Dreaming Home - Lucian Childs

⭐ 7.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

So this is a book written by a man I met out here at a writer's meetup. He was really terrific, and just got published (by Biblioasis no less!) so I had to pick up his novel.

Weview is a safe space, right? He'll never see this? Let's just say it's not reeeeeally my thing. It's a queer coming of age story, and I loved a lot about it, but it contains quite of bit of pretty graphic sexual content and I had a tough time getting through it. It just felt like sex was at the center of everything, and even when it wasn't about sex it still felt like it. Everyone is described by their attractiveness, the tightness of their clothes, the shapeliness of their figure, the size of their muscles. I feel like knowing the author hurt in this regard cuz it just felt a little... strange.

That said, I still enjoyed quite a bit. The format is really cool, basically taking 5 or 6 snapshots of a man's life, mostly through other's perspectives, from teenage years to older adulthood. It was cool to get a taste of different decades. I really enjoyed the first chapter and the 70s references from a preteen girl.

There was also some nice writing here, and a pretty effective final chapter. I chatted with Lucian afterwards, on his process and how he poured his experiences into it, and it made me want to love it more. But overall, I finished it in a week (it's pretty short) and found it quite readable. I totally recommend it for those who are less prudish than me, especially because the author is an awesome guy and deserves to have his book read.