Already from the blurb I knew that this wasn’t a gay romance, but you never know. Danny is a 20 years old in search of security; not a good time for the search, at that age nothing is sure. Starting from his family: it’s not that Danny had a bad family experience, it’s only that he hadn’t a normal family; his mother got pregnant at 17 years old, his grandparents took her and the love-child in, and the father was somewhere in the picture, but always on the edge of it, and finally, when Danny was still a teenager, he went to work on the North, at Ogunquit, Maine. Now, years later, Danny dropped out from college, basically since he wasn’t even sure why he was there, and decided to spend the summer with his father, washing dishes in the same place where his father bartend, Dishes, a gay club for the slightly older gay summer crowd.

Ogunquit is strange, it’s not like Provincetown where 99% of the population is gay, but it’s quite near; the difference is that Ogunquit is in the middle of a place where being gay is not so simple, and so it’s like a natural reserve, a place where you can be liberal while everyone else around you judge but don’t touch. Danny has no problem with his sexuality, he is quite sure to like girls, but he has not yet found the right one; even if he doesn’t like so much his father’s behaviour, I think that Danny is not so much different from him, he has not a strong core. Danny is drawn by authoritative figure since he has never had one in his life, and so even now, he prefers a partner that can be the leader in the relationship. And he hasn’t found one in women, so maybe, even if it’s a small maybe, he is wondering if a man, maybe…

And then there is his father, working for year in a gay club. Is he or is he not? And if he is, why not Danny? Right when all these questions are brainstorming inside him, Danny is faced with two different chance at love: Mercy, a very hot girl, to whom Danny is really attracted, but who is not exactly nice; she is quite the judgemental type, and Danny is not sure to like this attitude. On the other side there is Hector, the gay waiter of Dishes; he is handsome and kind, he even helps Danny on his first date with Mercy… now Danny likes a lot Hector’s attitude, but he is not physically attracted by him.

I think that Danny is in the middle and any decision he will take will be the right for him; he can choose to be with Mercy, following the physical lead, and being happy since, in the end, both he and Mercy will balance their characters. Or he can choose to be with Hector, following his brain, arriving to like, and maybe love him, a love that can be as satisfying as a physical inducted one. This is possible since Danny is open to the world, to life and to all type of love.

Dishes is not a long story, and in the end, I don’t even think it’s the final story for Danny; it’s only a moment in his life, a delicate and life-changing moment, but the only one he will face in the future.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0670011398/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Quick read, intersting summer fun, sort of love story! The way he connects the ocean to other worldly things [was compelling]. BUT it was short, I wanted more. Sequel? AHS/JJ

They are into track running. Only my guy friend would probably like it. Not very appealing for women. AHS/DL

There wasn’t enough substance to this book. He’s working in a gay bar. More time could have been covered. AHS/MD

A great book for teens who are having troubles with there sexuality, and generally a good read for 13+. ( )

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Danny is in a sort of void.

He knows he's not going back to his college in the fall. He lives for running, and due to equality in sports issues, his college decided to drop track rather than add more female sport alternatives. When his father invites him to spend the summer in Ogunquit, after much consideration, he takes him up on the offer.

Danny's father was never around much. His parents had him when they were both still in high school. His maternal grandparents didn't want to see the two kids tied to a marriage of convenience, so with the understanding that Jack needs to be around for the big moments, they agree to help Danny's mother raise him. Needless to say, Jack and Danny have little connection. So the summer in Ogunquit is a chance to bring the two together.

But the summer doesn't start out the way Danny expects. Living with Jack is like having an older brother or roommate rather than a father. Jack gets Danny a job at the bar he works at, Dishes. They are the only straight men in the place. It doesn't bother Danny, but he's not even allowed to let the other staff know Jack is his father.

As Danny tries to find his place in life and form a relationship with his father, he meets Mercy, a waitress at another local establishment. The two tentatively dance around each other, trying to learn to trust. Mercy is unsure of Danny's sexual orientation due to where he works, and then wonders even more about him when she finds out that Jack is his father. Jack had tried to hit on Mercy a while back.

As the summer wears on, Danny and Jack start to from proper bonds. Mercy and Jack work out the kinks of their crazy work schedules to spend time together. And the guys at the bar accept Danny for who he is.

A quick read, DISHES is a glimpse into the uncertainty of a boy turning into a man. Due to its short length, there is little time for serious character exploration. But Danny is a likable lead character who finds himself in some quirky situations.

There is a heavy emphasis on the homosexual atmosphere of Ogunquit, so those offended by the topic best avoid DISHES. But the story is not vulgar or explicit in content and should have much appeal to teen boys looking for something to read. ( )

Publishers Weekly, 10/6/2008, Vol. 255 Issue 40, p55-55 ( )