OCgirls with mean cheekbones, well-built guys with snotty attitudes, and Jeremy in the role of heartthrob Ryan Atwood. Hes a good-looking kid, with a sleek swimmers physiqueand the swim teams champ is out to get him. He dates one of the smart-set girls in an attempt to keep his hormones at baybut that doesnt do him much good. Nolans debut novel is a kitchen sink of genrescoming of age, coming out, mystery, romance, erotica, even a dash of the supernaturalthat add up to an impressive story about the passage from boyhood to manhood.