Reviewed by Dan
TITLE: Mulligans
AUTHOR: Charlie David
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 200 Pages
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2016
BLURB:
Chase never had many friends, but at college, he meets and forms close ties with straight jock Tyler Davidson—a connection he fears he’ll lose if he tells Tyler he’s gay. Keeping his sexuality secret becomes harder for Chase as he joins Tyler and his family at their idyllic lake house for the summer. It grows more and more difficult for Chase to avoid Tyler’s attempts to set him up with girls, and he’s tired of making excuses. Chase is ready to embrace the man he is, but he’s afraid of what it will cost him.
The Davidsons seem like the perfect family, but Chase soon realizes there’s trouble in paradise. Tyler’s dad, Nathan, has done everything to make a good life for his wife and children—including suppressing his sexuality and denying his needs for years. But like Chase, Nathan is growing weary of living a lie. What begins as an offer of support from Chase grows into an unexpected attraction that will have profound effects on everyone. Chase and the Davidsons are about to learn that there’s no such thing as a perfect family, but that perfection isn’t a requirement for friendship and love.
REVIEW:
Being a gay man, I’ve of course seen Mulligans, and honestly I’ll admit to at least a couple viewings of it. So I wasn’t caught by surprise with any of the plot twists in the book. That didn’t bother my reading at all though. I liked the written details and glimpses into the characters heads as opposed to the purely visual cues in the movie.
For those who haven’t seen the movie…have you been living under a rock? I suggest reading the book, then immediately viewing the movie. I wouldn’t suggest doing it in the reverse order if you haven’t already seen it, because it might detract from your read.
In Mulligans, Charlie David, who incidentally wrote and starred in the original movie, brings us a book about a family, and the son’s best friend. Tyler Davidson comes from a perfect family…a dad, a mom, a son, and a daughter. The dad is a well to do architect, and the family lives quite comfortably. Chase, on the other hand, is from a family that includes only his dysfunctional mom and himself, his dad having died years before. Tyler and Chase, thrown together as college roommates, have become best friends and Tyler has invited Chase to spend the summer with his family at their lake house.
When Chase decides to out himself to Tyler over the summer, he doesn’t have any idea the domino effect he will unleash.
One thing that I noticed that was much different in the book versus the movie was the character of Tyler’s childhood friend Jarod. He plays a bigger part in the book than I remember him having in the movie. And the parts he plays throughout the book add some insight missing in the movie, in my opinion.
Another thing that I liked better about the book was the idea that all might not be as hopeless as it seemed for Chase in the end. The end of the movie seemed kind of sad for Chase, but the book offers some hope.
Enough spoilers, I suggest you pick up the book today and give it a read. It was an entertaining coming out tale, with some twists, and I found it quite enjoyable.
My only complaint with the book was all the “stuff” at the end. The book actually ends at 86% and then there are a bunch of ruminations about the original movie…how it was written…comments from the cast…etc. I personally hate a lot of “stuff” on the end of a book…whether it be an intro to a new book, or a look back at a movie like this one. It would have been better without it.
I liked this book a lot and I would recommend it. Having now seen the printed and film version…I’m leaning toward the printed version as being my favorite. I’m really hoping that Mr. David considers bringing us a sequel…I’ve always wanted to know what happened next to Chase. And now with the greater insight at the end of the book…I personally hope there is more story to come!
RATING: 
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