Review: Thirst Trap by Zachary Ryan

☆☆➹⁀☆ 3 stars ☆➹⁀☆☆

About the Book:

Tragedy comes in all forms, and you never know how you’ll deal with it. Four friends have all dealt with their fair share of struggles. Dillion, an aspiring writer with writers block because of his brothers sudden death, Jesse the emotional stunted drink thanks to his boyfriend’s suicide, Ivan the abused victim just looking for a place to call home, and Leo the stubborn romantic trying to get his friends to open up, while keeping his issues close to his chest.

With these four friends, they avoid all their elephants in the room like a death card agreement between Dillion and Jesse, Ivan completely hoping his abusive lover with change or even Leo focusing on his friends problems instead of his own. Can these four friends learn to embrace and accept their own tragedy or will they be stuck in the past?

Thirst Trap is a humorous coming of age novel dealing with sexuality, tragedy, substance abuse, and the most beautiful insane friendships.

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Guest Reviewer Jen’s Thoughts:

My friends were the best at bullshitting their way through life. It was why we had stayed so close this long without getting to really know each other.

A coming-of-age story, this book is about four friends trying to navigate the complexities of life in their twenties. Emotionally unequipped to handle the intense emotions that follow their personal tragedies, they use sex, alcohol, and trash talk to avoid vulnerability with each other. Brash and cocksure, this novel jumps in headfirst and parcels out backstory slowly until we understand why they continue to make the choices they do.

It’s good to read a story about men who obviously care about each other, and about this friendship that means so much to them. I also liked how there were many loving supporting characters (sisters, parents, roommates, friends) who want the best for these guys. But this book could use some thoughtful editing with regards to the writing craft. While each protagonist is different and is dealing with his own pain, the characters all seem to have the same voice. The dialogue often comes across as stilted and rushed, instead of conversational and organic. And the plot’s pacing moves glacially, overlapping stories from chapter to chapter and not emotionally progressing till near the end. However, the arc of the story rings true to life: these young men stumble slowly towards enlightenment and change.

Overall, a solid, quick soap opera of a read – great for poolside or a quick plane trip.

 

About the Author: Zachary Ryan grew up in a black-and-white box in Maryland, before moving to Chicago to start a new life. There, he found that he was accepted for his misfit status—and learned that it’s perfectly normal to spend your twenties feeling lost and confused.

Eventually, Ryan stumbled on a group of true friends, or “soul cluster,” that he connected with. Through his writing, he hopes to help other broken souls out there find comfort amid the chaos.

 

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