TEST
The Man on Top of the World is marketed by its publishers as General Fiction/Romance. I should add that it includes m/m, m/f, m/m/f, f/f and m/m/f/f sexual combinations. Considering the amount of sex in this novel, I’m just glad neither of the main characters had a dog. The book also includes what feels like a glorification of drug use, there is domestic abuse – and if cheating is a trigger for you – it is obviously not one for this author.
So, what is The Man on Top of the World about?
Izzy Rich is an English Glam Rock Star and Johnny Maxwell is the drummer in his backing band, The Diamonds. Johnny is openly bisexual and Izzy is reminiscent of David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust persona and enjoys dressing in drag for performances. I can see David Bowie’s ‘are they, aren’t they’ relationship with Mick Ronson being an inspiration. It would seem that Izzy is also bisexual although he doesn’t seem happy with that description and transvestite / gender fluid / bisexual might seem more appropriate.
The first paragraph seemed to promise an evocative rock and roll journey through England’s 1970s and indeed the first chapter, whilst positively awash in glitter, does evoke the hedonism of that era. Johnny and Izzy’s sexual shenanigans together lead to Izzy taking on a drag persona called Holly. A sexy transformation that was to last one day ends up being a liaison between Holly and Johnny for several weeks until Izzy stops being Holly, and they accept that they are in a same-sex relationship with at least one of them deeply in love.
They keep their partnership secret – something I didn’t quite understand the need for, considering what was going on around them, and what they got up to in public at parties. A tour to the States changes the status quo when a super –fan, Roxy, joins the party. This leads the three characters to a combination of marriage, overdoses and despair – the ending could loosely be called HFN.
There may be an interesting plot-line somewhere in this novel, but the writing, lack of research, editing and anachronisms ruined it for me.
First of all, the novel is set in England in the 1970s and yet the dialogue and narration are littered with words and phrases an English person would never say, especially in this decade, examples include–
Asshole
Sneakers and
The Fall
Neither would a wealthy young Englishwoman and mother say – “You always got stories to tell”…
At one point Johnny is looking through a window of the family mansion in the West End of London – good luck finding one of those. He can see Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden. This is simply not possible; did the author just copy a map of the London Underground?
A pivotal part of Vanessa Clark’s hedonistic 1970s world is the vast amounts of drugs consumed. The drugs of choice are Heroin, Cocaine and ECSTASY also known as MDMA. A brief look at Wikipedia would have informed the author this drug did not even exist until the late 80s/1990s.
These errors did pull me from the story but not nearly as strongly as the inaccurate juvenile writing. The sex scenes were so frequent I skimmed through them, especially when you get descriptive writing that includes –
He wanked me so feverishly that my eyes rolled to the back of my head…
And
Standing on his knees before the table, Izzy looked over his shoulder at me. I grinned, sitting on my knees beside him. With our tightly rolled piece of paper in hand, our noses raced from the beginning to the end…
When Izzy was squeaking ‘Yes sir!’ in submission or squeaking giddily, cackling, smiling goofily, snickering, …then he burst out in laughter –
Or
She faced her back to us…Seeing the two stand on all fours before Izzy’s cock.
Where was the editor?
Or when sexy dialogue at an orgy with two super models is
“You naughty devil!” Yasmin laughed when Izzy crept his hand up her dress.
“My secret’s out!” Izzy winked at Andrea, touching her knee…
Finally, just because it is a different decade throwing in pointless insults like
Eat each other out like mad bull dykes
– is still not right.
Seriously, everything that is wrong with this book could fill a book of its own, but I will spare you and leave it at that.
I mentioned the editing because the author writes four pages in the acknowledgments that includes the following –
Somehow a beautiful accident happened. I had a novel. I’m humbled that this is my first one. Two years was spent on me disciplining this project by myself. No beta readers. Nobody other than my own eyes oh so carefully and critically looking over the manuscript from its rough stages to its diamond promises. Constantly rereading, rewriting, re-plotting, and re-self-editing this book over and over again until everything was just right.
I really cannot recommend this novel.
Grade: F
Book Type: Contemporary Romance|Queer Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 13/09/16
Publication Date: 08/2016
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
I'm an English romantic, and an author who simply adores reading and writing books. I believe that all love has equal status, and all humans need and deserve romance. So, I am thrilled to be able to review LGBTQ+ novels for AAR and introduce more readers to some gorgeous LGBTQ+ romances and fascinating stories.
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And just as a handy-dandy, if anyone has questions or concerns about Bold Strokes Books, it’s best to get to know them first, before any more assumptions and conclusions are made about them and their editing methods, who their editors are, etc.: https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/the-bold-strokes-team
They’re kind folks, don’t be shy to contact: https://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/contact-us
As for me, I’m always open for a chat on my Twitter, @FoxxyGlamKitty, my blog (http://vceroticaglitterotica.blogspot.com/), my FB page (https://www.facebook.com/vcerotica), or just email me at vanessa.n.clark@gmail.com, if you want to get to know me too, to rant, vent, or better yet, talk about LGBT anything or, naturally, David Bowie!
Again, thanks everyone, much love and peace, xoxo.
Thank you everyone for commenting and taking the time to comment on my book. I understand all points that were made, and I understand all the frustrations. However, any assumptions about my emotions (from “fears” and such) of other people reading my work, is not called for. There’s no need to be mean, and it’s not necessary to be rude. My reasons for not having beta readers for my first novel is my prerogative as a writer. My editor and I and this publisher did our best to polish this book to how we saw fit for it. This book is fiction, and is only that, fiction, and should only be taken so seriously. For the love of fiction, peace and love to all, xoxo.
The book has a publisher however (Bold Strokes Books), so even if Ms Clark did not have any close friends to read it – (very possible in my mind as it appears to be something close to her heart and perhaps she feared critique or if not critique, exposure of her ‘deepest’ thoughts, even if through fiction) – the publisher should have done its job. They should have been that objective third party.
All writers do things differently. I’m a ridiculous, confusing exception to what is normally the rule, but I’m far from being the only writer who works this way. I don’t think it has to be so baffling, but again, we’re all different, to each their own :).
I hope Bold Strokes did an edit, but it could have done with a little more work in my opinion.
Yes, they did. Could more been done? Sure. Do I wish more could have been done? Oh yes, because I feel like a book is never truly finished, and a book can always be better, no matter how popular or praised it is, and regardless if it’s hated and ripped apart. Who knows, maybe there will be a 2nd edition, and if that does happen, I sure hope those improvements can be made.
And in case you are curious and wondering, Bold Strokes does edit ALL their books. Some books even have two editors. I can’t speak for all the books with them, but on average, most of them take 18 months, which is less than the average 24 months that a mainstream publisher does in editing a work before publication. Mine had one, and mine edited it brutally. He was the most thorough editor i’ve ever had. I’ve worked with 12 indie/traditional publishers so far, so that’s A LOT of editors, and he’s one of the best, contrary to how you or anyone may feel about the job that he/we did with this book. Maybe our best was not enough to some, but we tried, and we’re happy with it.
I’m kind of baffled by the lack of editor and/or beta readers. Did she even have close friends read it? (Genuine question.) I don’t know a single person who would bypass having someone else look at their work on SOME level, regardless of how this is published. Self-editing is fine, but it’s just one part.
I am likewise baffled.
I am baffled too! But bafflement isn’t always a bad thing. I just have too much guts for my own good. For my first book, with its tricky history, I won’t explain what I went through, this just isn’t the place to share it, but if people knew, they’d understand. I had to do this the way I did it. I wish more could have been done. I’m hoping more will be done if this book lives that long to see another edition, but for what this book is now, there’s nothing I can do, because it’s finished, there’s no going back now. I’m proud of it, but it doesn’t mean I think this is a golden book or that I have some Kanye West level of ego about it, and I completely understand why this book can be frustrating. I’m just loving and so appreciating that this book is making people talk, and I’m listening! xoxo
Question asked, I’m very happy to answer: no, but I did have a professional, award-winning editor work with me on this. I’m a ridiculous person, yes. For my first book, I wanted it to be just between a professional editor and me, for reasons that I will not share here. People can assume what they like, about my fears, ego, etc. in doing so, but I promise that no assumption rings true. My publisher had no problem with my book. They wanted it published for a reason, and we spent 18 months on it for a reason. This book won’t work for everyone and it’s so far from perfect, but it’s not supposed to nor was it meant to be. Some will love it, some will hate it, all is okay with me :).
Thank you for the reply. We lose some nuance on the internet so it probably came out snarkier than intended.
No problem. It did, but no harm done, and I hope you understand a little more about me and my publisher, that we aren’t as confusing and crazy as some might think we are. There’s a method to all kinds of madness, even ours, and mine ;).
For that view, perhaps there was secret levitation involved?
I hate when authors see involving others as a weakness. Professional writing should be collaborative!
As an American who lived in the U.K., I feel the same way about Americanisms, for the record. While I certainly heard a lot in daily speak during my teaching, it was because my students watched American television and were trying new words in their vocabulary. But the minute I’m reading something and a person raised on the British Isles refers to rubbish as ‘garbage’, or a petrol station as a ‘gas station’, I’m pulled right out of the story.
Vice versa, if a British author has an American order a “proper pint of Guinness” or pass a “lorry” instead of a truck, I’m also eye rolling and wishing someone would have Googled.
KND – totally agree and making sure of the accuracy of dialogue according to nationality and/or location is not that difficult and should be a priority. Guaranteed to pull me out of a story too.
Understandable that it pulled you out of the story, BJ, truly I understand. My only hope is that now that all the bad things about this book and all its flaws are out there now, if you give it another shot, you can see the positive things about it too, because there are positive stuff in this and every book, even in the books that really suck, or just suck to that reader. With every negative, there’s a positive, with positives, there has to be a negative somewhere ;).
A LOT of secret levitation my dear ;).
I had to laugh at, well pretty much everything, but especially the idea of that house in such an amazing location.
The Americanisms I see all the time drive me nuts. It’s not like it’s difficult to check these things. The latest addition to my list of bug-bears is someone going down a road “a ways”.
Just – no. And I’m with Sonya on the frequent incorrect use of ass. I’ve even pointed out in reviews that unless there is a donkey in bed with them, there’s no way the hero can slap the heroine’s ass. :P
Caz – *shiver* ‘ass’ and ‘lucked out’ are my bug-bears. I even heard an English announcer on TV say someone ‘lucked out’ ! We say someone was ‘in luck’ or ‘out of luck’ – ‘lucked out’ in America is a good thing and it confuses me every time LOL
Language can be SO ANNOYING! hehehe. But none of this is so harmful, it really is harmless. It is funny, when you really look at it. Language is hilarious and we humans can be so ridiculous when using it esp. when that language/colloquialism isn’t our own!
As an American, can I also just say that I like colloquial language from other countries in books. I have no desire for all literature to be Americanized and I too dislike this trend. It creates too much of a generic quality to writing and it takes away from the unique cultural attributes that writers outside the U.S. contribute.
This is what I find interesting, though: many people like yourself LOVE colloquial language, while I notice so many readers who can’t stand it, and rip the book and author apart for making the book colloquial and as authentic to culture as possible. It’s like authors can’t win, damned if we make it authentic/colloquial, damned if we don’t. Books and authors get panned for trying, and also panned for not trying. It’s frustrating for everyone all around, so you aren’t alone. But it’s up to us if we want to be overly negative and take it so personal, or just have a sense of humor about it, and let it go. The latter, that’s just me, but I’ve learned to just have a bit of a laugh about it, like how when I read books that take place in NYC, where the author clearly isn’t from NYC, and the author gives nicknames to places that don’t have nicknames. Why the nicknames? Or they have the characters talk in that typical NYC accent, when not everyone in NYC talks like that, NYC is more international than many people know. But again: yeah, it’s annoying, but I’ve learned that most authors, me included, do not mean harm or offense. It’s just naive and stupid at most, but hardly makes somebody such a terrible person, or the book itself such a bad book. As long as the intentions mean well.
I wish I could have used “arse!”
No wonder David Bowie was afraid of the Americans!
“He can see Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden.”
Hmm… Wish I’d lived at that address in my London days!
The use of “ass” for anything other than a donkey in books set outside North America might be my #1 pet hate. Some authors argue that Americanisms are turning up everywhere these days, but the thing is: we don’t PRONOUNCE it like that.
I would have loved an address like that too Sonya!
And YES! I agree maybe my #1 pet peeve also!
Oh, I wish so too!
Honestly, this address was my way of only trying to establish that the Maxwell family are rich. I know this address does not exist. It is such a minor detail of the story, I didn’t think that somebody would notice how ridiculous the address is, was hoping somebody in a review would mention it, and I’m glad y’all did! :)