Frederick Smith (1)

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Malcolm Campbell is content to quietly make a difference in the world. The organization he founded in Los Angeles, LADS, allows him to provide opportunities and positive examples to gay youth, himself being a role model to many. But when less than flattering videos of him and an ex-boyfriend show up on the internet, all of that may be in jeopardy. And even after the videos are taken down, Malcolm knows once something is on the internet, it can never truly go away.

There's also the matter of his nephew, Blake, coming to visit for the summer. And then there's Tyrell Kincaid, the professional basketball player that Malcolm met at a LADS event and the hint of a spark between them. Though it's widely rumored that Tyrell is in a secret relationship with R&B singer Tommie Jordan. But all things can only be hidden for so long before they bubble to the surface and come out in the open...

This is the first book I've read by Frederick Smith, but it certainly has me interested in reading more. There are a lot of players here and it's not an easy story to tell, but he does it well. The focus is on how Malcolm deals with all of the fallout of the situations and less on the endgame relationship, but it gets there.

The book is an interesting commentary, I think, on the closet, the nature of celebrity, community identity, and what it means to be an upstanding role model. There's a recognition that even those in the spotlight are entitled to make their mistakes as long as they're honest about them--especially with themselves.… (meer)