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The Naked Way
The Naked Way is the debut novel from author Chris Henry, available now from Blues Power Books and Amazon Kindle Direct.
The Naked Way is a dark, visionary story of love and loss in a Generation X world of sex, drugs and rock and roll. It follows a group of bright, talented, damaged young people from different backgrounds as they come of age in the underground rock music scene of the early 1990s. The Naked Way breathes new life into classic themes of youth rebellion and counter-culture for the next generation of readers. The story is driven by a cast of unforgettably vivid characters with big dreams. The Naked Way is full of sex and passion, but also deals with other intense issues: addiction, abusive relationships, rape, repressed memories, war, protest and suicide. From the backstreet underworld of a decaying American city to the mystical cathedrals of Italy, The Naked Way takes readers on an exhilarating journey of sensuality and emotion, creation and destruction, pain and redemption.
The Naked Way is a dark, visionary story of love and loss in a Generation X world of sex, drugs and rock and roll. It follows a group of bright, talented, damaged young people from different backgrounds as they come of age in the underground rock music scene of the early 1990s. The Naked Way breathes new life into classic themes of youth rebellion and counter-culture for the next generation of readers. The story is driven by a cast of unforgettably vivid characters with big dreams. The Naked Way is full of sex and passion, but also deals with other intense issues: addiction, abusive relationships, rape, repressed memories, war, protest and suicide. From the backstreet underworld of a decaying American city to the mystical cathedrals of Italy, The Naked Way takes readers on an exhilarating journey of sensuality and emotion, creation and destruction, pain and redemption.
254 pages, ebook
First published July 27, 2013
3 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Chris Henry
2 books74 followersChris Henry lives in Denver, Colorado. In other incarnations, Chris has worked in political organizing and fundraising, finance, and academia.
Writers Chris admires include Jack Kerouac, Bob Dylan, Milan Kundera, J.D. Salinger, Michael Chabon, Nathanael West, Anaïs Nin, Robertson Davies, Joni Mitchell, Kazuo Ishiguro, Leslie Marmon Silko, Jerzy Kosinski, James Baldwin, Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad and Jonathan Lethem.
Chris geeks out over Star Wars, Mad Men and The Wire. He loves red wine and music, especially rock, jazz and the blues.
Writers Chris admires include Jack Kerouac, Bob Dylan, Milan Kundera, J.D. Salinger, Michael Chabon, Nathanael West, Anaïs Nin, Robertson Davies, Joni Mitchell, Kazuo Ishiguro, Leslie Marmon Silko, Jerzy Kosinski, James Baldwin, Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad and Jonathan Lethem.
Chris geeks out over Star Wars, Mad Men and The Wire. He loves red wine and music, especially rock, jazz and the blues.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 4, 2013
This was a fantastic read! Had me hooked from the first few lines, and kept me interested through the entire thing. Already begging the author for the next one! The Naked Way II!
You truly get hooked on these characters in this write, and it has just about everything in it, drugs, sex, intrigue, etc.
Anyway, great write, great read, highly recommended.
You truly get hooked on these characters in this write, and it has just about everything in it, drugs, sex, intrigue, etc.
Anyway, great write, great read, highly recommended.
September 5, 2013
Sex, drugs, angst, & rock n' roll ... Denver style
As a Denver native in my late-teens/early 20s during the setting of this novel, I was rapidly hooked in and stayed up all night reading The Naked Way.
The book is quite engaging, and I was deeply moved. The author's roadmap of Denver in the early nineties was delightful, and easily transported me back to the local haunts and alleyways of the day. Henry's poetic descriptions of scenery are quite lovely and brilliant. His detailed portraits of the live musical performances feel like the accounts of a rock journalist. The more erotic scenes are passionate, to say the least. Henry seems to invoke the Beats in his writing style; dramas unfold against a backdrop of music, drugs, and Denver. Being his first novel, I assume some of it is autobiographical.
In all honesty, the story evoked chuckles, frustration, arousal, sadness, and hope out of me. I highly recommend this book to friends, lovers of fiction, and especially to people who experienced the Denver scene in the the early 1990s.
Kudos to Mr. Henry for this exciting novel.
As a Denver native in my late-teens/early 20s during the setting of this novel, I was rapidly hooked in and stayed up all night reading The Naked Way.
The book is quite engaging, and I was deeply moved. The author's roadmap of Denver in the early nineties was delightful, and easily transported me back to the local haunts and alleyways of the day. Henry's poetic descriptions of scenery are quite lovely and brilliant. His detailed portraits of the live musical performances feel like the accounts of a rock journalist. The more erotic scenes are passionate, to say the least. Henry seems to invoke the Beats in his writing style; dramas unfold against a backdrop of music, drugs, and Denver. Being his first novel, I assume some of it is autobiographical.
In all honesty, the story evoked chuckles, frustration, arousal, sadness, and hope out of me. I highly recommend this book to friends, lovers of fiction, and especially to people who experienced the Denver scene in the the early 1990s.
Kudos to Mr. Henry for this exciting novel.
October 31, 2013
This is a book that is well worth your time, especially for the insight it affords into the continuing allure of live rock music. I found several of the minor characters interesting and well drawn - Bobby, Grace and Gwen, for instance. The major characters – narcissistic fools squandering their talent – were hard for me to empathise with. It all moves along at a fine pace. Chris Henry is an author to read and watch.
October 29, 2013
This is not like a lot of the books that I read but I can say I really didn't want to put it down. Sex Drugs and rock and roll in the 1990's. This is story of a group of friends a band called The Naked Way and the roads they go down coming of age in the 1990's. I really hope there is another book about this group of people.
September 7, 2013
very engaging read. having lived in Denver during this time I certainly knew all of the places even with their names changed (to protect the innocent, haha). great debut novel, keep up the good work!
November 9, 2013
Engaging. I wasn't sure about this book in the beginning, but eventually I got sucked in and couldn't put it down.
September 9, 2013
Eli is an intelligent yet damaged young man living in Denver. He has a group of misfit friends and they are all trying to find their way in the world in the early 1990’s.
Eli is probably one of the most complex characters I have ever read. In fact, all of the characters are complex. I will stick with Eli though since the story revolves largely around him, and I don’t want to give too much away. To me, Eli is a lost soul. He is so intelligent but yet his potential seems to be wasted. He is also very deep and philosophical; he is constantly on the search for inner peace. Spirituality, art, and music seem to be the things that hold him together.
I find it so hard to believe that this novel is the first for Chris Henry. He writes with the detail and passion of a seasoned veteran of the craft. I was utterly amazed by the way he captured the early 90’s. The time when not only the music scene changed from glam to grunge, but the world was changing as well. The Naked Way screams sex, drugs, and rock and roll; but yet it is so much deeper. I remember this time, and being a huge fan of music and having those certain songs that I felt shaped my life made this book so appealing to me. There is no sunshine and roses in this book, it is a dark story, but many of the generation X are going to relate to it.
This is different from any book that I have reviewed for ThatsErotica.com, but I urge readers to give it a try. The ending left me hanging a bit and I was begging for more closure. I found myself wanting to continue to peek into the lives of these incredible characters, and yet I completely understand why it ended like it did. I would not hesitate to read more from Henry in the future; in fact I am already intrigued to see what he comes out with next!
**Reviewed by Teresa D. for ThatsErotica.com**
Eli is probably one of the most complex characters I have ever read. In fact, all of the characters are complex. I will stick with Eli though since the story revolves largely around him, and I don’t want to give too much away. To me, Eli is a lost soul. He is so intelligent but yet his potential seems to be wasted. He is also very deep and philosophical; he is constantly on the search for inner peace. Spirituality, art, and music seem to be the things that hold him together.
I find it so hard to believe that this novel is the first for Chris Henry. He writes with the detail and passion of a seasoned veteran of the craft. I was utterly amazed by the way he captured the early 90’s. The time when not only the music scene changed from glam to grunge, but the world was changing as well. The Naked Way screams sex, drugs, and rock and roll; but yet it is so much deeper. I remember this time, and being a huge fan of music and having those certain songs that I felt shaped my life made this book so appealing to me. There is no sunshine and roses in this book, it is a dark story, but many of the generation X are going to relate to it.
This is different from any book that I have reviewed for ThatsErotica.com, but I urge readers to give it a try. The ending left me hanging a bit and I was begging for more closure. I found myself wanting to continue to peek into the lives of these incredible characters, and yet I completely understand why it ended like it did. I would not hesitate to read more from Henry in the future; in fact I am already intrigued to see what he comes out with next!
**Reviewed by Teresa D. for ThatsErotica.com**
September 20, 2013
It's the 1990's and the world is changing. Eli and his misfit friends are part of the world many wouldn't understand. Each one of them dealing with some serious issues and trying to help their friends. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll are a huge part of their lives. Religion in the background, the group is picking their way through life and failing at every turn. Eli is the voice of reason most of the time. He's fallen in love but isn't sure the girl is in love with him. War brings the fractured group of friends together with peace as a common goal. Question is, will any of them come out the other side better off?
I read this book twice because it's so good. It encapsulates a generation of people who are dealing with great change. The writing is solid and really pulls you in. You'll enjoy this book and cheer some of the characters and boo others. You might even recognize people you know.
I found no issues with this one.
I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because it really captured the Gen X people. ~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~
I read this book twice because it's so good. It encapsulates a generation of people who are dealing with great change. The writing is solid and really pulls you in. You'll enjoy this book and cheer some of the characters and boo others. You might even recognize people you know.
I found no issues with this one.
I gave this one 5 cheers out of 5 because it really captured the Gen X people. ~Copy of book provided by author in exchange for a fair review~
August 24, 2013
The Naked Way is a fabulous debut novel. The book is an engaging and thoughtful read. Henry explores the underground world of Denver in the 90's with beautiful and insightful prose. All the characters are beautifully written and Henry explores their connections through love, friendship, and dependence with great thought and depth. I found myself connecting to and seeing myself in all the female characters because of the reality and depth of character analysis. This is a great read for anyone who lives in, has lived in, or has spent time in Denver as many of the locations are familiar and will make you smile. This is a fun, thought provoking, and sexy read, I give it my highest recommendation.
July 31, 2013
I really loved this book. It was a fun ride into the lives of lovable, social misfits, set in the early 90's. Mr. Henry really gives a raw depiction of grunge, drugs and rock and roll, in Denver. The hero is searching for true love and I found myself rooting for him. I hope to read more books by Chris Henry...a very talented author. Great Book.
November 3, 2013
The Naked Way invoked a nostalgic feeling for those younger days, living on "The Hill" in Denver. Great descriptive account of the music scene and all our old favorite haunts. A bitter sweet tale.
January 30, 2015
A few stumbles, but overall an engaging read. I recognized so much in this story, not just the places - and, yes, occasionally people - of my own late teens, but the feelings and the intensity and the complexity. It made me nostalgic for the Denver of that time, for my old neighborhood (before Capitol Hill became just another suburb in the center of town), for those old haunts (I was one of those misfit orphans at Muddy's - how far so many of us have come). Worth the read.
September 3, 2023
Not really going to "star" this.... my mid - book thoughts stand. Good idea, rambling and frustrating. Glad I finished it because it's done. I totally can not remember where and how I got this book and realized as the characters stopped being a bit interesting that I did start it before and put it "away" way back then.
I appreciate the effort but the realization was less than interesting. To Me.
Sorry to the author, but this wasn't for me.
I appreciate the effort but the realization was less than interesting. To Me.
Sorry to the author, but this wasn't for me.
Want to read
October 23, 2013Amazon Freebie 10/23/13
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews