GRANT LEISHMAN
  • ABOUT
  • MY BOOKS
    • THE SECOND COMING
    • RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST
    • HOLY WAR
    • JUST A DROP IN THE OCEAN
    • PARANORMAL ALLEY
    • TORTURED MINDS
    • THE PHOTOGRAPH
  • ARE YOU AN AUTHOR?
  • MY BLOG
  • Be A Part of the LIMITLESS Anthology
  • BOOK REVIEWS
    • BOOK REVIEWS
  • CONTACT & LINKS
  • AFFILIATE - Rachel McGrath
  • THAT'S LIFE
    • FOOD - PINOY STYLE
    • THE GREAT BEETROOT HUNT
    • GETTING AROUND THE METRO
  • PHILIPPINES
    • PLACES TO VISIT >
      • BORACAY
      • OCCIDENTAL MINDORO
  • SPORT
    • NEW ZEALAND SPORT
    • PHILIPPINE SPORT
  • TRANSFORMATIVE POWER
    • THE SECRET
  • GALLERY
  • ABOUT
  • MY BOOKS
    • THE SECOND COMING
    • RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST
    • HOLY WAR
    • JUST A DROP IN THE OCEAN
    • PARANORMAL ALLEY
    • TORTURED MINDS
    • THE PHOTOGRAPH
  • ARE YOU AN AUTHOR?
  • MY BLOG
  • Be A Part of the LIMITLESS Anthology
  • BOOK REVIEWS
    • BOOK REVIEWS
  • CONTACT & LINKS
  • AFFILIATE - Rachel McGrath
  • THAT'S LIFE
    • FOOD - PINOY STYLE
    • THE GREAT BEETROOT HUNT
    • GETTING AROUND THE METRO
  • PHILIPPINES
    • PLACES TO VISIT >
      • BORACAY
      • OCCIDENTAL MINDORO
  • SPORT
    • NEW ZEALAND SPORT
    • PHILIPPINE SPORT
  • TRANSFORMATIVE POWER
    • THE SECRET
  • GALLERY
GRANT LEISHMAN

MASTURBATING WITH STRANGERS - BODHI ALVAREZ

9/6/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Well, where do I start in reviewing this book? 

Perhaps the title is worth a look for a start. "Masturbating with Strangers" - bound to grab your attention I'm sure if you're scrolling through book titles looking for something to read. My only question would be; would the title put off more potential readers than it attracts? I don't know the answer to that, but having read the book, I can only say if the title makes you think twice about reading this book, then don't. If the title offends, I can guarantee you the content will offend your sensibilities even more. 

On Bodhi Alvarez' Amazon Author Page, it says; "Bodhi Alvarez always dares to push the envelope, and never met a curse word he didn't think looked great on paper." Most, if not all of those known curse words seem to appear at some point or another in "Masturbating With Strangers", so if you are easily offended, then this book is definitely not for you. Similarly, if explicit sex scenes are not your "cup of tea", then best steer clear of reading this particular novel. 

That all having been said, personally I took no offence from anything in this book. Yes, at times it was raw and naked, but at the end of the day these are all just words and they are words that are in common usage in today's lexicon, and more especially so in the generational group around which this story is told. The story itself is the classic, lost youth trying to find himself and his place in the world. Although this is a story that is common to every generation of young people, this is the first time I have actually read this ilk from the perspective of today's youth; and that in itself made it very interesting for me. 

The principal actor in this tale, Kevin Saunders is your typical over-achieving College graduate who suddenly realizes that the "American Dream" that he was brought up to believe in and base his life on, just doesn't exist. Like so many College graduates before him, Kevin was faced with the reality of a shrinking labor market and the need to "suck up" to the boss just to get a "job" as an unpaid intern. It was after Kevin had rebelled at one of these interviews that he decided enough was enough - Kevin would reject the "American Dream" and voyage out by himself to explore the world and "make a difference". Taking the last of his tuition loan checks for funding his voyage of self-discovery, Kevin walks off a cruise ship in Mexico and disappears into the hinterland of Central America. The book follows Kevin's triumphs and travails through Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica.

Let me say, right off the bat that I thoroughly enjoyed the story - I absolutely loved the wonderfully descriptive writing style of Bodhi Alvarez and I appreciated the many insights into both the male psyche and life in general that Bodhi wove into Kevin's journey. Returning for a second to the title, this really was an insightful analogy of what casual sex, which seemed to be the goal of every College student, really was; masturbating with strangers! I did appreciate the analogy. 


This is an excellent, well written book and something quite different from my usual reading fare BUT, and I'm afraid it is a big BUT - the poor quality of the editing made reading difficult and at times very frustrating. 

At just under 300 pages, I would normally expect to read a book this size in a couple of sittings. Even though I enjoyed it, it did take me several days to read and a large part of that was my continual frustration with the constant typos and misplaced words. This is a damn good book that is lessened by these simple errors. I would just urge Bodhi to give it another quick edit and resubmit a second edition. Although it didn't detract totally from my enjoyment of the story, it was enough to make it a little more of a trial and a little less of a pleasure. 

As far as rating it, I would have given it four and a half stars, but the errors drag that down to four stars. Nothing should detract from such an excellent story and I'm afraid those editorial misses did just that. It looks like this is Bodhi's first novel. and I would just say well written - you have a rare talent. I look forward to seeing more from you in the future.     


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Please Subscribe

    Author

    In this section I will review books I have read. All the opinions expressed here are my personal opinions only.

    Archives

    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All
    Anthologies
    Children's
    Contemporary Lit
    Dystopian
    Fantasy
    Fantasy/Romance/Erotica
    Historical Fiction
    Humour
    Mystery/Mayhem
    Non Fiction/Memoirs
    Non-Fiction/Memoirs
    Romance/Adventure
    Science Fiction
    Young Adult

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.