It’s not just these main characters that Kelly pays attention too, Keith parents are wonderful, Flynn’s dad has an amazing story arc of his own and Zach’s parents, well, saying they have issues is an understatement.

Flynn, Zach and Keith, who each get a turn narrating a section of the book, are drawn in vivid detail, each with a distinct personality that makes you like them and, at times, what to shake them so they wake up. She does an even better job with this book. I first discovered how powerfully Wade creates characters with Names Can Never Hurt Me. The book covers not only Flynn’s complicated relationships, but also looks at child abuse, reconnecting with a distant parent, how damaging religion can sometimes be, the importance of friendship, how what-ifs can mess up a life when dwelled on and that love can conquer all. It’s impossible to say more than that because there are so many twists and turns in this book that I do not want to give away. The wedding between Zach and Gwendolyn, however, is a tipping point that forces everything to the surface, far more than Flynn, Zach or Keith could’ve imagined. The fights Flynn and Keith have over this are painful and you wish Flynn would just talk to Zach, but he doesn’t leaving both himself and Keith in distress. Flynn doesn’t want to risk the friendship. A key sticking point is that Flynn won’t come out because he’s scared of what Zach and his super religious family will think of him. These two are adorable together as they figure out what’s going on between them. Moving past the prologue, we go back nearly four years to the start of Flynn’s junior year and watch him start a relationship with Keith. The friendship, however, got tweaked a long the way because the boys shared a kiss one night. Flynn and Zach talk about nearly everything and have been friends for years, a friendship that only got closer when Flynn’s mom and older brother were killed in an accident. The book start off with a prologue that takes places at the wedding of Zach and Gwendolyn. None of that, however, matters since this is an awesome book that I’d recommend whether or not I knew Wade.

Wade was also a guest yesterday on Jeff Adams Writes talking about the release of this book. I love a book that takes me on an emotional roller coaster ride and Wade Kelly’s Misplaced Affection does just that.īefore I go on, a bit of disclosure, Wade’s a good friend and I got to read this book during its editing phase.

Misplaced Affection by Wade Kelly