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Summary: Review of "Do You Know That I Love You: Boyband" by Cheri
Review: "Do You Know That I Love You" by Mark A. Roeder is the book for you if you are in the mood for a fast-paced, exciting, love story about an ordinary boy, Ralph, and his obsession for a famous rock star, Jordan. Ralph lives on a farm in Indiana and he is madly, passionately, and deeply in love with the lead singer and keyboardist of the rock group, Phantom. Jordan is a talented rock star who loves his music, cares about his fans and feels blessed that he gets to do what he loves best, writing and performing his music. He is also a lonely boy with a secret. Jordan loves his life but sometimes he wishes he could live a normal life like other boys his age.Who hasn't fantasized about meeting a favorite star? And what could be better than not only meeting him but getting to spend time with him as well? Not many of us have realized our dreams of meeting our idols, but it is fun to read about and imagine it happening to us. Mark Roeder is so good at putting readers in the character's shoes. Not only is this book a page turner, as you want to find out what happens to Ralph and Jordan, but it offers an inside look of how a rock band lives while on tour. It is the star's version of traveling from city to city, endless scheduling of press conferences, photo shoots and autograph signing. It is not as glamorous as it seems to the hoards of screaming fans. Roeder also tells the story through a fan's perspective and takes us along for the ride. It is an exciting ride for those who have had dreams of being famous themselves or of meeting their favorite star. I have had some pretty serious crushes in my life on actors I thought were amazing and I wanted desperately to meet. So when Ralph does meet Jordan after the Phantom concert, I had no trouble knowing exactly how he felt. This book is much more than a love story; it is a self-help book for members of the gay community who suffer from low self esteem and self doubt because of the negative opinions of much of society. Roeder hopes to teach our youth to love and accept themselves. He cites excellent examples of famous gays who have contributed greatly to society, so that they may feel better about themselves. The many gay people who have used their fame to make a difference in this world by coming out has significantly helped other gays feel better about themselves. The time has come for heterosexuals to give homosexuals the credit they deserve and to treat them with the same respect and afford them the same rights as straight people. Roeder said it best when he wrote, "Without the gay population, Western culture would not exist as we know it". Read "Do You Know That I Love You?" You will be glad you did as Roeder has more than a few surprises for his fans. I have read many books I felt would make a good move but trust me when I say this book would make a great movie. Get me Harvey Weinstien of Miramax on the phone.
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Summary: A very sweet fantasy come true, plus a helping of wisdom
Review: Come on, admit it now: don't you sometimes long to dive into a book about being gay where everything just turns out right and everyone's dreams come true? Want to crack the cover on a novel that you can't put down because of the warm feeling you have inside and that leaves a big, goofy grin on your face? Well, Roeder's "Do You Know That I Love You?" is definitely that kind of book. It's meant to be a total fantasy and "feel good" work. We get to see a relationship develop between two boys that should never have happened at all in "real life". Through an almost miraculous concatenation of circumstances-even freely admitted to as fantastic by the book's characters-boy meets boy, and everything works out in this best of all possible worlds. Ralph is an isolated gay teen in small-town Indiana who is the number one fan of boyband "Phantom"-and especially its lead singer Jordan, on whom he has a huge adolescent crush. Ralph must certainly be living right, because one thing leads to another and he literally bumps into Jordan following a concert. It just goes on from there... However, don't just dismiss this book as a piece of fluff. Believe it or not, it deals with some pretty important issues such as gay teens' need for positive role models, the consequences of "coming out" when you're in the public spotlight and the miscommunication and heartache surrounding infidelity. The main characters even come up with some rather wise ways of dealing with these and other problems, but do so convincingly. Roeder manages to sneak in some great chestnuts like "I've heard that when you die, you don't regret the things you did, you regret the things you didn't do" [Ralph, pg. 17]. Some might feel that the two teenage protagonists are sometimes far too mature in their points of view, understanding and even voice, but so what-this is a fantasy, right? Even if you feel that way, you can't help but admit that the characters still develop and act naturally. All that, and they're extremely likeable too. Since "Do You Know That I Love You" is part of the continuing saga of Verona, Indiana, there are some appearances of characters from previous books in the "Gay Youth Chronicles" series. There are even some interesting "A Ha!" moments and an awesome connection to the past through Jordan. If you're an aficionado of Roeder's series, then you'll love this book. If you're new to his works, this one will certainly stand alone, but you'll get a lot of additional enjoyment if you've read the other four novels leading up to this one. The complete Gay Youth Chronicles series currently comprises six volumes (The Soccer Field is Empty, Someone is Watching, A Better Place, Someone is Killing the Gay Boys of Verona, Do You Know That I Love You?, and Keeper of Secrets); I would wholeheartedly suggest you purchase and read ALL of them, and in the above order. My only criticism (and word of caution, if you're particularly anal-retentive) is that like most P.O.D. books, there are many grammatical and typographical errors to be found within these pages. However, if that kind of thing deters you from reading this charming and uplifting book, then you're the one shortchanging yourself. Suspend your proofreader's eye along with your disbelief, sit back and thoroughly enjoy yourself!
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Summary: Unlikely That You Know That I Love You
Review: First, you have to get past the fact that the premise of this book is wildly, over the top, off the charts unlikely, implausible, unbelievable: Marky Mark falls for pudgy Indiana farm boy. Then there's the Boeing 747 that flies from Evansville to Chicago...please! Then there's the cover illustration that makes the star character look more like Secretariat than the hunk described within. Then there's the fact that iUniverse, the publisher, still is understaffed with editors and proofreaders, based on the number of spelling and grammatical mistakes, plus the author's irritating tendency to use "that" in place of "who". Once you get past all of that ... this is actually a cute story. Read it for a few hours of enjoyment, learn a bit about life on the road for a rock band, nod knowingly at the difficulties of coming out and keep looking for more sex than the one and only hot line on the 321 pages.
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Summary: Unlikely That You Know That I Love You
Review: First, you have to get past the fact that the premise of this book is wildly, over the top, off the charts unlikely, implausible, unbelievable: Marky Mark falls for pudgy Indiana farm boy. Then there's the Boeing 747 that flies from Evansville to Chicago...please! Then there's the cover illustration that makes the star character look more like Secretariat than the hunk described within. Then there's the fact that iUniverse, the publisher, still is understaffed with editors and proofreaders, based on the number of spelling and grammatical mistakes, plus the author's irritating tendency to use "that" in place of "who". Once you get past all of that ... this is actually a cute story. Read it for a few hours of enjoyment, learn a bit about life on the road for a rock band, nod knowingly at the difficulties of coming out and keep looking for more sex than the one and only hot line on the 321 pages.
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Summary: Pretty good story
Review: I bought this book because it was recommended by Amazon, and I was in the mood for something light. As literature, it really doesn't merit more than 3 stars, but it does make up for its stylistic problems, repetitive ideas, and didactic passages with its earnestness. It is a basically sweet story, young romance, coming of age, coming out! The characters are likable enough. The book itself would have benefitted from some better editing, because a) adults will possibly read it, b) teens should be given better quality material, c) the story has merit. Plus, this story deserves to be told well.
I think this book would be a good basis for a teen romance movie. If they could present the gay stuff honestly, the Disney studio of this millennium could probably turn this into a hit film. And one that really needs to be done by American filmmakers, who all but ignore the fact that gay teens & young adults exist in forms other than comic relief, tragic victim, or good-natured sidekick. Europeans & Canadians do the adolescent gay movie so much better than we do.
So, all in all, not a bad book, not a great one. But with a story that could carry importance, especially since there are probably quite a few real people that are represented in these fictional characters.
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Summary: Tears, Tears, Tears
Review: I could not stop weeping at the beauty of this book. I have read all of Mark's books, and watch his website for more fothcoming novels. I have sent in scores of emails wanting these books to be longer, longer longer as I don't want the stories to end. For a gay male who did not come out until my 20's these books are helping me understand the plights of our LGBT youth in high schools, small towns and all over america. I thank mark for his works - and hope that he can one day - write as fast as I can read!
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Summary: Do You Know I Love You
Review: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! ...
This tells the very fictional story of a rock Band known as Phantom. Jordan, Ross and Keiran, all are very likable teenage rock stars. It is such wonderful fantasy. I think a lot of teen boys dream of being rock stars. I know I did. This book makes me want to be a teenager again. Not really, IT WAS WAY TO HARD.
Ralph, who lives on a farm is one of the biggest Phantom fans on earth. He is secretly in love with Jordan. Their accidental meeting starts one of the sweetest love stories I've ever read. It does have it's ups and down though so expect some tears. Jordan, has to face loosing his career, if his secret is revealed. Will Ralph's and Jordan's love survive the pressures of celebrety? Will Jordan loose everything he has worked for? How will Ross and Kieran handle Jordan's and Ralph's secret. How will Ralph's parents and friends take the news about him? This is all fantasy here. In this day and time, we need some fantasy. Read this book. You'll be glad you did. I am!! Oh by the way, this is just one of the books in the Gay Youth Chronicles. It's ok to read this without reading the others, but characters from those show up in this book. The reading experience is inhanced by knowing the depth of the connection of these earlier charaters.
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Summary: Don't Let the Subject Matter Fool You!
Review: I never once thought I would read a book about "boybands." So the idea that I might one day actually be praising such a book certainly never entered my head. But that was before I finished reading "Do You Know That I Love You." "Do You Know...," about a teenaged star in a very popular "boyband" and a very special admirer, had me hooked from the beginning. Of all Mr. Roeder's books, it was the one that I felt least drawn to purchase based on the general setting. In fact, I only bought and read it because Mr. Roeder's other books have been so darned good. And I needed a "fix" before "The Soccer Field Is Empty" arrives. I shudder when I think what I would have been missing if I had let my "literary prejudices" prevail. If, like me, you have any concerns about a story dealing with "boybands," I urge you: Chuck them out the window *now* and read this book! Not only is the subject of "boybands" handled in such a way that even someone as skeptical as I can thoroughly enjoy it, but the characters and situations that develop as the story unfolds are even more engrossing than one usually expects from an entry in The Gay Youth Chronicles. (At least, *I* think they are.) Without giving anything away, there is also a tie-in to the other stories that had me in tears. I was sure there would be some sort of link, but when I found out what it was, I was taken completely by surprise. So, if anyone has been putting off reading DYK for any silly reason, as I had, please do yourself a huge favour and get the book. You'll be missing a fabulous adventure and one of the best love stories ever if you don't.
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Summary: Amateurish Effort -- but has its uplifting moments
Review: I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, the author's amateurish style, along with the book's numerous typos, make it a very tough read. I get the impression Roeder knocked this book out in a couple of months; what he needed desperately was a good editor and a dictionary -- not necessarily in that order. And there's no resemblance between what happens in this book and what goes on in the real behind-the-scenes world of rock and pop, at least not in 2001. The author sets up a fairly unbelievable scenario in which an ordinary kid from Indiana (Roeder's home state) essentially meets a Taylor Hanson-esque lead singer of a 3-man rock group. Lapses in logic, misspellings, and a meandering style -- plus Roeder's infuriating style of alternating each chapter with a different character's viewpoint -- really make this thing hard to take. There's also very little conflict and drama, making it read like a long, drawn-out gay episode of DAWSON'S CREEK. Even worse, there's damned little sex in the thing. Subtlety is one thing, but you'd think that two healthy guys in their late teens who obviously love each other would at least attempt some safe sex here and there. But the author postpones the sex until very, very late in the story, and when it does happen, we get about one paragraph and zip -- that's it. But what I will say is, the overwhelming message of the book is very positive, and the characters -- despite being very cliched and simplistic -- are very sweet. Maybe today's kids need a book like this to give them an uplifiting message. I give this one a very reluctant recommendation, and warn potential readers this thing is not the slam-dunk indicated by the other reviews above. Roeder's previous books are arguably better, particularly SOMEONE'S WATCHING.
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Summary: you GOTTA buy this book
Review: I won't summarize the plot - several other reviewers have done an excellent job of that. But the story is so romantically unbelievable (world famous rock singer meets his biggest fan - they fall in love - YEA RIGHT!!!) that I didn't think I would like it. But as you read it, you get so drawn in that you totally suspend disbelief, and Mark Roeder has you believe that it could happen. I lost a whole night of sleep because I couldn't put this book down. I had to find out how the characters ended up. I loved the revelation of the identity of Jordan and how he ties in to the previous books in the series. Definitely one of my favorite books. And I'm anxiously waiting for Mark's next book, "Keeper of Secrets".
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