A Secret Edge

Everything I wished I had experienced and didn't. I went to high school in the 50's. So, thanks to Robin, I got to be young again. It is an emotional book that pulls no punches and alternately fills your heart with joy and sometimes with doubt and emptiness. I didn't want it to end and I couldn't turn pages fast enough. No need for a bookmark on this one. Robin has another book out,"Thinking Straight", and I hope there are many more to come. Thanks for a wonderful experience.

Coming of age stories constitute a huge segment of the gay fiction market, and I've certainly read my share. A SECRET EDGE is one such story, filled with all the angst and wonder one comes to expect from this genre. But this novel veers from the standard formula, with a detailed exploration of violence versus non-violence, and manages to bring a fresh take to an often stale format. Jason Peele is a cute blonde sixteen year old high school runner. He's not exactly a jock, but he's athletic. In school, he is neither a member of the in crowd, nor is he a glaring social pariah. He's smart and marginally self assured. But Jason's not a big kid, and he's been the target of jealous bullies on more than one occasion. He knows the goons that picked on him growing up are teenagers now too, capable of a great deal more harm, and Jason refuses to be coward. He secretly carries a switchblade in his pocket, and the knife gives him an added sense of security. On the first day of track tryouts, Jason notices a dark handsome student practicing the high jump and is instantly smitten. Raj is from India, and moved with his family to the States when he was twelve. Jason is confused and just becoming aware of his sexuality, but Raj has known about himself for quite some time and recognizes a kindred spirit in Jason. It doesn't take Raj long to make the initial move, and Jason suddenly finds his world turned upside down. Raj is a follower of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, and is determined to impress Gandhi's non violent philosophies upon Jason. Jason's an eager student, but when Raj discovers his secret weapon, he becomes enraged, and stops speaking to Jason. Both are stubborn teenage boys, and as their communication breakdown continues, what hope is there for a relationship? A SECRET EDGE is written in first person present tense, and told from Jason's point of view. It's a fast paced well delivered story, intended primarily for a young audience, but sufficiently entertaining for a more mature one. The book's style is crisp, the plot well thought out, and with its message of non-violence, is a wonderful addition to a somewhat overcrowded field.

This is an especially well-written book that not only deals with coming out on the high school and jock scene, but it deals with the cross-cultural dimension of two men loving coming from completely different cultures. It is insightful, and you will be glad that you have taken the time to read this title. It is also a "can't-put-it-down" book until finished story. Trust me, you will not want to stop reading this story until the last page and even then wish for more. Kris Kleeberg [email protected]

Robin Reardon has accomplished a marvelous feat in gay literature. Although focused on, I believe, a teenage audience, there is enough going on here to happily keep an adult's attention. She has successfully composed a wonderful coming-of-age tale that has all the right elements in it. There's lots of conflict to keep your attention on the plot. There are wonderfully developed characters that are different enough to make sure you don't get confused. There is a focus on mentorship from Jason's (the main character) surrogate parents. There is love and lust. There is that 'first time' element that makes it sexy. There is a knowing that time is on Jason's side. This story is an excellent addition to the genre. Thank you for bringing tears to my eyes and allowing me once again to peek back to that time when this slice of life would have applied to me. That's one good way to tell a story: allow it sing directly to my heart. I look forward to other stories by this author.

Sixteen-year-old Jason Peele and his Indian boyfriend Raj spend a lot of time debating the philosophy of the pacifist Gandhi and his teaching of nonviolence. Their disagreement on the subject is cause for much of the conflict in this really fine coming-of-age novel. Both young men are on their high school track team (where they meet) and both have been the target of harassment and/or violence because of their perceived sexual orientation. They have different ideas, however, of how to confront violence. A SECRET EDGE-- from what the title means, to the well-developed characters to the plot-- is a book that high school students, both straight and gay as well as the confused, should read. It is instructive without being didactic. I am not sure that today's teenagers fully appreciate how far this country has come in the quest for rights for gay people. There was nothing that would have come close to this wonderful novel in my high school library. Jason, who lost his parents when just a child, has a loving, sensitive Aunt Audrey. When he tells her he is gay, her response is simply "I know." His Uncle Steve is decent; his track coach is supportive (and you find out why). He also has a straight friend Robert whom he helps with his English assignments and another friend from the track team, Norm, who is struggling with his sexual orientation and plans to come out only when he is in college and away from his parents. This novel is ultimately about honesty and the courage to be who you are as well as a sweet love story.