Rating: 
Summary: Good¿ But A Little Too Cute
Review: This has all the elements of a mystery with the required body turning up on time and the killing is resolved, but that seems a secondary function of the story and an effort to tie it in with Aterovis' first novel and a series he plans. The murder is almost window dressing for everything else. Essentially I read this as a character study, and a very good one, of a young man coming out, coming to grips with himself, and growing up. Aterovis uses language well and expresses himself clearly, and his people become real. He paces the story nicely. He packs in details that let the characters and scenes come to life. Unfortunately, he is very conscious that he wants to build A Role Model with Will and a few of his other characters, and they are presented almost without flaws. They are a little too perfect, have all the 'correct' ideas and views in everything, and lose credibility after awhile. There are a few scenes here that are like an old movie; gauze on the lens for that fuzzy look, heavenly choirs in the background, etc. The tendency to preach wears thin, and that's where Whirlwind looses points. I have a problem with perfect characters because people ain't. I hesitated between 3 and 4 stars for this reason, but there are no half points in this system. Still, Whirlwind is a good read and I won't hesitate to pick up another book from Aterovis... I just hope he tones down the PC stuff. The author maintains a large, interesting and informative website worth visiting.
Rating:
Summary: Rollercoaster Ride of Emotion
Review: This rollercoaster ride of a book branches out from author Aterovis's 2002 debut novel, Bleeding Hearts. Like the main character in the earlier book, Reap The Whirlwind's Will Keegan is a teenager whose life is turned upside down when he discovers he is gay. He is in no way prepared for the upheaval in store for him. He comes to understand that the person he's been in love with is hatefully homophobic. His father turns from him. Someone dear to him dies in a mysterious drunken accident. Will nearly dies, too. If that's not enough stress for one person, he meets someone special and is hardly able to discern that the young man is perfect for him. Once Will gets his life into a precarious balance, he is able to see that the death of his friend is no accident even though the police have ruled it so. He and several friends (including Killian Kendall from the earlier novel) launch an amateur investigation which has dreadful results. There's another murder, then another, and no way of determining why. Who will be next? Aterovis does an admirable job of showing the wild confusion and frequently uncontrollable emotions of young people as they attempt to understand their lives and make their way into adulthood. This book, essentially a very serious story, has occasional flashes of humor. My favorite line: "Oh my God, Martha Stewart died and left us all her sh-t." The interplay between the young men and women, both straight and gay, feels accurate and alive. Above all, the message is clear that love and acceptance of self and others is critical, especially for young adults. Highly recommended for readers from high school on up.
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