8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!, February 15, 2006
Out of three books I love this one the best. The after high school setting was cool for a change and the maturity levels of the characters was better. In this book, Kyle isn't the perfect boy anymore, Jason sees that he can screw up. I like the readers now see some of Kyles flaws and defects, this is one of the best parts of the book. Jason...oh Jason. I enjoyed reading about how Jason questions hes total "gayness" when he sees naked girls and kisses that girl in the club. Thats a big problem many questioning people have and it was nice to see it brought up in a way. Jason and Kyles relationship goes throught its tough times on this trip with is also nice to see becuase not every relationship in the world is perfect. In many ways even though Kyle and Jason fight, their relationship is growing stronger. Then comes Nelson. Nelson, a friend of Kyle and not really Jasons in the other two books. In this book, I like how Nelson and Jason start to connect and Kyle doesnt like that. This is another big problem many teens hae in their relationships, gays and straights. He also wants to find his true love like Kyle found Jason, but he doesnt know if hes ever going to find that til the end of the book in L.A. My all time favorite part of the book is at the end when Kyle knows he want to spend the rest of his life with Jason and that they are going to take it one day at a time, just like the old couple from the diner. I would recommend this book to everyone!!!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worse than the first but better than the second, January 28, 2006
To answer that burning, burning question: Nelson's love life becomes more than unrequited crushes and a past one-night stand. Thank God. Now the world can move on!
The best book of the trilogy, for me, is still the first, with its boldness amidst hesitancy and tender emotions, and the worst is the second one, where too many aspects aren't given enough time to develop. Rainbow Road, if not the best of the trilogy, is definitely a worthy conclusion.
I was wondering if Jason's bisexuality was going to be addressed again, or if it was going to be put to the wayside due to his relationship with Kyle; it becomes important, but, luckily, in a way that gives more depth to Jason as a character as opposed to being sensationalized or a factor that makes his relationship with Kyle impossible. Confined quarters and long hours on the road lead Jason and Kyle to see each other's flaws, which is one of the best parts of the book. Jason is no longer the idealized perfect man of Kyle's dreams, but the two come to know each other on a deeper level.
Nelson remains Nelson, though spending so much time with Jason leads to both a friendship between them and the realization from Nelson that he's somewhat attracted to Jason, the latter being one of the funniest and truest parts of the book. In a way, Nelson is probably the character who has grown least in the series, but there's something comforting in knowing that Nelson is always going to be outrageously fabulous (wait till you get to the Britney Spears outfit) while still doing his share of embarrassing things (of the three main characters, only Nelson would manage to drop his cell phone in the toilet).
In my previous reviews of the books in this trilogy, I make reference to my opinion that Alex Sanchez watches a lot of Queer as Folk, an influence which definitely shows in his work. Before Rainbow Road was published, I read my old reviews again and thought, "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the things that seem QaF-inspired are really just things that could easily be part of the young gay experience, and QaF has nothing to do with it." Then I read Rainbow Road and got to the part with the Radical Faeries. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. There were of course Radical Faeries before they appeared on Queer as Folk, but the scene with the Radical Faeries in Rainbow Road confirmed my suspicions once and for all.
If there's something to be learned from Rainbow Road, it's that if you put a gay pride sticker on the back of your car, you'll meet up with every type of queer person known to the public consciousness. The amount and variety of people the boys meet is somewhat unrealistic, but page-turning nonetheless. Overall, Rainbow Road is a funny and emotionally true book with some moments of practical unreality.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rainbow Road Rocks!, November 9, 2005
Rainbow Road is one hell of a great book. A must read. For anyone who is gay, straight, or in between, this book is for you. This book transcends sexuality. It's about growing up, accepting who you are, and learning that in this life there are no guarantees.
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