Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Saturday, February 13, 2016

The Water Will Catch You by Chase Potter...

How I Heard About It:  I actually have no idea how I heard about or found this book.  I'm thinking it came from a GoodReads browsing session and found it via some related searches of some novels on my list.  The beautiful cover and interesting title caught my attention and I ordered it without not knowing anything about it.  

What It Is About:  Danny and Curtis have been friends since they were young boys.  They did everything together and connected more than most friends at that age do.  The best friends made a deal that they were going to attend the same college and be roommates.  When the time finally came Danny backed out of their "deal" and left town.  This left Curtis hurt and alone.  After ten years of not speaking, Curtis is out of work and has been dumped by his girlfriend.  He reaches out to Danny, hops in his car, and drives across the country to see him.  What begins as a short stay at Danny's place, Curtis ends up staying for longer than he anticipated.  Curtis learns that Danny is Gay, out, and has made quite a life for himself.  The two men try to find what they had has young high school boys, but find this more difficult than they thought.  Danny struggles if he should reveal to Curtis the reason he left town ten years earlier.  Curtis struggles with where he is at in life, his past, and what the future will hold for him.  

What I Thought Of It:  I don't think I've ever been so surprised by a plot than I was with this novel.  I hate to categorize books, but this would definitely be put on the "gay fiction" shelf.  This was not an issue for me, but just caught me off guard.  The relationship between these two men was intense, real, and heart-breaking at times.  The writing style of Potter was excellent and really drew me into the story.  To be honest, there were a few scenes in the book that were quite graphic and detailed.  Again, I was OK with it, but just hadn't read these types of descriptions before.  As I reader I pride myself on reading a varsity of stories, and after reading this particular story, I've broadened my horizons even more.  

Who Should Read It:  This is a hard one to answer.  I think the audience of this story would definitely be gay men, but I don't think it should be limited to this specific audience.  Female readers may enjoy the story than males, but an "evolved" male could also find satisfaction with the book.  I guess this is the third novel that Potter has written so if by chance you have read one of his other books, then you should read this one as well.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars

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