Sometimes it can be disappointing trying to find a good book that connects us to a voice that is sincere when it comes to finding good queer literature.  Most of the fiction I find tend to be targeting the erotic genre which can be frustrating.  I just want a good story with gay characters so that I can enjoy reading about people and experiences that I can identify with.

I recently read Sacrifice to their Gods by Adam James.  This is a poignant tale of a young man’s experience of growing up gay in small-town Iowa.  This story allows one to experience the beauty and pain of first love.  It is a tale of the struggles and triumphs experienced by gay men in a world that mocks unconditional love with destructive misconceptions.  

I liked this story because it reminded me how universal our homosexual tendencies are.  As a lesbian, I only know the intimate details of my own experiences as well as other lesbians.  You hear stories about girls playing house and this is accepted by society as natural “girl crush” behavior.  In my experience, boys are reprimanded differently than girls are.  There is harsh discrimination for boys that is sexist and destructive to their self-esteem. Not only do they have to deal with emotional abuse, but there is a high risk of physical and sexual abuse among peers. Universal love is systematically repressed and destroyed as we are taught to believe it to be dirty and sinful.

This story reminded me of the hidden life of boys and men and of all of the secrets I know of many who pretended to be straight because they were afraid of violence and judgment.  I remember hiding in trees and spying on the kids in my neighborhood because I used to want to be a spy and an assassin when I was a kid and let me tell you, it’s not only girlfriends who are kissing and playing house.  I was the keeper of many secrets.

I recommend Sacrifice to their Gods to anyone who can appreciate the intimate voice of understanding.  That voice that identifies with the question “how did I end up gay?”  I remember crying and asking myself that question years ago as a young woman because I just wanted to be “normal.”   I reached out to the Author Adam James to ask about his novel and he said it best:

With all the advances toward acceptance, there are still so many who just don’t understand. As I mentioned in our conversation, my sincere desire is to promote understanding and to help young people’s lives to be easier than in my time.

I believe that Sacrifice to their Gods is a sincere voice for gay men and boys who are struggling with judgment and learning how to love and accept themselves away from societal and religious conditioning.  Adam tells the story of Sean with raw unapologetic sincerity and truth.  It is a story of many boys and men who run away from home only to end up in a dark world of false promises and disillusionment.  It also tells the tale of redemption through unconditional love.  

You can purchase a copy of Sacrifice to their Gods on Amazon.com for $9.99 for the Kindle edition, or $19.95 for the paperback.  It would be good for a personal read, or a great gift for someone you know who could use a sincere voice with intimate perception.