3 out of 4 stars
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Letters by Zachary Ryan is a LGBT-themed, coming-of-age story focused on the relationship between two men, Chase and Brady. As the title implies, the narrator and main character, Chase, tells the story in the form of letters written to Brady.
Letters is not a happy book. It is about Chase, just barely a man in his twenties, and how he struggles through his life and sexuality and relationships, how he interacts with the people around him, and how he grows as a person, even if he doesn’t want to. In his letters to Brady, Chase also reflects on his actions, his decisions, and how life - to him - works.
When Chase first moved to Chicago with his best friend, Julia, and got a job at a bar, Strike, to find his own way and fulfill his dreams, things seemed pretty good despite his doubts. He managed to make new friends, and experimented sexually with other men. However, when Chase and Brady engaged in an affair that harmed not only themselves, but also the people around them, things only became worse, especially when Chase got tired of being second to Brady’s girlfriend, Alison. Inevitably, as all things did, their relationship came to an end - in one of the worst ways possible.
When I first read the blurb for Letters, I had hopes for it. I wasn’t disappointed. Letters was one hell of a emotional roller coaster, and was just a track away from being considered dark (if it wasn't already) - and I absolutely loved it. I liked how the sexual scenes were not overly explicit, so that I could focus on the important things. I also loved the characters, how they were all so humane with their flawed characters and judgement and mistakes. In the letters from Chase to Brady, the author weaved a realistically grimy heart-wrenching tale of friendship, love, and betrayal.
However, I am only going to give Letters 3 out of 4 stars, because as much as I love Chase (flaws and all), he came very close to becoming the kind of fatally stupid main character readers would like to strangle. In fact, I’m pretty sure Chase crossed the line between being stubborn and fatally stupid a few times, only to retreat, and do it all over again. This was evident in the fact that Chase repeatedly spurned good advice from and his best friends - which, ironically, were given by him to his best friends in the first place. It - I'm referring to Chase being continually, monumentally hypocritical and stupid - also caused quite a number of what I feel were repetitions in the plot.
Nevertheless, Letters was worth every minute spent reading it, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read about complex, disastrous love stories that somehow still gives the reader a valuable lesson filled with hope for the future.
******
Letters
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