Buy The Survival Methods and Mating Rituals of Men and Marine Mammals

The Survival Methods and Mating Rituals of Men and Marine Mammals

Kensington Books / Year: 2012

Book Trade Paperback

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Synopsis

There are times in life when you suddenly begin to rethink your choices. For children’s book author Davis Garner, such a moment comes when he finds himself hiding in a pile of dirty laundry, trying to avoid his landlord.

Desperate times lead to desperate measures, and so Davis signs on to be a technical writer on a research vessel in Antarctica. What Davis knows about marine technology would comfortably fit in a tweet, but he soon realizes that no one around him is quite who they seem—including Maureen, an ice-cold network administrator partial to hacking others’ emails; a lovelorn vessel technician known by the acronym Worm; and Artaud, a charismatic scientist with dubious motives. In between waves of seasickness and self-doubt, Davis finds creative inspiration and an unlikely passion for his new job. And something more unexpected still…the willingness to fight for the principles he believes in and the life he still loves.

3 Reasons To buy this book

“The great leap to more substantial literary terrain feels but a book or two away for this talented author.” —Publishers Weekly on Uncle Max
This book sounds like Chris Kenry is taking the route Bob Smith has taken and is using comedy to explore the psyche.
I'm intrigued and definitely placing my order - I've loved all of Kenry's books and this one sounds like the best yet.

Review

A real departure for author Chris Kenry, I found this novel to be engaging and a completely addictive read. Expecting gay fluff, what I got was a novel that started a little slowly (give it room guys) and then when it got up to full steam it turned into an environmental mystery novel. Each of the characters turned out to not be who you thought they were and the book twisted just enough to make it interesting, but not confusing. The science was a bit unintelligible at times, but that’s what Wikipedia is for.

Davis is a children’s book author whose career is floundering – in fact so much so that he’s penniless and been evicted. He’s just been given an HIV+ diagnosis and he has no health insurance. He drinks too much and doesn’t eat well either. When he lands on his friend Jake’s doorstep Jake finagles him a job as a technical writer on a scientific boat in Antarctica. What does Davis know about science, Antarctica or technical writing? Absolutely nothing. On his journey Davis meets Artaud, a suave handsome scientist who’s a hit with all the young girls. But it’s the ice princess Maureen who has her hooks into him. And Maureen has her eye on Davis, just why is he is on this boat? Davis finds an ally in Worm, a hippie scientist. Davis is asked to photograph a seismic exploration of Artaud’s and things go south from there. Nothing is as it originally seems in Chris Kenry’s terrific novel. And btw, Davis is a gay character, he flirts and his running interior dialogue is most certainly gay. But being gay is not the central focus of this story – it’s just part of the fabric of the book – like it is of our lives.

-- Scott Cranin