Cross-posted from Papyrus Independent Author Reviews. (http://papyrus.calebblake.net/2012/11/13/clays-way-by-blair-mastbaum/)Growing up on Hawaii's Oahu island, Sam uses his appearance as a rebellion against who he's expected to be. But he has deeper differences irreconcilable with the community in which he lives. And then there's Clay...Clay's Way is a gay coming-of-age tale focusing on a rebellious sixteen year-old skater who is dealing not just with growing up gay in a predominately straight community, but also with a growing infatuation for an eighteen year-old surfer named Clay. Gay coming-of-age tales can be like a drug for me. They take me back in time to the confusion of growing up: the obsessions, the small romances and the internal struggle to fit in where you're not really wanted. It's quite often so easy for me to relate that the story comes alive. This novel was no exception even though the setting was quite different from my own adolescence, and even though Sam is a very different person to who I was when growing up. I felt an immediate affinity with Sam that was both the joy and pain of reading this story.After Clay and Sam become friends the reader begins to realise that Sam's infatuation with Clay is not necessarily one-sided. And this is where the author starts toying with the reader. There are some pretty big obstacles for these adolescents to overcome before they can find happiness together. Sam is the inexperienced and somewhat imbalanced younger party and lacks the confidence to be himself or even understand himself. His longing for Clay makes him reckless and stupid but very rarely assertive. Clay lives in complete denial. As the two get closer, he completely shuts off the meaning of their interactions and when their fledgling relationship becomes physical he is unable to integrate the experience emotionally. Given Sam's obsession, such denial was bound to lead to a crisis - and it does.There is a point on a camping trip the boys take to the island of Kauai when the reader thinks that maybe Sam and Clay have reached a point at which they can stop ricocheting off each other and start taking some kind of journey together. However, they are merely in the eye of the storm. Sam's unstable obsession can't handle happiness with any kind of compromise and Clay only needs one set-back to retreat into his self-protective denial. The book ends with a sucker punch to the reader all the more brutal because the portrayal of the characters is so honest and the ending seemingly inevitable, like a Shakespearean tragedy.So after all of this, what do I think? Well, I discovered that this novel won the award for debut gay fiction in the 17th annual Lambda Literary Awards in 2004, a set of awards for LGBT fiction. From a story and characterisation point of view I would say that such an award would be well-deserved. However, here's my issue. This story had too many copy-editing problems. They seemed to get worse in the second half of the book. They didn't end up spoiling my enjoyment of the story because I was so swept up in the edification and destruction of Sam that I started to gloss over errors as I was reading. But how would such errors not disqualify this novel from receiving a literary award? It baffles me and, to be honest, it annoys me.In the end, I need to cut back a little on my enthusiasm when it comes to scoring this work which is a wretched shame given that it had such an impact on me. To me, it was a 4.5 star story with a 2.5 star editing job. So what's left is an average that's almost as painful as the story itself.
This terrific debut novel turns the typical teenage coming out story on its ear by portraying its sixteen year old narrator, Sam, as completely self-loathing in every respect except with regard to his sexuality (which he treats with extreme matter-of-factness). In many ways he is the typical rebellious teen, he hates his folks, his life, his appearance & is forever trying on different looks and identities in an awkward effort to express his individuality, but as the book follows his faltering romance and subsequent obsession with Clay, a hip and attractive local surfer, Sam turns into something more sinister. He goes beyond garden-variety teen stalking and, in a sense, actually attempts to become his lover. Clay is Sam's polar opposite in every way - he is completely comfortable in his own skin except for his inablity to acknowledge his homosexuality. Mastbaum has beautifully captured his teen narrator's voice; Sam is a fully realized, authentic character. Although you may find yourself cringing in places, it is difficult not to sympathize with him, even as he strays dangerously into Travis Bickle/Rupert Pupkin territory. I read this book in one day with very few breaks. On the one hand this is a testament to how quickly the writing engaged me but on the other, it also gave rise to my only complaint. Reading Sam's insistent, almost relentless, and highly emotive ranting in such concentration was a lot like taking a long train ride with a hopped up, loquacious youngster - completely exhausting. Still, very original and full of life. Recommended for the younger set.
Do You like book Clay's Way (2004)?
It is a unique setting to encounter ordinary teen age surfers that they start to intertwined with each otherwith out a base for it but just a nature impulse to touch their unknown feelings.Not a contrived argument or blue prints of their situation. Their curiosity was obvious and you get to relate to these at some levels. There are some harsh part in this books, but not a surprise when it comes from teens' own limited thinking and obscure dilemmas.This book is odd and some parts just cold. The insecure teen angst and their way to deal with every day issues is being balanced by a beautiful background of the amazing Hawaiian islands which makes the reader to feel refresh with nature peaceful ways.Very short and simple reading that would help teenagers deal with phases in life that they are looking at like the biggest and most confused turmoil events in those time periods. Keeping all those insecure sentiments boiling inside like naive desires that they don't seem to have an answer for.
—Holyfool
Clay's Way reads like a really long and bad haiku. Or a really long and bad acid trip. Or an overambitious and pretentious coming of age story about the contemporary gay teenager. Sam and Clay are the loser kid and the cool kid, respectively. But they are two versions of the same persona. They're both gay, they both need to behave in a certain way. They are both struggling and they are both tragic figures. That much is obvious.But even though the premise was interesting, and the endeavour challenging, it was so badly executed everything kept falling flat. The characterization was shallow and I disliked both Sam and Clay. The adults were portrayed either as indifferent, greedy money chasers in pantsuits or as irresponsible, pseudo-spiritual potheads in muumuus. To be blatantly honest, the whole thing felt like it was written by a spiteful, self-loathing, lonely ten-year-old who would grow up only to become a serial killer.One of my worst reading experiences. Ever.
—Lenore
Set on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, fifteen coming on sixteen year old skate boarding punk Sam, (punk to the extent that he likes dyeing his hair exotic colours), a compulsive haiku writer, becomes infatuated with the handsome eighteen year old surf boy Clay Anderson, whom he meets in the local skate board shop. Much to his surprise his feelings are reciprocated, and he and Clay begin enjoying each others company. However the relationship that ensues, while having its tender and fulfilling moments, rather than following the smooth course of love becomes a tempestuous and uncertain affair.The story follows the path of their relationship and time together, which includes an eventful and traumatic camping trip to the island of Kauai, and reveals how they each cope with the difficulties that result from of their association.This is a very moving and insightful story which while following the two lovers also conveys something of the feel of the tropical isle on which they live with its sudden and tempestuous storms. I did at times want to shout at Sam to refrain from being so possessive and stop acting like a drama queen, but that is only a minor criticism, overall I found it a very rewarding book.t
—Benjamin
