Gemini Bites: 06/07/12

I read Gemini Bites by Patrick Ryan because I had enjoyed In Mike We Trust. Plus the vampire love triangle parody caught my attention.

Although it's a short book, there's a lot going on. In all honesty, there's probably too much going on. First there is the long time rivalry between fraternal twins Judy and Kyle Renneker. In the last few years Judy's taunting has turned cruel. Kyle has recently come out to his parents and best (and also gay) friend. Judy, meanwhile is pretending to find religion so she can chase the hot boy. Finally, there is Garrett, the dark and moody Goth who is coming to live with the already crowded Renneker family for the last month of school. And if you believe the rumor mill, he might be a vampire.

To further complicate things, the book is narrated in the alternating voices of Judy and Kyle. Judy, though, is such a nasty, shallow and self-centered character that I cringed every time her chapters came up. She does, though, grow as a character but early on she is a distraction from Kyle's more interesting and sympathetic half of the book.

While Kyle isn't in a relationship, he has been sexually active. There's a similar frankness about teenage sexuality as in Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys.

Despite the crowded plot, the book is a page turner. I enjoyed it but I thought it could have been tighter and more focused.

Three stars

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