Title: Nineteen
Author: AJ Mars
Length: 58 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: B
Blurb:
Ezra is nineteen, going to college in his blue-collar hometown, and still living with his mother. It’s all very ordinary… but Ezra is gay, and “ordinary” isn’t really what he wants or needs. The romantic in him yearns for a story-book kind of love, but he certainly doesn’t expect to find it at a party that starts in an old field behind campus. That’s when he meets Nick. Ezra doesn’t believe in love at first sight, not really. But there’s a first time for everything.
Review:
I’m always on the look out for decent stories with young heroes who actually act and sound like their age, rather than like they are in their 30’s. This one hit the mark exactly. It tells of Ezra who is hanging out at an outdoor party when he sees Nick. There’s an instant connection between them and they drive off to a remote location to chill and get to know each other a bit better.
The main draw for me with this story was very intimate use of the third person narrative, through a very closed point of view. We get only Exra’s thoughts and feelings and I thought the author had managed to convey all the mixed emotions that occur in a young man. We begin with a description of the party, the sights, sounds and smells, all seen with an almost detached eye, giving us the impression that Ezra isn’t really enjoying himself. Secondary characters flit in and out of the scene but it isn’t until Nick arrives that Ezra’s attention gains focus. I liked the way that the general scope of the story suddenly zooms into his feelings for this stranger, especially the great mix of attraction, but also embarrassment to the reader that he’s contemplating something such as love at first sight.
Another thing that worked for me was the way that the awkwardness of new attraction is explored. The initial strangeness of spending time with someone you don’t know, the tentative discussion between them along with a desire not to look foolish, is shown accurately. Ezra spends time contemplating how different this meeting is to other times he’s ‘got off’ with people, it leaves him feeling a little unbalanced but with an undercurrent of excitement that Nick could be that one special guy he’s been looking for. Although we don’t get Nick’s point of view Ezra’s view of him manages to show the reader just how nervous Nick feels too. When they get physical, the descriptions give us a feeling of the awkwardness between them as they try and work out how far they are going to go, or what Nick wants from Ezra, coupled with a growing desire.
Any niggles I had were as a result of the narrative style. The intensity may be off-putting to some readers especially as it makes it very slow moving. Not much actually happens in the story and it relies on the reader becoming heavily invested in Ezra. I was, so the story worked for me, but it did take me a little time to get into the story and I re-read the first couple of pages a few times to try and orientate myself with the narrative style.
Overall, if you’re a fan of stories of young men falling in love then this will be a good story for you. I liked Ezra, and the story even moved me to tears in my eyes at the end. It’s happy, but there’s a moment or two when you think things are going pear shaped, which that made me sad for Ezra and I was pleased by the HFN ending.
I’m so glad you liked this! It’s been forever since I read this story, but I remember being really taken with it. It reminded me almost of a story workshop assignment, as if a group of authors were working on narrative style, but instead of feeling…novice, I suppose, it really worked for the awkwardness and extreme focus on the couple’s night. It made me realize how much monotony of writing style there is in romance. But, I suppose when you count on that money coming in and writing like this has so many risks.. that may be why there is so little diversity.
Yes it does have that experimental feel to it, Cole. As I said, it took me a couple of pages to get into the narrative style but after that it worked as a way of showing the uncertainty of youth.
I think you’re right about genre fiction having a very definite style across the board. I’m reading a book from a different genre at the moment (comedy horror) and it’s taken me a little time to get into it because the conventions are slightly different from romance.
Yes, if only the romance genre felt safe with experimentation… I miss reading so many varying and creative styles from reading literary fiction.
I can understand why there isn’t more variety though, the backlash from some readers could be potentially harming for an author. It is a shame though…
Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I’ll have to check it out as I like it when authors try things a little different.
It worked for me, Tam and given that it’s a short story then the style doesn’t become too overwhelming.
I’m intrigued!
It’s a good story of you’re looking for something a little out of the box, but which still fits firmly with the romance genre, Chris.