Benjamin Law is not the most technically gifted writer going around, but he has a very finely honed sense of humour that makes his books very readable. What makes them especially so for me is that they are written with such an authentic voice. Law doesn't pretend to be anything he's not, and as I am also a gay man from South East Queensland, I can relate to not just what he talks about but his vernacular and his sense of humour.

The weakness of the book is that he is too aware of his limitations as a writer and so doesn't tackle serious personal themes that might elevate his work to the next level. The best writers in this genre ([a:Augusten Burroughs|3058|Augusten Burroughs|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1337222509p2/3058.jpg], [a:David Sedaris|2849|David Sedaris|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1213737698p2/2849.jpg], [a:David Rakoff|3870005|Rakoff|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-251a730d696018971ef4a443cdeaae05.jpg]) reveal a vulnerability at the same time as they amuse and entertain. Maybe that book is still to come in his career, and I'll keep reading with enjoyment until it does. ( )

This is a sad sojourn through some countries of Asia and being LGBTI in them. Law tries to lighten the mood with his observations of various people's outfits and mannerisms but when he writes of "full blown AIDS" his own ignorance of the serious matters he touches reveals itself. ( )

A series of vignettes and snapshots, rather superficial, not an in-depth exploration of an important topic. Maybe my expectations of this were too heavy. ( )