Bashed by Rick R. Reed

 It should have been a perfect night out. Instead, Mark and Donald collide with tragedy when they leave their favorite night spot. That dark October night, three gay-bashers emerge from the gloom, armed with slurs, fists, and an aluminum baseball bat.

The hate crime leaves Donald lost and alone, clinging to the memory of the only man he ever loved. He is haunted, both literally and figuratively, by Mark and what might have been. Trapped in a limbo offering no closure, Donald can’t immediately accept the salvation his new neighbor, Walter, offers. Walter’s kindness and patience are qualities his sixteen-year-old nephew, Justin, understands well. Walter provides the only sense of family the boy’s ever known. But Justin holds a dark secret that threatens to tear Donald and Walter apart before their love even has a chance to blossom.

1st Edition published by MLR Press, March 2009.

This was an incredibly hard book to read. It was written very well and the character development was amazing but the subject matter was just so difficult. Rick does an amazing job of depicting the emotional journey through recovery the main character, Donald, takes after he survives a deadly gay bashing.

Watching Donald go through this process was very difficult but it was worth it for the end. I would love to read more about Donald and watch him flourish as he gains control of his life again. If you are easily upset by violent themes then this is not for you, but if you are looking for an emotional journey of recovery and justice then read this book you will not be disappointed.

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