BarbsBooks

°•○★5 Stars - KAPOW★○•°
A "Live Your Life, Buy The Book" Review..

I like big books and I cannot lie... and let me tell you this book was BIG!! It was also insanely good – “Bad Idea” totally blew my mind!

Gate of Horn, Damon - Gate. Of. Horn.

“Bad Idea” is Damon's big follow-up to "Hot Head" - it is not a sequel, totally different people, albeit still New York based. It is also not paranormal in any way, shape or form – just pure contemporary with a delicious dollop of angst. It is the first book in a new series, by Damon, called “Itch” and book #1 – “Bad Idea” tells the story of Silas Goolsby and Trip Spector....

The opening chapter starts with Zombies and I thought.... Ugh... Zombies are so not my thing, but relax (if you are like that too) this is not a Zombie book - it just kicks off with a New Year's Eve charity fun run with Zombies chasing Survivors. As they do. Silas is there to do the Zombie make-up. Trip is there to film the run for his best friend. Of course Trip and Silas meet and the attraction and chemistry is instant and powerful. They go on (eventually) to catch up and have some wonderful dates :-) Things do not run smoothly all the time, they are both new to this dating game. They mess up. Miscommunication is an art for them. Jealousy, on both side, messes with their minds and influences their actions. I fricking loved it. A perfect balance of sweet, with sweet angst on the side. The story of their relationship plays out with the backdrop of Trip working on his own very graphic novel, and dammit I want that book too! Silas helps in so many ways – anything he can do, he will do, to get the Horny Bastard out in the public domain. But sometimes the best intentions just don’t play out as you hope – you need to listen before you act. And both of them are guilty of not doing this.

Trip is very sweet and just a bit infuriating. I was definitely a Team Silas girl! ♥ Silas was larger than life and (since meeting Trip) a newly reformed slut :-) my favourite kinda character! He is just so solid. An absolute rock. Not only for Trip - but to all his friends, and his exes, even. Everybody falls for his easy Southern charm - and the sense of confidence and well being he imbues in others lasts long after he has moved on. Trip and Silas seem to be a match made in heaven. Their artistic bent is an immediate common link, but beyond that Silas just gets Trip. Trip needs guidance, he needs direction, he needs focus - he needs a script. He needs to learn that life needs to be lived. I never totally understood him to be honest. Is he shy? Socially inept? Awkward? Yes to all of the above? Probably. But in the bedroom... that is a different story! Sexy as, and totally in control! Damon showed us in “Hot Head” that the guy can write HAWT sex and this book is no different. Scorching!!

So I started off saying this book was about Trip and Silas, which it is, but it also so much more - Damon Suede doesn't seem to understand what "secondary character" or "cameo role" means - all of the characters are so wonderfully fleshed out. So real. He wrote this book like an artist paints - with bold strokes in vibrant colours. It came alive! In full, throbbing, acrylic glory! I often glaze over and skim read sections where there is too much dialogue - and Damon Suede is a master of these D&Ms!! But you know what? They really worked - there were some simply beautiful chats between Max and Trip; Silas and Rina; Silas and Ziggy; and Trip and Jillian – to name just a few - with some deep, insightful sayings and advice that I am itching to ask Damon about. Are these family pearls of wisdom? Or did he make them up?? Cos seriously..... I am quoting him! He also has some hilarious turns of phrase – “Incredible Hulk in shades of grave” had me snorting my coffee; and his descriptive prose is just beautiful – I saw the skies he described.

Trip and Silas have some wonderful friends – also, some not so great. But you know... I do adore a redeemable character… so I am hoping that a certain “unboyfreind” will make amends in a subsequent book. I also want more Kurt and Ziggy and a Barney story too – I want them all!!

The book is very American. Very New York, probably. And I am as foreign as they come :-) but I never felt lost, or confused or "left out" in fact it made me want to look up stuff on the 'net to see what was real and what wasn't. This is one example … Kurt is Silas’ best friend and he owns Unbored Games – the company that organised the Zombie Run. Damon mentions some of the games that Kurt has produced …. the Miss series of games – do they exist? Did Damon make them up? Because man, those names were just brilliant! He has created an amazingly detailed world and I lapped it all up!! I know that a writer has to do oodles of research into everything he writes, right? So Damon... will you do my make up for the GRL Masquerade night? :-P

I also want to mention the cover - which is sublime!! The whole marketing is very clever too - all his covers match. I don't buy many paperbacks anymore, but when I do I want them to look good, both colours and designs need to work together - and all of Damon's certainly do that really well!

My only little niggle, and it really is little, is that I kinda feel like I deep throated a thesaurus :-P I have never read so many different words used for "dick" or "cock" - to the point that I wish I had kept a list. As I say, just a little thing that in no way detracted from what was an absolutely wonderful read. No retcon required! If you liked “Hot Head” then you will LOVE this book. Go. Buy the Book.