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Poor Boy
All his life, Roy has had things easy; born to money and privilege, he's a grown man before he realizes how his father's money has bought his privilege off the backs and tragedies of too many people. Now he's on his own, and making his way in the world might be a lot harder than he thought. When he meets street hustler, Scooby, he falls, hard and fast, not wanting to believe the possibility Scooby is one of the unfortunates his family has stepped over to get their way. As young and fragile as Scooby seems, he might be the only one strong enough to save Roy from himself.
71 pages, ebook
First published December 23, 2008
2 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Jaime Samms
106 books276 followersJaime Samms is a plaid-hearted Canadian who spends the too-long winters writing stories about love between men and the too-short summers digging in the garden. There are dust bunnies in the corners of her house—which she blames on a husky named Kai. There are dishes on the counter—which is clearly because teenagers! There is hot coffee in the pot and the occasional meal to keep her from starving—because her husband is remarkable and patient.
A multi-published author whose work has been translated into French, Italian, and German, Jaime delights in the intricate dance of words that leads her through tales of the lost and broken hearted men she writes about to the love stories that find and mend them.
And when the muse is being stubborn, she also makes pretty things with yarn and fabric scraps because in her world, no heart is too broken to love, and nothing is too worn or tired it can’t be upcycled into something beautiful. All it takes is determination and the ability to see life a little bit left of center.
A multi-published author whose work has been translated into French, Italian, and German, Jaime delights in the intricate dance of words that leads her through tales of the lost and broken hearted men she writes about to the love stories that find and mend them.
And when the muse is being stubborn, she also makes pretty things with yarn and fabric scraps because in her world, no heart is too broken to love, and nothing is too worn or tired it can’t be upcycled into something beautiful. All it takes is determination and the ability to see life a little bit left of center.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 26, 2008
Jaime Samms knows how to write men…masculine, flawed and terribly appealing men. There is no doubt about it. You won’t find pale stand-ins in any of Samms’ work (at least not that I’ve read so far), no overly feminized version of men. This is no chick with a penis lit. What you get in Samm’s work is an utterly realistic view of gay men at their very best and at their very worst. You not only get the men–in all their flawed beauty–but you also get what goes into making a man, the journey that has brought them to this particular place in their lives…and sometimes, it isn’t pretty.
And so it is with Poor Boy, an excellent addition to Samms’ growing body of work. Often gritty and set in a seedy world of hookers and pimps and users, Poor Boy is not your typical gay romance and is not always the easiest read…and I mean that in the best way possible. The novella takes some dark turns as we travel through life with our protagonist, Roy, a young man who should have had everything in life, but doesn’t. He comes from disgustingly affluent parents, has had the best education, the right friends. Not only has he grown up on the right side of the track, but he’s lived on the hill overlooking those tracks and the town that surrounds it. Yet, Roy has always liked living on the edge, running with a dangerous crowd, throwing his decent boyfriend over for the rough edges he sees in Stryker Preston (another boy who could have had everything he ever wanted), embarrassing his family by having his shenanigans land on the front pages of every important newspaper. But as we learn, there’s a reason behind all of this.
When the story opens, we meet Roy, returning to a family home he detests to face his father and the rapidly declining woman who had once been his mother. Having accidentally killed two young parents and leaving their children orphaned, Roy’s mother is on the mental and physical decline caused by too many years of alcohol abuse and too long a time mourning for her own son, the elder Paul, the incredibly handsome, favored son who died while attempting to help Roy. Father, it seems, has decided to force Roy to walk away from his wild lifestyle by carting him and his mother off to Virginia, where she can escape the memories the house drowns her in, and Roy can leave his partying days behind him and lead a respectable life, one fitting the family name. But when Roy refuses, his father cuts off his funds, and when Roy tells his “boyfriend,” the drug addict Stryker, the user kicks him to the curb, literally abandoning him in a seedy section of town with no money, nothing but the rich clothes on his back.
It is here that Roy meets Scooby, a young, wonderfully attractive hooker and former drug addict, and his brother Clark. Roy is pulled into their world of living hand-to-mouth. Without money or friends or even a cell phone, can Roy find a way back into his posh, pampered world? If not, can he survive in Scooby and Clark’s? And what about Scooby and Clark…is there more there than meets the eye, a connection to Roy’s former life? But most of all, can Roy keep his desires and libido in check and stay away from the boy-like Scooby as Clark has warned him to do?
One of the things that Samms always does well and repeats here is get down exactly how men talk (or in some case, don’t talk) to one another. There’s a distinct suspiciousness and caution in most men’s–and especially gay men’s–interaction with each other, a sizing up that happens almost silently. When we’re good at talking to one another, we’re very good, and when we’re not, we can be the biggest idiots on the planet. And each of the three primary character’s are full of this verbal and non-verbal interaction, Scooby being generally open, but cautious; Roy often not thinking of the impact of his words; and Clark being a reserved man, one of few words but many meanings. Samms also handles the non-communication well, a tricky thing to accomplish in any fiction. Many times non-communication tends to drag the pace of a story down, but here it reveals a lot about each of the characters. There is a lot going on in the silences.
Wisely, Samms let’s us spend time with the characters before we get to the real romance and sex of the piece. We see Roy’s attraction to the achingly adorable Scooby from near the get go. At first it is a superficial lust, but when Roy controls himself (with the help of brotherly threats from Clark), he actually begins to discover Scooby’s personality, the quirks that make him the appealing man he is. The result is an air of tension that slowly builds and makes the reader ache for these two to get together. By the time Scooby and Roy do come together physically, it is both romantic and highly erotic, the time taken to build the relationship being time exceedingly well spent.
Lest you think this piece is all about getting to know one another, let me mention that there is a plot and it is peopled with interesting character. The world Samms has built is palpable, gritty and grimy, but one that is completely realistic. That world is what propels the plot. We wonder how Roy will get himself out of the situation he is in and we wonder right along with him if he’ll be able to save Scooby and his brother from the life his family may have placed them in. In that respect, the story is one of Roy’s self-redemption, his saving of others to save himself. But what is really interesting is that the character Roy wants to save most is the man who hasn’t let his past haunt him or tear him down. Who is the man that needs protecting? Scooby or Roy? It is a beautiful dynamic.
Now, as much as a fan as I am of Samms’ work, there are some nits to pick in here, though the relationships built overcome all of them. At times, the story veers slightly into melodrama, taking on a Douglas Sirk feel. Luckily, when Samms stands on the brink of going too far, she pulls back to the well-grounded reality that serves the story best. Writing wise, the prose matches exactly the tone of the piece. It is descriptive enough without ever turning purple, with just enough gritty detail to keep the piece from becoming overwhelming. I had a few problems simply with the layout of the text and paragraph breaks, however, and at times I had trouble knowing exactly who was speaking. I would have to go back and read again, keeping careful track of the back and forth. Luckily these times are rare. There are also a few misplaced modifying phrases that niggled the grammar side of my brain. But all in all, it’s all very clean and smooth.
Whereas Samms’ lead characters are extremely well rounded, the secondary characters fare less well. Personally, I would like to have seen more of Clark and his personal feelings and reaction to the life he and his brother have found themselves in. He is the protective brother and while we see glimmers of the man who has been forced to be both brother and father to Scooby, we never really delve into what it has all cost him. Likewise, the “villains” of the piece tend to be the slimmest of the characters. We never really get to know Stryker beyond the definition of user; the pimp Pater doesn’t quite rise beyond his occupation. And the extremely minor (but important) character of Mr. White veers dangerously close to a modern-day Fu Manchu. Still, the secondary characters generally fare much better than usual in such a short work.
Plot wise, the story moves along at a nice pace, but it does rely heavily on deus ex machina. Rather than the characters working themselves out of the situation they’ve found themselves in, the resolution hinges on a series of events that, while not coincidences, are definitely the results of others’ actions. The escape route is simply handed to them. Still, this doesn’t draw away from a completely engaging piece built on the strength of the lead characters and their developing relationship.
In the end, Samms has created believably wounded characters that never feel oppressive in their angst. She masterfully maintains a subtly romantic tone in an utterly realistic world, and gives us characters who we just want to see get together. Along the way, without ever noticing it, we also get a nice story about how one’s past can make you weaker or stronger, depending on the choices we make. One has to wonder who is the titular Poor Boy, and Samms wisely leaves that up to us to decide. A very satisfying journey.
Originally reviewed for Uniquely Pleasurable.
And so it is with Poor Boy, an excellent addition to Samms’ growing body of work. Often gritty and set in a seedy world of hookers and pimps and users, Poor Boy is not your typical gay romance and is not always the easiest read…and I mean that in the best way possible. The novella takes some dark turns as we travel through life with our protagonist, Roy, a young man who should have had everything in life, but doesn’t. He comes from disgustingly affluent parents, has had the best education, the right friends. Not only has he grown up on the right side of the track, but he’s lived on the hill overlooking those tracks and the town that surrounds it. Yet, Roy has always liked living on the edge, running with a dangerous crowd, throwing his decent boyfriend over for the rough edges he sees in Stryker Preston (another boy who could have had everything he ever wanted), embarrassing his family by having his shenanigans land on the front pages of every important newspaper. But as we learn, there’s a reason behind all of this.
When the story opens, we meet Roy, returning to a family home he detests to face his father and the rapidly declining woman who had once been his mother. Having accidentally killed two young parents and leaving their children orphaned, Roy’s mother is on the mental and physical decline caused by too many years of alcohol abuse and too long a time mourning for her own son, the elder Paul, the incredibly handsome, favored son who died while attempting to help Roy. Father, it seems, has decided to force Roy to walk away from his wild lifestyle by carting him and his mother off to Virginia, where she can escape the memories the house drowns her in, and Roy can leave his partying days behind him and lead a respectable life, one fitting the family name. But when Roy refuses, his father cuts off his funds, and when Roy tells his “boyfriend,” the drug addict Stryker, the user kicks him to the curb, literally abandoning him in a seedy section of town with no money, nothing but the rich clothes on his back.
It is here that Roy meets Scooby, a young, wonderfully attractive hooker and former drug addict, and his brother Clark. Roy is pulled into their world of living hand-to-mouth. Without money or friends or even a cell phone, can Roy find a way back into his posh, pampered world? If not, can he survive in Scooby and Clark’s? And what about Scooby and Clark…is there more there than meets the eye, a connection to Roy’s former life? But most of all, can Roy keep his desires and libido in check and stay away from the boy-like Scooby as Clark has warned him to do?
One of the things that Samms always does well and repeats here is get down exactly how men talk (or in some case, don’t talk) to one another. There’s a distinct suspiciousness and caution in most men’s–and especially gay men’s–interaction with each other, a sizing up that happens almost silently. When we’re good at talking to one another, we’re very good, and when we’re not, we can be the biggest idiots on the planet. And each of the three primary character’s are full of this verbal and non-verbal interaction, Scooby being generally open, but cautious; Roy often not thinking of the impact of his words; and Clark being a reserved man, one of few words but many meanings. Samms also handles the non-communication well, a tricky thing to accomplish in any fiction. Many times non-communication tends to drag the pace of a story down, but here it reveals a lot about each of the characters. There is a lot going on in the silences.
Wisely, Samms let’s us spend time with the characters before we get to the real romance and sex of the piece. We see Roy’s attraction to the achingly adorable Scooby from near the get go. At first it is a superficial lust, but when Roy controls himself (with the help of brotherly threats from Clark), he actually begins to discover Scooby’s personality, the quirks that make him the appealing man he is. The result is an air of tension that slowly builds and makes the reader ache for these two to get together. By the time Scooby and Roy do come together physically, it is both romantic and highly erotic, the time taken to build the relationship being time exceedingly well spent.
Lest you think this piece is all about getting to know one another, let me mention that there is a plot and it is peopled with interesting character. The world Samms has built is palpable, gritty and grimy, but one that is completely realistic. That world is what propels the plot. We wonder how Roy will get himself out of the situation he is in and we wonder right along with him if he’ll be able to save Scooby and his brother from the life his family may have placed them in. In that respect, the story is one of Roy’s self-redemption, his saving of others to save himself. But what is really interesting is that the character Roy wants to save most is the man who hasn’t let his past haunt him or tear him down. Who is the man that needs protecting? Scooby or Roy? It is a beautiful dynamic.
Now, as much as a fan as I am of Samms’ work, there are some nits to pick in here, though the relationships built overcome all of them. At times, the story veers slightly into melodrama, taking on a Douglas Sirk feel. Luckily, when Samms stands on the brink of going too far, she pulls back to the well-grounded reality that serves the story best. Writing wise, the prose matches exactly the tone of the piece. It is descriptive enough without ever turning purple, with just enough gritty detail to keep the piece from becoming overwhelming. I had a few problems simply with the layout of the text and paragraph breaks, however, and at times I had trouble knowing exactly who was speaking. I would have to go back and read again, keeping careful track of the back and forth. Luckily these times are rare. There are also a few misplaced modifying phrases that niggled the grammar side of my brain. But all in all, it’s all very clean and smooth.
Whereas Samms’ lead characters are extremely well rounded, the secondary characters fare less well. Personally, I would like to have seen more of Clark and his personal feelings and reaction to the life he and his brother have found themselves in. He is the protective brother and while we see glimmers of the man who has been forced to be both brother and father to Scooby, we never really delve into what it has all cost him. Likewise, the “villains” of the piece tend to be the slimmest of the characters. We never really get to know Stryker beyond the definition of user; the pimp Pater doesn’t quite rise beyond his occupation. And the extremely minor (but important) character of Mr. White veers dangerously close to a modern-day Fu Manchu. Still, the secondary characters generally fare much better than usual in such a short work.
Plot wise, the story moves along at a nice pace, but it does rely heavily on deus ex machina. Rather than the characters working themselves out of the situation they’ve found themselves in, the resolution hinges on a series of events that, while not coincidences, are definitely the results of others’ actions. The escape route is simply handed to them. Still, this doesn’t draw away from a completely engaging piece built on the strength of the lead characters and their developing relationship.
In the end, Samms has created believably wounded characters that never feel oppressive in their angst. She masterfully maintains a subtly romantic tone in an utterly realistic world, and gives us characters who we just want to see get together. Along the way, without ever noticing it, we also get a nice story about how one’s past can make you weaker or stronger, depending on the choices we make. One has to wonder who is the titular Poor Boy, and Samms wisely leaves that up to us to decide. A very satisfying journey.
Originally reviewed for Uniquely Pleasurable.
October 30, 2013
I really liked the book up until the "I love you's" arrived...
Then, in spite of so many good places for the story to go, an asshole dies, a bad guy gets arrested, a house auto-magically appears out of the past and the story does a 100 yard dash to the nearest exit.
We're pretty much left with 2 guys that seem to like one another a lot, but not sure if it's going to end in a happily ever after or an eventual restraining order.
I just wanted more follow through on this one vs. what felt more like a door slam of an ending. If that had happened, there would be more than 3 stars here.
Then, in spite of so many good places for the story to go, an asshole dies, a bad guy gets arrested, a house auto-magically appears out of the past and the story does a 100 yard dash to the nearest exit.
We're pretty much left with 2 guys that seem to like one another a lot, but not sure if it's going to end in a happily ever after or an eventual restraining order.
I just wanted more follow through on this one vs. what felt more like a door slam of an ending. If that had happened, there would be more than 3 stars here.
Read
May 15, 2009Who is the poor boy of the title? Reading the blurb you can expect that rich boy Roy is the lucky one, and hustler Scooby is the poor, but in this tale what you expect is not all what you get.
Roy is the classical spoiled brat of a too wealthy family. His mother is a drunk who killed a family while driving; the money of the husband saved her from prison, but not from her problems, and now she is an empty shell. His father is only preoccupied to avoid for his son to be on the first pages of z-rated magazines, and not to avoid for his son to have reasons to be on that pages. His brother was killed one night while trying for the endless time to convince him to come back home instead of going away with his addict boyfriend... Apparently there are no hopes for Roy to redeem, and actually no reasons. When his father finally kicks him out, obviously his boyfriend does the same and Roy is on the street, like the two kids of the family his mother killed were so many years ago.
For Roy is like a falling to hell, in a world he has never been, neither in his worst period. A world were you can be killed on a street, but also where only the poorest help the poor. And so it's only Scooby, a young hustler, who offers an hand and a shelter to Roy. But Scooby for Roy is not a stranger, in him Roy sees the boy his mother orphaned and his father didn't help, and so, even if he is not even capable to care for himself, Roy decides to take care of Scooby. Scooby is an hustler, but it's not like what Roy did with his friends and for his friends is so much different.
It's not even a love story at first, Scooby latches to Roy and he sometime does with his brother Clark, a man who would like to have a life of his own, but can't since if he leaves, for Scooby will be the end. In a way Roy wants to prove also to Clark that he is able to provide for Scooby, but Roy realizes that he can't do that alone, and he also realizes, maybe for the first time, that he is really alone: no more father to pay him out, no more boyfriend to throw in the face of his father, no more brother to help him; Roy is all alone with Scooby, a man who is too unstable to be of any help.
The story is till too much real and cruel, but the world in which Roy ends it seems almost a metaphor of the dark side: it's described in a way that makes it feel full of shadow and with an endless night, and when Roy, for brief moments, escapes it, it's like if all of sudden the light breaks through. Roy's quest for taking Scooby away from it, reminds me some mythological fall in Ade with the hero who tries to save his lover. Nor Roy or Scooby will escape without scars, some old, some deep, and it's not like in the end all is perfect and the past is behind them, the past, the hell, is only meters away and the path toward the full light is still long.
So, in the end, who is the poor guy of the title?
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/46...
Roy is the classical spoiled brat of a too wealthy family. His mother is a drunk who killed a family while driving; the money of the husband saved her from prison, but not from her problems, and now she is an empty shell. His father is only preoccupied to avoid for his son to be on the first pages of z-rated magazines, and not to avoid for his son to have reasons to be on that pages. His brother was killed one night while trying for the endless time to convince him to come back home instead of going away with his addict boyfriend... Apparently there are no hopes for Roy to redeem, and actually no reasons. When his father finally kicks him out, obviously his boyfriend does the same and Roy is on the street, like the two kids of the family his mother killed were so many years ago.
For Roy is like a falling to hell, in a world he has never been, neither in his worst period. A world were you can be killed on a street, but also where only the poorest help the poor. And so it's only Scooby, a young hustler, who offers an hand and a shelter to Roy. But Scooby for Roy is not a stranger, in him Roy sees the boy his mother orphaned and his father didn't help, and so, even if he is not even capable to care for himself, Roy decides to take care of Scooby. Scooby is an hustler, but it's not like what Roy did with his friends and for his friends is so much different.
It's not even a love story at first, Scooby latches to Roy and he sometime does with his brother Clark, a man who would like to have a life of his own, but can't since if he leaves, for Scooby will be the end. In a way Roy wants to prove also to Clark that he is able to provide for Scooby, but Roy realizes that he can't do that alone, and he also realizes, maybe for the first time, that he is really alone: no more father to pay him out, no more boyfriend to throw in the face of his father, no more brother to help him; Roy is all alone with Scooby, a man who is too unstable to be of any help.
The story is till too much real and cruel, but the world in which Roy ends it seems almost a metaphor of the dark side: it's described in a way that makes it feel full of shadow and with an endless night, and when Roy, for brief moments, escapes it, it's like if all of sudden the light breaks through. Roy's quest for taking Scooby away from it, reminds me some mythological fall in Ade with the hero who tries to save his lover. Nor Roy or Scooby will escape without scars, some old, some deep, and it's not like in the end all is perfect and the past is behind them, the past, the hell, is only meters away and the path toward the full light is still long.
So, in the end, who is the poor guy of the title?
http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/46...
October 16, 2009
This is not a story that you sit down to and skim through. It's also a lot darker, and grittier than I had envisioned, but oh was it worth it.
Hitting bottom... it's something we hear about but, speaking for myself, never really give it any thought, never really understand just what it is.
It can definitely be found in Jaime Samms' Poor Boy but we're not left wallowing in the dregs, lost in the dark. Yes, we go through it with Roy and Scooby ~ just a sip of what being at the bottom means ~ but there is so much more that happens. The biggest thing would be that Roy and Scooby find in each other something worth sacrificing for. It's not an easy journey, it's not always close to pleasant, but it is rich in emotion and very much worth spending the time reading.
And finally, it's not the $$ that make a difference, it's friends, lovers and self-respect that will go the distance.
If you haven't read Poor Boy and you like romances with an edge, then this is a story that should satisfy even the harshest critic.
Hitting bottom... it's something we hear about but, speaking for myself, never really give it any thought, never really understand just what it is.
It can definitely be found in Jaime Samms' Poor Boy but we're not left wallowing in the dregs, lost in the dark. Yes, we go through it with Roy and Scooby ~ just a sip of what being at the bottom means ~ but there is so much more that happens. The biggest thing would be that Roy and Scooby find in each other something worth sacrificing for. It's not an easy journey, it's not always close to pleasant, but it is rich in emotion and very much worth spending the time reading.
And finally, it's not the $$ that make a difference, it's friends, lovers and self-respect that will go the distance.
If you haven't read Poor Boy and you like romances with an edge, then this is a story that should satisfy even the harshest critic.
November 26, 2015
One of the strangest books i have ever read.I found a hard time understanding it.Both the main charecters were idiots, especially roy I swear the author should of changed his age because he was too stupid to be 27!
As soon as his boyfriend left him at start of book I just didn't understand why he didn't just get his stuff together and leave town.I didn't understand his attraction to scooby or why he even stayed with him,that kid was nothing but trouble! And even at the end I didn't understand where or how scooby fell for him.
I decided to keep reading to understand what the hell was going on! even though I didnt really like the characters I wanted to see how they get out of this situation[very unbelievable sistuation at that!:]plus I just dont like leaving books unfinished. But at the end of the book it still left me going What!??
It wasnt a HEA it was a HFN they might of got out of that situation but they were both selfish and stupid, I'm sure they'll find themselves in another stupid situation soon!
Just a very hard book to understand and like.
As soon as his boyfriend left him at start of book I just didn't understand why he didn't just get his stuff together and leave town.I didn't understand his attraction to scooby or why he even stayed with him,that kid was nothing but trouble! And even at the end I didn't understand where or how scooby fell for him.
I decided to keep reading to understand what the hell was going on! even though I didnt really like the characters I wanted to see how they get out of this situation[very unbelievable sistuation at that!:]plus I just dont like leaving books unfinished. But at the end of the book it still left me going What!??
It wasnt a HEA it was a HFN they might of got out of that situation but they were both selfish and stupid, I'm sure they'll find themselves in another stupid situation soon!
Just a very hard book to understand and like.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2010
Maybe, I should categorize this as fiction rather than romance because I think the story is more like a look n a hard-live when you are out of money and out of option. I like the writing, though. I read a couple of Jaime Samms's stories and it fits with what I want to find in a M/M story (no overused terms of endearment, no jumping on sheet as soon as possible, no sex that fills at least 3/4 of the book). So it's a nice read ...
January 10, 2012
I really liked the story and found it hard to put down once I started reading. I teared up in a few places because I felt so sad for Roy and Scooby. Money doesn't buy happiness, love or the good life.
Read
July 12, 2010sad book, and the ending isnt enough for me. I almost wanted a Hollywood ending i guess. But well written and i went through all the emotional spectrum
February 28, 2011
The story didn't pull my attention and even the characters were somehow bland. But I guess I didn't give the story much of a choice.
February 17, 2013
2.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews