Enter your search terms Submit search form   Web www.obsidianbookshelf.com

Stepping Up to the Plate
by J. M. Snyder

In Petersburg, Virginia the humid nights hit you like "a hot sponge in the face" (p.188).  Stacy Evans is a restless 16 year-old who once pitched junior varsity baseball.  Now he's about to flunk out of school.  Not a bad kid, he nevertheless gets in constant fights – often over his girlish name.

He has three older friends:  Colin, a cable guy, and Lamar and Ange (Angelo) who work at an auto repair shop.  They like to drive around, get drunk or stoned, and screw around with each other. Refreshingly, their gay sex is a total nonissue: it's just something they do.

Also a nonissue: their race.  Stacy is white, Colin and Lamar are black, and Ange is Hispanic/black.  No one cares. Here's a gorgeous description of Ange from page 12:  "… his skin the summery color of damp beach sand." Lamar is controlling and mean, but Ange cares for Stacy and they have sex whenever they can get away from Lamar who regards Stacy as his property.

When our story opens, Stacy drops out of school. His mother, exhausted from days at WalMart and nights waiting tables, is not pleased.  But his hostile stepfather Cal chortles over his decision.  Frustrated by Cal's contempt, Stacy leaves home as well. He heads down to the liquor store to phone his friends to come get him.

He considers calling Ange with whom he would love to be "exclusive." But something holds him back:  what will the others say? So he calls Lamar. It's a fateful decision. He ends up ensconced in Lamar's crummy apartment, sharing Lamar's grimy futon, and working at the auto-repair shop. Four years later, Stacy turns twenty and nothing has changed. 

Stacy still draws a meager paycheck though he has no talent for car repair.  He still shares Lamar's futon.  He still has a wistful crush on Ange for whom he's never made a play because … well, Lamar would have a fit. Stacy does enjoy talking about Ange to make Lamar jealous.

Every few days Stacy drifts over to WalMart to catch up with his mother on her cigarette break.  One day she challenges him to earn his General Equivalency Diploma:  she's saved $500 and enrolled him in the program.   After arguing with her, he agrees to step up to the plate.

He regrets his decision on registration day as dreary memories engulf him. But then he meets Darian Drucker, a charismatic black man who teaches woodshop. Charming 28 year-old Darian is full of life and laughter.  Plus, he's big and strong and handsome. He invites Stacy to sign up for his class. Stacy falls so hard for Darian that he even forgets about Ange.  

Starved for attention, Stacy soaks up everything Darian has to teach.  To his surprise, he gets good at woodshop, and does fairly well with the GED coursework.  He stays after class every day to help Darian tidy up.  The two of them exchange some amusingly spicy banter. Is Darian interested in him? Stacy's instincts tell him yes.  But then he uncovers evidence that Darian might have a wife and kids!  

Here at ObsidianBookshelf.com, I love complex, appealing characters. This is good because Stepping Up to the Plate contains strong characters and a somewhat weak plot.  The conflict centers on whether or not Stacy will leave Lamar (and risk Lamar blowing a gasket); and whether or not Stacy will ask Darian if he's available (and risk rejection).  It takes Stacy forever to act, and though I know he has low self-esteem, at times this feels contrived. 

With such a small conflict, Stepping Up to the Plate is longer than it needs to be.  It's really a sweet love story with a smattering of hot sex scenes and some good characterization.  At a taut, streamlined 200 pages, it would have felt just right.  At 408 pages, it's too stretched out. It never feels boring because you're in Stacy's close third-person viewpoint, and Stacy is an interesting kid.  But it's a lot of slice-of-life for 408 pages (for example, it takes ten pages to describe registration day).  At the end, you realize that not much happened.

But I do recommending Stepping Up to the Plate, even if the plot is slight.  First, the author has a wonderful feel for dialog. The flirtatious exchanges between Stacy and Darian had me laughing.  Also good are the pitch-perfect conversations between Stacy and his three friends. You forget you're reading a book.  Instead, you're hanging out on the corner in the American South, listening to four young guys shooting the breeze. 

Second, our two leads are so appealing.  Stacy in particular is an intriguing mix of good and bad traits:  smart, frustrated, funny, rebellious, flirtatious, and a bit manipulative. In less skillful hands, he could have come off as a whiny slacker. Here, he is a real live wire in spite of his believable confusion and low self-esteem. Darian is also a good character even though he doesn't get a viewpoint.  He radiates warmth and immense vitality.  You care about these characters and you want them to be happy.  I definitely plan to read more from this talented author in the future.

Relevant Links: Contemporary Fiction Which One of Two Lovers Did I Like Best and Why? Author site of J. M. Syder The Bonds of Love by J. M. Snyder Stepping Up to the Plate is available on Amazon:   Stepping Up to the Plate

homoerotic fiction slash fan fiction self-publishing writers homoerotic writing gay fiction homoerotic themes gay fiction writers yaoi book publicity creative writing gay mysteries homoerotic gay fantasy book reviews gay literature gay self-publishing historical fiction slash book writing homosexual book reviews slash gay novels creative writing gay books gay erotica literary criticism gay slash yaoi science fiction publishing book reviews print on demand books reviews slash gay romances writing books gay publishing gay love book reviews gay characters writing gay lovers homosexual gay writing slash books love gay romance writing book yaoi reviews self publishing love creative writing homoerotic yaoi gay literary criticism books self publishing erotica books slash homoerotic fiction slash fan fiction self-publishing writers homoerotic writing gay fiction homoerotic themes gay fiction writers yaoi book publicity creative writing gay mysteries homoerotic gay fantasy book reviews gay literature gay self-publishing historical fiction slash book writing homosexual book reviews slash gay novels creative writing gay books gay erotica literary criticism gay slash yaoi science fiction publishing book reviews print on demand books reviews slash gay romances writing books gay publishing gay love book reviews homoerotic fiction slash fan fiction self-publishing writers homoerotic writing gay fiction homoerotic themes gay fiction writers yaoi book publicity creative writing gay mysteries homoerotic gay fantasy book reviews gay literature gay self-publishing historical fiction slash book writing homosexual book reviews slash gay novels creative writing gay books gay erotica literary criticism gay slash yaoi science fiction publishing book reviews print on demand books reviews slash gay romances writing books gay publishing gay love book reviews books reviews slash gay romances writing books gay publishing gay love book reviewsbooks reviews slash gay romances writing books gay publishing gay love book reviews