Vintage

Oct 02, 2011 Lena Grey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Generally, ghost stories tend to distress rather than soothe me; however, Steve Berman's ghost story, 'Vintage' was an exception. His ghosts and the paranormal events connected with them, were introduced so nonchalantly that their existence seemed almost like a normal, everyday occurrence. It was interesting how Steve Berman used clothing to link past and present. Each costume had its own story to tell and provided clues to help solve the story's mysteries. “Vintage' is also the first story I've...more Generally, ghost stories tend to distress rather than soothe me; however, Steve Berman's ghost story, 'Vintage' was an exception. His ghosts and the paranormal events connected with them, were introduced so nonchalantly that their existence seemed almost like a normal, everyday occurrence. It was interesting how Steve Berman used clothing to link past and present. Each costume had its own story to tell and provided clues to help solve the story's mysteries. “Vintage' is also the first story I've read in which the narrator, who was also the main character, wasn't introduced in the beginning of the book. When he is introduced, on Page 86, only his last name is mentioned. Second Mike: “So what about you? Vesely’s an odd last name.” I can only venture to guess that it made him easier for anyone to identify with his dilemma.

Our narrator, a gay teenager deeply engrossed in the Goth culture, jumped off the page and into my heart immediately. I was impressed with his strength and determination to keep going despite the odds. His loneliness and isolation made my heart ache. I wanted to reassure him that he would meet someone with a soul as beautiful as his was and would have no problem winning his heart. I had a bad feeling when the ghost, Josh, appeared to him and wanted to warn him that a boyfriend who was a ghost was not only impractical, but was a risky proposition, fraught with unpredictable consequences. However, he handled his relationship with Josh so casually that I almost forgot that he was a ghost and hoped that somehow it could work out for them. At other times though, I was frightfully aware of Josh's threatening other worldly behavior. I admired the young man's ability to accept his intuitive gift and his willingness not only to help put Josh to rest, but also to solve another mystery, therefore giving closure to Trace's family.

NOTE: This book was provided by Lethe Press for the purpose of a review on Queer Magazine Online

Trace is the shining star in his otherwise bleak existence. She is a simply awesome friend, always there for him, caring and sharing, offering the acceptance which others deny him. Trace provides him with the encouragement he needs. Their relationship epitomizes the term BBF, Best Friends Forever. Trace's younger brother, Second Mike, represents all that is good and innocent in youth. He lives in his older brother's shadow, even sharing his name. Despite all of this, Mike manages to find his individuality through his art, which paves the way for a loving relationship between him and our narrator. I thought that Steve Berman handled their budding relationship with grace and sensitivity, especially in relation to the boys’ decision to go slow and allow their relationship to unfold naturally, rather than rushing into anything more serious.

'Vintage' is a lot of experiences marvelously woven together. It's not only a ghost story filled with frightening other worldly images; it is also about the angst of being a teenager and gay and wanting to belong, be accepted, and loved. Although written specifically for young adults, it's a story with a universal message from which anyone can benefit.
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Nov 14, 2012 Jaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: good, slashreaders

SlashReaders: Ever since I discovered Steve Berman's work quiet some time ago with this anthology (I think that was the first one I read anyway), I've been slowly picking up more when I see it. This book was actually staring out of the window of a local book store at me one day. Truth be told I wasn't really sure what to think when I picked up this book.

This is the story of a young gay teen, who runs away from home and ends up staying at his aunt's house. I really liked the way the relationship...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Tracey G rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, sf-fantasy

this is only the second ghost story i've read, the first being Anna Dressed in Blood. and this one was pretty good. not as great as Anna but still enjoyable.

THE MAIN CHARACTER, who's name is never given, is a gay teen who discovers that he's a medium of sorts and needs to put a beautiful ghost that is haunting a local highway to rest. i really liked the voice of the narrator. he was charming, funny, and most of all relatable. throughtout the whole book i wanted him to find a boyfriend and to gi...more

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May 19, 2012 I Love YA Fiction rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. From our review at iloveyafiction.com/vintage-by-steve-b...:

If, like me, you were one of those misguided and angsty teens who liked to dye their hair and your wardrobe consisted of thrift store t-shirts along with ripped black Chuck Taylors with lots of safety pins, then this book is for you. Heck, I’ll take it a step further. If you were a disaffected teen just hoping to fit in (and let’s face it, pretty much all teenagers fall into this category unless they’re, like, that one magical teen who...more From our review at iloveyafiction.com/vintage-by-steve-b...:

If, like me, you were one of those misguided and angsty teens who liked to dye their hair and your wardrobe consisted of thrift store t-shirts along with ripped black Chuck Taylors with lots of safety pins, then this book is for you. Heck, I’ll take it a step further. If you were a disaffected teen just hoping to fit in (and let’s face it, pretty much all teenagers fall into this category unless they’re, like, that one magical teen who didn’t get zits, had fabulous fashion sense, and automatically understood their place in the world) then this book is for you too. Steve Berman’s main character is the quintessential teen. He’s the every man that we can all relate to. He’s nameless and practically faceless in that we never receive an adequate description of him and no matter how close he gets to people, he never quite fits in. Couple that with the fact that he’s gay and that he begins to see ghosts and you get a poor kid that doesn’t stand a chance. It’s a feeling we can all relate to. Steve Berman’s writing is really fluid as well, creating a believable situation involving the Gothic teenage element that doesn’t seem morbid or pathetic. Too often high school angst stories feel schmaltzy or forced but this is spot on. Even the inclusion of ghosts and the supernatural isn’t odd. It’s believable. It’s as if Berman just opened our eyes to the fact that those elements existed not that he was creating them. The ghosts are tortured souls that mirror the living teens the main character deals with. It’s all very spooky and gothic and is exactly what I had wished would happen to me when I was younger. But let’s face it: nobody ran into a ghost at the Piggly Wiggly down the street! Boo!

This book is short (too short, Steve Berman, too short!) and sweet but it’s a very compelling read about a teen learning to fit in and accept who he is. There’s some romance, some supernatural, some coming of age stuff, and ultimately, some transformation of the main character. Even if the end feels as if it happens too quickly, you’ll love the writing style and the quirky main characters who will remind you of your own high school buddies.(less)

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Feb 11, 2012 Nathan Burgoine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt

To say that VINTAGE stole all my attention over the last two days would be understating. My Kobo and I were inseparable, sneaking a read on breaks and bus rides, at breakfast and dinner, and finally, the last few pages before bed.

I loved this.

It's not often I feel lucky enough to find a young adult book where the protagonist is a well-written gay teen, and it's even less often that teen isn't your typical example. The goth, vintage clothes loving voice in this book was a delight.

Having run away...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Lauren Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked up “Vintage” when reading an article about the lack of good gay/lesbian young adult fiction. This is a great example of the genre.

The narrator of “Vintage” is a teen whose personal life is in an upset. Remember all the angsty poetry? Don’t lie. I know you’ve written some.

After being outed as gay to his parents and half his hometown, he finds refuge in a creepy little town in New Jersey where he makes friends with a girl interested in all things macabre. Their favorite pastime is dress...more

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Oct 03, 2011 A. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really liked the premise of this book: a gay teen runaway who's currently living with his more tolerant aunt becomes enmeshed in a generations old ghost story about a boy doomed to haunt a local highway. The two boys meet and a love story ensues.

...except, not so much since there's a twist.

The preference as to whether you liked the twist or not is really subjective, so I can't personally knock my rating down as a result of that. There were a few things that lost this book some ratings stars fo...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Sherwood Smith added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Berman's book is quite Goth—set around Halloween, Goth kids with their joint-smoking and Goth affect, depression, alienation… and the possibility that the dead who have died under tragic circumstances never actually rest.

One night while walking down a deserted highway in September, the young first-person protagonist sees a handsome boy who is wearing a fifties costume, or is it a costume? We soon discover that he is the ghost of an athlete who met his death years before, and the town has known a...more Berman's book is quite Goth—set around Halloween, Goth kids with their joint-smoking and Goth affect, depression, alienation… and the possibility that the dead who have died under tragic circumstances never actually rest.

One night while walking down a deserted highway in September, the young first-person protagonist sees a handsome boy who is wearing a fifties costume, or is it a costume? We soon discover that he is the ghost of an athlete who met his death years before, and the town has known about this ghost walking the highway since 1957. But for the first time, Josh, the ghost, leaves the highway and follows someone, and even speaks to him. The hero goes to the cemetery to find out more, and is haunted by a whole lot more ghosts. These ghosts are not pleasant Caspar the Friendlies. And Josh's interest in the living boy is …well, an obsession. As, in fact, one might expect from a ghost.

The story is vivid with detail, the characters real and appealing: his best friend Trace, the Goth girl who was the first person he met after he ran away from home. His Aunt Jan, who took him in though his own parents, in rejecting him, brought him very close to suicide. Trace's younger brother Second Mike—the first Mike having had a tragic history. There is a lot of grief, angst, anger in this story, but Berman skillfully makes it bearable with his humor, his ability to present interesting and appealing characters. His compassion for the struggles and emotions of teens, and with his eye for telling and interesting details. The horrid side of how gays are treated gets aired through memories, but we're not overwhelmed with Message—these flashbacks are integral to the story.

It's a short book, I'd say for the savvy high schooler and above: as you'd expect with Goth kids, there is rough language, references to drugs, some vividly described intimate encounters. Above all it's a compassionate, even sweet tale, loving in all the right ways. Exciting, too, as the stakes are raised.(less)

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Oct 08, 2010 Ryn rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-supernatural

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 11, 2010 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Vintage: A Ghost Story is an intense thriller that looks at the dark side of gay urban fantasy, where the dead can never rest and trapped spirits never find peace.

Although this novel is narrated in first person, the narrator has no name. Actually, that might not be entirely true, but if he does have a name, readers never find out what it is. The first time I read Vintage through, I felt that by not giving him a name, the author robbed the narrator of authority. Because he was nameless (and also...more Vintage: A Ghost Story is an intense thriller that looks at the dark side of gay urban fantasy, where the dead can never rest and trapped spirits never find peace.

Although this novel is narrated in first person, the narrator has no name. Actually, that might not be entirely true, but if he does have a name, readers never find out what it is. The first time I read Vintage through, I felt that by not giving him a name, the author robbed the narrator of authority. Because he was nameless (and also gay), I felt like the author was trying to tell me that his identity didn’t matter, that being gay meant that he wasn’t worthy of a title like a name. I found myself getting all ticked off about the kinds of impressions that would leave on potential queer teens. However, I was so intrigued by this concept of a nameless narrator that as soon as I finished reading Vintage, I went back to the beginning and started again. I very quickly changed my mind over how I felt about this character. I realised that by not giving him a name, the author was actually empowering the character and inviting you, the reader, to assume his identity and really place yourself in the story. This, then, made the story more powerful and a whole lot more engaging than the first time I read it. This gave me the opportunity to step into his shoes, to not be myself for a few hours and really immerse myself in his world. I now saw that this gave the narrator loads of authority, unlike my previous assumptions.

I also enjoyed the fact that, while not necessarily ‘out’, and although the narrator had certainly encountered adversity because of his sexuality in the past, he seemed more than comfortable as a queer teen. He was not struggling to comes to terms with his sexuality, which was very refreshing. I thought that Vintage highlighted a really clear distinction between comfortably keeping one’s sexuality to himself, and fearfully doing so. Coming out should be the choice of the individual, and just because you’re comfortable with your sexuality doesn’t automatically mean that you have to come out. I really enjoyed this aspect of this novel.

Vintage is a quirky queer teen read that I’m almost certain would be enjoyed by readers both gay and straight. There’s something about a good old ghost story that has a real universal appeal. Watch out for the supernatural sexual encounter!(less)

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Apr 01, 2010 Jean Roberta rated it 5 of 5 stars

A good novel about teenagers is hard to find. The ones written by precocious teenage authors are likely to seem raw around the edges, and the ones written by adults are likely to sound patronizing or formula-driven. Vintage is that rare thing, an interesting novel about teenagers as complex human beings with emotional depth and an awareness of their place in history. These kids are all right, Goth style and all.

The seventeen-year-old male narrator knows that his parents would never accept his se...more

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Feb 11, 2010 Kassa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a few years old and has been re-released by Lethe Press, receiving glowing accolades from almost every corner. As a fan of Berman’s writing, I expected Vintage to delight and enthrall while offering more questions and possibilities as his stories inevitably do. Thankfully Vintage offered all I was expecting and more, bringing a new challenge in writing a review for a story that has been so thoroughly covered and lauded. So if anything I have to offer has already been said, hopefully...more This book is a few years old and has been re-released by Lethe Press, receiving glowing accolades from almost every corner. As a fan of Berman’s writing, I expected Vintage to delight and enthrall while offering more questions and possibilities as his stories inevitably do. Thankfully Vintage offered all I was expecting and more, bringing a new challenge in writing a review for a story that has been so thoroughly covered and lauded. So if anything I have to offer has already been said, hopefully the very least you’ll get out of this is to read the book if you haven’t and read it again if you have.

The story begins with the first person narrator, an unnamed youth, who runs into a ghost on a deserted highway. He soon finds out the ghost is actually the small town’s local legend of a young jock that was killed in 1957. When the narrator is able to speak and interact with the ghost, this sets off a series of chain reactive events. As if dealing with an emotionally needy and disturbed ghost isn’t difficult enough, the narrator is also torn between his feelings for the dead ghost and a very real boy. Not to mention his group of dysfunctional friends who want him and his advice.

Vintage is a very classic ghost story, relying on common themes and urban legends to create the setting and plot. Berman’s real talent then comes into play with his subtle but brilliant characterization and humorous, engaging prose. Here an unnamed 17 year-old narrator creates a main protagonist that everyone can relate to, a nameless outsider who struggles against acceptance and wonders if he’ll always be alone. He experiences conflicts with himself and others over his sexuality, his ability, his desires, and his actions, which parallel the ghost’s in some ways and their early co-dependence on each other is easy to understand. Thankfully the narrator uses humor and insight to realize the absurdity of dating a ghost, yet the haunting emotions linger even in the face of reality. It’s only the presence of another boy that allows the narrator to move beyond his fear and illusions into something real. He also has a small group of friends who in many ways typify modern goth teenagers with their obsession with death, reckless drugs, and embracing their different status. However these teenagers could easily be any group of disaffected youth, shunned and out of place as they struggle to find themselves and their future. The subtly of detail shines where the book doesn’t try to overwhelm with description, but instead lets the idea and feeling of the characters convey to the reader. If just a few details were changed these characters easily could be any other group of teenagers.

The secondary characters are well drawn with an implied background rather than explicitly stated. The book allows readers to infer information without needing to add lengthy narratives to explain each person’s past. This is done with clever prose and dialogue, incorporating pop culture without relying on the knowledge too heavily. Trace, the female best friend that transcends the fag hag stereotype is shown to have a difficult childhood with just a few sentences. The dialogue and commentary give rise to a young woman who shares a close friendship with the narrator without relying on him. If anything, she is the stronger of the two characters as she struggles to take the mothering role in her family. Her brother, Second Mike, is the youngest character at fifteen and shows both immaturity and intelligence. He’s at that coming of age stage and the book shows his past in such spine tingling moments as the narrator’s comment “how many times had I mistaken what-I-thought-was Second Mike in the house for his dead brother? Once or twice? Countless times?”

That comment also brings into focus the narrator’s ability to see ghosts. Although he sees the urban legend ghost on the highway early in the book, slowly the narrator comes to realize he can see many, many other ghosts. He never recognized what he was seeing as supernatural and what seems at first a cool connection to a hot dead guy, soon becomes scary and potentially harmful. The seamless transition brings about a creepy and downright scary feeling to the book without needing to terrify or use gore and horror. The emotional needs of the living and the dead offer poignant scenes set in graveyards and cobweb filled attics. The desire for love and companionship fills the pages as each character makes and breaks connections while searching for an elusive happiness.

The tightly worded story wastes very little and almost everything has a purpose and connection. The few scenes between the narrator, Liz, and Maggie are perhaps the weakest and least driven. These show another side to all the characters, but if anything these could have been omitted as the real intensity and driving force occurs elsewhere. When the story focuses on the narrator, Josh, Mike, and Trace, the writing is at its most engaging and absorbing. The clever descriptions, witty dialogue, and relatable sense of character and plot all combine to deliver a classic story that can be enjoyed and loved at all ages. From the small details of the vintage shop and love of classic clothing to nuanced characters and subtle depths of emotion, the story delivers a beautiful and poignant tale in a light, easy manner that will resonate with readers. I highly suggest you check this out.(less)

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Dec 08, 2008 Paul Jr. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: young adults, fans of ghost stories

Shelves: coming-of-age, gay-fiction, gay-romance, paranormal, young-adult

What could possibly be worse than being “one of the odd ones,” an outcast in the small town where you grew up, a place where everyone knows everyone else? How about being a gay outcast? Sure, but how about being a gay outcast that attracts the spirits of the undead? Such is the premise of Steve Berman’s charming Vintage: A Ghost Story, a Young Adult novel with enough in to also satisfy the not-so-young adults out there.

Told in the first person, Vintage focuses on an unnamed (and, therefore, univ...more What could possibly be worse than being “one of the odd ones,” an outcast in the small town where you grew up, a place where everyone knows everyone else? How about being a gay outcast? Sure, but how about being a gay outcast that attracts the spirits of the undead? Such is the premise of Steve Berman’s charming Vintage: A Ghost Story, a Young Adult novel with enough in to also satisfy the not-so-young adults out there.

Told in the first person, Vintage focuses on an unnamed (and, therefore, universal) seventeen-year-old boy and his insular group of friends, a family made up of outsiders. Our hero—having recently run away from home and dropped out of high school when his parents discovered he was gay—lives with his likeable, albeit a bit dense (or is she?) Aunt Jan, and passes the time with his best friend Trace, a similarly disaffected young woman. He is young and full of hormones and that exquisite longing for someone to love, someone to help him take his sexuality beyond the theoretical, the bedroom fantasies. The problem is, our hero doesn’t believe any boy would really be interested in him. So, he mostly hangs out with Trace, and the duo try to pass the boredom of their lives by dressing in dark clothes, drinking exotic beverages and attending random funerals that feed their interest in all things occult.

Now, don’t be deceived. Berman may have wrapped his characters in the trappings of the goth scene, but he expertly avoids the character clichés: the faux bravado of goths, the pretentiousness, the acid-dropping recklessness. Berman keeps the characters firmly rooted in reality, imbuing them with the very tangible concerns and fears of youth without ever pushing them into melodrama. The protagonist and Trace have simply adopted some of the aspects of goth as a sort of armor, making themselves stand out before others have a chance to point at them and laugh for their differences. Filtering in and out of our hero and Trace’s lives are a teen lesbian couple, Maggie and Liz, and Trace’s brother, Second Mike—so called as his mother named him Mike after her first son who’d run away and was presumed dead. Second Mike is a typical younger brother, fifteen and standing on the sidelines with admiration, hovering about the older kids in his sister’s life, sometimes annoyingly so.

One night while walking home from Trace’s, our protagonist heads down Route 47 and stumbles upon the ghost of a high school football star who was killed on that road some 50 years before. Though our hero had heard the story before, it never involved the ghost speaking to anyone, and when our hero convinces Trace to come out to the highway on another night, he is amazed to learn that the ghost only speaks to him and no one else. Smitten, he obsesses on the ghost, on his good looks, his vintage physique, and finds himself inexplicably “falling” for him. In short, our hero has found someone who–he believes–in the real world would never, ever give him the time of day, someone who makes him feel special. But as the protagonist has more and more encounters with his ghostly boyfriend and learns that the jock isn’t the only ghost that has taken an interest in him, things begin to feel a little more dangerous. What is it really that this ghost wants? Is he as gentle and loving as he seems? Or are there darker needs feeding this phantom’s desire for our hero, some need that could prove fatal to all involved.

In Vintage, Berman has created a kindler, gentler, and, dare I say it, a vintage ghost story–one that harkens back to the urban legends of our youths, when tales of these types were devoid of massive gore or spatterpunk’s cynicism. Wisely, Berman never pushes things too far and mines humor where he can to keep things on track. When the boy finds himself falling in love with a ghost, the author is wise enough to have his characters understand the absurdity of that notion. And when our hero begins to see more and more ghosts, he sees the humor in it. When did I become the kid from The Sixth Sense? In short, Berman knows just how far he can take the characters and the result is that they are kept very real, very appealing because they are more than stereotypes.

Berman also finds some really nice ways to pack a lot of character information into very few words. Just by the fact that Second Mike was named after his dead brother, we’re given a history without ever having to delve into its constituent parts. We can imagine what it must have been like for Second Mike to grow up in the shadow of a brother who had lived and died before he was even born. And we learn a lot about our protagonist, about his outlook on life from two simple sentences: I always thought my life would end up as an Araki film. Nothing by Burton. Trace is also nicely full character, a girl on the outside who is blooming into a womanhood of her own, even as our protagonist becomes more comfortable with himself, his orientation and the world about him. She is more than a “hag.” She’s a woman who is best friends with our gay hero, but not co-dependent with him; not so wrapped up in him and his feelings that she puts her own life on the sidelines. Very nice.

With Trace, Second Mike and our protagonist, we have a nice trio of likeable, yet flawed characters and the piece works best when it stays focused on them and the plot. When we start wandering too far away from those three or the central story, the characters get a little thinner and the pace a little slower. Maggie and Liz tend to be drawn with a coarser brush than our core characters (I often go them confused as they seemed somewhat interchangeable), and the subplot with their characters is not as strong as it probably could have been had their personalities been drawn a little fuller, more distinctive. But in the end, the focus returns to the core group and the pace goes back to its nice, easy flow.

In the end, Berman has written a very, very nice YA piece that says a lot about self-acceptance, seeing beyond one’s self, learning to recognize the good that may be right under your own nose, and discovering that love is more than infatuation or hormones. Yet, Vintage is never preachy and Berman never hammers any message home. Like the prose, it all just easily woven into the mesh of the book. A charming read that is part coming-of-age, part love story, and part horror story (with some genuinely creepy moments), Vintage may be directed at Young Adults, but its story is one which should appeal to a wide variety of ages.

Originally reviewed for Uniquely Pleasurable (less)

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Jan 31, 2010 Seth rated it 2 of 5 stars

I rated this 2 stars for mostly one reason. I have no idea who the target audience is. I'm going to break it down into pros and cons.

Pros:
The characters are fairly realistic (though I thought the main character was a little too compliant with most things), and the plot, overall, fairly interesting. Nothing groundbreaking here. It's a typical coming-out story filled with conveniently place gay boys (and ghosts) for the protagonist to get involved with and come to terms.

Cons: In my opinion, the b...more I rated this 2 stars for mostly one reason. I have no idea who the target audience is. I'm going to break it down into pros and cons.

Pros:
The characters are fairly realistic (though I thought the main character was a little too compliant with most things), and the plot, overall, fairly interesting. Nothing groundbreaking here. It's a typical coming-out story filled with conveniently place gay boys (and ghosts) for the protagonist to get involved with and come to terms.

Cons: In my opinion, the book was overly sexualized for a YA read. This wouldn't be bad if it weren't for the fact that it's written at a level and style for YA readers. There is some graphic content, drug use, and language. Again not a problem in and of itself. This book, however, gives me the feeling that it was written to reach out to gay youth who need to feel contact with a gay identity and perhaps a protagonist they can relate to (or who can relate to them). This audience, however, falls apart when you think about where this book would be offered. Certainly not in most elementary/junior high libraries. Public library? Yes. But it's the kind of book you would have to secret away and hide from your parents, (for a number or content reasons) and I'm not really sure that's healthy or productive for gay teens (as they are probably doing that already).
The protagonists parents, whom he ran away from, are absolute monsters. I know that this sometimes happens, but I also feel like this is maybe not the best signal to give to kids wondering about outing themselves.

I don't know. Overall, it was a straight-forward read that offered me just what I expected from a paranormal m-m YA novel: 2-star writing quality. For once, I'd like to see something done in this genre that is both tasteful, insightful, and not oozing with characters who have single motivations that are driven by their hormones or their junk. But, you know, it's probably truer to life as a teen than fleshed out characters. Just a thought.(less)

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Apr 21, 2010 Duane rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. It's not often you find a book that focuses on gay youth and ghosts! The book follows a older teenager who is struggling with life. He's living with his aunt because his parents kicked him out of the house after discovering his sexuality. His best friend considers attending funerals as fun. Trying to find his niche in life, he suddenly finds himself seeing a ghost who he finds attractive. He never expected the ghost to think the same of him!...more

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May 15, 2013 Gavin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a unique take on the coming out story genre. While the supernatural twists offer a bit of spookiness, they tend to follow the normal pathways enough to be unsurprising to most ghost story readers.

What is surprising here is the way the story develops emotional connections between the characters and offers a really cool way of making a gay coming-out story about something other than sex. Well, at least is makes the sex new. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have sex with a h...more

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Feb 08, 2010 Wren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, m-m

I read this for my m/m rut challenge at Kris's blog...

What I liked: I thought this was a well-told story. It was about a boy who can see ghosts, but it was told almost like a ghost story. The main characters were very well-realized, even with the narration in first person. I appreciated the theme of being attracted to the exotic and dangerous, but finding what you need right under your nose.

Niggles ('cause I had no big dislikes!): I wish the narrator had a name. I don't think we ever got to kno...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Denni rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ghost stories are not my usual genre. Received this book as a freebie from the publisher (Lethe Press). So for a free book, surely I can make myself finish it and write a few kind words? Hah, you make it so easy Mr. Berman!

Solid writing, well paced, and interesting. After just a couple pages, there was no forcing myself to read this one! A little goth, teen angst, coming of age, and only a bit scary.

Easy to recommend to readers of all ages (except those offended by alternative lifestyles). Off-h...more

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May 11, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hum, what's a boy to do? Caught between the tender, innocent cutie (who happens to be his best friend's little brother) or the dead hunky jock with the possessive streak, a lonely teen must battle his own demons and help his friends (ghostly and non) fight their own before things get too dangerous...

Loved the stubble sexiness perfectly suited to a YA Novel. Found it interesting that the main character only had a last name. I wonder why the writer chose to do that (I can only assume it had a purp...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Patricia - Lady with Books rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt

In paranormal fiction, characters often gain the ability to see ghosts after brushes with death. (Trigger warning: attempted suicide spoken about in past tense.) This happens to our MC, opening up an opportunity to meet the ghostly boy of his dreams. But Josh, the ghost, turns out to be a little too good to be true. I have to say, I expected our MC and Josh to somehow overcome all obstacles to be together. (How cliché.) So the path Berman selected was a thousand times better in my opinion. The c...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Nichole rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, kindle, ya-lgbt, urban-fantasy

So... I had been dying to read this book for several years now. I wasn't able to find it at any local bookstores because it's out of print, and most of the prices I found on Amazon were just a bit too high. The day I got my Kindle, though, I jumped on the Kindle Store and nearly died when I saw they had it for $4. *ZOMGDIEZ* Needless to say, I immediately downloaded it and couldn't wait to get around to reading it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Yes, it's a nice, fast-paced story...more So... I had been dying to read this book for several years now. I wasn't able to find it at any local bookstores because it's out of print, and most of the prices I found on Amazon were just a bit too high. The day I got my Kindle, though, I jumped on the Kindle Store and nearly died when I saw they had it for $4. *ZOMGDIEZ* Needless to say, I immediately downloaded it and couldn't wait to get around to reading it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Yes, it's a nice, fast-paced story with likable characters, but I didn't feel that there was much growth throughout. The nameless main character remains the same character throughout the story. Sure, he becomes a bit less shallow after the debacle that is his "relationship" with Josh and is actually tender and careful when it comes to Mike, but he just stays the same at his root as he is in the beginning. And I so desperately wanted him to grow, both into himself as a gay teen and himself as a person. But at the end of the story, he seems just as afraid of his sexuality as he is in the beginning.

On a humorous note, I found myself repeating "We sell those at Cracker Barrel!" whenever Maggie would go on a search for Valomilks and find none. Heheh. My boss got a good laugh out of that when I told her about it this morning. Being reminded of work while reading? Not the greatest thing in the world, but I don't think I've ever seen Valomilks in a grocery store (which is where Maggie conducted most of her searches).

Anyway, the relationship between the main character and Mike was well done, but I wanted to see more of it. I wanted to see more of the main characters internal conflict with his growing attraction to Mike, his best friend's younger brother. There was so much conflict when it came to Josh, and next to none with Mike. While that may have been intentional on the author's part (showing the differences in the relationships with the amount of conflict involved in each), but it just fell flat for me. Every relationship has its conflict, especially when it comes to a gay teen who isn't comfortable in his sexuality.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for YA LGBT literature. There isn't much out there and this is one of the better books I have read. Other than that, I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone else.
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Jul 19, 2011 Alana Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

As the summary says, this story is about a lonely boy who comes across the ghost of a boy who dies in the 50s. Dealing with the aftermath of his parents rejection after coming out as gay, he sees the ghost as a way to both find love and escape the real world. As their relationship starts to escalate though, he finds that maybe ghost stories are scary for a reason and that his ghost has a lot of issues of its own. Armed with a group of quirky friends and a Ouija board, Vintage is about one boy's...more As the summary says, this story is about a lonely boy who comes across the ghost of a boy who dies in the 50s. Dealing with the aftermath of his parents rejection after coming out as gay, he sees the ghost as a way to both find love and escape the real world. As their relationship starts to escalate though, he finds that maybe ghost stories are scary for a reason and that his ghost has a lot of issues of its own. Armed with a group of quirky friends and a Ouija board, Vintage is about one boy's struggle for love and all the surprises that inevitably ensue.

Interestingly enough, the main protagonist is never named throughout the story. I didn't even realize this until I started to write this review, but he's only given a last name, Vesely. I guess Berman did this in order to make it possible for readers to identify with the main character, but I found the characters so particular that I don't think this is fully possible. Vesely is not only gay, but he's a goth with a penchant for vintage clothing. He has lots of like and dislikes that made him one of the more fully developed characters I've read in a while. Because of this, I don't think leaving him unnamed was needed. Either way I completely adored Vesely though. He's both idealistic and realistic in ways that really resonated with me. Even though he knows something to be impossible, he can't help but wish for it anyways. He's one of those people who can be surrounded by people and yet feel totally alone and find solace in the strangest places. I don't want to go on and on, but talk about major girl crush. I loved that his being gay was just one part of him rather then who he was.

All of the rest of the characters were interesting as well. Some people may think they were made too quirky, but I think a lot of readers will be able to connect with this lot of strange and interesting people. It's hard to believe how much character Berman was able to give all his characters with less than 200 pages. I've read books twice as long where the main character doesn't even have half as much personalty. The relationships Vesely has with his friends, particularly Trace, was great. More than anything, the characters and their relationships felt authentic in a way that surprised me.

About the ghost story itself, this is the only part of the book I think some people may be disappointed by. If you go into this story looking for horror, then you're probably not going to be too happy. While I think the ghost story part of the book was well enough, I didn't really find anything too scary or horrific. Maybe it's because I felt the whole point of the ghost was to really push Vesely into accepting that love is hard but worth the risk, rather then trying to escape the possibility of rejection, but I didn't really care about the ghost at all. Of course, this was just me. The great thing about this story is the mystery and the romance weren't overblown so it's easy to get lost in both.

I know I've rambled on, but I can take a moment to talk about Second Mike for a second? I haven't been so enamored with a character in quite a while. I wanted to keep him all to myself and the first thing I did when I finished the book was re-read all the passages with him in it. Swoon.(less)

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Oct 05, 2010 Hilcia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-bookshelf, lgbt-books, impressions-blog-review, young-adult, speculative-fiction

4.5 Stars

In Vintage: A Ghost Story, Steve Berman writes a chilling tale of ghosts, mixes it with urban myth while capturing Goth youths' subculture, bittersweet first love, teen angst and the small town setting perfectly. A haunting and touching coming-of-age story full of dark humor that encompasses not only the unique struggles of gay teens, but the awkwardness, fears, anxieties and a sense of wonder that all teens can relate to.

The story is told in the first person point of view from our main...more 4.5 Stars

In Vintage: A Ghost Story, Steve Berman writes a chilling tale of ghosts, mixes it with urban myth while capturing Goth youths' subculture, bittersweet first love, teen angst and the small town setting perfectly. A haunting and touching coming-of-age story full of dark humor that encompasses not only the unique struggles of gay teens, but the awkwardness, fears, anxieties and a sense of wonder that all teens can relate to.

The story is told in the first person point of view from our main character's perspective, an unnamed teen. It all begins at midnight on a chilly autumn night on a lonely New Jersey highway. Our young man encounters a gorgeous boy dressed in 50's clothing and after a short conversation the boy seems to just... disappear. This gorgeous apparition dazzles our main character, a shy and insecure young man. He finds out that Josh is an urban myth, the ghost of a young man who died decades ago and has hunted the same stretch of highway ever since. Curiosity, a wish to see beautiful Josh again, and the beginnings of a crush push our character to return the next evening to the lonely highway with his best friend Trace as he hopes for another encounter. He gets his wish... and more. Josh follows him home and our chilling story really begins.

What did I like about this book? It is fast paced, chilling and a real ghost story, no question about it. Josh is not the only ghost to populate this tale and as you can imagine some are nicer than others. There are Ouija boards, an exorcism and a scene in a cemetery that gave me the creeps! There's an offbeat cast of friends who give this story depth and definitely help with the chilling effect -- Second Mike definitely stands out in that respect. Trace, a gorgeous multi-faceted Goth goddess is also a key character in this tale. Liz and Maggie, a young teen lesbian couple, provide a good balance to our main character's personal struggles.

But there's more to Vintage than the chills and thrills. Real-life issues that affect teens are also addressed, some with a light touch and others with a bit more depth. Our cast of characters, from our unnamed young man to his friends, are either plagued by self-consciousness, low self-esteem, peer pressure and/or family issues, as the gay characters have their own added pressures. The social issues and the ghost story are well integrated, as one doesn't overwhelm the other. The characters' struggles and part-resolution become an integral part of the overall speculative urban myth that Berman creates.

Berman's writing style has a lot to do with my enjoyment of this story. Although there are minimal details when it comes to the background and history of the characters themselves, their essence and the most essential part of their past history are captured without lots of unnecessary detail. The same can be said for plotting, the substance is there but it's all done in a precise, sharp and minimalistic style that I enjoyed thoroughly.

Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman is a young adult book originally released in 2007, and re-released through Lethe Press Books. A finalist for the 2008 Andre Norton Award for best young adult speculative fiction by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and in the category of Best Novel for the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards, this is a book that had been on my reading radar for a while and after reading it, I can see why it has received so much attention. I definitely recommend it.
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Sep 28, 2011 K.Z. Snow rated it 3 of 5 stars

A perfect example of a good story that could have been brilliant had it been edited properly. So much about it is engaging (even the gal pal, one of the most likable I've encountered in gay fic), but so much is frustrating, too.

My biggest disappointments? First was the complete derailment of the storyline and its tension during some silly and irrelevant scenes featuring a relationship gone awry. Why had that been interjected? Peeved, I skipped right over the section. Second were all the foul-ups...more

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Aug 15, 2009 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, m-m-romance, young-adult, some-recommended-reads, reviews-for-jessewave

The Review:

Honesty from the outset~

I usually stay clear of stories that feature relationships between ghosts and the living. Tam and I had a very thought provoking discussion about the joys of ectoplasmic encounters and came to the conclusion it was frickin' weird.

Oh, and I'm a huge fan of Young Adult (YA) fiction. *g*

First things first~

This is a great story written from the first person POV of the main character, who I'm going to call 'X' for the purposes of this review because it wasn't until...more

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May 12, 2009 Elisa Ramblings added it

The story is told in first person by the main character, a teenager, and so we never know his name. I actually realized that I didn't know that name well past the mid of the book, and this is a clue that I was so enthralled by the story to not take care to "small" details like that.

Our hero is a runaway teenager; when he came out with his parents, he was kicked out from home but lucky him he found shelter with his aunt. Probably still suffering from the reject of his family, he retired into his...more The story is told in first person by the main character, a teenager, and so we never know his name. I actually realized that I didn't know that name well past the mid of the book, and this is a clue that I was so enthralled by the story to not take care to "small" details like that.

Our hero is a runaway teenager; when he came out with his parents, he was kicked out from home but lucky him he found shelter with his aunt. Probably still suffering from the reject of his family, he retired into his shell, and he only relates with his best friend, a girl named Trace. Both Trace and him have their problems to overcome and in their difference they find a common path: goth teens who go to funerals to spend time, dressing like the adults they still aren't.

Actually our hero was quite lucky and he now has a comfortable and welcoming home with his aunt, and so his problems are the same of a normal teen: the insecurity of a guy who wonders if he is good enough to attract a boyfriend, the daydreams of a young man who is approaching to sex for the first time. Probably since he has this strange familiarity with death, our hero is not so shocked when he meets a ghost: Josh is an 18 years old guy dead in a car accident in 1957. He is not only a teen like our hero, he is also a very handsome guy, a jock; and like every goth teen should do in high school, our hero falls in love for the jock, but this time the jock reciprocates the interest... there is only the little fact that Josh is dead and that his interest in our hero is very deeply, almost lethal.

Meantime our hero realizes that the little brother of his best friend Trace, Mike, is already fifteen years old and rather cute; Mike is clever and tender, with a joy for life that is involving. Where Josh is shadow and night, Mike is full light and sun. Where Josh arises in our hero dark desires (that are actually normal sexual urges in a teen...), Mike inspires him cuddles and playful kiss. From not having the hope to find a boyfriend, our hero now has two boys around him, but it's not a situation he can bring along forever. You could say that Josh represents the dark side of our hero, and staying with him is like choosing to not coming out from the darkness, meanwhile Mike is the light, the future that he could have if he chooses to leave behind his sense of abandonment.

Even if the story deals with quite sad things, dead people (not only Josh), the whole feeling I had of the book is of "lightness". The author is very good in taking the reader glued to the book till the last page, both for the mystery than for the romance; there is also a switch in the story that seems to lead to an angst ending, but still the author chooses for a more "normal" development. All this concurs to the lightness of the story, making it a very good read both for a young adult than for an adult too.

Also the love story between our hero and Mike is light, fresh and sweet; where our hero maybe could be ready for something more, Mike is still 15 years old, and so, for me, it's right that they don't become too involved; they are still boys, not men.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1590210530/?...(less)

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Jan 11, 2009 Christian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm frustrated that I've taken so long to get around to writing about this book. It's one of the stories I found most interesting this year. And this considering that I am not generally a fan of ghost stories. (Although, I guess that technically there are two ghost stories I've read in the last year that I've really liked.) Even today, there are particular scenes that were conceived so well that I can still visualize them. That's the talent of this author.

But.

I think the weakness of the book is...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by JodiG. for TeensReadToo.com

What would be more difficult to tell your friends and family: that you are gay or that you can see ghosts?

Late one night, a teenage boy encounters a ghost while walking along a dark stretch of road. The ghost is that of a handsome high school athlete who was killed on that same road in 1957. Now the main character finds himself drawn into an obsessive relationship with the ghost. One that seems to get more dangerous with every encounter.

In addition to his...more

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Aug 07, 2007 BooksInc Inc rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery, scifi, queer

Shelves: authorevents

Author Steve Berman will be making an appearance at Books Inc. in the Castro, 2275 Market St. on Thursday, August 16, 7:30pm!

A lonely gay teen bides his time with trips to strangers' funerals and Ouija board sessions, desperately searching for someone to love—and a reason to live following a suicide attempt. Walking an empty stretch of highway on a nautumn night, he meets a strange and beautiful boy who looks like he stepped out of a dream. But the vision becomes into a nightmare when the boy tu...more

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Jun 04, 2007 Trin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, queerlit, american-lit

Following a suicide attempt, Berman's nameless teen protagonist starts being able to see and speak to ghosts. He also falls in love with one: the spirit of a high school jock who was hit by a car in 1957. It's every emo kid's dream, right? Ahh, but of course there is a catch—namely, that the ghost, Josh, has major jealousy issues; his death may have been related to the fact that he thought his boyfriend, Roddy, was cheating on him with another guy.

Berman does a great job with atmosphere—his spir...more

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