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A review by thebookboy
All of My Friends Are Rich by Michael Sarais
4.0
A fast, funny, shamelessly gay adventure that doesn't shy away from the more graphic side of real life.
First of all, the best thing about this novel is definitely the friendship between Leo and Sara - Sara especially is a really fun and enjoyable character, acting not only as a pillar of support for Leo but shining in her own right. She very much typifies a sort of London girl that you don't see in fiction very often, and I loved her feisty spirit and more vulnerable side too.
Another huge positive of the novel is that the author doesn't shy away from the grim realities of things such as sex work, gay sex in general and mental health. In fact mental health is handled really well in this debut, and it's good to see an honest portrayal of these issues and how this can impact an individual's life in all areas, whether that's love, sex or anything else. Of course, this not shying away from certain topics does mean that the book is pretty graphic (lots of sex scenes, all well-written) which may be a bit of a turn off for some readers.
Down to more technical details, and I do think that some parts of the plot were contrived and a bit too cheesy considering the rest of the book has a more gritty feel. I also think that some of the writing needed further tweaking here and there - there are moments where it doesn't feel as strong as other sections which is a shame as when it's good, it's really good.
These are minor blips though, and I can see why other people definitely loved this one - it's a strong debut and definitely a fun frolic through a certain part of gay culture that isn't often spoken about. Looking forward to seeing what the author does next!
4 stars
First of all, the best thing about this novel is definitely the friendship between Leo and Sara - Sara especially is a really fun and enjoyable character, acting not only as a pillar of support for Leo but shining in her own right. She very much typifies a sort of London girl that you don't see in fiction very often, and I loved her feisty spirit and more vulnerable side too.
Another huge positive of the novel is that the author doesn't shy away from the grim realities of things such as sex work, gay sex in general and mental health. In fact mental health is handled really well in this debut, and it's good to see an honest portrayal of these issues and how this can impact an individual's life in all areas, whether that's love, sex or anything else. Of course, this not shying away from certain topics does mean that the book is pretty graphic (lots of sex scenes, all well-written) which may be a bit of a turn off for some readers.
Down to more technical details, and I do think that some parts of the plot were contrived and a bit too cheesy considering the rest of the book has a more gritty feel. I also think that some of the writing needed further tweaking here and there - there are moments where it doesn't feel as strong as other sections which is a shame as when it's good, it's really good.
These are minor blips though, and I can see why other people definitely loved this one - it's a strong debut and definitely a fun frolic through a certain part of gay culture that isn't often spoken about. Looking forward to seeing what the author does next!
4 stars