Rating: 
Summary: Left me wanting more!!
Review: This is a truly delightful read. I couldn't put it down and found myself very engaged in the story and characters. It was a bit disturbing at times but then so were those days on the wild frontier; especially for a gay man. This is a must read piece of gay literature. Groundbreaking.What's next Michael?
Rating: 
Summary: Reader beware!
Review: I read a review before purchasing "Frontiers" which promoted the book as a modern-day Fennimore-esque novel with a wonderful gay twist. Wow ... what a let down. The characters were thin (I didn't for a moment believe such people could ever exist), the plot was transparent (not much happens that you can't predict), and the characters all definitely have an anachronistic 20th century sensibility. The main character, John, is a whiny wimp who never would have survived the frontier. But even those sins might be forgiveable, had the style lived up to (or even approached) James Fennimore Cooper's way of story-telling. I planned to and wanted very much to like this novel, but it did NOT live up to its hype. Sorry, but thumbs down and save your dough.
Rating: 
Summary: A New Gay Genre
Review: History, 18th Century Frontierism and Dealing with Sexual Identity -- not the usual strands that are woven into gay fiction. Jensen presents a very different, enjoyable and easily readable book. The John Chapman character is excellent as he struggles to establish an identity for himself. A very worthwhile read and a fairly succesful new genre of gay fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended Historical Fiction
Review: From the first, Frontiers grabs the reader and doesn't let go. Throughout the novel, new characters emerge as new chapters unfold, and each one is as engaging as the last. While the major players are gay men, this thought-provoking tale has universal appeal. Anyone with an open mind and a free spirit can appreciate John Chapman's struggle for justice and pursuit of happiness in 1700's Pennsylvania. Thus Frontiers has all the elements -- memorable characters, great use of language, humor, passion, suspense, and a message that needs to be heard. Hats off to Michael Jensen, a gifted storyteller with a promising future...
Rating:
Summary: An absolute must-read!
Review: In my opinion the perfect novel has two qualities. It grabs the reader and doesn't let go until well after the book has been read, and it makes use of language in a way that makes it a joy to read. "Frontiers" has both of these qualities. From the moment I started the book, I literally could not put it down. The characters are wonderful, and the story itself is a wonderful blend of romance, erotica, adventure, and even horror. It is beautifully written, filled with passages that beg to be spoken out loud. It is so rare these days to find an author who can both write an enjoyable story and honor the sacredness of the written word. With "Frontiers," Michael Jensen has done both. I hope he writes another novel soon! I cannot recommend this book enough. It should be read not only by gay men, but by everyone who appreciates good literature. (P.S. - Thank you so much, Michael, for contacting me and asking me to check out your book!)
Rating:
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: I read this book before I saw all the reviews here and I'm wondering if we're all talking about the same novel. The one I read was formulaic and totally unremarkable. Compared to some really excellent novels set on the frontier and featuring gay characters (The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon or The Rest of the Earth), Frontiers is pretty lame--lowest common denominator fiction, written as if it wanted to be a screenplay. I never believed for a second that these characters lived in the 1700s, what with all the late 20th century pop psychology running through the narration. Within 20 pages of the end, I simply stopped reading. I was so bored with the characters and knew exactly what would happen next. If you like contrived, anachronistic historical fiction with tons of gratuitous sex and violence, then Frontiers might be right up your alley.
Rating:
Summary: Promising but inconsistent, dark with a tragic theme
Review: It seemed to me this book was written by three people: a literate writing an well-thought and interesting introduction, an 10th-grade wannabe, awkward and stumbling in dialogue, plot and character development, and then a tabloid writer rushing to an implausible, depressing and ultimately tragic ending. I admire anyone that can write a book, and must respect the author for also having scored such a well-known publisher. But really now, every chapter either begins, furthers or ends in a tragedy. I appreciated the historical context and in that regard, I think life on the frontier is fairly well represented. However, the main character whines his way through the book, much as you'd assume he has through his entire life, and there is little or nothing to make you care - it would have been a relief if a bear had taken the protaganist early (like, first chapter) in the book, relieving us of every tragic detail that follows, and then the book could be enjoyed as an reasonably accurate historical adventure. The only thing to pity then would be the plight of the native americans. As it is, you get just too dang annoyed at the main character to care!
Rating:
Summary: Must Read Historical Fiction
Review: Michael Jensen has written a real gem, hopefully destined for libraries around the country. "Frontiers" is about the Westward Expansion of the United States. John Chapman keeps running, desperately trying to find his "place". However, he finds that his "place" is really where his heart is: a cabin in western Pennsylvania, way out on the frontier, on his own claim. But if his past catches up to him, would he give it all up and continue to run? Well, Johns' past catches up and he is forced to make a decision: stand and fight, or run further west. He makes a grown mans' decision: he decides to stay and fight. And this is his frontier: he has what he wants and is now willing to fight for it. That, in a nutshell, describes the main plot. However, from a "90's gay sensibility", I can see so many parallels with today: xenophobia, intolerance, right-wing zealotry/bigotry. Gay mens' lives have never been easy, but in the late 18th century on the western frontier, it must have been deadly. Michael Jensen has captured the period with exceptional clarity. Please take the time to read this book. It gives us a perspective on gay history: where we were 200 years ago. Compare what is in the book to what we know today; have things really improved? I'm grateful that Michael Jensen has taken the time to write this book. I will eagerly wait for a second volume with the same cast of characters.
Rating:
Summary: Quite the different gay novel
Review: This is a refreshing departure from the standard gay fiction. You get a mystery, history, and hot sex all in one well-written package. A definite must-read!
Rating:
Summary: Excellen Excapist Entertainment
Review: Personally I've gotten tired of all the gay content books that deal heavily with 90's issues or aids or that try to hard to be an important book. That's why I loved this book! There are no over riding issues in this one. However it is dramatic enough to pull you into it's lanscape. It grabbed my attention from the first chapter and held it all the way to the end. With the way John Chapman was written as the settler with no settler skills, it provided me chance to imagine myself in John's shoes and learning about what it would be like to be a settler - at least in spirit. I thank Mr. Jensen for taking me away from the real world for a couple of days. I just wish the book had been longer.
| 
