Review of Frustrating Fascination
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Justine Ocsebio
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Review of Frustrating Fascination
[Following is a volunteer review of "Frustrating Fascination" by Debra Mckenzie.]
Frustrating Fascination by Debra Mckenzie is a novel that explores the life of Sean, a forty-five-year-old department store manager who despises the LGBT community. He's uncomfortable dealing with a transgender person at work, and the thought of a same-sex relationship is simply abhorrent, especially when his wife cheated on him with another woman. One day, upon purchasing an antique mirror from a local shop, a strange occurrence happened. Sean somehow finds himself in an alternate reality where all his animosity against queers starts to dissipate. After reconnecting with an old friend from the army, Sean finds himself questioning his own sexuality.
The book portrays the sad and brutal experiences of members of the LGBT community. Sean, the main character, is at the center of the story. In the beginning, he embodies discriminatory attitudes towards gay people. Using the first-person perspective, the reader obtains access to the thought processes of an angry and resentful homophobe. I really liked how the author handled such a narrative. The reader bears witness to an amazing character development where hostility warps into confusion and turns into acceptance. Everything just feels real and believable, and this is what I like the most about the book. I also like the touch of fantasy in the story. I commend such unique and creative storytelling.
I also like the sweet and tender touch of romance, especially when it involves the idea of embracing your truth and following your heart's desire. It involves dancing with your partner in the middle of a crowded room without a care in the world. It makes the reading experience delightful because it feels so romantic and poignant.
The author writes using a relatively simple language. I like how she conveys the themes poignantly without much flowery language or paragraphs worth of exposition. One cannot easily be bored of this book because of it. This is a very short novel, just enough to provide a quick fictional escape.
The remarkable character development and the poignant themes of this book make Frustrating Fascination deserving of 5 out of 5 stars. I don't have anything negative to mention. I only found a few errors, which made me believe that the book went through professional editing. If you like novels dealing with same-sex relationships filled with drama and romance, this is worth a read. If you are into stories exploring gender-related themes, this book is exactly what you're looking for.
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Frustrating Fascination
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Frustrating Fascination by Debra Mckenzie is a novel that explores the life of Sean, a forty-five-year-old department store manager who despises the LGBT community. He's uncomfortable dealing with a transgender person at work, and the thought of a same-sex relationship is simply abhorrent, especially when his wife cheated on him with another woman. One day, upon purchasing an antique mirror from a local shop, a strange occurrence happened. Sean somehow finds himself in an alternate reality where all his animosity against queers starts to dissipate. After reconnecting with an old friend from the army, Sean finds himself questioning his own sexuality.
The book portrays the sad and brutal experiences of members of the LGBT community. Sean, the main character, is at the center of the story. In the beginning, he embodies discriminatory attitudes towards gay people. Using the first-person perspective, the reader obtains access to the thought processes of an angry and resentful homophobe. I really liked how the author handled such a narrative. The reader bears witness to an amazing character development where hostility warps into confusion and turns into acceptance. Everything just feels real and believable, and this is what I like the most about the book. I also like the touch of fantasy in the story. I commend such unique and creative storytelling.
I also like the sweet and tender touch of romance, especially when it involves the idea of embracing your truth and following your heart's desire. It involves dancing with your partner in the middle of a crowded room without a care in the world. It makes the reading experience delightful because it feels so romantic and poignant.
The author writes using a relatively simple language. I like how she conveys the themes poignantly without much flowery language or paragraphs worth of exposition. One cannot easily be bored of this book because of it. This is a very short novel, just enough to provide a quick fictional escape.
The remarkable character development and the poignant themes of this book make Frustrating Fascination deserving of 5 out of 5 stars. I don't have anything negative to mention. I only found a few errors, which made me believe that the book went through professional editing. If you like novels dealing with same-sex relationships filled with drama and romance, this is worth a read. If you are into stories exploring gender-related themes, this book is exactly what you're looking for.
******
Frustrating Fascination
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Phone Calls: Love and Money by Bela Feketekuty
