“Maybe we weren’t meant to collide. Maybe we were meant
to explode.”
As a closeted teenager in the Deep South with a
holy-roller father and the scars to prove it, bookworm Cole Furman has resigned
himself to experiencing life and love only within the pages of his favorite
novels. But after Nick Flores seems to walk off a page and starts to rewrite
his story, Cole finds his dreams spinning into a dazzling – and complicated –
reality.
If you have ever found yourself on the wild breathless
thriller ride that is young love, Honesty will rip you back again in screaming
color.
Seth King is a remarkable writer. He has a gift for
describing things, especially feelings, making them jump off the pages and come
to life. Honesty is the fourth novel of
his that I’ve read. I dare say it’s his most profound work and it’s by far my
favourite!
How does Honesty shine? It’s brutally truthful about what
it’s like for a gay teen who has accepted his sexuality but who has to suffer
the ignorance of others. It’s achingly blunt about what it’s like to fall in
love with someone who hasn’t come to terms with who they are. It’s eye-opening
about how expectations can crush someone’s spirit. It makes the reader
reconsider every preconceived notion they had about what it means to be gay in
a world that isn’t always so welcoming. I consider myself an open-minded person
and I was wowed by Cole’s thoughts! Some things he said are just common sense
but in King’s descriptive prose, they’re simply enlightening because he’s
offering us a broader perspective.
Falling in love for the first time is exciting and scary.
In Honesty, those feelings are amplified because neither Cole nor Nick is
exactly certain about how to pursue their relationship while also keeping it a
secret for Nick’s sake. It’s heartbreaking how badly Nick wants to let go and
love Cole but he’s afraid about the repercussions when his family finds out. Cole
on the other hand, just wants to love and be loved unconditionally but willingly
plays by Nick’s rules in order to keep him in his life. Living in a town where
they have to suppress their feelings and monitor their movements leads to a
kind of ferocity and intensity that plays out when they’re alone. I was hanging
by every word on every page.
On the eve of its release, King published an article
about how Honesty was drawn from his real life experience. It’s a story that he
has waited to tell at the right time. I’ll admit that that has influenced my
perception of this book. I think as an author you’re vulnerable. When drawing
from personal history it has to be a frightening undertaking not knowing how that
story will be received. I bring this up because King does not hold back as he
wraps you up in Cole and Nick’s journey through the highs and many lows of
their love affair.
~ Bel
