it seems like every “gay” novel includes an obligatory coming out story. while michael holloway perronne’s novel, a time before me, is no exception, thankfully it doesn’t form the crux of the tale. yes, it is about growing up and figuring things out, but it’s also about relationships that develop and/or evolve as that happens.
the book follows the trials of mason hamilton, a naive, small town mississippi boy who loves madonna almost as much as he loves his best friend, billy. one drunken night, after plenty of build up, billy finally pounces on mason (this is pg-rated, mind you, so it’s strictly on-top-of-the-clothes stuff!). afterwards they both repeatedly drop hints about the incident, but neither are brave enough to drop the facade.
after billy pulls the big gay cliche by running off to new york, the book meanders through moderately engaging plots concerning mason’s family - none of whom really understand him. things liven up sporadically, like when mason’s sexually adventurous new friend (one of my favorite characters, daniel) introduces him to a backwood gay bar; and when he ends up in new orleans working for his aunt savannah at a popular drag bar in the french quarter.
unfortunately, the narrative often becomes as listless as its hero - especially toward the end, when mason meets a nice guy just before billy shows up with his new boyfriend. unsurprisingly, there’s predictable drama and a frustrating cliffhanger ending.
also, i found myself slighty annoyed by some of the secondary characters. the reader is drawn to the free spirits in the book - like daniel and savannah - yet perronne leaves the others underdeveloped, and ultimately, unappealing despite a few last minute redemptions.
i enjoyed a time before me the same way i would enjoy a mindless summer beach read. it was entertaining and spontaneously poignant, but not really strong enough to stick with me.
for more on michael holloway perronne and ‘a time before me’, visit his web site.
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