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Don't Ask
Cat and Mike have been best friends forever, but freshman year of high school finds them growing apart. Cat proudly flies her freak flag; Mike tries to fade into the background. Cat checks out the gay pride group; Mike joins the military club. It's fall 2010, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell is still in effect. Mike likes that -- he doesn't want to ask or tell. While Mike falls in love with the military club's values of strength, honor, and courage, Cat falls in love with Calliope, an impossibly sophisticated sophomore girl. Her world is a roller coaster of grand gestures, romantic declarations, and messy, public drama. Mike is quieter with his feelings, but he's finding it harder and harder to deny them -- especially his crush on the guitar-playing new boy. The safety of DADT is beginning to feel more like a burden. Mike believes in courage, but who is the brave one? Can these two best friends, more alike than they know, find their way back together?
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2013
244 people want to read
About the author
Laura Hughes
3 booksSoftware developer by day, young adult author by night. First published at the age of eight through a writing and illustration contest for young authors.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 8, 2013
3.75 stars. Entertaining Scifi Romance. This story follows the crew of the Outcast as they drift from contract to contract, looking for a big payout so they can buy a bigger ship. The half-breed crew escaped from a planet (Akilia) whose inhabitants are dying. The inhabitants experimented with breeding among other off-world species to cure their diseases but the half-breeds (ku-tah) survived while the original inhabitants continued to die off.
The captain, Prez, hires a new co-pilot (Lan) from the planet Aldor where the people are telepathic and have very different and traditional ideas about sex and love. Lan is like a fish out of water as he learns to fit in with the rambunctious, irreverent and lusty crew.
The author is in no hurry to get the two MC's together. Nor is he in a hurry to consummate their eventual union. Instead, much of the emphasis is on the adventures the crew have, their bond, and their unhappy ties to their old planet, Akilia. There are some sex scenes in the beginning of the book between the MC's and other characters, but they don't feel off because they are integral to the story and anyway the two MC's are not together or feeling any real attraction to each other at that stage. Even though their relationship is well described and is the catalyst for all the other things that happen in the story, I still felt as though the passion and love between Prez and Lan was lacking somewhat until the very last moment.
There are quite a few funny moments and characters. I loved Flack, the (temporary) spider, the trip where they had to deliver the 'untouched' princess, and the coming-full-circle feel of the 'home planet' they finally visit (this is where the origin of Prez's name is discovered). I felt a little uncomfortable when Prez's back-story came to light. His history with Garlo was dubious and sad.
This is a really interesting read for Scifi romance fans.
The captain, Prez, hires a new co-pilot (Lan) from the planet Aldor where the people are telepathic and have very different and traditional ideas about sex and love. Lan is like a fish out of water as he learns to fit in with the rambunctious, irreverent and lusty crew.
The author is in no hurry to get the two MC's together. Nor is he in a hurry to consummate their eventual union. Instead, much of the emphasis is on the adventures the crew have, their bond, and their unhappy ties to their old planet, Akilia. There are some sex scenes in the beginning of the book between the MC's and other characters, but they don't feel off because they are integral to the story and anyway the two MC's are not together or feeling any real attraction to each other at that stage. Even though their relationship is well described and is the catalyst for all the other things that happen in the story, I still felt as though the passion and love between Prez and Lan was lacking somewhat until the very last moment.
There are quite a few funny moments and characters. I loved Flack, the (temporary) spider, the trip where they had to deliver the 'untouched' princess, and the coming-full-circle feel of the 'home planet' they finally visit (this is where the origin of Prez's name is discovered). I felt a little uncomfortable when Prez's back-story came to light. His history with Garlo was dubious and sad.
This is a really interesting read for Scifi romance fans.
February 7, 2013
4 stars. Very interesting sci-fi/alien adventure with some romance thrown in. I enjoyed the world building and different cultures of alien species. The crew of Outcast was great, you could feel the bond between them. The main characters do have sex with other people in the beginning, but it wasn't a lot and furthered the romance along.
May 18, 2019
3.1 Stars
I read this 'cause I saw it on one of the Tentacles!YAY lists. And while I really liked the beginning of the story (despite the blink-and-you-miss-it tentacle!sex)...wow did this fall apart when it decided to get all cutesy or whatever by having the aliens not just wonder about this blue planet (Earth, obvs) or think about/remember their ancestors who might have come from here, but they actually decided to take a vacation and visit! YA...aay?? No. That's when this really interesting bit of social sciencey/ambiguous morality/tinkering with genetics scifi went off the rails. Plus, OMG, really? Prez is short for Presley? As in Elvis. Because that's where he disappeared to? I eye-rolled SO HARD at that I gave myself a headache and almost fell out of my chair.
(No I didn't put that behind a spoiler tag because it's stupid and I want to save anyone else who decides to read this from the idiocy so they can appreciate everything UNTIL that point...because until that point it was a solid 4 star read.)
Prez was kind of like Han + Jayne; how could I NOT love that? Plus, his origin story was heart-breaking (and a bit icky when you get to his previous "love" - even though it's painted as consensual, it's not). Lan's sexuality was especially interesting - even if it's sorta based on unexplained "magicky" kind of things when a simple explanation of "late puberty" would have sufficed - and OMG I LOLd at him suddenly having testicles but not knowing how to deal with them because they made his pants fit weird (and having fun with his new penis!)...but I wanted to know more of what happened with the princess. Did she conceive? I think that whole incident would have been better served if she had...
I read this 'cause I saw it on one of the Tentacles!YAY lists. And while I really liked the beginning of the story (despite the blink-and-you-miss-it tentacle!sex)...wow did this fall apart when it decided to get all cutesy or whatever by having the aliens not just wonder about this blue planet (Earth, obvs) or think about/remember their ancestors who might have come from here, but they actually decided to take a vacation and visit! YA...aay?? No. That's when this really interesting bit of social sciencey/ambiguous morality/tinkering with genetics scifi went off the rails. Plus, OMG, really? Prez is short for Presley? As in Elvis. Because that's where he disappeared to? I eye-rolled SO HARD at that I gave myself a headache and almost fell out of my chair.
(No I didn't put that behind a spoiler tag because it's stupid and I want to save anyone else who decides to read this from the idiocy so they can appreciate everything UNTIL that point...because until that point it was a solid 4 star read.)
Prez was kind of like Han + Jayne; how could I NOT love that? Plus, his origin story was heart-breaking (and a bit icky when you get to his previous "love" - even though it's painted as consensual, it's not). Lan's sexuality was especially interesting - even if it's sorta based on unexplained "magicky" kind of things when a simple explanation of "late puberty" would have sufficed - and OMG I LOLd at him suddenly having testicles but not knowing how to deal with them because they made his pants fit weird (and having fun with his new penis!)...but I wanted to know more of what happened with the princess. Did she conceive? I think that whole incident would have been better served if she had...
June 15, 2013
This review can be found at The Armchair Reader.
Prez is the captain of the cargo ship Outcast and in desperate need of a new co-pilot since his old one becomes temporarily unavailable. Lan from Aldor answers his prayers but while Prez is considered a freak even among all the aliens, Lan is the one with the mysterious heritage. When Prez gets a contract to deliver some secret cargo, Prez thinks he’s finally made it big. What none of them expected was for the cargo to cause a lot of problems for not just Prez but for Lan, as well.
The world this author painted was a fascinating thing. I loved the variety species, planets and how they were all different and unique. I gobbled that up because it was such an integral part to the story in relation to who and what Prez was but also because it was interesting to see how Prez was treated just because of what he was. I loved Prez most of the time because of his quirky sense of humor but Lan was probably my favorite. He’s like a robot almost that doesn’t understand Prez and the others but eventually finds not only friends in them but a home with them. I loved how different Lan was but I really wished there had been more focus on him and his world! More than that, Lan’s situation broke my heart. He was so confused at times and had to handle things on his own but the eventual outcome of his situation had me so sad, I almost cried! And, no, I won’t spoiler you on that!
While I loved the story and the world, I can’t deny that I got annoyed over the sex with other characters outside the MCs. Generally, I don’t like this but sometimes I can see the merit of it. In this case, there were more sex scenes between Prez and others from brothels than there was between Prez and Lan. Not only that but I didn’t feel the connection between Prez and Lan. There weren’t many feelings of love, admiration or even lust between them until the very, very end. Granted, Lan is asexual BUT I took offense to the fact that Prez was his mate yet some unknown princess took Lan’s virginity after Lan realizes his connection to Prez. It annoyed me more than anything else in the book did. With that said, there still wasn’t any middle ground between their friendship during the whole book to all of a sudden this love they have for each other by the end. It was confusing and didn’t feel like it fit with the story. Beyond that, some aspects of the world were confusing because the words were either not explained or some scenes that I felt like were vital were glossed over.
All in all, I felt like there was too much focus on others and their sex together but not enough on the actual couple, which really hindered the story. However, the journey Prez, Lan and their friends go on was a great adventure. I loved the universe and the unique species the author created because it made for not only a fun and enjoyable ride but for some funny moments as well. For those sci-fi fans out there, give this one a try because it does have a great setting.
Prez is the captain of the cargo ship Outcast and in desperate need of a new co-pilot since his old one becomes temporarily unavailable. Lan from Aldor answers his prayers but while Prez is considered a freak even among all the aliens, Lan is the one with the mysterious heritage. When Prez gets a contract to deliver some secret cargo, Prez thinks he’s finally made it big. What none of them expected was for the cargo to cause a lot of problems for not just Prez but for Lan, as well.
The world this author painted was a fascinating thing. I loved the variety species, planets and how they were all different and unique. I gobbled that up because it was such an integral part to the story in relation to who and what Prez was but also because it was interesting to see how Prez was treated just because of what he was. I loved Prez most of the time because of his quirky sense of humor but Lan was probably my favorite. He’s like a robot almost that doesn’t understand Prez and the others but eventually finds not only friends in them but a home with them. I loved how different Lan was but I really wished there had been more focus on him and his world! More than that, Lan’s situation broke my heart. He was so confused at times and had to handle things on his own but the eventual outcome of his situation had me so sad, I almost cried! And, no, I won’t spoiler you on that!
While I loved the story and the world, I can’t deny that I got annoyed over the sex with other characters outside the MCs. Generally, I don’t like this but sometimes I can see the merit of it. In this case, there were more sex scenes between Prez and others from brothels than there was between Prez and Lan. Not only that but I didn’t feel the connection between Prez and Lan. There weren’t many feelings of love, admiration or even lust between them until the very, very end. Granted, Lan is asexual BUT I took offense to the fact that Prez was his mate yet some unknown princess took Lan’s virginity after Lan realizes his connection to Prez. It annoyed me more than anything else in the book did. With that said, there still wasn’t any middle ground between their friendship during the whole book to all of a sudden this love they have for each other by the end. It was confusing and didn’t feel like it fit with the story. Beyond that, some aspects of the world were confusing because the words were either not explained or some scenes that I felt like were vital were glossed over.
All in all, I felt like there was too much focus on others and their sex together but not enough on the actual couple, which really hindered the story. However, the journey Prez, Lan and their friends go on was a great adventure. I loved the universe and the unique species the author created because it made for not only a fun and enjoyable ride but for some funny moments as well. For those sci-fi fans out there, give this one a try because it does have a great setting.
May 1, 2013
3.5
Don't Ask is contemporary young adult story of two best friends, Cat and Mike, who during their freshman year are growing apart. Ironically, one of the reasons to that is that both struggle with their sexuality. When Cat comes out of the closet she believes that Mike has turned his back on her when actually Mike is overwhelmed with his own problems, like would Windy tell everyone that Mike tried to kiss him? And while Cat makes new friends with gay and straight youth, Mike is desperate to hide his sexuality and starts gay bashing, only once and he regretted it but anyway. But in the end friendship wins.
I'm disappointed that we don't know how Mike's family reacted when he more or less come out, story because of it, in my opinion, was left unfinished.
But I was pleasantly surprised, how the author dealt with Cat and Mike’s crushes, maybe, I’m not reading enough young adult romance but I it was different from YA books I’ve read. No worries no one dies and it all ends OK. =)
The supporting characters are well written too, I especially liked Dina and Windy.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review
Don't Ask is contemporary young adult story of two best friends, Cat and Mike, who during their freshman year are growing apart. Ironically, one of the reasons to that is that both struggle with their sexuality. When Cat comes out of the closet she believes that Mike has turned his back on her when actually Mike is overwhelmed with his own problems, like would Windy tell everyone that Mike tried to kiss him? And while Cat makes new friends with gay and straight youth, Mike is desperate to hide his sexuality and starts gay bashing, only once and he regretted it but anyway. But in the end friendship wins.
I'm disappointed that we don't know how Mike's family reacted when he more or less come out, story because of it, in my opinion, was left unfinished.
But I was pleasantly surprised, how the author dealt with Cat and Mike’s crushes, maybe, I’m not reading enough young adult romance but I it was different from YA books I’ve read. No worries no one dies and it all ends OK. =)
The supporting characters are well written too, I especially liked Dina and Windy.
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review
December 17, 2017
This was wonderfully fun to read. I adored the creativity that went into creating the different planets and the different species of aliens--and their individual customs, traditions, rituals, and anatomy.
While I did get a kick out of those bits did feel significantly less special than the glimpses we were given into the other worlds and species. Maybe that's me reluctantly being a sci-fi purist snob?
Still fantastically fun and wonderfully creative.
Some Favorite Quotes:
accepting the facts and embracing what he had instead of missing what he didn't have, that was how he'd always tried to live.
"I am still becoming acquainted with my testicles. I will not allow Kai to rip them off."
It was all still beautiful, because it was the first beauty he had ever experienced.
While I did get a kick out of those bits did feel significantly less special than the glimpses we were given into the other worlds and species. Maybe that's me reluctantly being a sci-fi purist snob?
Still fantastically fun and wonderfully creative.
Some Favorite Quotes:
accepting the facts and embracing what he had instead of missing what he didn't have, that was how he'd always tried to live.
"I am still becoming acquainted with my testicles. I will not allow Kai to rip them off."
It was all still beautiful, because it was the first beauty he had ever experienced.
February 9, 2013
In overall this is well written Scifi, light Romance full of humor, well created characters and pulling storyline. Mostly I liked both MC's. Prez, the captain, was a bit to melancholic for my taste, but knowing his hidden past we could understand why. Lan, on other side, I didn't connect with. That's why I couldn't feel sympathetic with his dilemma. Even so here we have an excellent story with HEA.
January 17, 2013
Really good mixture of sci-fi and mm romance. Good idea with interesting sexual biology. Slowed down a little at the end but still... 4 out of 5.
February 24, 2013
3.75 stars - rounded up
A Joyfully Jay Review
Having only the memories of a long lost love that left a gaping hole in his life, Prez is certain he’s destined to only find comfort in the arms of the brothels he frequents. After all, who would want an alien half breed that has been used as a lab rat? Held captive by his own people, a freak in the eyes of the rest of the universe, Prez and his merry band of misfits now call the Outcast, a relic of a cargo ship, home. Forced to take on a new co-pilot when his old one has a minor mishap, Prez chooses a quiet, mysterious, and intriguing Aldorian. His attraction to Lan is immediate, but Lan’s cultural restrictions – not pairing with other alien races and the fact that Aldorians don’t accept male-male pairings – keep Prez from acting on that attraction.
Lan left his home planet, Aldor, after shaming himself and his family when he failed to complete the Binding ceremony with an Aldorian female. Finding a job as temporary co-pilot on the Outcast seems like just the thing he needs to start his life over. Joining the ragtag crew on the old cargo ship proves to be disconcerting and confusing, as well as an unexpected adventure. Learning to live among other races proves to be strange, but not impossible. When Lan notices physical changes to his body, and his attraction to a male becomes apparent, he tries every way possible to deny those feelings. After all, it’s impossible for Lan’s true mate to be a male; it goes against everything he’s ever been taught.
During their final mission aboard the Outcast, the crew transports a secret cargo and hover on the edge of starting a galactic incident. When the mission is complete and things return to normal, including Prez’s original co-pilot’s reappearance, Lan is sure that he will be sent away. Lan makes the painful decision to leave before he can be asked to do so. Just as Prez has almost everything to make him feel complete – great friends, money from the successful mission, and a new ship – can he find a way to keep Lan again and keep him as part of the Outcast crew and in Prez’s life for good?
I’ll be honest, the thing that attracted me to this book was the cover. Which is not to say that the book itself isn’t good. It’s a good sci-fi story set in an amazing world…or universe. It’s an okay romance, but a better adventure, and it does have some obvious setbacks.
First, let’s begin with what worked. The world building is seriously amazing and complex. The different species, their beliefs, their physical characteristics and capabilities, the separate planets, the histories of each planet, space travel, the different languages – it’s all so very detailed without distracting from the storyline. It’s easy to get lost in the picture that this world creates. Oh, and the secret of the blue planet is cute. Once I realized what was happening, I had to giggle to myself for not seeing it from the beginning.
The characters, main and secondary, are all great characters. The personality put into each individual character, their quirks, their strengths – I was charmed by them immediately. Prez and Lan are both broken in different ways, but each helps the other heal and move on. Prez is headstrong and confident with a secret insecurity he keeps hidden pretty well. Lan is more innocent and confused but ready to move on with his life, if only he knew how to. As friends, they complement each other well. As a couple they lacked a connection, but if that connection would have been there, I feel they would have balanced each other out well. The secondary cast is my favorite. They are all so vastly different and peculiar. They support and love each other passionately. They are a family, the only family most of them have. They truly are the best part of this book.
So, on to the things that didn’t work so well for me. Whereas individually, I really liked Prez and Lan. I wasn’t really feeling their attraction to each other in this book. It was odd. They seemed to be friends, sort of, but I just didn’t see a physical attraction. Once they did acknowledge an attraction to one another that was it, their relationship didn’t really change until the last couple chapters, and even then I still didn’t feel the connection between them. Also, the story itself was a good one, but it had a slow start. There were times I just wanted them to get to the point and move on instead of dragging the story out. Finally, the alien language. There were times where the author just drops a word and readers are expected to know what it means, when in all reality there’s really no way to understand this made up language. And when the definition is finally given three chapters later, I’d already forgot what context it was used in prior. I feel that the alien words could have been presented in a better way.
In the end, I liked this story – more for the sci-fi world and adventure than the romance. The characters are solid. The world is amazing. The space adventure is exciting. It was a pretty good read once I got past the slow start. I would have preferred a more of a love story, but I wouldn’t mind reading another story set in this world someday.
A Joyfully Jay Review
Having only the memories of a long lost love that left a gaping hole in his life, Prez is certain he’s destined to only find comfort in the arms of the brothels he frequents. After all, who would want an alien half breed that has been used as a lab rat? Held captive by his own people, a freak in the eyes of the rest of the universe, Prez and his merry band of misfits now call the Outcast, a relic of a cargo ship, home. Forced to take on a new co-pilot when his old one has a minor mishap, Prez chooses a quiet, mysterious, and intriguing Aldorian. His attraction to Lan is immediate, but Lan’s cultural restrictions – not pairing with other alien races and the fact that Aldorians don’t accept male-male pairings – keep Prez from acting on that attraction.
Lan left his home planet, Aldor, after shaming himself and his family when he failed to complete the Binding ceremony with an Aldorian female. Finding a job as temporary co-pilot on the Outcast seems like just the thing he needs to start his life over. Joining the ragtag crew on the old cargo ship proves to be disconcerting and confusing, as well as an unexpected adventure. Learning to live among other races proves to be strange, but not impossible. When Lan notices physical changes to his body, and his attraction to a male becomes apparent, he tries every way possible to deny those feelings. After all, it’s impossible for Lan’s true mate to be a male; it goes against everything he’s ever been taught.
During their final mission aboard the Outcast, the crew transports a secret cargo and hover on the edge of starting a galactic incident. When the mission is complete and things return to normal, including Prez’s original co-pilot’s reappearance, Lan is sure that he will be sent away. Lan makes the painful decision to leave before he can be asked to do so. Just as Prez has almost everything to make him feel complete – great friends, money from the successful mission, and a new ship – can he find a way to keep Lan again and keep him as part of the Outcast crew and in Prez’s life for good?
I’ll be honest, the thing that attracted me to this book was the cover. Which is not to say that the book itself isn’t good. It’s a good sci-fi story set in an amazing world…or universe. It’s an okay romance, but a better adventure, and it does have some obvious setbacks.
First, let’s begin with what worked. The world building is seriously amazing and complex. The different species, their beliefs, their physical characteristics and capabilities, the separate planets, the histories of each planet, space travel, the different languages – it’s all so very detailed without distracting from the storyline. It’s easy to get lost in the picture that this world creates. Oh, and the secret of the blue planet is cute. Once I realized what was happening, I had to giggle to myself for not seeing it from the beginning.
The characters, main and secondary, are all great characters. The personality put into each individual character, their quirks, their strengths – I was charmed by them immediately. Prez and Lan are both broken in different ways, but each helps the other heal and move on. Prez is headstrong and confident with a secret insecurity he keeps hidden pretty well. Lan is more innocent and confused but ready to move on with his life, if only he knew how to. As friends, they complement each other well. As a couple they lacked a connection, but if that connection would have been there, I feel they would have balanced each other out well. The secondary cast is my favorite. They are all so vastly different and peculiar. They support and love each other passionately. They are a family, the only family most of them have. They truly are the best part of this book.
So, on to the things that didn’t work so well for me. Whereas individually, I really liked Prez and Lan. I wasn’t really feeling their attraction to each other in this book. It was odd. They seemed to be friends, sort of, but I just didn’t see a physical attraction. Once they did acknowledge an attraction to one another that was it, their relationship didn’t really change until the last couple chapters, and even then I still didn’t feel the connection between them. Also, the story itself was a good one, but it had a slow start. There were times I just wanted them to get to the point and move on instead of dragging the story out. Finally, the alien language. There were times where the author just drops a word and readers are expected to know what it means, when in all reality there’s really no way to understand this made up language. And when the definition is finally given three chapters later, I’d already forgot what context it was used in prior. I feel that the alien words could have been presented in a better way.
In the end, I liked this story – more for the sci-fi world and adventure than the romance. The characters are solid. The world is amazing. The space adventure is exciting. It was a pretty good read once I got past the slow start. I would have preferred a more of a love story, but I wouldn’t mind reading another story set in this world someday.
April 15, 2013
Reviewed on Hearts on Fire
3.5 Stars This is one of those stories where I enjoyed the sci fi portion but found the romance was more weakly developed. Prez is the captain of the ship Outcast taking odd interplanetary jobs with the goal of earning enough to get a better ship. He has finally secured a job that’s going to net him the big payday and make his dreams come true. The trouble is his co pilot is indisposed having been changed into an arachnid and he needs a replacement stat. He ends up hiring Lan from the planet Aldor.
Everyone on the ship are basically outcasts. Prez and his crew are half breeds who’ve escaped from the planet Akilia. They’re treated like second class citizens. Prez in particular has had devastating experiments done on him in the past. But present day Prez keeps up a very happy appearance. He loves to drink & carouse and go to brothels and have sex with other aliens. And for those who’re interested, yes there’s tentacles involved and no there’s no cheating. It takes our main couple forever to get together so there’s plenty of time to get up to no good & into trouble.
The new copilot Lan is also an outcast with his own set of issues. He’s dodged a binding ceremony & is adrift from his planet like an alien runaway. He’s a telepath so he’s unused to talking & has a difficult time at first adjusting to the loud, rollicking crew. He does feel some kind of connection to Prez.
This story had an episodic feel to it like tonight on Wacky Aliens in space, we’ll rescue an untouchable princess, save an Aliens life, find true love and then we’ll visit the Blue planet. There’s a lot of good humor & fun. Some of it is hokey and some of it sad and there’s even a message in there about prejudice and its consequences.
But Lan & Prez as love interest have little chemistry. At one point, Prez asks Lan why him, and Lan has no answer. The reader has no idea either but it’s a little like a fated mate situation. Prez & Lan communicate in such an impersonal way, it’s hard to connect to them as a couple. I like Prez & Lan’s story and background but they come across as friends not lovers.
Which made me wonder if the author just had trouble portraying strong emotions. But there’s a scene later in the book where Prez flashes back to his troubled past with Garlo. In this terrible relationship the author manages to show an entire range of emotions. I wished we could have seen some of that passion with the main couple.
But there’s a lot I did enjoy about this book. I found the world created interesting and I would read more stories set in this universe. I’d recommend this to people who enjoy sci fi stories. Just lower your expectations on the romance.
3.5 Stars This is one of those stories where I enjoyed the sci fi portion but found the romance was more weakly developed. Prez is the captain of the ship Outcast taking odd interplanetary jobs with the goal of earning enough to get a better ship. He has finally secured a job that’s going to net him the big payday and make his dreams come true. The trouble is his co pilot is indisposed having been changed into an arachnid and he needs a replacement stat. He ends up hiring Lan from the planet Aldor.
Everyone on the ship are basically outcasts. Prez and his crew are half breeds who’ve escaped from the planet Akilia. They’re treated like second class citizens. Prez in particular has had devastating experiments done on him in the past. But present day Prez keeps up a very happy appearance. He loves to drink & carouse and go to brothels and have sex with other aliens. And for those who’re interested, yes there’s tentacles involved and no there’s no cheating. It takes our main couple forever to get together so there’s plenty of time to get up to no good & into trouble.
The new copilot Lan is also an outcast with his own set of issues. He’s dodged a binding ceremony & is adrift from his planet like an alien runaway. He’s a telepath so he’s unused to talking & has a difficult time at first adjusting to the loud, rollicking crew. He does feel some kind of connection to Prez.
This story had an episodic feel to it like tonight on Wacky Aliens in space, we’ll rescue an untouchable princess, save an Aliens life, find true love and then we’ll visit the Blue planet. There’s a lot of good humor & fun. Some of it is hokey and some of it sad and there’s even a message in there about prejudice and its consequences.
But Lan & Prez as love interest have little chemistry. At one point, Prez asks Lan why him, and Lan has no answer. The reader has no idea either but it’s a little like a fated mate situation. Prez & Lan communicate in such an impersonal way, it’s hard to connect to them as a couple. I like Prez & Lan’s story and background but they come across as friends not lovers.
Which made me wonder if the author just had trouble portraying strong emotions. But there’s a scene later in the book where Prez flashes back to his troubled past with Garlo. In this terrible relationship the author manages to show an entire range of emotions. I wished we could have seen some of that passion with the main couple.
But there’s a lot I did enjoy about this book. I found the world created interesting and I would read more stories set in this universe. I’d recommend this to people who enjoy sci fi stories. Just lower your expectations on the romance.
May 2, 2013
Don’t Ask by Laura Hughes is a coming of age young adult gay story.
Cat and Mikey have been friends for years and are about to embark on their next stage in life, high school. As school begins, they reconnect with old friends as the meet new people. Mikey has never been popular and sees himself a skinny and geeky kid. Van has always been a trouble maker who seems to enjoy tormenting Mikey, much to his distress. Things begin to change after Mickey meets his homeroom teacher Mr. Sheldon who is also in charge of the club FSA, Future Service Members of America. Mikey was never interested in the armed forces, but something about the honor and team work resonates with him and he joins. Cat doesn’t understand what is happening with Mikey, but her developing feelings for a mutual friend Calliope keep her busy as her begins to questioning everything she believed about herself. Mikey’s feelings for a new boy Windy are at odds with FSA’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell rules. Will Mikey and Cat find what their way in their new and confusing world?
High school is difficult between the official and unofficial “teen” rules that everyone is supposed to follow. It was interesting to experience the changes in Cat and Mikey’s friendship as Mikey became involved in FSA. Cat’s distain with the military made it difficult for them to talk, but her willingness to help Mikey when he needed her showed him what friendship was all about. Unrequited love is hard on anyone, but it is worse in high school when everyone in still learning about themselves. At times, the transitions between Mikey and Cat’s point of view were confusing, but in the end they made the story richer. The only problem was that the story ended abruptly leaving the reader to only infer the outcome. I hope that this isn’t the end of Mikey and his friend’s story.
Cat and Mikey have been friends for years and are about to embark on their next stage in life, high school. As school begins, they reconnect with old friends as the meet new people. Mikey has never been popular and sees himself a skinny and geeky kid. Van has always been a trouble maker who seems to enjoy tormenting Mikey, much to his distress. Things begin to change after Mickey meets his homeroom teacher Mr. Sheldon who is also in charge of the club FSA, Future Service Members of America. Mikey was never interested in the armed forces, but something about the honor and team work resonates with him and he joins. Cat doesn’t understand what is happening with Mikey, but her developing feelings for a mutual friend Calliope keep her busy as her begins to questioning everything she believed about herself. Mikey’s feelings for a new boy Windy are at odds with FSA’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell rules. Will Mikey and Cat find what their way in their new and confusing world?
High school is difficult between the official and unofficial “teen” rules that everyone is supposed to follow. It was interesting to experience the changes in Cat and Mikey’s friendship as Mikey became involved in FSA. Cat’s distain with the military made it difficult for them to talk, but her willingness to help Mikey when he needed her showed him what friendship was all about. Unrequited love is hard on anyone, but it is worse in high school when everyone in still learning about themselves. At times, the transitions between Mikey and Cat’s point of view were confusing, but in the end they made the story richer. The only problem was that the story ended abruptly leaving the reader to only infer the outcome. I hope that this isn’t the end of Mikey and his friend’s story.
August 6, 2016
I really enjoyed Outcast and would happily read an entire series set in this universe but it also felt like an opportunity squandered. It is so frustrating when an author/editor doesn't realise what a gem they have and don't make the few tweaks it would take to turn a good book into a really good book. I feel this is very much the case here - there's fantastic world building and interesting characters and an intriguing interspecies romance AND a lovely epic SciFi feel that all ends up feeling just a little... skinny. Lan is a fascinating, attractive being, but his species quirks (particularly the one that the climax of the book hinges on) are introduced too abruptly and too late for us to feel the depth of the trouble he could get into before he's already pretty far gone. It feels like I've been cheated of the prolonged worry over a character's fate that would have truly bonded me to him. We're know so much about Prez that we're indeed bonded to him pretty soon into the story... so it's not as if the author in any way struggles with building that connection for us. This may not matter to some readers, but I absolutely swoon over personalities and species like Lan's so the unbalanced character development bothers me and is the weakest point in a book I otherwise enjoyed very much and would love to see as a movie.
May 18, 2013
I've received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.
Don't Ask is a young adult novel about two best friends, Cat and Mike, who start growing apart as they enter high school.
It is about coming out, accepting who you are and the importance of friendship.
It was an enjoyable read, however I really would have liked it to be a little longer to see what would happen to Kate or Windy And I was disappointed when we didn't get to know Mike's family reaction when he came out. So I'm really hoping for a sequel or something, I would be delighted to read it.
Overall, It was a nice story, I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to read more by this author.
3.5 Stars
Don't Ask is a young adult novel about two best friends, Cat and Mike, who start growing apart as they enter high school.
It is about coming out, accepting who you are and the importance of friendship.
It was an enjoyable read, however I really would have liked it to be a little longer to see what would happen to Kate or Windy And I was disappointed when we didn't get to know Mike's family reaction when he came out. So I'm really hoping for a sequel or something, I would be delighted to read it.
Overall, It was a nice story, I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to read more by this author.
3.5 Stars
August 30, 2013
I won this book on goodreads from the author (thank you for signing it!). This is a well written (even though a bit short) book of two friends and growing up to struggle and realize their sexuality preferences. The characters are very well written and the story is entertaining. People are saying this is a YA book and I really don't thing I agree with that. Even though the characters are young adults the subject matter is for anyone who is willing to read/hear it. In some ways it is a good lesson to hear as love/or friendship in this case wins out on hostility and prejudice. This was nicely written and had a very real feeling to it! It felt like these could be two very real friends dealing with this struggle and how they work it out. This is not my typical genre to read, but I found it to be very good all the same. thank you Laura Hughes for sending me the book! I will pass it on to other friends who I know will enjoy it as I did.
January 28, 2015
It took me a while to get into the writing style of this book, mainly I suspect because I am no longer a YA!
It is written as the age, as my eldest is about this age and all the switching topics, buzzing around does my head in - and it did here, especially with Cat.
It is a story of those early teenage years where figuring out how you fit in with friends, at school, in your family. Hormones are kicking in, and how those affect interactions, and then add in two teenagers discovering that they are gay. The story shows the out and proud route and the keep it hidden route - showing both positive and negative sides of both - and proving there is no one right way to be, everyone is an individual.
The story, especially Mike's, grew on me as I read further.
It is written as the age, as my eldest is about this age and all the switching topics, buzzing around does my head in - and it did here, especially with Cat.
It is a story of those early teenage years where figuring out how you fit in with friends, at school, in your family. Hormones are kicking in, and how those affect interactions, and then add in two teenagers discovering that they are gay. The story shows the out and proud route and the keep it hidden route - showing both positive and negative sides of both - and proving there is no one right way to be, everyone is an individual.
The story, especially Mike's, grew on me as I read further.
February 2, 2015
Those two sure knew how to make things difficult...
Prez is a member of a race only recently considered as sentient. No wonder his position is rather low and he's considered an odity wherever he goes. Similarly Lan, his new co-pilot is also a center of attention since he's from a remote planet of Aldor.
Both of them are lonely and both have a problem with communication. Despite their differences they may be just what the other person needs.
Prez is a member of a race only recently considered as sentient. No wonder his position is rather low and he's considered an odity wherever he goes. Similarly Lan, his new co-pilot is also a center of attention since he's from a remote planet of Aldor.
Both of them are lonely and both have a problem with communication. Despite their differences they may be just what the other person needs.
December 3, 2013
I won this book through Goodreads-one of the main reasons I love goodreads. This book was funny, insightful, and hard to put down. I highly recommend it. I loved the characters, especially Cat. It would have been only too easy to make this character annoying, but Laura Hughes writes her with true talent. Cat is hilarious, stubborn, and more importantly-lovable.
June 28, 2014
This is why I wish there were two distinct categories of ya - maybe ya and mature ya? This book was a great read and deserved the four star rating but it was a bit too young for me. I still cheered at the end but I could not get as engrossed in the story due to the fact that I'm 30. It doesn't have that "all ages" feel - this book is most def for a younger audience.
February 9, 2013
I really like that book.
Story plot if truly fascinating. It reminds me a little bit of "Enterprise".
And also how main characters Lan and Prez are coming together is just beautiful.
From my point of view I will gladly say that Alex Douglas done really great work with that story.
Story plot if truly fascinating. It reminds me a little bit of "Enterprise".
And also how main characters Lan and Prez are coming together is just beautiful.
From my point of view I will gladly say that Alex Douglas done really great work with that story.
February 23, 2013
Please see Trish's 3 1/2 sweet pea review on February 28, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
November 21, 2013
I read this for the Rainbow awards. Very enjoyable YA book.
November 29, 2015
2013 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
September 15, 2016
I devoured this book. SO adorable. She really captures the excitement and confusion of being a young teenager. Also, unlike a lot of YA I've read, the writing is smart and well-done.
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