Saturday, August 4, 2012

The Marrying Kind by Ken O'Neill

Title: The Marrying Kind
Author: Ken O'Neill
Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Length: 264 pages

Steven Worth is a writer for The Gay New York Times, and his partner Adam More is a very successful wedding planner. As Adam sinks into depression as a result of planning other people's weddings when he himself cannot legally get married, Steven suffers a minor breakdown when he is named only as "and guest" on a wedding invitation. As a result, they (well, mostly Adam) decide to boycott weddings as a protest against inequality, and through Steven's column this boycott grows to include many of the gay florists, chefs, etc. But will their resolve remain when their own siblings decide to get married? (That's right, I just ended my summary with a question mark. Deal with it.)

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I liked Steven better than Adam. Adam is charming, but through most of the story I found him a bit heartless. He's so devoted to the cause, which is awesome, but I felt much more on the side of Steven, who was always torn, wanted to support his brother, and didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Maybe that just means I'm not a very good activist.

Even though I found Adam a bit overwhelming, this was an inspiring story of two men who start a movement. Whether or not their efforts would actually lead to laws being changed, such activism gives hope to everyone involved. The Marrying Kind is a humourous look at a totally unfunny issue in the US today, and while progress has been made since the book was written, it still couldn't be more timely.

I'm so glad I live in Canada where I can attend weddings (and get married myself!) guilt-free, because everyone has that same privilege.

4 stars.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

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