Blair Mastbaum

In this emotional, raw, and sexual novel, 16-year-old Sam falls hard in love and lust with Clay who works at a surf and skate shop. Clay proves maddeningly elusive and Sam drives himself crazy wanting to have sex with Clay and hear Clay say "I love you." Clay has issues of his own: he's constantly bouncing off the walls emotionally and is in denial or confusion about his own sexuality. He's indifferent to his girlfriend Tammy and plays mind games with Sam. Sam goes through an emotional wringer for Clay but Clay never does come around and Sam finally accepts the sad inevitable. Hawaii life is depicted very realistically; there is a real sense of the place and people. Lib notes: Graphic descriptions of drug and alcohol use, sex (straight and gay) and masturbation.… (plus d'informations)

Part biography, part novel, Hommeboys is the story of Sam, a simple guy from Ohio who is plunged in the glittering modeling world of New York City, only to discover the glitter is fake, and that he will be basically very, very alone.

I really enjoyed this story since I could recognize most of the characters in it; now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying these are real people and I linked them to their names, but that they are stereotype of real person, and for many of them you can connect someone. There is Sam, who is doing the model since he doesn’t know nothing else, but you can say he is not fated to be a “name”; Sam is cute, but he is like hundreds of other boys, and they eat them in one year top. There is Darren, Sam’s first friend in this new world, someone Sam could love, but Darren is damned. There are the owners of the model agencies, the stylists, the photographers, the supermodels and the background. All of them feel so real and consequently so fake: nothing in this world is solid enough for Sam to cling to, and he is like a guy who is drowning.

It’s scaring to think that Blair Mastbaum used his own experience to write this story, because then it means he was there, and probably what Sam is experiencing, is what Blair did. Scaring and elating indeed, because now we know that Mastbaum’s did the right thing, lived that world for a bit and then walked away, towards what was his real, true life. Modeling was like a temporary madness, something you need to learn how to survive to and walk away alive. But I remember some of Mastbaum’s posts, listing the ones who didn’t manage to survive.

Hommeboys is pretty on the surface and gritty behind the cover, but I think many will identify reading it; it’s also really “light” in the writing style, so much that it goes down smoothly, without any stop in the reading, easy like taking and jump and emerging again… a jump into hell and back.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AM0WD76/?tag=elimyrevandra-20… (plus d'informations)

This terrific debut novel turns the typical teenage coming out story on its ear by portraying its sixteen year old narrator, Sam, as completely self-loathing in every respect EXCEPT with regard to his sexuality (which he treats with extreme matter-of-factness). In many ways he is the typical rebellious teen, he hates his folks, his life, his appearance & is forever trying on different looks and identities in an awkward effort to express his individuality, but as the book follows his faltering romance and subsequent obsession with Clay, a hip and attractive local surfer, Sam turns into something more sinister. He goes beyond garden-variety teen stalking and, in a sense, actually attempts to become his lover. Clay is Sam's polar opposite in every way - he is completely comfortable in his own skin EXCEPT for his inablity to acknowledge his homosexuality.

Mastbaum has beautifully captured his teen narrator's voice; Sam is a fully realized, authentic character. Although you may find yourself cringing in places, it is difficult not to sympathize with him, even as he strays dangerously into Travis Bickle/Rupert Pupkin territory. I read this book in one day with very few breaks. On the one hand this is a testament to how quickly the writing engaged me but on the other, it also gave rise to my only complaint. Reading Sam's insistent, almost relentless, and highly emotive ranting in such concentration was a lot like taking a long train ride with a hopped up, loquacious youngster - completely exhausting.

I definitely recommend this one.… (plus d'informations)