Pastoral

Rating:
Summary: So great!
Review: I have read the fanworks of Lorena Manuel on the internet and find this book to be just as good, if not better, than her typical standard of brilliant writing! She just has a flow that makes you not want to put it down. Pastoral is just such a great book!

Rating:
Summary: a beautiful book
Review: I stayed up half the night to finish reading this novel the day I received it. Considering how much I read, that doesn't happen often.

The characters are refreshingly unique, especially the naive yet wise-beyond-his-years Alex. The entire tone of the writing is light and optimistic - something hard pressed to find in most gay literature. Pastoral is a sweet story of love and coming of age in the '80s that's actually money well spent.

I sincerely hope this author manages to publish more of her work in the future.

Rating:
Summary: A gem!
Review: This is a warm and lovely story of a young man's quest for independence, friendship and love. And Alex does find it all after much struggles depicted by hilarious yet touching and heart warming moments. Lorena Manuel is a fine and luminous writer, each of her characters vivid and distinct. It is so easy to like Alex. His lover, mother and sister are endearing too. I look forward to Miss Manuel's next effort.

Rating:
Summary: a beautiful book
Review: What a very intriguing book! I had been seeing this book [...] for some time, but for unknown reasons, kept putting off buying it. I can now vouch that my delay in getting this book only served to delay the full enjoyment of this author's great work.

I must say, the detail in this book is perfect! I was able to fully picture the studio apartment Alex lived in, to the courtyard area that housed the monthly bar-b-que's at his complex.

I also fully enjoyed the dialogue that took place between all the characters, especially between both Alex and his mother, and Alex and his very humorous friends. The adding of the overly religious, know-it-all.but actually know-nothing, yet always reciting from the Bible - Aunt, made me continually roll my eyes as I could picture it perfectly. Even I was yelling at the book for someone to tell the Aunt to SHUT UP!!!! Hahaha.

This book display's that there's a sweetness in the story that I find refreshing--that's probably due to Alex's innocence in being out in the real world for the first time. There are numerous political references that come out, but they are overshadowed by (I think) the more interesting bits like his realization that lust and love are two different things. All the references to obscure eighties songs are enough to scare the pants off anybody who came of age at that time,

All in all, this book is total fun! Overall, a very good book from a promising new writer. I totally look forward to reading many more works from her.