Andrew and Joey

Jamie James' "Andrew and Joey" was a great read. Funny, engaging, and a style unlike any I've read before. Thinking it was a light vacation read, that's where I took it. Surprisingly, the characters were deep and I really became connected with them and their stories. Pick it up, you won't be able to put it down!

This story has it all for the PC gay metrosexual. Biracial gay couple. Tearjerking breakup. Dysfunctional relationships. Chickenhawking. World travel. Set in New York, San Francisco, and Indonesia, it is an easy read. One warning: the entire book, cover to cover, is formatted as a series of email exchanges. The first chapter is difficult because the email format is not conducive to character development, but eventually you'll figure out who all the players are.

if you enjoy honkin' pipe, you'll love this!!!

This suburban grandmother loved this book! The epistolary style particularly complements these characters... And what a cast of characters! I could not stop laughing as I read the entries made by the hilarious Tante Phyllis.Alarmed by the surprising behavior of long time friends, she spins off some of the funniest (and toughest) lines in the book. Phylllis is what we all want our best friend to be- funny, loving and brutally honest. The love story that unfolds has all of the right moves as well. Set in Bali,interlaced with the drama of dance, the story covers it all. One does not have to be a gay man to feel Andrew's pain, or to feel the pull that youth and raw sexuality have on Joey. The story is a classic one, with a different twist. It's a good read- far away places, real characters, and a clever , clever format.

The first novel was Samuel Richardson's PAMELA. It told its story in letters that were exchanged among the participants. Jamie James has updated this technique by having the characters correspond via email. The difficulty with this "gimmick" is that the author must create a different syle for each of the correspondants. James does just that! (He is even able to capture the pain of a young boy's first love.) Like the other reviewer on this page, I expected a piece of "beach reading". It is not! The only thing it has in common with a "beach-read" is that it can be read quickly. Nor, is it one of the plethora of "gay-cute" books. In Joey, James has created a tragic character that corresponds to Aristotle's dictum. He is a true tragic figure because he knows that he, and he alone, is responsible for his fate. (This is where you missed out, Arthur Miller!) Now in case you get the impression that this is a dreary, gloomy work, let me assure you it isn't. There is much humor here. There is sharp satire here. You will become involved with these people; you will care about these people. You will laugh, you will cry, (and if you have a heart) you will love this book.