This author can write about situations that can become unpleasant, but they also ring quite real.
Vince is 17 and is all darkness. He's ex-best friend and the focus of Vince's hate/love is Eric, who's all light in looks and attitude. When they were 14, Vince confessed Eric he loved him and Eric laughed in his face. From that moment on their friendship is shattered, Vince never comes close to Eric again, until a faithful night when they meet behind an alley and they start to reconnect. It's Eric who becomes more persistent, while Vince wants to keep the distance.
Vince is a ball of hurt, rage, anger. As all teens, the whole world revolves around their inner world. Vince holds on to his rage and hate for Eric, a hate that is exacerbated by his attraction to the other boy. In his mind Vince hurts, dominates Eric, his sexual fantasies are dark.
Vince has no friends, he's hostile to his family, but he's also driven by his passion for art and movies. He has been admitted to film school in New York on a scholarship. He's not afraid of being far from his family and starting over, he wants that. Eric, who's the golden boy in school, has on the contrary decided not to go to college for the moment.
They reconnect slowly and Vince is reluctant. He doesn't want to give up his anger, he doesn't want to trust again. Eric tries to break through Vince's defences and to get at least a reaction.
For a long time the story is dark and confined to Vince's feelings, while he's working on his negative feelings for Eric, trying to vindicate his broken heart and to understand if what Eric seems to promise is real.
Intense.