Straight Boy
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Straight Boy
Narrated by:
Kirt Graves
Buy Now for £18.99
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Narrated by:
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Kirt Graves
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By:
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Jay Bell
About this listen
I love him. And I’m pretty sure he loves me back...even though he’s straight.
When I first met Carter King, I knew he was something special. I imagined us being together, and we are, but only as friends. Best friends! I’m trying to be cool with that, even though I know he has secrets, and there have definitely been mixed signals. I don’t want a crush to ruin what we already have. Then again, if there’s any chance that we can be together, it’s worth the risk, because Carter could be the love of my life. Or he might be the boy who breaks my heart.
Straight Boy is Jay Bell’s emotional successor to his critically acclaimed Something Like... series. This full-length novel tells a story of friendship and love while skirting the blurry line that often divides the two.
©2018 Jay Bell (P)2022 Jay BellListeners also enjoyed...
Excellent
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Perfect
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Interesting
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It was painful in parts, I was clawing my heart out, just begging and rooting for the two main characters to get together in the end.
What followed was pure and true to life relationship that can, and does, occur between heterosexual and homosexual, friendships and companionships.
I often joke that it is a gay man's prerogative to fall in lust and love with his straight best mate. But this story gives a cute but cutting insight into the emotional spectrum at work for the young and conflicted, walking the tightrope between unconditional love and selfish need for impulsive gratification. Nurturing something real and lasting or taking something momentary and having nothing but regret to look back on.
I have seen reviews saying that the ending was rushed, and it did feel quick... Because I wanted a lot more. This story told the tale it needed to and Jay Bell delivered wonderfully. I saw the romance direction coming a mile away and while I was worried it would distract from the point of the story. It didn't. The romantic element was sweet and offered a nurturing respite and insight into the differences between love that occurs chemically, instantaneously, and the love that grows over time from life experience and meaning. I was still a bit blind sided by the ending which was nicely fulfilling and gave a rounded sense of closure.
First loves and relationships seldom survive the growth of maturity and the changes that occur in life, but friendships can stand to weather and offer a flexibility that allowed what our hero Carter offered to make a lifelong and meaningful bond that was needed if not initially wanted.
The peril and psychological secondary plot was well tempered and delivered honestly and true to life, along with the perspectives of other characters, their motives and dispositions and destinations, tackling delicate subjects that didn't shy away from the reality of these themes and the effects they can have on people and those around them.
I particularly love what the teacher brought to the story. A sense of wisdom and guidance in chaotic circumstances. He preached the strengths that come with responsibility. It offered our characters the opportunity to reflect, check their feelings and maintain an optimism and a hope for the best in people, even though we can't control everything and our best intentions don't guarantee success.
All we can do is what we can. Can we look back and be proud of our actions? Can we learn and grow from our mistakes? Or is it 'their' fault? Do we stay stuck in our own personal hell and make others responsible for our wellbeing? Life isn't about fairness and getting what we want simply because we desire it intensely, not for Andrew and not for Bobby. Yet when we commit to a path we can be proud of, we can often find something unexpected and deeply worthwhile.
This story lands a needed, and grounded-in-reality, tale of aiming for the best and letting life sort out the rest.
Thank you Mr. Bell! This was the first of your work for me. I will deffo be reading more.
Painfully Beautiful
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Still a good novel though
It’s good
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