Never Tear Us Apart

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good
Review: After reading the first Queer as Folk series book, I wasn't impressed. It didn't keep my attention and lacked greatly in detail. However, I highly anticipated the next book in the series, hoping it would be better than the first. I was pleasantly surprised after I read Never Tear us Apart. It had a captivating story line and I wasn't bored within five seconds of reading it. It delved depper into all of the characters and gave some insight into why the characters are like they are on the show. I reccomend this book to people who like good fiction and are fans of the show. Unlike with Every Nine Seconds, you won't be dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Easy Read - Fun - Stays True To Existing Characters
Review: As you might be able to tell from some of my other reviews - I'm a big Queer As Folk fan. I was happy when it was announced that there would be a series of books based on the QAF characters. This is the second in that series of novels. "Every Nine Seconds" being the first (you can read my review here at amazon.com).

As with the first novel, I enjoyed this story. Its an easy read and once again succeeds in capturing the "voices" of the shows defined characters (In this novel, in addition to Brian, Michael, Uncle Vic and Debbie, we meet both Lindsay and Emmett for the first time).

A fun part of reading this book, again as with the other, is that the story incorporates aspects of the tv series, referencing events and foreshadowing character development.

This book begins just about where the first novel ended. Brian is starting college at Carnegie Mellon and Michael is off to community college.

This is Michael and Brian's first real time apart and I thought it was written very well. Michael's missing of Brian and Brian's nirvana at college (boys, boys, boys) are well depicted.

We are presented with Emmett for the first time and I must say that I think the author did an excellent job of writing him. Emmett is such a sweet and kind character, praise be sent to Peter Paige, that it would have easy to completely miss the complex person he is. Of all the characters, Emmett's voice seems so very true to the established namesake.

We meet Lindsay for the first time as well. I'm not so thrilled with her dipiction here, which is basically, as a clueless blonde. Thea Gill has done an amazing job of bringing Lindsay to life on the show, and to be honest, Lindsay as dicpicted here seems to be somewhat of a different person.

As with the first novel, there are a couple of "oh give me a break" sort of moments, the main one involving Lindsay, but all in all, this book is just fun to read.

We learn a little of where Brian's dictum originates from, and we also see Michael finally get a boyfriend and grow some.

Importantly, what is typically lacking in the series, is that Michael has some independent triumphs (and with no help from Brian) which was fun to read.

If you watch the TV series, the next book has some issues to deal with. Michael has stated in the show that he never completed his college years and this novel leaves him with a scholarship for year two. You can sense the direction likely to be taken and to be honest, if they go that way, it would be true to Michael as a character.

The extent that CowLip (the tv show's producers here in the US) is involved with the novels isnt clear to me, so there are no hard and fast rules to gaurantee the novels will follow the already defined character history though.

I would recomment this book, as I would the first novel, as a fun and easy read for the dedicated Queer As Folk fan. Its entertaining and thats what counts.

The QAF tv series relies heavily on the considerable acting ability of its cast, and it does them justice to say that it's their talent on the show that helps with the characters in the book.

If you're a fan, you'll like the book. Thats basically what it comes down to.

FYI - there are several sex scenes and they're explicit, which should be no surprise if you're a fan of the show.

Rating:
Summary: Queer Continues...
Review: Like "Every Nine Seconds," this latest installment in the younger lives of the Queer as Folk characters follows suit with the personalities and characteristics we love so much. It delves into the lives of the characters as they grow up together and meet one another in the first year of college. The author has done an excellent job in capturing the spirits of Michael, Brian, Lindsay, Emmett, and Deb. A must-read for any devoted Queer as Folk fan!

Rating:
Summary: Queer Continues...
Review: Like "Every Nine Seconds," this latest installment in the younger lives of the Queer as Folk characters follows suit with the personalities and characteristics we love so much. It delves into the lives of the characters as they grow up together and meet one another in the first year of college. The author has done an excellent job in capturing the spirits of Michael, Brian, Lindsay, Emmett, and Deb. A must-read for any devoted Queer as Folk fan!

Rating:
Summary: Old and New Characters with Different Storylines
Review: This book is just as good as the first. I read "Every Nine Seconds" in the bookstore and found it interesting as to know why Brian is the boss of everyone and Michael is forever young. This time the boys are separated going to different schools. Michael is adjusting to community college, coping with his uncle's illness, experiencing romance, and making new friends. Brian, meanwhile, is having the time of his life joining a fraternity (which I can't believe!), playing soccer, and screwing anything that wears pants.
Newcomer to Pittsburgh Emmett Honeycutt brings a great amount of color in the novel with his Southern charm. He is a great friend to Michael when Brian isn't around. Lindsay appears in the novel as a straight lady who can get any man's attention.
Quinn Brockton sheds some light on the characters of the cable series bringing forth their personalities and differences and how they come together.
I can't wait for the next book.

Rating:
Summary: Old and New Characters with Different Storylines
Review: This book is just as good as the first. I read "Every Nine Seconds" in the bookstore and found it interesting as to know why Brian is the boss of everyone and Michael is forever young. This time the boys are separated going to different schools. Michael is adjusting to community college, coping with his uncle's illness, experiencing romance, and making new friends. Brian, meanwhile, is having the time of his life joining a fraternity (which I can't believe!), playing soccer, and screwing anything that wears pants.
Emmett brings a great amount of color in the novel with his sass and charm. He is a great friend to Michael when Brian isn't around. Lindsay appears in the novel as a straight lady who can get any man's attention.
Quinn Brockton sheds some light on the characters of the cable series bringing forth their personalities and differences and how they come together.
I can't wait for the next book.

Rating:
Summary: Old and New Characters with Different Storylines
Review: This book is just as good as the first. I read "Every Nine Seconds" in the bookstore and found it interesting as to know why Brian is the boss of everyone and Michael is forever young. This time the boys are separated going to different schools. Michael is adjusting to community college, coping with his uncle's illness, experiencing romance, and making new friends. Brian, meanwhile, is having the time of his life joining a fraternity (which I can't believe!), playing soccer, and screwing anything that wears pants.
Emmett brings a great amount of color in the novel with his sass and charm. He is a great friend to Michael when Brian isn't around. Lindsay appears in the novel as a straight lady who can get any man's attention.
Quinn Brockton sheds some light on the characters of the cable series bringing forth their personalities and differences and how they come together.
I can't wait for the next book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: This book, like the first (Every Nine Soconds) is and interesting look at the younger, before the Tv series of the charactors and it stays true to there identities. Brian the one always in control, Michael; the hopless romantic. So innocent and fragil and Emmitt so colourful and lively. I can't wait to read the next Book (Always Have, Always Will). Hope there are more on the way.

Rating:
Summary: Meet-Cute
Review: While the first novel was an easy read, this one is plodding and cloyingly cute, which seems to be the same malaise that hit the writing for the series itself. We have the origination of some speech and mannerisms of Brian, the meet-cute business of Emmett and Michael, the meet-even-cuter business - totally lacking originality - of Brian and Lindsay, who is busy dating a gay guy BEFORE she meets Brian, proving she's a one-trick pony. This is all so dull and predictable - and yet outlandish - that it's a poor man's soap opera. It's like the author used a check list to configure the thing! Fans who are still satisfied with the writing of the series after its aired three seasons will find it passable.

Rating:
Summary: Meet-Cute
Review: While the first novel was an easy read, this one is plodding and cloyingly cute, which seems to be the same malaise that hit the writing for the series itself. We have the origination of some speech and mannerisms of Brian, the meet-cute business of Emmett and Michael, the meet-even-cuter business - totally lacking originality - of Brian and Lindsay, who is busy dating a gay guy BEFORE she meets Brian, proving she's a one-trick pony. This is all so dull and predictable - and yet outlandish - that it's a poor man's soap opera. It's like the author used a check list to configure the thing! Fans who are still satisfied with the writing of the series after its aired three seasons will find it passable.