If Only You Had a Fear of Bridges

Once again I went in blind and I liked the first 50% very much. I was pleasantly surprised, very surprised by one plot element there's some taboo love between Danny and his father, first time gay for both. The book takes place in NYC and the author, [a:Alejandro Marquez 8064074 Alejandro Marquez https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], clearly knows his geography well. He also populates the story with a diverse cast of characters, just like RL. Imagine that! Danny Vazquez, 18, is starting his senior year of high school. The child of divorced parents, he splits his time between his mom's apartment in Brooklyn and weekends at his father's house on the Jersey shore. He's always been shy, maybe even prudish, about his body, always admiring his father's physique and feeling like he doesn't measure up. To his surprise senior year brings about unexpected admiration from all quarters. My disappointment or rather diminished enjoyment came from the fact that, though the story is otherwise firmly cemented in reality, the relationship between Danny and his father is treated a bit too cavalierly to be taken seriously. I could be wrong but it seems to me that the author is going for the ancient Greek ideal of love between father/son, older/younger man, not a romantic love. I can accept that but IMO he needed to elaborate that theme more clearly. There's also a lack of tension throughout, everyone is super accepting of everything. A whole cast of progressive angels. I'd love to live in that world. It probably could use with some editing, we don't need to know every street, train or bus Danny takes to go to The City, but I'd still recommend this and I'd read more from this author. Also it's in KU.