Claiming Danny by Gavin Atlas

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I'm sincere, I was very in doubt if writing something about this book since it let me very perplexed... I don't know if like it since, in a way, it's true and too open, or dislike it since it's cruel and too open.

In a small mine town the old "gays" gather in a pub lamenting the lack of interest they arise from the nearby prep school students. And what can you expect? Men older than fifty years against wealthy young students? no chance. But then one of the old man has a chance encounter with Danny, a young and cute student who can't literally say no. After being dumped by one of his professor, Danny searches solace in the anonymous sex, with only one condition: his lovers should be way older than him. At first Danny tries to have safe sex, he has always ready a condom for his visitors, but it's clear that his behavior his quickly leading him to a very dangerous field.

Then a man takes an interest in Danny more than passing. He finds himself captivated by the young boy, a boy that never asks and always does. The older man would like for Danny to be more selective, to be able to say no when he wants to say no, but soon he realizes that Danny is unable to say no, and so he decides to take that decision from him, to be Danny's caretaker and to be the one who will direct the traffic! Please? He will not protect Danny, a boy that obviously has some unsolved trouble in his past, he will only control from that moment on that the people who will take advantage of him, will pass though him first.

I can understand that this could be a till true situation, but who cares of Danny in all this? Danny is asking in a very loud way to be helped and I don't think that this is the way to help him.

http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/book_pages/claiming_danny.html

Reading List:

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Comments

[gavinatlas.livejournal.com]

Hi, Elisa! Thank you for your honest review. You are right. If I were to rewrite this now, I think I'd have to rethink the ending. I think the narrator knows that Danny doesn't want monogamy, and therefore he won't take that choice away from Danny. But I think I need to show that he is definitely going to make sure that Danny isn't going to get hurt or put himself at risk. I probably need to show more emotion and tenderness for Danny at the end, too, because even though Danny wants to be treated like an object that can be possessed, the narrator does want to care for him and make sure he's happy.

Honestly I think it's very hard to mix non-monogamy with a romance plot, so I wouldn't call this piece romance, just plain erotica.

But I am trying to learn to be a little more romantic, I promise! Although some of my stories are still kind of crazy, I do often try to keep in mind that a lot of readers want to see more of a relationship. I'll send you a free story if you'd like. Just send your e-mail address to GavinAtlas@aol.com.

Thank you again!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Ciao Gavin. Thank you for your kind comment. Yes, probably I always search romance also where it's not necessary :-) But Danny is such a sweet boy that it almost impossible to not care for him, and other than the narrator, in a strange way, no one cares for him as a person. I will write to you, Elisa

[leeteng.livejournal.com]

I read this sometimes back. Being a sap, I find the story disturbing and even distasteful. Certainly the story line is not easy to forget.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Knowing you, it's not difficult for me believe that this is not at all the story for you. Elisa