Get Hold Of Special Effect Devised By Russell J. Sanders Available Through Digital Format
Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title
Graduating senior, theater lighting wunderkind, and closeted gay, Nick Fortunati volunteers with The Streetwise Players in the dark corners of The Laughton, a creepy old movie palace decorated in Grand Guignol style.
But his father wishes Nick would use his intellect and his scholarship to become a biotech engineer and earn a prosperous living for his future family.
Nick loves his dad and wants to please him, but he dreams of a career in theater, And he wants a male lover, Unfortunately, his homophobic father wont approve of either,
When Nicks at his loneliest, out of the corners of the theater and into his life comes troubleladen Steve Stripling, a man with little memory of his past other than his name.
Meanwhile, Nicks introduced to the dashing Wash Vitek and is torn between the two men, His situation is further complicated because he doesn't know if Wash is gay,
Nick resolves to solve the mystery surrounding Steve and help the young man recover his memories, even though by doing so, he risks losing the first love hes ever found.
"Mr. Sanders has written a book for young adults, I would have to say it may appeal most to preteens, It is written in a way that even the least sophisticated teenagers might find beneath their reading level, Most YA M/M novels are enjoyable for older teens and even adults, to a certain degree, Im not sure what the authors intent was, but Special Effect is, in my opinion, a book best suited to a preteen audience.
The story itself has potential to be of interest to older teens and young adults, but as written, it is not a challenging read.
A sixteen year old who is on grade level in reading would breeze through it in no time, "
sitelink The Laughton is a creepy old movie palace decorated in Grand Guignol style, This style is defined as: dramatic entertainment featuring the gruesome or horrible according to MerriamWebster, The gruesome in this particular theater is found in the form of gargoyles that surround the inside of the theater and appear to be following one's every move.
At various times throughout history, the Laughton has been a movie theater, a Burlesque house during which time the dancers painted all the gargoyles with day glow paint and currently, a community theater.
This is where we meet Nick Fortunati, a high school senior who volunteers with The Streetwise Players doing lighting effects, Nick has a couple of things he is keeping from everyone he knows, He is gay. And he doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and become a bioengineer, he wants to follow his dream and major in Theater.
Poor Nick, the age old struggle of the young gay man has claimed another victim, I can't imagine how hard it is to have to keep such a large part of who you are hidden for fear of losing everything you have ever know.
Russell J. Sanders does a really good job of making the reader really feel just how torn Nick is about being honest with his
father versus being forced into a mold he knows won't fit comfortably.
Those creepy gargoyles They aren't the only strange thing lurking in the shadows of the Laughton, There is Steve. He has no memory of his past and for some reason can't leave the theater building, Nick falls in love with Steve instantly after their first kiss, This is where the author lost me, I know teenagers fall in and out of love easily and quickly, This was just a little too much for me to believe,
When Nick's lighting supervisor introduces him to his nephew, Wash short for Washington, things get more confusing for Nick, He is drawn to Wash but doesn't know if he's gay, Plus, he loves Steve. Nick decides to solve the mystery that is Steve's life, To do this, he takes a figurative trip back in time to interview the employees and performers of the Laughton of old.
He is afraid what he discovers will destroy his first love, Steve,
Mr. Sanders has written a book for young adults, I would have to say it may appeal most to preteens, It is written in a way that even the least sophisticated teenagers might find beneath their reading level, Most YA MM novels are enjoyable for older teens and even adults to a certain degree, I'm not sure what the author's intent was, but Special Effect is, in my opinion, a book best suited to a preteen audience.
The story itself has potential to be of interest to older teens and young adults, but as written, it is not a challenging read.
A sixteen year old who is on grade level in reading would breeze through it in no time,
If Mr. Sanders had chosen to flesh out the characters some more and beef up the plot instead of making it seem so easy for Nick to solve the mystery, thus doing away with some of the predictability of the plot, I believe it would have much broader appeal.
There is no sex in the book, There are kissing and references to sex, but only in the context of Nick wanting to lose his virginity, I don't think there was even more than a passing reference to an erection, Special Effect is a perfectly age appropriate book for very young teens, That is whom I am comfortable recommending it to,
Ive had a love of the stage for as long as I can remember, as well as a fascination with the supernatural.
Its little wonder then that the Gothic atmosphere running through this novel struck a chord with me, The Laughton, the eerie movie palace where much of the story takes place, immediately sets the tone with its shadowy corners and the gargoyles that seem to follow you with their eyes.
Its clear that Russell J, Sanders has a real affinity with the theater, his passion both for its magic and its inner workings evident in his every word.
Highschool senior Nick Fortunati is a loner, and the secrets he keeps locked inside only deepen his isolation, Embroiled in the private struggle to come to terms with his sexuality, he is also wrestling with the daunting prospect of going against his fathers wishes and pursuing his own dreams of a career in theater.
The Laughton, where he volunteers doing stage lighting, is the one place where he feels at home, Its while hes alone in the theater one morning that Nick meets Steve, a beautiful but enigmatic young man with whom he falls instantly in love.
In all his fantasies, Nick never expected having a boyfriend would complicate his life still further, Yet, Steve is harboring secrets of his owndark secrets that will lead Nick on a detective mission to unravel the truth, When he is introduced to his lighting supervisors charming nephew, Wash, Nick is thrown into even greater confusion, All at once he finds himself torn between two very different boys, whilst trying to uncover the tragedy in Steves past, and gathering the courage to defy his father and follow his heart.
Special Effect is a quirky novel: part murder mystery, part comingofage tale, and part romance, If I do have a quibble, its that Nick falls in love with Steve too quickly to be entirely credible, I would have liked the author to spend more time developing the relationship between them, exploring their attraction to one another before the kiss.
That said, I found this book to be an easy read, and the absence of sex makes it as appropriate for early teens as it is for young adults.
NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on sitelinkRainbow Book s and sitelinkBoys on the Brink Well, I have just realized something breaking the fourth wall does not work for me.
At least this attempt failed as far as my enjoyment of the narration, Quite possibly it was due to the fact that I didn't enjoy Nick, but I dont think the plan was executed the way it was intended.
I believe too much of the authors voice came through and it wasn't truly Nick that we heard, Or if thats not the case, then Nick didn't suit with the character he was meant to portray, Regardless, the MC speaking directly to me smothered any pleasure I may have had,
What we have here is a novel twist on a conventional theme, A ghost lingers, trapped in the inbetween, specifically in a theater, A few decades later a young man, Nick, encounters this being unaware of his ethereal state, For the first time since his death someone can see, talk, and touch Steve, A relationship bursts from nowhere and Nick has his first bona fide boyfriend, Kinda.
Nick is a young teen coming to terms with his sexual identity and yet he often came across as a middle aged sullen man.
One of my biggest peeves was, . he lectured. I did not enjoy his lessons, Maybe I just didn't get his humor, I tend to have a soft spot for the selfproclaimed nerds and always melt as we experience their firsts, Any potential power during these moments completely missed the mark for me, They were stilted in their romantic moments and the overuse of 'man' as a term of endearment drove me bonkers,
To be totally honest, I found Nick to be aggravating, frustrating and extreme, The instalove was a crash and burn, Nick asked me if he was telling him he loved him and I wanted to scream at him that he wasn't, Where did he pluck that from I never saw it, The murdermystery was thin. The prospective leads were silly and most of the secondary characters felt very superficial,
The inside jokes and vintage lingo were excessive and just plain off, Frequently I wondered if it was twenty or forty years ago that jargon was pulled from, Again, this is where I feel like it was the author rather than the character that came through,
All in all it wasn't my cup of tea, but if you happen to love Ferris Buller's Day Off and like a YA mystery, this just might be a winner in your book.
. clearlynotforme
sitelinkand rating to follow, . . One day teenagers will not have to worry about what their parents reaction to who the love will be, Yes, I have a dream, Until then, stories such as Special Effect, by Russell J Sanders, will remain imperative in our culture, Special Effect is not a tale of coming out it is a tale of selfacceptance, standing up for yourself, and putting others first.
All this wrapped up in a little mystery and drama,
Nick is a nerdy theater geek just trying to make it to graduation and then throughyears in a major that does not interest him in the least.
Why go for that major Because his otherwise “perfect” dad wants him to, of course, What does he want to do Theater, Theater lighting to be exact, One day while working along at an old theater, Steve shows up and sweeps Nick off his feet, literally, They become almost inseparable as long as they are alone, As it turns out, Steve has a few secrets of his own that Nick wants to help unravel,
Find the Full review at Prism Book Alliance sitelink prismbookalliance. com/pos A teacher, a singer, an actor, a director, a chef, a traveler, a writerthese are all descriptions of native Texas author Russell J.
Sanders, now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, A life spent in Texas led to a relocation adventure, because thats what life is about embarking on adventures, So he and his husband set out for parts unknown and are loving it! Russell writes young adult novels, and his works are infused with his travel experiences.
Thus far, his novels have taken readers to Ft, Worth, Houston, Chicago, Hollywood, and Nova Scotia, Since he has traveled to England, France, Italy, Japan, India, Bali, Jakarta, Toronto, Vancouver, Alaska, and Hawaii, who knows where he may lead his readers next But one thing is certain, there will A teacher, a singer, an actor, a director, a chef, a traveler, a writerthese are all descriptions of native Texas author Russell J.
Sanders, now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, A life spent in Texas led to a relocation adventure, because that's what life is about embarking on adventures, So he and his husband set out for parts unknown and are loving it! Russell writes young adult novels, and his works are infused with his travel experiences.
Thus far, his novels have taken readers to Ft, Worth, Houston, Chicago, Hollywood, and Nova Scotia, Since he has traveled to England, France, Italy, Japan, India, Bali, Jakarta, Toronto, Vancouver, Alaska, and Hawaii, who knows where he may lead his readers next But one thing is certain, there will likely be a mention of Tex Mex food in his books, for no matter where he travels, Russell seeks out Mexican food, not searching for the perfect enchilada, but just to experience what the food is like in far away places.
It actually was pretty good, he says, in Jakarta, and not so good in Wyoming, Mostly, Russell's goal is to tell the world, through his writing, that we are all put on this earth to love one another, no matter our race, religion, or sexual preference.
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