When I bought this ebook earlier this night, I didn't either look at the lenght, it was by D.J. Manly, an author I like very much, and he is in my to buy list automatically. But well, when I set down to read it and open the file... 400 pages and more!!! it's one of my nightmare, begin a book so long by night knowing that it will sure in two ways: or I like it and after 200 pages or less I will need to close it to sleep and I will finish the book the day after, or I love it and I will finish sleepy but happy in the little hours of night... Well know it's 1.30 in the night and I just spent the last 150 pages crying! Do you know that slowly but continuous crying that you neither bother to dry, since two seconds later you are up again in the same situation? When you have a lump in the throat and you need to blow your nose but you are too taken by the story to have the time to find a Kleenex? When I find a book like this, I don't know if blame the author or what.

Marshall is an abused child. At twelve years old he ran away from the foster house where they put him when his mother was interned for trying to kill him, and obviously the only chance he had was to be a whore. Actually he even found a "decent" pimp, a man that, when not selling him for money, took care of him, giving him an house, food and dresses. But before his 18 years, the man died and Marshall was sent in a correctional home, a place where he was supposed to complete his education and build a life. Instead he remained involved with Hal, who again whored him, but in a far worst way than before: he used Marshall to blackmailed closeted gay men. Finally Hal plans the big deal: Angelo is a rather young and wealthy man who lives in an isolated coffee plantation in Brazil. Hal wants for Marshall to seduce Angelo, to convince the man to draw a will in his favour and then to kill him. At first Marshall doesn't realize exactly what Hal is asking, and then Angelo is one more man to foul. But Angelo is kind and gentle and he really loves Marshall, so much that even Marshall starts to love him back. But the boy is too much involved with Hal and he seems to not see a way out of the situation.

All the book, yes all the 400 pages, is about Marshall; about his life before, during and after Angelo, about his journey to become a man. Ab absurdo, the tale of how Marshall will lose his innocence: yes since, even if he was a teen whore, and he made a lot of nasty things, till the main event of this story, Marshall was still a young boy, even naivee sometime. With the right care and proper psychological help, he would had a chance; and instead he met Hal, and he started his fall to Hell. And Angelo has the very right name, since he is the Angel who tries to help him, he is the man who holds out an hand to Marshall, who tries to show him another world, a world where he can be safe and happy. But Marshall needs to fall deeply and badly to understand that.

Even if Angelo is the victim, my tears are all for Marshall. Not that I don't like Angelo, he did very good thing and till the end he proves to be a very honest and full-hearted man, but well he is like an icon, the icon of love for Marshall, and instead Marshall is flesh and blood.

Really, I think D.J. Manly is becoming better every books he writes. This one is a real treasure.