Title: Out of Blackness
Series: N/A
Author: Carter Quinn
Genre: LGBT fiction, a bit of M/M romance with a history of abuse.
Length: Novel (361 pages)
Publisher: Carter Quinn Books (July 9th 2013)
Heat Level: Mild
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: A childhood of abuse has left Avery so physically and emotionally scarred he believes he shouldn’t be alive. His only sanctuary has been his relationship with his older foster brother Sam. Avery finally lets Sam convince him to start therapy to help overcome his crippling anxiety, but even that can’t prepare him for the upheaval caused by meeting Noah Yates.
Noah is everything Avery fears. He’s large and physically powerful—and undeniably capable of destroying Avery’s hard-earned progress. Although Noah seems to have a tender streak when it comes to him, Avery is terrified of being victimized again. But no matter how many times he tries to push him away, Noah never goes far.
Noah wants to save Avery, but can he be the catalyst Avery needs to begin the journey out of the blackness?
Reviewer: Tams
Review: Overall, this was a fantastic book. It’s mentally exhausting and an emotional roller coaster ride, but the characters and content keep the reader focused on the bigger picture that Quinn is trying to convey within this book.
Avery has been mentally, physically, and emotionally abused by everyone in his life that mattered. His father died when he was very young leaving him with his mother who constantly reminded him that he was just a botched abortion. His stepfather and step brothers beat him almost daily while belittling and beguiling him along the way. After his mother uses the ill-fated and short-lived firehouse rule to drop him off at a local firehouse he was placed in a group home. Although the abuse was far from over, his life definitely took a turn for the better when he met another young orphan, Sam.
Sam is Avery’s best friend, confident and big brother. Not relations by blood, but bound together by circumstance, these two young men defy traditional barriers of family and make a life that works, for the most part. The straight policeman is comfortable in his role as the protective big brother, but Avery has a feeling that one day Sam will leave him. Enter Noah. Noah is tall, blonde, and broodingly handsome. He first meets Avery in the alley between their places of employment. Avery is obviously leery and downright freaked out as Noah is the poster boy for everything Avery fears. But Noah is immediately smitten with the shy, standoffish young man he meets in the alley.
As the book progresses we learn more of Avery’s back story and the extent of the abuse he’s suffered. We also get to watch Noah court Avery and the slow, gradual process of building trust, falling in love and ultimately proving to Avery that he’s not going to hurt him. That he’s in it to win it!
The content of this book might be difficult for some readers but the writing is stellar. Quinn does a fantastic job of transporting the reader into Avery’s world, so that you feel every emotion along the way. And the usual meaning of the phrase ‘In the Closet’ doesn’t apply in this book. Avery’s closest is more of a sanctuary and has absolutely nothing to do with his sexuality, but I do like the presence of the metaphor and the twist Quinn used for the terminology.
I loved this book, but as far as recommending it… it’s difficult to determine who would or wouldn’t like it. You will be emotionally spent, as the content is detailed and tormented. There isn’t really sex to speak of, but there is a LOT of kissing and a jack off scene that will blow your mind! The story of Avery as he relives his nightmares faces his demons and ultimately falls in love with Noah was breath-taking. As difficult as it is to read Avery’s memories, it’s as equally satisfying to watch him and Noah build their relationship, find trust, and fall deeply in love.