Somewhere In Between

by Aaron Kappel

To question is to doubt, to doubt is to disagree, and to disagree is to sin—but for Jude wisdom lies within the questions.

Several years after abandoning his evangelical roots and admitting to himself, his family and his wife that he is gay, Jude searches for meaning in his life through the evaluation of his past. He finds solace in the questions that once caused immense fear and uncertainty. History repeats itself. There is nothing new under the sun. Change does not come without resistance. In a country wrought with political battles—battles formerly won decades ago—the still and the quiet is where Jude wrestles for understanding. How much power does the past hold? Do the clichés still matter? An inner voice takes hold and transforms into a powerful entity he can no longer control, hindering Jude throughout his quest to find meaning through hallucinations and dreams.

Genres: Coming Of Age

238 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 2013

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book raises a lot of questions that are not asked often enough in complacency of daily life. I found the childhood memories to be especially powerful and the depictions of love’s limitations to be heartbreaking. The strengths and shortcomings of this novel both stem from the author’s desire to reach out to the reader and engage them in conversation; at its best, this want is achieved extremely effectively, while at other times, important questions are asked with not enough time to properly explore them. Because the scenes are not in chronological order, it can be hard to follow where the protagonist is in his life and where certain realizations are taking place in his personal journey. Still it is a great testament to the complexity of life.

[Socksy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spectacular debut.
A portrayal that is at times deeply moving, brutally honest and bitingly funny- Kappel creates a character whose journey results in a story that is affecting, spooky, insightful and tender.
Excited to see what is to come from this very talented writer.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although far from polished and prone to rambling, this fractured, manic monologue/narrative expresses the sort of anguished PTSD sexuality so common to QLGBT people raised in upstanding right-wing Christian homes. There's something sad and tragic here, something incredulous but still hopeful, and while the author's voice is buried beneath significant amounts of word-clutter, there's a sense of an earnest need to communicate here that makes the read well worth the effort involved. An excellent first work for an up-and-coming talent.