Untitled # 3;Queer as Folk Nov [Paperback]

It should therefore be no surprise that I was happy when it was announced that there would be a series of books based on Queer As Folk. This bok is the third in that series of novels. "Every Nine Seconds" being the first and "Never Tear Us Apart" being the second (you can read my reviews of those books here at amazon).

As with the previous novels, I enjoyed this story and plot. Its not a difficult read and the author again succeeds in capturing the "voices" of most of the shows defined characters (In this novel, we are introduced to Melanie and Ted, rounding out the gang as we first met them in Season One of QAF).

The best part of reading this book, again as with the others, is that the story incorporates existing storylines of the television series, referencing events and foreshadowing character development. This gives the reader a bit of the "We're In On It" feel. I like that.

This book begins with a bit of a time gap jump. "Never Tear Us Apart" is now three years in the past. Thats a pretty big jump and honestly I wish they'd have taken some time to delve into the issues that had to have happened in that span. For one thing, Michael has dropped out of college and little attention is paid to very monumental event in his life.

We begin this novel at Brian's college graduation, with our hero about to begin his career life in the big bad world of advertising. Michael is working at the Big Q, and Debbie is helping Uncle Vic with his health issues. Emmett is back, as well as is Lindsay (for those looking or waiting for the big sex scene with Brian and Lindsay, we are spared).

The introduction of Melanie and Ted doesn't seem as "easy" as the introduction of other characters in the previous novels, and we're asked to rely on what we know of their characters from the show a great deal.

As presented here - Ted is the shy puppy dog and Melanie, well, I'm rather disappointed in her portrayal here. She's uncharacteristically boring.

My main problem with this novel is that the author hasn't seemed to capture Melanie and Lindsay as we know them. The others are very well defined and you can easily make the connection from these early years to the people they've become on the television show - this is not true of Mel and Lindz. Shout-outs to Michelle Clunie and Thea Gill for taking their characters on the show to a higher plane with not much screen time, but unfortunately their acting talent is not visible here. Make no mistake though, it's the actresses, and our knowledge of them, that is the only thing that works in this book with regards to their "characters".

Ted has come a long way on the show, and this is him in a very immature place in his life. He's an interesting character and is introduced here via Melanie. We are persented with his early infatuation with Michael (remember season one?) and it is accurate and on the money. I'm interested in seeing him progress in the novels to the character we know now.

Emmett's storyline here is sort of out of the blue. He's returned from Los Angeles with worries and secrets of his own.

Brian, perhaps the most complex Queer As Folk character, is written very well.

All in all, the story and the characters are what we are here for and this book delivers for the most part (4 stars only because of my disappointment in girlz story/characters).

This book is fun to read. It's a great beach book, easy to pick up and fall right into.

I recommend this book, as I do the first two novels, as a fun and easy read for the Queer As Folk fan. Its entertaining and thats what counts.

If you're a fan, you'll like the book. Thats basically what it comes down to.