Dumb Jock *possible spoilers*

[Kaje]

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[Kaje]

This thread is for discussion of by Jeff Erno. Jeff is our group Author of the Month for April. A thread to chat with Jeff, ask questions, or discuss his other work is located here

Dumb Jock is available on Amazon or on Smashwords here

[Kaje]

So I just finished this book and I'm going to go find the next one .

Dumb Jock is the story of a young boy (14 at the beginning of the book) discovering his orientation, his needs and desires, and moving toward his adult self in his first year in high-school. The narrator of this book, Jeff, is a very introspective guy and he is writing from the perspective of an adult looking back (talking about a record player as being like a modern CD changer, for example.) Sometimes this makes his voice seem older than he is as the story takes place. But he sucked me in to caring about him pretty quickly.

The relationship between the nerd and the jock developed nicely. (They do have off-page sex, which is very believable in context but should be noted if that's a concern to a reader.) Brett, the jock, is 16 so this is a relationship between two young teens and felt natural in its development.

One interesting aspect of this book is that the two boys have a little bit of a Dom/sub relationship going on, that they are both happy with. It made me stop and think. Normally that kind of imbalance between teen MC's might make me think one was using the other. But in this case, it did feel like the beginning of a lifelong relationship that would work for both of them. There's no reason a teen couldn't feel like D/s was where they belonged emotionally. I came around to that opinion as I read through the story, and that was one of the things I liked here, that it made me think outside the usual box a bit.

The ending was sweet, although I would love to know what happened after the big moment. Maybe the next book will look back on that, even if it is about the couple's son primarily.

This book is in some ways a typical first book. There is a little stilted quality to the dialog and over-explaining. But the story shines through that. I can't wait to see the next one, with more experience under the author's belt. And this one is definitely worth a read.

[Sammy Goode]

Finished!

Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno was much more than a simple coming out story. This novel explores so many questions that face young teens as they grapple with not only their sexuality but their place in the world. The way in which they view themselves as well as the way in which the world sees them. The book dares to ask the question, if you are not okay--comfortable with who you are, how can you ever expect others to be okay with it?

The two boys whose lives intersect in this story are from vastly different worlds. Brett a jock who is barely making it grade-wise through school is also grappling with his sexuality. Surely he could not be a "fag"--they are weak, pansies, not worthy of being tolerated. Enter Jeff, younger than Brett by 2 years, a hard-working A student, who willingly acknowledges his place amongst the "geeks" and has no difficulty living there quite happily. Their two worlds collide when Jeff is essentially blackmailed into tutoring Brett by the P.E. teacher and coach of the football team for whom Brett is the star quarterback. What follows is a year of self-discovery, a year in which both boys come to the realization that they ultimately must decide for themselves how they want to live out the rest of their lives--in hiding, or in the light.

As Jeff encounters one tragedy after another, including the death of his mother, he begins to realize that the "submissive" side of his nature is tempered with a strength he never realized existed and that he has Brett to thank for helping him realize just how strong he is capable of being. Brett, on the other hand, begins to understand just what makes a true hero tick--and recognizes that it has nothing to do with physical prowess or talent and good looks--rather it is all heart--the heart to stand up and be what you were intended to be without compromise--Jeff shows him that in spades.

Yes, this book does have a somewhat contrived feel to its HEA. It also has a curiously stilted use of language that makes the sentence flow seem at times rather jerky and unrealistic--the characters sometimes coming off as sounding too "formal" to be teens. However these are minor flaws compared to a very well written and enjoyable read. Jeff Erno takes us inside the heart and minds of young teens grappling not only with their sexuality but also with how their being gay pits them against a harsh and unforgiving world. He writes his story in a time when the word, "gay" was really just beginning to emerge and openly discussed--a time that was both exciting and scary for many questioning teens. Lest you be worried that the story is somehow dated by being set in the 1980s--worry not. The same problems, the same doubts, the same beauty and angst associated with "first love" are all the same today--and Jeff Erno writes about them with a compassion and truth that is beautiful to behold. I highly recommend Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno!

[Jeff]

Dumb Jock was my first published work, and I do not disagree with any of the criticisms it has received. The dialogue is too formal, there aren't enough contractions, and the over-the-top HEA is almost too good to be true.

Being that the book is self-published, it would be easy enough for me to edit the manuscript and re-release a new-and-improved version, but I have decided that I don't want to do this. I want the book to represent where I was at the time, both as an author and an individual.

And even if I did wish to make editorial changes to Dumb Jock, I don't think I could ever bring myself to change the ending.

The story is set during the 1980s, the exact time period when I was in high school myself. Like the story's main character, I was a skinny little nerdy kid who tutored a jock named Brett when I was in the 9th grade. The real Bret(with only one "t")was a football star, and he was my first major high school crush. Bret, in real life, was not gay, but he did become my friend and he was sort of a protector of me. He vowed to fend off all the bullies and did so rather effectively.

The real life Jeff was not the hero that you see in the fictional story. I was shy, deep in the closet. Years later, after I'd gone on with life, I often asked myself what it might have been like had I been courageous enough to come out when I was in school. I also dared imagining what may have happened if the real Bret was also gay. That was my idea for this story.

Many of the events within Dumb Jock are taken from my life. My mother's death, my parents' divorce, my friend's expulsion from her church, and my dog Reggie are all examples.

I never really expected to write a sequel to the story, but the ending allowed me the chance to do so. Another Dumb Jock is a modern jock/nerd love story which is written from the jock perspective.

Could there be more stories in the series? I can't answer that for sure, but there is a possibility that I may eventually do a story that occurs after Jeff and Brett graduate high school... leading up to the point that they get married and have children. I've also thought about doing a story that focuses upon Adam's cousin/half-brother Peter. I'll keep you posted if anything develops.

Thanks for the reviews!

[Kaje]

Jeff wrote: "Dumb Jock was my first published work, and I do not disagree with any of the criticisms it has received. The dialogue is too formal, there aren't enough contractions, and the over-the-top HEA is al..."

I've had the same kind of thoughts about my first book, and also decided to leave it intact, flaws and all. And Dumb Jock is certainly plenty good enough to stand as it is. I can't wait to read more of your work moving on from that starting point. (I personally didn't think the HEA was necessarily OTT - but I could imagine the shit-storm that would come after it.)

But I would really love to see that story about how Jeff and Brett do after that climactic moment. Especially given that they are in different classes, at some point they will be split up. Brett will graduate, leaving Jeff to navigate high school alone. And they will mature and the relationship will change. If you ever feel like giving us a window on that (hint, hint) I would love to see it.

[Sammy Goode]

Jeff wrote: "Dumb Jock was my first published work, and I do not disagree with any of the criticisms it has received. The dialogue is too formal, there aren't enough contractions, and the over-the-top HEA is al..."

I personally think you should not change a word--I think it is a reflection of you--where you were in that time--I really enjoyed it--as I said--those things that I found were so minor compared to the overall impact of this book--it was lovely Jeff and I thank your for sharing it with us!