Rating: 
Summary: A more skeptical view
Review: I was intrigued by the desert setting of this book. Having spent time wandering around Joshua Tree Nat. Mon., my imagination was afire with what it would be like with a lover of the outdoors. My experience was (sadly) very different.Kendrick's descriptions were wonderful; but the boredom of the rest of the book was disappointing. Fiction is supposed to be larger than life; but only pornography dwells so much on sex (whether visual or descriptive). The whole situation of two boys having privacy everywhere they went is very much fantasy!! The book is so taken up with safe sex (did we have to read about every condom being unraveled onto a penis) and "coming out". Obviously Kendrick has a preoccupation with these matters. Yes the former is important; but oh so labored to the point of boredom. Just think - a heterosexual love story would not include daily descriptions of the female downing a contraceptive pill. Kendrick devoted a paragraph to this ritual time and again - and of course there was always one available. "Coming Out"... we are creating a generation of parnanoid teens who think they must "come out" before they are 18. No wonder there are so many mixed up kids in the world. Sure it's a great place to be in your life; but its not such an issue that it has to happen before you are 19!!! To have this delightful teen dealing with issues of identity, vocation and sexuality - he must have been a genius.
Let's face it; kids of this age (of any orientation) barely know their sexuality let alone the truth about a love life or a vocation. Yes, it was a good read; but take out the overrated love scenes and it would be a much reduced book size; yet still a good novel. Without the sizzle it wouldn't fizzle. Kendrick has good writing ability; but let's not go so far to say it is great! A gay novel shouldn't have to be so vivid at the expense of plot.
Sorry Dorothy; but we're not in Kansas anymore!
Rating: 
Summary: Dudes in an Arid Wasteland
Review: I'm being kinder than I should with the stars, but there are worse books than this and Amazon doesn't allow half stars, so I'll give it a full two. Somewhere in this book is a sweet little 180 page story of first love and coming of age and I really like that stuff. Unfortunately the story runs twice that thanks to redundancies, excessive wordiness, and superfluous details and scenes that just plain don't matter or contribute much to the flow of things. The characters are standard (the usual studly guys) and the situations are predictable. Sexual content is high but not particularly interesting or done with much imagination, (...). There are a few emotional moments that ring true and elements of high humor, but they are just too few and far between to make it worth while. Except for the standard black-and-white prop characters, everyone these guys meet pretty much agree that their relationship is cool and accepts. Well, that's a nice idea, and I wish the real world was like that, but I don't live in that alternate universe. Wish I did. After hearing a lot of good things about this book I bought Desert and its sequel, Into This World We're Thrown, at the same time in early September '03 and began this one immediately. Picking it up since then when I've had nothing better to do, I finished it in March '04. I will never so much as crack the binding on the sequel. This is a new edition, and you'd think someone would take the time to edit it properly. No one has. Typos, basic grammar problems, usage errors and all those well-known homonym screw ups riddle the text along with just plain amateurish writing. Desert Sons is one of the reasons self-publish books are blown off as not worth the price. The author maintains a web site with some good information.
Rating: 
Summary: dialogue dialogue dialogue
Review: If you're into reading page upon page upon page upon page of nothing but dialogue...party on. But 5 stars, come on people!
Rating: 
Summary: A riveting read
Review: In Desert Sons, Mark Kendrick has provided all the ingredients of a good book: solid characterization, a compelling story, and a skillful evocation of place. The two main characters, Scott Faraday and Ryan St. Charles, come alive as typical teens, going through that awkward phase when maturity and immaturity are so precariously combined. Scott represents the bright face of adolescence, while Ryan represents its darker, more troubled face. It is the meeting of these two boys, and of the romance that develops between them, which provides the main tension of the story. All this takes place against the background of Kendrick's splendid descriptions of the southern California deserts and the northern California forests. All in all, Desert Sons is a wonderful read, realistic and moving. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding character-driven novel
Review: In reading Mark Kendrick's first novel, I often forgot about the plot, not because it didn't interest me, but because Kendrick succeeds so incredibly at bringing readers deep into the minds and hearts of his two main characters: Ryan and Scott. Of course, the various conflicts creep back into the narrative, causing new problems for these believable and complicated teenagers. Both boys are still coming to terms with their sexual orientation, while trying to understand their intense love for each other. Kendrick never shies away from the sexual preoccupation of these teen lovers, but he also never shies away from their fear of prejudice and rejection. Kendrick also writes science fiction, and it will be interesting to see if he can deliver the same character-driven novels in that genre as in this admirable example of gay fiction.
Rating:
Summary: A sexy, gay-teen love story that tugs the heart
Review: It's a real pleasure to read about a level-headed, likeable gay teen like Scott Faraday in DESERT SONS, who celebrates being gay and expects others in his world to celebrate with him. When he meets a troubled teen by the name of Ryan St. Charles, Scott is challenged, not only to like the guy, but eventually to bring him out. This first novel by Mark Kendrick hints at a maturity of style rare in many first novels. The characters are well conceived and presented in depth. The story seems simple at first, but always in the background is the depth of the problems that Ryan must work through as his friendship with Scott grows. There is real growth of character, here, presented in unabashedly erotic and emotional scenes. Kendrick has a real gift of description of the desert and the forests of northern California, as well, which plays an important role in making the story vibrant and sensuous. Simply a good read. --Ronald L. Donaghe, author of THE BLIND SEASON
Rating:
Summary: An amazing and rare find
Review: Mark Kendrick has pulled off something amazing with the release of his first book. The story centers on Scott Faraday, a gay teen who has never been in a relationship and is out to a few friends, and Ryan St. Charles, who has been in a rocky relationship and who struggles with whether or not he is really gay. The narrative alternates between the points of view of each of the boys and offers an original spin and a chance to see things from each of their perspectives. As their friendship develops into something exciting it reveals some of Ryan's past which is both scary and tragic without being melodramatic or predictable. There is the past relationship, suicide attempts, former abuse, and loads of denial that the boys must work thru. One of the truly amazing things about this book is the authors descriptive skills...you will feel the heat of the desert and the coolness of the rain as you read. You will lose yourself in the story of these two young men. Part of the magic is that at alternate times in your life you have been each of these boys. You have felt what they feel and understand what they are going thru. You will be pulling for them at each turn. This is a great coming out and finding your way in the world book. Some authors think these themes require an "event book". Something that is larger than life and sadly mostly unbelievable. This book find the balance that is not only exciting but believable as well. From the dialogue to the descriptions this author has given the world a rare treat. Don't miss this one. You will be begging for more by the end and will be hard pressed to find another book on the subject that is half as good.
Rating:
Summary: A "Must Read" for everyone
Review: Mark Kendrick writes so well that it’s hard to believe “Desert Sons” is his first novel. My curiosity was intrigued from the very first chapter and I read on just dying to know what had happened between Ryan and Crawford. The truth wasn’t revealed until near the end of the novel, and the suspense added a beautiful touch to an endearing story. (...) Scott is witty, charming, funny, and oh so sexy. Ryan has a darker side than Scott, but his complexities and tragic past make him a fascinating character. I don’t want to give away any of the story, but the developing relationship between Scott and Ryan is one that kept me reading and reading. (...) “Desert Sons” is a realistic portrayal of gay youth. Scott and Ryan are “real” boys, with real problems, and needs. The steamy and frequent sex scenes make the novel inappropriate for younger readers, but are entirely realistic. The sex scenes aren’t just thrown in to entice readers. They belong there. The story would not be complete without them. The imagery is so sensual and sexual that the novel is worth reading just for their sake. If the sex was deleted from “Desert Sons”, it would still be a story that I’d recommend to anyone. This is a novel that works on more than one level. (...) “Desert Sons” is a definite “must read”. It’s become one of my favorite novels of all time and I recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Bland tale of two teens
Review: Most middle school students could write better than this. Not only is there little real conflict, but the author contradicts himself from one paragraph to the next. His grammar and usage are poor, and about half of the book is taken up by graphic depictions of sex acts; this wouldn't be so bad if it were handled by a more skilled writer--one, say, who realized the reader wouldn't be interested in knowing that the boys used aloe gel for lube. There are so many outstanding gay coming-of-age novels that one wastes his time reading this tedious, long-winded, poorly-written one.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This book is absolutely wonderful. I was astounded at the writer's ability to keep his reader's attention. I am not an avid reader, I read this book in 2 days! I refused to put it down. There is also a sequel to this book called "Into this world we're thrown" that reveals more of the ups and downs in these young gay teens' lives. I read the sequel in one day. My only advice with regards to purchasing this book, is to purchase the sequel at the same time. Otherwise you will regret having to wait for the other book to come in. Mark Kendrick wrote two amazing books. I hope to find more great books that he has written. I highly recommend reading these books, especially if you are just coming to terms with your sexuality.
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