Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: A Hundred Thousand Words
AUTHOR: Nyrae Dawn
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 300 Pages
BLURB:
Tobias Jackson grew up in Coburn, a town where the gay population equaled exactly one: him. Add that to the fact that his dream guy was his best friend’s jerky older brother Levi Baxter, and it made hooking up virtually impossible.
Now home from college for winter break, Toby is a different person. He left Coburn for San Francisco, where he wasn’t the lone gay guy and the only black kid in town. And yeah, he took advantage of what the city had to offer.
Apparently Toby isn’t the only one who’s changed. Levi’s not acting like the self-centered guy with all the answers that Toby remembers from growing up. Oh and Levi’s realized he’s bisexual, which makes things a lot more interesting…
Heading back to college, Toby doesn’t expect to meet up with Levi again, despite him being in med school not far away. A surprise visit from Levi blows that assumption out of the water. As they spend more time together Toby sees Levi as more than just the fantasy. He’s complicated, unsure…he’s real. But if Toby can’t get out of the past and find the words he keeps locked inside himself, he’ll lose his chance at Levi for good.
A gay, new adult, interracial romance.
REVIEW:
Have you ever wanted someone? Dreamed of them from a far but knew they were way out of your league? Have you ever felt so different from everyone surrounding you? Do you ever wish, just once, that the quirky, sweet guy would just win? Then the new book by Author Nyrae Dawn is perfect for you because I know it was for me!
I love the underdog coming out on top (yes…pun intended) story. But what I really wanted to know was the full story of the hometown superstar and why he would choose the quiet, reserved, different boy. I also wanted to know why the good looking, but obviously reserved best friend of his little brother became the way he did, what shattered his trust in mankind. I loved how these two young men explored and challenged each other to be more and to learn to trust and love. I know that everyone will be rooting for the introverted Toby and his struggles with his inner demons. But, my heart completely fell, and ached at times, for the seemingly “Golden Boy” Levi. The pressures that have been loaded on this young man not only by his dad but by himself were heart wrenching and the challenges that he faced alone were overwhelming. I love that they learned to reach out for each other and could be the “real” people they were instead of the masks that they presented to everyone surrounding them.
This is my first story by the extremely talented writer Nyrae Dawn and I look forward to many more journeys with her. It was an insightful novel of the complexities that surround our gay youth today. I was intrigued by the interracial romance and how that all played out. An extra bonus is that I grew up in the Portland, Oregon area and still live there, part time, in the suburbs. I kept imaging which mall they were at when they went shopping or what club they met up at.
That was a treat. I am very please to be able to give this wonderful book a shiny 4.5 stars!
RATING: 
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