Panic River

Corey Fischer is a struggling artist who once had a dream to become a great artist. After meeting his spouse, Nick, Corey is grateful for meeting someone who treats him so well and who supports his creative endeavors. Nick does not seem to mind supporting both of them. Corey’s parents, on the other hand, are not happy that Corey is gay, especially his father. But things aren’t all puppies and roses in Corey and Nick’s relationship. Nick has cheated on Corey before, and when Nick goes away on a business trip for the bank he works at, Corey is convinced that he is there with a married co-worker named Evan. Corey decides to take his life at that point but is unsuccessful.

I found this book to have an interesting plot that started out well; however, as the story moved on, I started to not like the main character very much. He was just so needy throughout the book that I wanted to roll my eyes and tell him to just “man-up,” which is exactly what Corey’s father always told him to do because he acted like such a wimp in any circumstance. I could almost feel Corey’s anxiety through the pages of the book every time he was thrown into a different situation. He had a hard time adapting to anything and had very low self-esteem on top of that. Throughout the book, it was said several times that Nick was a jerk. And although his cheating was unacceptable and he stepped over the line several times while talking to people, including Corey’s mom, I never got the vibe that he was necessarily a jerk. I would say he was just more forthcoming and blunt with his communications.

The craziest part of the book happens near the end though, and without spoiling it for other readers, all I have to say is, “What happened next?” Corey goes a bit off the deep end, but the book closes with a few strings left untied and I’d love to know what happens next for everyone in the book.

Overall, this book was a fascinating read about love, tough love, and all of the complicated relationships that happen when a person decides to be him or herself. Well-written with all types of little life lessons thrown in, this book was engaging and entertaining. A book well worth reading, geared towards young adults to adults.