Without Sin

Five Stars Is Not Enough

Although Without Sin by J. Tomas is marketed as a Young Adult romance, there is nothing immature or even amateur about this story. The protagonists are teenagers, but the depth of their relationship is explored and described with adult-level precision, understanding, and compassion. The book is a compelling read, one that is so utterly raw and honest in its portrayal of first-love, that it is literaly breath-taking.

Jacob and Avery are respective sophomore and senior high school students at an all-boys Catholic boarding school. Both are gay, and they immediately find themselves attracted to one another when they meet for the first time at an all-school mass.

Jacob is the younger of the two, and at age 16 he's very much aware of his attraction to boys, yet his experience is limited. He has struggled in school due to his hot-temper and defensiveness. He's been picked on and ridiculed by his peers, and he fights back with his fists. Nobody has bothered to try finding out the reason for his violent outbursts, though. Instead his parents simply opt to send their son to a strictly-operated Catholic boarding school, hoping this will cure his rebellious nature.

Avery is a model student. He has also suffered the ridicule and bullying by his judgmental classmates, but his coping mechanism has been to ignore the insults and devote all of his energy upon his academics. He is 17, and he's had two previous boyfriends, both of whom have broken his sensitive heart. Jacob is his first love interest who is younger than he, and he easily slips into the role of mentor as he guides the impressionable, love-starved sophomore into a budding romantic relationship.

The manner in which the author leads the reader into the minds of these two intriguing yet innocent teens, is remarkable. Their fears, doubts, passions, desires, and cravings are all exposed. It is a stark reminder of the simplisticly primal urgency of male hormones that tend to motivate and control the mind of a sixteen year old boy. It is also an emotional rollercoaster as you experience the growth of their pure and romantic infatuation with one another.

One of the most compelling and memorable scenes within the story is the tender moment after the young couple first make love when Jacob feels emotional and cries in his lover's arms. He feels saddened by his loss of innocence, for this was his very first time, yet he also has no regrets. His partner Avery holds him and they cuddle together romantically. It is described in a manner that is so tender and believable that it creates a vivid reality for the reader which will undoubtedly remain long after they finish this magnificent read.

Without Sin is beautiful. It is innocent, fresh, and pure. It is an honest and uplifting story about first-love. Gay love. Teen love. Love. It is perhaps one of the most romantic and touching stories I have ever read, worthy of far more than five-stars.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

boarding school romance

Having spent all of my school years at a private all-girls Catholic school, I found myself relating quite a bit to Jacob and Avery's experiences in dealing with the rigidity and the hypocrisy of the system. Jacob's the proverbial square peg forced into a round hole, and his chances of succeeding in such a school are dismal, but perhaps with the right guidance from an authority figure he respects, he just might survive high school. Unfortunately we don't get a chance to see any attempts from school authorities in helping what's obviously a bright yet troubled student.

WITHOUT SIN succeeds, to an extent, in exploring certain facets of Jacob's personality and behavior, and through his dysfunctional relationships with other students (especially his long-suffering martyr of a roommate), we can at least glimpse the suffocating effects of a system that demands nothing less than unquestioning obedience from its students. Somewhat indirectly, Jacob's struggles in the school highlight the misguided hopes of desperate parents who resort to extreme measures in ensuring that their son is taught discipline. Maybe in some cases, tossing the kid into a strict private school works. Jacob, however, is too restless, too lonely, and too self-absorbed to fit in; meeting Avery only exacerbates his desperate need to connect with someone on a much deeper level than he's used to. In this sense, his experiences and the feelings of being the hopeless outsider can be appreciated by readers of all ages.

The novel falters a little in characterization because most of the plot revolves around Jacob and Avery's developing relationship and the ongoing sexual tension between them. Nothing much really happens beyond that other than occasional references to other students and to Mike, Jacob's roommate. With page after page of constant flirting and touching and Jacob's wishes to damn school and have sex with Avery at every chance they can get, the story thins out, and scenes become repetitions of each other. Some readers might find themselves growing impatient with Jacob and his one-track mind and maybe a little disappointed that the narrative picks up only in the last third of the book. I certainly would have loved to see more going on, at the very least a more complex characterization involving Jacob and Avery.

On the whole, though, I enjoyed the book. J. Tomas' writing is sharp and quick. The present tense might be off-putting to some readers, but with her spare, staccato prose, the present tense works pretty effectively.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Without sin review

This is a beautiful love story between two young boys in a catholic school who try to keep it secret. The way the author brings these characters to life in full detail is just amazing. J. Tomas did an excellent job writing this. I was immediately pulled in by the first chapter and wanted to read more of it. By time I got the end I couldn't help feel unsatisfied that it wasn't longer! Overall it is a magnificient story. I believe everyone should take the time to read this.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Reasonably interesting

...about two guys in a Catholic high school who seem to truly fall in love and how they deal with the necessity of keeping their secret. Good dialogue (which is often hard to find); interesting and likable characters; very reasonable resolution and satisfying conclusion

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.