Tuesday 22 March 2016

Review: Trailer Trash by Marie Sexton

****4 Stars****
 
 
My main attraction to this book was the fact that it is set in the 80’s which is my era and I very much remember the news reports regarding the AIDS epidemic and having a gay brother seeing first-hand the fear that brought to the gay community and indeed everyone. So I was intrigued as to how the author handled this story and I have to say I think it was done brilliantly. I loved the walk down memory lane with the 80’s fashion and attitudes along with the reminder of how dependent we were on TV and print publications for information back then, I’m not sure how we managed.
I enjoyed the story between Nate and Cody which dealt with all the social issues teens had back then and I think gave this book a very NA feel. Nate is new in town and the first acquaintance he makes is Cody, the friendship was a little stilted with both of them not giving away too much about each other in an attempt to not face their own issues. But as often happens life catches up and gets in the way and truths come crashing down on both of them and sadly they choose to try and conform to the opinions of those around them. I have to say I loved the character Logan and his friendship towards Cody.
I really felt for Cody and the issues he was dealing with in his home life but he showed great character. Nate was a little flaky for me, not facing up to issues and always just going with the easy option. The intimate scenes were very few and a little awkward but given these were inexperienced teens then I think that is to be expected. When Nate’s Dad intervenes in their relationship I was praying for him to say no but in the long run it did turn out best for them.
I loved the ending to this story and even Nate’s Dad won me over in the end. I would love to see more from these two characters to see how they and their relationship fared.
 
Reviewed by Vikki Ryan
 
 
It’s 1986, and what should have been the greatest summer of Nate Bradford’s life goes sour when his parents suddenly divorce. Now, instead of spending his senior year in his hometown of Austin, Texas, he’s living with his father in Warren, Wyoming, population 2,833 (and Nate thinks that might be a generous estimate). There’s no swimming pool, no tennis team, no mall—not even any MTV. The entire school’s smaller than his graduating class back home, and in a town where the top teen pastimes are sex and drugs, Nate just doesn’t fit in.

Then Nate meets Cody Lawrence. Cody’s dirt-poor, from a broken family, and definitely lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Nate’s dad says Cody’s bad news. The other kids say he’s trash. But Nate knows Cody’s a good kid who’s been dealt a lousy hand. In fact, he’s beginning to think his feelings for Cody go beyond friendship.

Admitting he might be gay is hard enough, but between small-town prejudices and the growing AIDS epidemic dominating the headlines, a town like Warren, Wyoming, is no place for two young men to fall in love.
 
 
 
 


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