I’m always drawn to interesting plot ideas or characters. This time – when i read that this is a book about MMA trainer and heavy metal band musician, i knew that i want to read this. Combination was very interesting. And i was not disappointed. Purple Method, which is also a name of Max’s band, turned out to be good read.
Max is the lead singer of heavy metal band Purple Method. He is firmly in the closet and doesn’t think about coming out of it He fears that coming out could lead to him loosing his brother and friends, and his band. Rick is MMA trainer and he is out if the closet. They meet when Purple Method has a concert and attraction goes both ways. But for them to actually be together… it would mean – secret relationship. But sooner of later all secrets come out. Only thing that you can choose, is the way it happens. So there is a point where Max has to choose… his future. Will he be brave? Is this relationship worth the risk? How will their lives change after?
I liked both main characters. I was sad about Max because he couldn’t be honest and just live freely being himself. He was hiding and sometimes behaving not great, because he was afraid. For me – love is love. And i’m so sad that we live in modern era and still people can’t just be themselves and love freely whoever they want, because others can react badly and ruin lives, and hurt them. I felt so sad about Max, but at the same time… i understood his reasons. Fear of loosing everything… I mean – in his place, i would probably be even more scared and totally not brave. Max was believable. I think there are a lot of people who really know how he felt because they have felt the same. I liked Rick too, but i was rooting for Max a little bit more. He deserved to be happy.
Character which i really disliked was Max’s brother Tony. Yes, he was ok with Max being gay and didn’t hate him. But at the same time… he was such a, pardon, dick. How he treated Max in band, and other in band. Reader knows, before Max knows, that Tony wouldn’t leave Max because Max is gay and that he doesn’t hate him for that. So at least that was good. But other than that…his behavior was, in my opinion, horrible. But from writing point, i kinda get the writer – if all characters in the book would be nice and good.. it would be boring. But yeah – i didn’t like him.
I was a bit surprised, in a good way, that there was detailed MMA chapters(like when Rick was training Max) and info about music too. I guess, i thought that it will be mentioned, that Rick is MMA trainer, but they will not go in big details. Some books does that. Like, says that character A is an artist, but doesn’t go in much details about his art or how he makes it. Here – when Max went to training group which Rick was teaching – there was a lot about it: what he did, what was the exercises, how Max did and Rick was teaching etc. And when it came to Purple method or Max being a musician – it was detailed too. I liked it. It made all things more real and much easier to imagine these characters in real life.
Overall – it was a good book. Not a wowowow 10/10 for me personally, but interesting anyway. I liked the combination – heavy metal and MMA. It was fast read, written well. I liked it. Also it made me want to open youtube and just put some heavy metal music in background just for mood :). This was a coming out story and i was rooting for Max and for them both to be happy together :). At the end part(before happy end), there were some moments which… i didn’t fully connected with. I can’t explain it… they just felt… weird? I don’t know… But that’s probably just me.
Bookshelf darling 