Book Review: The Vast Fields of Ordinary: 3.5 Stars

Title: The Vast Fields of Ordinary
Author: Nick Burd
Publisher: SPEAK
Page Count: 309
RRP: $8.99
Genre: LGBT Fiction
Year of Publication: 2009
ISBN: 978-0142418208
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vast-Fields-Ordinary-Nick-Burd/dp/014241820X

*All above information is based on the copy of the book that I own and have read.

Extended Rating:         69/100
    Continuity:                 7/10
    Creativity:                  6/10
    Originality:                7/10
    Expression:                7/10
    Captivation:               6/10
    Readability:               8/10
    Relatable:                  9/10   
    Twists and Turns:     5/10
    Imagery:                    6/10
    External:                    8/10
   

BLURB

It’s Dade’s last summer at home in a suburban wasteland, and things are pretty hopeless. He has a crappy job, a “boyfriend” who treats him like dirt, and his parents’ marriage is falling apart. So when he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid, Dade feels as if he’s finally experiencing true happiness. But real love has consequences, and its power soon sets in motion a tragic chain of events that will change Dade’s life forever.

REVIEW

    A one-nighter this; I felt a little stunned, a tad vulnerable, and a wee bit emotionally wrung once the last page was turned.  However, that could simply be because it was the first LGBT novel that I’ve ever read, so it pushed a whole series of brand new reader-emotion buttons. I chose to read it a second time very shortly after the first run, but this time was left disappointed. Perhaps it was because this story wasn’t one I read in one sitting because I just couldn’t draw myself from a captivating story, but more because it was a quick, simple read. No challenge, little shock factor.

    Dade is a likeable, if not fairly pathetic character. One who, when you think back to how you sometimes felt as a teenager approaching the adult world, quickly becomes extremely relatable to. Especially if you can empathise with him as a young gay man, his constantly conflicted emotions, rash decisions, and emotional overflow are a mixture all too familiar.

    The narrative is easy, simple, and reflects lazy conversation whilst not lacking in the little details. Dade’s thought processes are always open to you as you follow him through his Summer, the content and style of which help to draw you into the mindset of him as a budding adult. It’s evident throughout that Burd’s own personal experiences have been liberally woven into his story, which he is aware of, as his character is told similarly in one passage by a helping friend.

    While we experience use of drugs in a way that all but endorses them, the forced casualness of their use is yet another recollection of latter teenage years for many young adults today. It promotes yet another cringe inducing remembrance of our own attempts at being cool before we knew it didn’t matter.

    On the downside, we find ourselves unfulfilled on the originality front, and nothing that emerges unexpected wrenched a gasp from me. Dade’s account is simply a standard few months in the life of a young lad, glad to leave school, looking forward to college, and making new friends.

    A heartfelt all-in-one of a story, I would recommend the read to anyone who will potentially relate strongly with Dade’s circumstances, or wish for a little insight if they know that they can’t. Otherwise, you run the risk of shaking your head as you read on, just glad to surpass the latest young and stupid action or comment reeled off by our Dade.