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Straight #2
Straight-ish
The full-length follow-up to Seth King’s bestselling novel Straight, featured in Buzzfeed, HuffPo, and other publications, and with hundreds of five-star reviews…
Almost a year after Henry Morgan shocked himself and turned his world on its side by falling in love with another man, his life is in turmoil for entirely new reasons.
Henry’s relationship with Ty is being tested every day by aggressive admirers and by Ty’s increasingly dark admissions about his past. To complicate things further, Henry’s father’s hot new political career is casting an evermore intense spotlight onto every facet of Henry’s life.
While Ty battles off old demons – and the ex-boyfriends that won’t seem to stay away – Henry must face his most daunting obstacle since falling in love with a man: becoming famous while still halfway in the closet.
"This book left me breathless...if you enjoyed Straight, you will absolutely love Straight-ish. A new top favorite." - author Abrianna Denae
Almost a year after Henry Morgan shocked himself and turned his world on its side by falling in love with another man, his life is in turmoil for entirely new reasons.
Henry’s relationship with Ty is being tested every day by aggressive admirers and by Ty’s increasingly dark admissions about his past. To complicate things further, Henry’s father’s hot new political career is casting an evermore intense spotlight onto every facet of Henry’s life.
While Ty battles off old demons – and the ex-boyfriends that won’t seem to stay away – Henry must face his most daunting obstacle since falling in love with a man: becoming famous while still halfway in the closet.
"This book left me breathless...if you enjoyed Straight, you will absolutely love Straight-ish. A new top favorite." - author Abrianna Denae
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2017
59 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Seth King
53 books1,867 followersSeth King is a twenty-eight-year-old American author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 23, 2019
3 Stars
Read this and other reviews here: Brina and the Books
After reading Straight there was no way I could not read Straight-ish. I went into the follow-up completely blind because I wanted to experience Ty & Henry's story without any previous knowledge.
Straight-ish is set approx. a year after Straight ended. Henry and Ty are happy, they enjoy living their lives and being together as a couple - until Henry's father decided to run for governor in conservative Georgia. The media can't stop gushing about Henry, the sexiest and most eligible straight (!) bachelor there is in Georgia. What would happen if they knew he had a boyfriend and was not so straight after all.
The follow-up was mostly about how Henry and Ty deal with the media around Henry's father's governor's election in Georgia. It was interesting to read about but it was more or less the same thing the entire book: they were happy, then they started fighting about the media and other stuff, they made up, they were happy, they started fighting again, they made up etc. It was a little boring and a little too much drama in my eyes.
The message of Straight-ish was the same as in Straight - maybe even a little stronger. I'm glad that Seth King uses his ability to write and his popularity to publish books like Straight and Straight-ish. It's important in this time of age. Speaking of "this time of age". In all honesty though, awareness books like these shouldn't exist anymore because we live in a modern world, because we live in 2018, because we shouldn't judge people for their love for each other. There are still too many ignorant and conservative people out there who are full of hatred and homophobia and that's the reason we still need those books - and only that! It's such a shame really.
Straight-ish is a nice bonus to Straight but I'm not sure if an extra book was really necessary here. Still, Straight-ish gets 3 Stars from me.
**********
RTC!
Read this and other reviews here: Brina and the Books
After reading Straight there was no way I could not read Straight-ish. I went into the follow-up completely blind because I wanted to experience Ty & Henry's story without any previous knowledge.
Straight-ish is set approx. a year after Straight ended. Henry and Ty are happy, they enjoy living their lives and being together as a couple - until Henry's father decided to run for governor in conservative Georgia. The media can't stop gushing about Henry, the sexiest and most eligible straight (!) bachelor there is in Georgia. What would happen if they knew he had a boyfriend and was not so straight after all.
The follow-up was mostly about how Henry and Ty deal with the media around Henry's father's governor's election in Georgia. It was interesting to read about but it was more or less the same thing the entire book: they were happy, then they started fighting about the media and other stuff, they made up, they were happy, they started fighting again, they made up etc. It was a little boring and a little too much drama in my eyes.
The message of Straight-ish was the same as in Straight - maybe even a little stronger. I'm glad that Seth King uses his ability to write and his popularity to publish books like Straight and Straight-ish. It's important in this time of age. Speaking of "this time of age". In all honesty though, awareness books like these shouldn't exist anymore because we live in a modern world, because we live in 2018, because we shouldn't judge people for their love for each other. There are still too many ignorant and conservative people out there who are full of hatred and homophobia and that's the reason we still need those books - and only that! It's such a shame really.
Straight-ish is a nice bonus to Straight but I'm not sure if an extra book was really necessary here. Still, Straight-ish gets 3 Stars from me.
**********
RTC!
September 26, 2017
Straight-ish is book two in the series, Straight. It follows the same characters from book one and picks up immediately after book one, so yes - best enjoyed when read in order.
I loved book one of this series, Straight. I was excited to see book 2 - of course, I wanted more from Ty and Henry. I enjoyed seeing them a little more into their relationship and building a life together. I loved that Henry was secure in his love of Ty and that he was learning to navigate life by a totally different perspective. I felt like they were on their way to happiness.
"When you’re in love with someone, every encounter feels like an out-of-body experience, mixed with a visit from God."
“Because you’re my dude,” he breathes, kissing his way up my arm, “and it would be an honor to kiss you every…damn…day…for…the…rest…of…my…life.”
Then, its like the world went mad. Ty allowed his insecurities to shine through and his self-admitted love for dramatic flair. Henry withdrew after a feeble attempt to communicate and there was a LOT of angst!
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy angst - but, I think it needs to add to the story. Angst that is just thrown in the 60-80% mark of a story in order to have that "must have" plot conflict, just gets old. I felt like this was a prime example of that dilemma. These characters were clipping along at a steady pace with the daily struggles of any relationship and in their case the underlying struggle of Henry not coming out yet or telling his family about Ty. Without totally spoiling the story - I feel like that was enough of a conflict. However, the train went totally off the tracks and Ty has a moment where he is upset with Henry for something (s) else and looses his marbles. Of course, these two can't talk out their feelings like the adults they are who are living together. So we have the huge angsty fight and noncommunication section. Then of course, a few weeks go by, and all is better and forgiven. The world starts spinning again.
Sorry, that portion of the storg just annoyed me because it felt so tropey - it took away from the other enjoyable portions of the story.
Another issue I had was Ty's incessant whining and bouts of insecurity and melodramatic episodes. He knew how Henry was, he knew the situation, he knew Henry was working towards coming out - he acknowledges this and they move in together. Yet, every other chapter, if not more, Ty is giving Henry attitude, accusing him of feeling a certain way, and just making trouble. Why? Because he wants people to know about him and he wants it on his timetable. So, yeah -- that got old.
Beyond those things - as I said upfront, I really adored book one and I love these characters. Which is good because this book is ended in a cliffie - so, if we want Ty & Henry's ending we have at least one more book to get through.
There was a powerful thought that came through during one of the scenes and I remember highlighting it, because it explained the concept of discovering one's sexuality. How it not only changes the way you think about who you are attracted to, but everything else in your life is altered too.
"Think about it this way – gayness changes everything. It changes how you see the world, how the world sees you, how you interact with the world, how the world interacts with you. It’s like suddenly forgetting how to ride a bike, and then having to learn with training wheels again – except your whole life is suddenly on training wheels. You have to learn how to live again.”
I have to wonder how many people take the time to adjust and put those training wheels back on when they come to life changing realizations. I know it must be very hard and we as a society probably are not very understanding. So, having a book throw that in our faces, was a good eye opener and it left an impression I will carry with me.
3.5 stars
Review Copy of Straight-ish purchased by Reviewer.
I loved book one of this series, Straight. I was excited to see book 2 - of course, I wanted more from Ty and Henry. I enjoyed seeing them a little more into their relationship and building a life together. I loved that Henry was secure in his love of Ty and that he was learning to navigate life by a totally different perspective. I felt like they were on their way to happiness.
"When you’re in love with someone, every encounter feels like an out-of-body experience, mixed with a visit from God."
“Because you’re my dude,” he breathes, kissing his way up my arm, “and it would be an honor to kiss you every…damn…day…for…the…rest…of…my…life.”
Then, its like the world went mad. Ty allowed his insecurities to shine through and his self-admitted love for dramatic flair. Henry withdrew after a feeble attempt to communicate and there was a LOT of angst!
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy angst - but, I think it needs to add to the story. Angst that is just thrown in the 60-80% mark of a story in order to have that "must have" plot conflict, just gets old. I felt like this was a prime example of that dilemma. These characters were clipping along at a steady pace with the daily struggles of any relationship and in their case the underlying struggle of Henry not coming out yet or telling his family about Ty. Without totally spoiling the story - I feel like that was enough of a conflict. However, the train went totally off the tracks and Ty has a moment where he is upset with Henry for something (s) else and looses his marbles. Of course, these two can't talk out their feelings like the adults they are who are living together. So we have the huge angsty fight and noncommunication section. Then of course, a few weeks go by, and all is better and forgiven. The world starts spinning again.
Sorry, that portion of the storg just annoyed me because it felt so tropey - it took away from the other enjoyable portions of the story.
Another issue I had was Ty's incessant whining and bouts of insecurity and melodramatic episodes. He knew how Henry was, he knew the situation, he knew Henry was working towards coming out - he acknowledges this and they move in together. Yet, every other chapter, if not more, Ty is giving Henry attitude, accusing him of feeling a certain way, and just making trouble. Why? Because he wants people to know about him and he wants it on his timetable. So, yeah -- that got old.
Beyond those things - as I said upfront, I really adored book one and I love these characters. Which is good because this book is ended in a cliffie - so, if we want Ty & Henry's ending we have at least one more book to get through.
There was a powerful thought that came through during one of the scenes and I remember highlighting it, because it explained the concept of discovering one's sexuality. How it not only changes the way you think about who you are attracted to, but everything else in your life is altered too.
"Think about it this way – gayness changes everything. It changes how you see the world, how the world sees you, how you interact with the world, how the world interacts with you. It’s like suddenly forgetting how to ride a bike, and then having to learn with training wheels again – except your whole life is suddenly on training wheels. You have to learn how to live again.”
I have to wonder how many people take the time to adjust and put those training wheels back on when they come to life changing realizations. I know it must be very hard and we as a society probably are not very understanding. So, having a book throw that in our faces, was a good eye opener and it left an impression I will carry with me.
3.5 stars
Review Copy of Straight-ish purchased by Reviewer.
September 20, 2017
I was terrified to read this book. Really terrified, I'm not going to lie. Last Fall Straight became my all time favorite book. The book I recommend to anyone and everyone, regardless if they read the genre or not.
So while I was happy for more Henry and Ty I wasn't sure where Seth would take these characters. My fear was of course unnecessary, because this book was perfect. Really perfect in ways I can't describe because we don't do spoilers here.
We get the Henry and Ty of the now. They're almost a year out from when they first met, from when they first fell in love in the beautiful breathtaking pages of Straight. Life is a whirlwind for them. After all when your parent suddenly decides running for governor during a special election your whole life changes. Especially if you're as good-looking and as almost perfect as Henry is.
Straight-ish gives us the relationship of Henry and Ty. They felt so real in this one. You could feel the shift from the first book to now. In which they have to navigate a relationship and being them under circumstances no one could have predicted.
With Straight you have a novel about a man who is not as straight as he once believed. You have questions about sexuality and how fluid it actually is. You have questions and realizations about society that no one wants to talk about. But with Straight-ish you have a relationship about two people who just want to live life together. You have the rest of it as well. The questions, the uncertainties, but you have the relationship as well. You can almost lean on that as the characters do. You find yourself looking for the same reassurance in that relationship just like they do.
You learn new little quirks about Henry and Ty as they talk about each other and the life they're still in the process of building. You revisit old favorites. There are moments when they reminisce and it's sweet to see. You laugh because Henry's sarcasm is so on point it's hard not to, even when it was serious just pages or paragraphs ago. And that is the beauty of Seth King's writing. He can make me laugh and cry all within the same page. It's a gift.
I loved the insecurity that showed they were human, the fights that-even though they broke me a little-showed they were in a relationship. It was real and raw in ways Seth's writing always is.
Did I cry? That's a question that occurs regularly when I write reviews. As it should be well known by now that I am an emotional reader. I get so attached. The simple answer is yes. Not as hard or as much as I thought I was going to. Which honestly is amazing-especially after all my fears. But I did cry.
This book left me breathless. Which I'm not entirely sure I've experienced before. I had a rare moment of speechlessness once, I've had heartbreak and healing, I've had ugly cries. But never a book that left me breathless, or at least not like this.
There was a point in which I sat at my desk after finishing and I had to ask myself if I really did finish. It was four-thirty in the morning. I spent roughly eight hours with my favorite characters-relearning and falling in love all over again. I wasn't sure if I actually finished or if all the excitement/wonderment/breathlessness all went to my head.
Straight-ish is the rest of the amazing journey that started in Straight. It explores the relationship between two men as one of them is suddenly thrust into the spotlight. It's not a sequel like most. It's not a snapshot of the life the characters build after they get their HEA. In fact the HE in Straight is just that, a happy ending. Straight-ish proves that Henry and Ty had a lot of stuff to work through still before they could get to their happily ever after. And while most might not understand or appreciate that, I do. Those who have been in relationships do. Nothing is simple, especially in our world today. Seth King does an amazing job of helping to show that.
If you enjoyed Straight you will absolutely love Straight-ish. You will love how even through some hiccups, some confusion, some insecurity, Henry and Ty are still the same. You will love how Seth King brings them to life. How he thrusts them into real life and how while they're afraid they still manage.
Straight-ish is a book I was dying for. It was the story I was scared of. It's now a story that is going into my top favorites.
Both books help open the reader's eye to the realities of our world in beautiful ways. It's ugly and most don't want to admit it. But it's reality and I will always admire Seth King for that reality.
Here's to another well done book that will stay with me for a long time. Probably forever.
So while I was happy for more Henry and Ty I wasn't sure where Seth would take these characters. My fear was of course unnecessary, because this book was perfect. Really perfect in ways I can't describe because we don't do spoilers here.
We get the Henry and Ty of the now. They're almost a year out from when they first met, from when they first fell in love in the beautiful breathtaking pages of Straight. Life is a whirlwind for them. After all when your parent suddenly decides running for governor during a special election your whole life changes. Especially if you're as good-looking and as almost perfect as Henry is.
Straight-ish gives us the relationship of Henry and Ty. They felt so real in this one. You could feel the shift from the first book to now. In which they have to navigate a relationship and being them under circumstances no one could have predicted.
With Straight you have a novel about a man who is not as straight as he once believed. You have questions about sexuality and how fluid it actually is. You have questions and realizations about society that no one wants to talk about. But with Straight-ish you have a relationship about two people who just want to live life together. You have the rest of it as well. The questions, the uncertainties, but you have the relationship as well. You can almost lean on that as the characters do. You find yourself looking for the same reassurance in that relationship just like they do.
You learn new little quirks about Henry and Ty as they talk about each other and the life they're still in the process of building. You revisit old favorites. There are moments when they reminisce and it's sweet to see. You laugh because Henry's sarcasm is so on point it's hard not to, even when it was serious just pages or paragraphs ago. And that is the beauty of Seth King's writing. He can make me laugh and cry all within the same page. It's a gift.
I loved the insecurity that showed they were human, the fights that-even though they broke me a little-showed they were in a relationship. It was real and raw in ways Seth's writing always is.
Did I cry? That's a question that occurs regularly when I write reviews. As it should be well known by now that I am an emotional reader. I get so attached. The simple answer is yes. Not as hard or as much as I thought I was going to. Which honestly is amazing-especially after all my fears. But I did cry.
This book left me breathless. Which I'm not entirely sure I've experienced before. I had a rare moment of speechlessness once, I've had heartbreak and healing, I've had ugly cries. But never a book that left me breathless, or at least not like this.
There was a point in which I sat at my desk after finishing and I had to ask myself if I really did finish. It was four-thirty in the morning. I spent roughly eight hours with my favorite characters-relearning and falling in love all over again. I wasn't sure if I actually finished or if all the excitement/wonderment/breathlessness all went to my head.
Straight-ish is the rest of the amazing journey that started in Straight. It explores the relationship between two men as one of them is suddenly thrust into the spotlight. It's not a sequel like most. It's not a snapshot of the life the characters build after they get their HEA. In fact the HE in Straight is just that, a happy ending. Straight-ish proves that Henry and Ty had a lot of stuff to work through still before they could get to their happily ever after. And while most might not understand or appreciate that, I do. Those who have been in relationships do. Nothing is simple, especially in our world today. Seth King does an amazing job of helping to show that.
If you enjoyed Straight you will absolutely love Straight-ish. You will love how even through some hiccups, some confusion, some insecurity, Henry and Ty are still the same. You will love how Seth King brings them to life. How he thrusts them into real life and how while they're afraid they still manage.
Straight-ish is a book I was dying for. It was the story I was scared of. It's now a story that is going into my top favorites.
Both books help open the reader's eye to the realities of our world in beautiful ways. It's ugly and most don't want to admit it. But it's reality and I will always admire Seth King for that reality.
Here's to another well done book that will stay with me for a long time. Probably forever.
Want to read
March 17, 2020🎁 Straight Series (2 book series) is FREE on Amazon today (3/17/2020)! 🎁
September 23, 2017
I don't know what I could ever read that would top this book
Straight is one of my all time favourite books so to say I had high expectations for Straight(ish) may be an understatement and I was not disappointed. This book delivered on all levels, highlighting Seth's brilliance as a wordsmith and proving yet again why he is my favourite author.
I am struggling to tell you how truly incredible this book is and do it justice. I had to wait a day to write this review because this book left me with such a book hangover, I don't know what I could ever read that would top it, except maybe another Seth book, yes I loved it that much. There are not enough stars for me to accurately rate how much I loved it so I'll have to stick with the five.
Henry and Ty have been together for almost a year, they are so much in love but there are things lurking in the background that could tear them apart, and not all of them are within their control. Henry's father is running for Governor of Georgia and Henry is called on to 'assist' in the campaign and the media are constantly scrutinising his private life and Ty's insecurities relating to demons in his past are very much in the present.
Straight(ish) is beautiful, raw, emotional , it's love at it's finest and love at it's worst, it's tumultuous, passionate, heartbreaking, joyous. overwhelming, astounding, and just bloody phenomenal.
All Seth's books should come with a tissue alert and this one was no different. I felt the emotion of Henry and Ty as they tried to navigate their way through the whirlpool that life dealt them. I laughed with them and I'm not ashamed to say I cried with them, both sad and happy tears (and I think I even ugly cried once).
I read this book on the edge of my seat with my heart in my mouth and although I tried to read it slowly to savour the enjoyment I couldn't so I will be rereading it again very soon.
I hope Henry and Ty never stop 'talking' to Seth so there is more of their story in our future. Specifically I want to know the answer to THE question!!!! and if you want to know the question you will just have to read it and discover it for yourself.
Full review can be found here: https://somethingonmymind2017.wordpre...
Straight is one of my all time favourite books so to say I had high expectations for Straight(ish) may be an understatement and I was not disappointed. This book delivered on all levels, highlighting Seth's brilliance as a wordsmith and proving yet again why he is my favourite author.
I am struggling to tell you how truly incredible this book is and do it justice. I had to wait a day to write this review because this book left me with such a book hangover, I don't know what I could ever read that would top it, except maybe another Seth book, yes I loved it that much. There are not enough stars for me to accurately rate how much I loved it so I'll have to stick with the five.
Henry and Ty have been together for almost a year, they are so much in love but there are things lurking in the background that could tear them apart, and not all of them are within their control. Henry's father is running for Governor of Georgia and Henry is called on to 'assist' in the campaign and the media are constantly scrutinising his private life and Ty's insecurities relating to demons in his past are very much in the present.
Straight(ish) is beautiful, raw, emotional , it's love at it's finest and love at it's worst, it's tumultuous, passionate, heartbreaking, joyous. overwhelming, astounding, and just bloody phenomenal.
All Seth's books should come with a tissue alert and this one was no different. I felt the emotion of Henry and Ty as they tried to navigate their way through the whirlpool that life dealt them. I laughed with them and I'm not ashamed to say I cried with them, both sad and happy tears (and I think I even ugly cried once).
I read this book on the edge of my seat with my heart in my mouth and although I tried to read it slowly to savour the enjoyment I couldn't so I will be rereading it again very soon.
I hope Henry and Ty never stop 'talking' to Seth so there is more of their story in our future. Specifically I want to know the answer to THE question!!!! and if you want to know the question you will just have to read it and discover it for yourself.
Full review can be found here: https://somethingonmymind2017.wordpre...
July 21, 2021
Bellissimo per quanto riguarda la parte sociale e i messaggi lanciati. Le origini, la storia, l’estrazione della Georgia, le iniziative per cambiare un certo tipo di mentalità, l’attivismo.
Un po’ meno la storia d’amore in sé per sé.
Un po’ meno la storia d’amore in sé per sé.
October 12, 2017
Seth King: Straight, Straight-ish, Curious, Honesty
One review for four books. Read them all for their powerful treatment of different aspects of one theme. They are so much more than mere 'hot gay novels'.
Four books by Seth King that really explore one apparently very simple problem: how to be yourself. That has to be easy, doesn't it? Reassuringly, we say to a friend going for an interview, 'Just be yourself.' Sounds easy. 'Relax. Just be yourself.'
But Seth King really engages with how 'being yourself' is a lifelong challenge to each one of us, and a challenge that is so difficult that mostly, and repeatedly, we fail. At best, we fail in part; at worst we simply give up the struggle, and kid ourselves that we have succeeded, as it's so much easier just to go with the flow, even if that means drowning in a collective set of assumptions, unthought beliefs, expectations, inherited myths, bullying demands - all from other people.
Growing to self-ness, or selfhood, has been described as the process of making real (realizing) that which we each have it in us to become.
Carl Jung saw The Self as an archetype - that is a universal truth shared by all mankind, but which it falls to each of us to flesh out into reality in a way that is unique to every one of us. So, universal and unique at one and the same time. Easy?!
So here we begin to touch on some of the paradoxes inherent in this process. Other people pressure us to be the person they want or expect us to be. It may be one parent who vests in their child their own need for immortality in the form of grandchildren, or their need for success in the career they were never able to follow themselves. It may be the need of a group, or even a whole society for an idealised figure to look up to. One person cannot possibly carry the weight of such an unrealistic need of so many and often come to grief in the attempt to satisfy that need - Diana, the Fairytale People's Princess, or Marilyn Monroe, the Star, or Elvis, the King; Maria Callas, The Diva, the Goddess, whose private life was a tragic succession of failures and repeated rejections in her search for relationship that might anchor her in the security of being a person.
Looked at in this way, 'other people' are the enemy of the Self in their insistance on the individual fulfilling vicariously their (often quite unrealistic) collective needs.
However it is still more complicated that that. The Self can only be realized in relation to other people; it is relational. Achieving selfhood by living the hermit's life beyond the reach of others is a very difficult path. That way lie the dangers of living a fantasy without the ability to test it against reality. 'I'm embarrassed that people were noticing things I never even noticed about myself,' King puts into the mouth of his character in Curious. He sees that his own perception of himself is not the whole story, and other people can be helpful in revealing parts of himself to himself.
But relying on others is fraught with problems. By no means is everyone curious enough about other people and also secure enough in their own selfhood to be able to admire and celebrate another's difference, and by so doing, support and validate that difference. Seeing oneself reflected warmly in the mirror of the Other helps us realize ourself. More common is the tendency to attack and denigrate any difference in other people, leaving that person in doubt about the reality of themselves. Again from Curious, Nathan reflects on his sense of Self before meeting Beau:
That image of lighting up a whole world is a pretty good account of the experience of coming to selfhood, with the help of a loving Other. This passage also demonstrates how one person's acceptance enables acceptance in the Other.
Ty, in Straight-ish asks the important question about his relationship with Henry:
Henry deals with the same question from his viewpoint:
He has already commented that 'We are all, from the very first moment, politicized.'
Remember Fanny in Jane Austin's Mansfield Park being addressed by her guardian. He says to her words that appear on the surface to be about Fanny, but which are in fact all about him: 'You have disappointed every expectation I had formed, and proved yourself of a character the very reverse of what I had supposed.'
Straight-ish is rather oddly prefaced by a quotation from Audre Lorde: 'If I didn't define myself for myself, I'd be crunched into other people's fantasies of me and eaten alive.' This rather aggressively feminist statement is OK as far as it goes, but it is, I feel, King, in the following novel, who makes the case rather better for the more complicated, interactive, need for other people to be in on this process.
King is very good at capturing the agony as well as the ecstasy of finding out who you are - and who you have it in you to become, because it is not a question that can be answered once for all: it is a journey without end. It requires courage and daring, and honesty - all well addressed in these books. There is pain in the process of being forged between the rigid anvil of reality and the hammer of ideals and hopes and dreams.
One review for four books. Read them all for their powerful treatment of different aspects of one theme. They are so much more than mere 'hot gay novels'.
Four books by Seth King that really explore one apparently very simple problem: how to be yourself. That has to be easy, doesn't it? Reassuringly, we say to a friend going for an interview, 'Just be yourself.' Sounds easy. 'Relax. Just be yourself.'
But Seth King really engages with how 'being yourself' is a lifelong challenge to each one of us, and a challenge that is so difficult that mostly, and repeatedly, we fail. At best, we fail in part; at worst we simply give up the struggle, and kid ourselves that we have succeeded, as it's so much easier just to go with the flow, even if that means drowning in a collective set of assumptions, unthought beliefs, expectations, inherited myths, bullying demands - all from other people.
Growing to self-ness, or selfhood, has been described as the process of making real (realizing) that which we each have it in us to become.
Carl Jung saw The Self as an archetype - that is a universal truth shared by all mankind, but which it falls to each of us to flesh out into reality in a way that is unique to every one of us. So, universal and unique at one and the same time. Easy?!
So here we begin to touch on some of the paradoxes inherent in this process. Other people pressure us to be the person they want or expect us to be. It may be one parent who vests in their child their own need for immortality in the form of grandchildren, or their need for success in the career they were never able to follow themselves. It may be the need of a group, or even a whole society for an idealised figure to look up to. One person cannot possibly carry the weight of such an unrealistic need of so many and often come to grief in the attempt to satisfy that need - Diana, the Fairytale People's Princess, or Marilyn Monroe, the Star, or Elvis, the King; Maria Callas, The Diva, the Goddess, whose private life was a tragic succession of failures and repeated rejections in her search for relationship that might anchor her in the security of being a person.
Looked at in this way, 'other people' are the enemy of the Self in their insistance on the individual fulfilling vicariously their (often quite unrealistic) collective needs.
However it is still more complicated that that. The Self can only be realized in relation to other people; it is relational. Achieving selfhood by living the hermit's life beyond the reach of others is a very difficult path. That way lie the dangers of living a fantasy without the ability to test it against reality. 'I'm embarrassed that people were noticing things I never even noticed about myself,' King puts into the mouth of his character in Curious. He sees that his own perception of himself is not the whole story, and other people can be helpful in revealing parts of himself to himself.
But relying on others is fraught with problems. By no means is everyone curious enough about other people and also secure enough in their own selfhood to be able to admire and celebrate another's difference, and by so doing, support and validate that difference. Seeing oneself reflected warmly in the mirror of the Other helps us realize ourself. More common is the tendency to attack and denigrate any difference in other people, leaving that person in doubt about the reality of themselves. Again from Curious, Nathan reflects on his sense of Self before meeting Beau:
. . . The boy who sometimes felt things for his best friend and tried to hide those things, to stamp them out like a lit cigarette on a sidewalk, because that friend happened to be a boy. That boy was so afraid, so alone, that he didn't recognise the love he felt all along in his own chest for that friend. Looking back I wish I could find that boy, that terrified version of me . . . . I would tell him that there was nothing wrong with him at all . . . I would tell him that one day, a time would come when he didn't hate the "different" parts of himself at all - and that one day he would open himself to the love he felt for that friend, and that the friend would open himself, too, and that their love would light up a whole world . . .
That image of lighting up a whole world is a pretty good account of the experience of coming to selfhood, with the help of a loving Other. This passage also demonstrates how one person's acceptance enables acceptance in the Other.
Ty, in Straight-ish asks the important question about his relationship with Henry:
Who would I be without him?
But just as important is another question: who am I with him?
Henry deals with the same question from his viewpoint:
You will never accept yourself if you're under the nose of someone who doesn't accept you.
He has already commented that 'We are all, from the very first moment, politicized.'
Remember Fanny in Jane Austin's Mansfield Park being addressed by her guardian. He says to her words that appear on the surface to be about Fanny, but which are in fact all about him: 'You have disappointed every expectation I had formed, and proved yourself of a character the very reverse of what I had supposed.'
Straight-ish is rather oddly prefaced by a quotation from Audre Lorde: 'If I didn't define myself for myself, I'd be crunched into other people's fantasies of me and eaten alive.' This rather aggressively feminist statement is OK as far as it goes, but it is, I feel, King, in the following novel, who makes the case rather better for the more complicated, interactive, need for other people to be in on this process.
King is very good at capturing the agony as well as the ecstasy of finding out who you are - and who you have it in you to become, because it is not a question that can be answered once for all: it is a journey without end. It requires courage and daring, and honesty - all well addressed in these books. There is pain in the process of being forged between the rigid anvil of reality and the hammer of ideals and hopes and dreams.
October 21, 2017
Great read! I loved the conclusion of this series and the beginning it represents for Henry and Ty. They found a forever love! I've read many mixed reviews regarding both books in this series. However, I'm grateful to Seth King for having written this beautiful story. There are many thought provoking messages in both books. More change is needed in this world but change must first takes place in the hearts and minds of society first. Self-acceptance is first and foremost. I'm so glad for Henry's journey of self discovery. Love is a powerful emotion. I'm so glad Henry and Ty found love in each other. It sounds like they'll be just fine. Unfortunately, there were some editing issues and I was quite surprised due to the caliber and writing style of the author. All and all....I loved both books and will recommend them.
May 17, 2018
A must read
Totally on topic in today's political arena.. as a woman I have known what it's like to be less than..I have seen first hand people who are racist and make others feel less than.. this is a beautiful sad story on how society has made the LGBTQ society feel so much less than for simply loving another human being... the greatest gift of all is love... maybe the second best is acceptance. I know one thing.. I don't want to go to the room in heaven with the judgmental straight people... please sign me up right now for Gay Heaven.. and Seth King is a talent that is an absolute must read
Totally on topic in today's political arena.. as a woman I have known what it's like to be less than..I have seen first hand people who are racist and make others feel less than.. this is a beautiful sad story on how society has made the LGBTQ society feel so much less than for simply loving another human being... the greatest gift of all is love... maybe the second best is acceptance. I know one thing.. I don't want to go to the room in heaven with the judgmental straight people... please sign me up right now for Gay Heaven.. and Seth King is a talent that is an absolute must read
October 6, 2017
Have you ever read a book that left you speechless and an emotional wreck? Well this book did that to me. I ugly cried, laughed so hard it hurt, and most of all.. I could feel the undying love Ty and Henry had for one another. This is one of those series that have a lasting impact on me.
Seth King is one of my absolute favorite authors. His writing style is simply poetic at times. It is like you are reading the story and somehow you are in that story. Simply breathtaking at times.
I cannot wait to read the next book in the Straight series.
Seth King is one of my absolute favorite authors. His writing style is simply poetic at times. It is like you are reading the story and somehow you are in that story. Simply breathtaking at times.
I cannot wait to read the next book in the Straight series.
May 17, 2018
Henry Loves Ty!
I enjoyed the romantic/Drama saga of Ty & Henry. Although, I was upset by Henry’s action: he waxed poetically about his love for Ty, yet he constantly hid; did communicate and hurt Ty. He seemed uncommonly obtuse.
I also had trouble with the Henry’s mom meeting Ty and the gun in the kitchen drawer. That scene seemed a bit odd, it’s Mr. King’s usual writing style, seems a bit clumsy. However, I do recommend read this second installment of Henry & Ty relationship!
By the way, I loved the political editorial in this story!
I enjoyed the romantic/Drama saga of Ty & Henry. Although, I was upset by Henry’s action: he waxed poetically about his love for Ty, yet he constantly hid; did communicate and hurt Ty. He seemed uncommonly obtuse.
I also had trouble with the Henry’s mom meeting Ty and the gun in the kitchen drawer. That scene seemed a bit odd, it’s Mr. King’s usual writing style, seems a bit clumsy. However, I do recommend read this second installment of Henry & Ty relationship!
By the way, I loved the political editorial in this story!
November 20, 2020
Funny, Soulful and Heartwarming
Seth King slaps at those who are so limited in their vision of relationships, that they are missing out on depths of feelings they will never know they could have.
Staight-ish is the continuing story of Henry and Ty, that began in book 1, Straight. King writes from the heart of a soul who understands that we must not limit ourselves because love can be found in the most usual places, if you are willing to take the risk !
Funny, Soulful and Heartwarming.
Seth King slaps at those who are so limited in their vision of relationships, that they are missing out on depths of feelings they will never know they could have.
Staight-ish is the continuing story of Henry and Ty, that began in book 1, Straight. King writes from the heart of a soul who understands that we must not limit ourselves because love can be found in the most usual places, if you are willing to take the risk !
Funny, Soulful and Heartwarming.
September 23, 2017
Has changed my way of thinking!!
Wow !! What can you say to this book! I went threw all the emotion that Ty and Henry went threw I cried,I laughed, I got mad . This was written so well !! Thank you for opening my eyes to world I know about and know nothing at the same time. Please keep writing for you are making a difference even if you don't fell you are .If can change one person line of thinking then you can change more! I love this book I can not wait for the next story !!
Wow !! What can you say to this book! I went threw all the emotion that Ty and Henry went threw I cried,I laughed, I got mad . This was written so well !! Thank you for opening my eyes to world I know about and know nothing at the same time. Please keep writing for you are making a difference even if you don't fell you are .If can change one person line of thinking then you can change more! I love this book I can not wait for the next story !!
January 11, 2018
This was the sequel to Straight, by Seth King.
Although I did like this book and that I got more Henry and Ty. But I do not believe this book is a necessity in the series. It does cover a little more of the struggles people have in life when it comes to being different in anyway whatsoever.
As was the first book, King brings the hot and heavy moments between Henry and Ty.
If you read Straight, and want more Ty and Henry this is perfect!
http://amzn.to/2qN5IvG
Although I did like this book and that I got more Henry and Ty. But I do not believe this book is a necessity in the series. It does cover a little more of the struggles people have in life when it comes to being different in anyway whatsoever.
As was the first book, King brings the hot and heavy moments between Henry and Ty.
If you read Straight, and want more Ty and Henry this is perfect!
http://amzn.to/2qN5IvG
May 8, 2018
Perfect story
I myself am a firm believer in souls connecting. I truly believe that I can be a so called straight woman and meet another woman and we fall madly in love. Th a story is a perfect example of to souls from different backgrounds connecting and dealing with the struggles of not being society’s normal and it is written so beautifully. Really awesome book and I fell in love with the characters. Can’t wait for Curious the spin off.
I myself am a firm believer in souls connecting. I truly believe that I can be a so called straight woman and meet another woman and we fall madly in love. Th a story is a perfect example of to souls from different backgrounds connecting and dealing with the struggles of not being society’s normal and it is written so beautifully. Really awesome book and I fell in love with the characters. Can’t wait for Curious the spin off.
August 21, 2022
It's me again. I think Henry got away easy..see mother and gun.
My highlight however was this poem:
and in my heaven
there is only you
and in my hell
there is only me
because suicide
would be eternity without you
and light itself
crowns our heads every second we spend togther
so let us go forward and feel it
forever.
This was at least 10 stars. I do not know who wrote it but it spoke to my soul and would to all those who have considered suicide.
My highlight however was this poem:
and in my heaven
there is only you
and in my hell
there is only me
because suicide
would be eternity without you
and light itself
crowns our heads every second we spend togther
so let us go forward and feel it
forever.
This was at least 10 stars. I do not know who wrote it but it spoke to my soul and would to all those who have considered suicide.
October 10, 2017
Love is Love, no labels needed
Another amazing book from Seth King. I am so glad that we got more of Henry and Ty's story. They faced some challenges in this book and ultimately came out on top! Love prevailed!!
Another amazing book from Seth King. I am so glad that we got more of Henry and Ty's story. They faced some challenges in this book and ultimately came out on top! Love prevailed!!
December 4, 2017
Loved it!
I gotta admit I love a good love story..with a few years mixed in and this book did it. I cried when Ty and Henry took their break. I just absolutely loved this and can't wait for more.
I gotta admit I love a good love story..with a few years mixed in and this book did it. I cried when Ty and Henry took their break. I just absolutely loved this and can't wait for more.
December 25, 2017
My anxiety level was sky high!
Reading this story. There were times I found I was holding my breath, waiting for both of them to pull their heads out of their you know what’s.
I hope Curious has more of them in it as I feel their story has only just begun.
Reading this story. There were times I found I was holding my breath, waiting for both of them to pull their heads out of their you know what’s.
I hope Curious has more of them in it as I feel their story has only just begun.
February 3, 2020
HEA
Great continuation! Kinda more angst then the first or maybe I was less understanding? Things expand quickly for our couple and they get a little derailed. It was nice to see where they ended up and I’m pleased with the ending.
Great continuation! Kinda more angst then the first or maybe I was less understanding? Things expand quickly for our couple and they get a little derailed. It was nice to see where they ended up and I’m pleased with the ending.
September 22, 2021
Mentre il primo mi ha entusiasmata questo non proprio….
L’indecisione e la paura di Henry proprio non mi sono piaciute, come al solito poi quando c’è di mezzo la politica i libri mi piacciono meno, è proprio un argomento che non sopporto.
L’indecisione e la paura di Henry proprio non mi sono piaciute, come al solito poi quando c’è di mezzo la politica i libri mi piacciono meno, è proprio un argomento che non sopporto.
August 6, 2022
I definitely enjoyed these books even though I found myself telling Henry to get it together and come out to his folks multiple times during this book. ;)
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love: ❤️❤️❤️
Angst: 😱😱😱
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Love: ❤️❤️❤️
Angst: 😱😱😱
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥
September 29, 2017
The story itself was good, but too much talk about politics. I almost DNF, and I've never DNF'd a book before.
October 25, 2017
Lovely
A lovely sequel to Straight. I found it to be a little heavy on the narrative/introspection occasionally but it's very nicely written.
A lovely sequel to Straight. I found it to be a little heavy on the narrative/introspection occasionally but it's very nicely written.
November 4, 2017
3.5 stars (rounded up)
March 8, 2018
Great read! I definitely appreciated getting Ty's POV in this book.
March 16, 2018
3.5
Enjoyed it a lot, still incredibly sweet and pure and charming but not as strongly as the 1st one. But I liked it a lot, absolutely.
Enjoyed it a lot, still incredibly sweet and pure and charming but not as strongly as the 1st one. But I liked it a lot, absolutely.
April 18, 2018
I love the dynamic between these two. But there is ALOT of politics in both books I could do without. Andnot the obvious politics that come with a run for govern
April 24, 2018
Loving the world of Seth King
Great book...I love surgeries something that makes you feel all the emotions of the characters.. I was so happy ☺ to have found this writer
Great book...I love surgeries something that makes you feel all the emotions of the characters.. I was so happy ☺ to have found this writer
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