Bad Idea by Damon Suede

I received this book as an Arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters seemed liked fully developed, flawed people not simple flat stereotypes. They weren’t just awkward nerds, and I loved the chemistry they had together. There was some rough edged dirty talk that, in another book would have turned me off, but in this book I was so grounded in who the characters were, and their connection it felt like it fit, and worked for me. I liked that the characters don’t fit the typical roles that their physical size and personality would usually have put them in, and that their sexual choices do not define them as people outside of the bedroom.

The secondary characters are a well drawn, and diverse group. I really liked the game developer, and Trip’s friends. They added a lot to the story, and I liked that the focus wasn’t simply on Trip and Silas’s relationship woes. I liked that they had an honest falling out, and that there was no silly misunderstanding, or soap opera style twist that drove them apart. Their time apart served a purpose, and in the end it made for a stronger story and relationship.

I really enjoyed the geek subculture. It was nice to see it acknowledged that people are diverse in their geeky interests just as their other interests, and liking one doesn’t mean you have to like all of them. I really enjoyed Silas’s tick references. That was a great show, and it made me smile every time it came up. The convention aspects felt genuine to me. I haven’t been to a comic convention, but I have been to an anime con or two, and there is definitely an element that lives down to the reputation.  The unwashed hallway sleeper guy is real.

Overall I really enjoyed the honest feel to the story. The rough edges, and the imperfections of the characters made it seem more real, and I appreciated that. It’s nice to read a story that feels a little less poetic, and a little grittier and more genuine.  

Em