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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
(RAW Rating: 3.5) - Looking for Mr. Right,
By The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Down For Whatever (Mass Market Paperback)
Relationships are hard to initiate and even harder to maintain. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr. Right would just ride up on his proverbial white horse, knock on our front door and sweep us off our feet? In DOWN FOR WHATEVER, this is the desired scenario for Keith, Tommie, Rafael and Marco. Each is seemingly looking for Mr. Right in all the wrong places. Each hails from various backgrounds, yet when thrust into the fast-paced limelight of Los Angeles, will they be able to stake their claim on true love?
All of the characters have their individual concerns, which unite them together. As the lead singer of an R&B group from back in the day, Tommie was "Mr. It" back then. Hooking up was not an issue. Now that he is a little older and has reached the big 3-0 mark, he is still clinging to his celebrity status with his much younger, jock boyfriend on his arm. Will Tommie's insecurities plague him from allowing love to blossom? Marco finds himself in a quandary when dealing with a long distance relationship. Can he stay faithful despite all of the temptation that presents itself each day? Keith finally thinks he has found someone who is too-good-to-be-true, hopefully this isn't the case. Rafael casts caution to the wind and does whatever is clever and feels good at the moment. In the end, who ends up with a broken heart and who walks away happily ever after? The story is told from the first person, conversational perspective of the four friends. Not being familiar with the gay lifestyle, the depictions of the scenes seemed believable and despite the protagonists' sexual preferences, I found myself pulling for them to realize the happiness that everyone deserves and shaking my head at some of their antics. Although the it started out a little slow to me, if you're looking for a book that has handsome men, attitude galore, and relationship drama mixed with some same-sex partnering, then DOWN FOR WHATEVER may be the book for you. (...)
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Whatever, I'm down for it!,
By
This review is from: Down For Whatever (Mass Market Paperback)
A friend loaned me this book and I devoured it.
Being a mostly white, out,gay man who usually dates men of color, the book gave me a greater insight to some things I didn't understand like being on the Down Low. I only recently discovered that I, myself am a quarter Latino (my parents covered it up) but I've lived my whole life in the East Los Angeles area. I have met just about every type of man that Smith characterizes and in some ways it was like revisiting old friends. One of the locales mentioned in the book is a city called Montebello. I live next door to there and have visited Club Chico from time to time. The locales and the characterizations were very personal for me. Now the reason it didn't get 5 stars from me was because I thought the ending was a little too rushed and a little too warm and fuzzy. I will definitely be ordering my own copy soon!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Down For Whatever" is a must read for anyone studying black/brown/gay relationships,
By
This review is from: Down For Whatever (Mass Market Paperback)
Frederick Smith sets his seminal work along a theme that sociologists and demographers are already pointing out to the discomfort of a majority of Americans, that is the new emerging minority/majority is brown/black. So what happens when black and brown characters begin to explore their commonalities. Just what you will find in Down For Whatever. That racial stereotypes can be vastly different from the reality that comes from association and interaction. Frederick takes two Black single gay males and two Latino sgm, mix them together along with their friends, companions, families and significant others and produces a storyline that everyone ought to read as a blueprint for the present and future of black/brown relationships. Inevitably, his characters grow into a deeper understanding of each other just as Americans of all races and ethnicities must continue to understand each other and grow into respecting culture and sexuality.
Then finally, add back into the mix the ups and downs of living the gay life as a professional, as an individual who is one step away from homelessness, or as one who is on the "down low." Frederick Smith helps each of his readers to see a little of themselves in each character as they progress toward finding a more fulfilling self-identity. This book is highly recommended not only for gay audiences, but for those who would understand that emotions, relationships, love transcends race, gender and sexual preferences.
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