Deposing Nathan

by Zack Smedley

[layawaydragon]

Content Warning: Homophobia, Hate Crime, Child Abuse,

Deposing Nathan is testimony on how difficult sexuality and homophobia can be, even for the more privileged.

Let me get the one personal preference bit out the way first: I’m an atheist. I’m as anti-religious as possible without being an asshole. Thus, I did not connect with Nathan’s love and struggle with the Church. I kept thinking, “but WHY?” At least until the Mom connection was explained.

Now for the one unfavorable bit: I was justifiably pissed off in the beginning. I literally made a note that if SOMEONE didn’t start pointing out how awful and unreasonable SOMEONE ELSE was being, I was going to quit because fuck pretending that shit is okay.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to quit.

AS FAR AS HOW THINGS WENT….
->Bi boys!
->Love the dialogue between Nate & Cam
->Confronts the bi’s are cheaters head on
->Friends to lovers to….?
->Love the dichotomy between the loving sheltering and the punishment protection.
->Flew by, couldn’t put it down or stop thinking about it. Sticks with you afterwards too.
->I really did not expect basically everything after the gayness jumped out. Almost a Tiffany D. Jackson level of revelation. The difference being, looking back is a perturbing quiet “ohhhhhhhhhh shit” rather than Jackson’s signature “wait, WHAT?” mind fuck. If things turned out worse, it’d be more like the latter.

I’m not going to lie to you. This is not a HEA. This is not a “fun” coming of age and coming out. Don’t go reading this wanting fluff.

I was not expecting to love all the characters so damn much. Even Though Nate and Cam would’ve been assholes in other novels. Hell, Nate would’ve been one in this book without his POV. Well, he is at times, but an understandable asshole. Not a justified one, but you know.

I love how everything flips and I can’t even pinpoint where things turned around. Like Cam says, “I think that how you feel toward someone doesn’t really change. More like, your feelings eventually get to where they were always going to end up. You evolve.”


four-half-stars

I re-read the ending and damn it made me tear up all over again. If I could include it without spoiling, it’d be on my favorite quote list for sure.