The Complexities of Love

by M.A. Quigley, Alex Williams (Editor)

Overview

"Most Anticipated LGBTQ in Young Adult Literature." -Lambda Literary

"The reveal of Mark's family history is intriguing and messily realistic..." -Kirkus Reviews

WINNER OF THE "BOOK COVER OF THE MONTH AWARD" in September 2021

M.A. Quigley's critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Complexities of Love, tells the story of Mark navigating life as a closeted gay man in 1960s Australia. Always feeling that he was different, Mark did his best to fit in and follow what his family always wanted for him: a lovely Australian girl. But after meeting Dave in middle school, everything changed.

Mark no longer wanted to make his family happy by following what they had planned for him, he wanted to be with Dave instead. Growing the courage to tell Dave about his crush, they share a romantic kiss at sunset before getting interrupted by Mark's parents. Dave leaves, but not just for the night, he is sent to live hours away with his aunt, crushing Mark's fantasies of having the perfect boyfriend.

Ten years pass and Dave shows up again, but something feels different. Finding out the horrible things Dave's family made him go through after discovering that they were gay, Dave and Mark decide to rekindle their relationship.

With his own problems at home, and now with Dave returning after all these years, Mark must decide if the man he wanted years ago is worth risking everything for, or if he can indeed be happy with Dave and build a new life together.

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Mark Cooney grows up aware that there is something different about him and hopes that his parents will never find out. Mark's best friend Dave disappeared when he was thirteen and returned ten years later. Mark became more and more vulnerable as they got closer. It came with a price. Tormented by his inner demons and refusing to be controlled by anyone, Dave reveals a secret that he has kept since childhood, which leads to a terrible misunderstanding that will have grave consequences for Mark and his family. All Mark yearns for is for Dave to return his love, but will that happen, or will he find someone else?

The Complexities of Love is a coming-of-age story about Mark as he confronts the truth about his family and his identity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781777151836
Publisher:	5310 Publishing
Publication date:	08/24/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	250
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

M.A. Quigley was born and raised in Victoria, Australia. She has an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Melisa's work has been published in anthologies in America, Australia, India, and the Philippines. The Complexities of Love is her debut young adult fiction novel.
From Canada, Alex Williams the creative director and publicist at 5310 Publishing. Alex has edited numerous other works including Dirty Laundry: Not Everything is What it Seems, Honey Beaumont, Faithfully Addicted, and others. Alex Williams is an editor and creative director at 5310 Publishing. 5310 Publishing distributed to global and regional chain bookstores, independent retailers, online retailers, gift retailers, museum shops, and public and school libraries.
5310 Publishing publishes, services, and distributes books and ebooks worldwide. What once started as a dream soon became a reality - we are proud to give a chance to all writers and storytellers to tell their story, share their cultures, and bring their imagination to life. 5310 Publishing is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. We are a family-owned business dedicated and committed to helping our authors get their books published and to discover new and original ways of promoting their stories and views in front of an audience. By staying ahead of the competition, embracing new technologies, and collaborating with authors at almost every stage of the publishing process - editing, design, sales, promoting, marketing, production, and distribution- we do our best to promote and sell our books around the globe. We are committed to helping the world as well as local communities. We want to develop a more welcoming, diverse, and tolerant world by bringing original and impactful stories to audiences worldwide. 5310 Publishing is home to original and skilled authors who want to cause a positive impact. We publish stories that readers can relate to. We help writers who want to help, encourage, and heal others. Always looking for people who want to transform society and their community, 5310 believes that innovation starts with us, and only we have the capability to build a better future. Go to 5310publishing.com to learn more about us. Follow us @5310publishing on Twitter and Instagram.

Editorial Reviews

"The discussions of family bonds, complex sibling relationships, finding a place to belong, and the reveal of Mark's family history are intriguing and messily realistic." - Kirkus Reviews

"Heartbreaking... I found myself rooting for Mark to accept himself... and ultimately find true love. - such a profound novel." - Mario Dell'Olio, author of New Men: Bonds of Brotherhood.

From the Publisher

2021-06-16
An Australian teen learns about life, hidden love, and family secrets.

It’s 1966, and Mark knows he’s different from the other boys, hiding his attraction for his best friend, Dave, by spending time with his friend Laura. Mark’s already low self-esteem, self-doubt, and guilt are exacerbated by bullying at school and abuse at home. Despite his growing closeness with Laura, Mark’s feelings for Dave continue after a series of hopeful, clandestine interactions. Then, Dave disappears; 10 years later, he returns, and when Mark tries to discover the truth behind his absence, upsetting family secrets come to light. While Mark’s interest in cooking, future dreams of living openly as a gay man, and desire to make a living as a chef add elements of lightness and hope, the pervasive themes of abuse, xenophobia, and homophobia create an unrelentingly dark atmosphere. The characters deal with trauma, mental illness, and addiction throughout the story. The dry, slightly dated, and emotionally distanced writing style, along with disjointed time-skips, make it difficult to follow the plot and connect with the characters. However, the discussions of family bonds, complex sibling relationships, finding a place to belong, and the reveal of Mark’s family history are intriguing and messily realistic, if a tad overly dramatic. Characters are implied White.

A bleak tale of self-discovery. (Fiction. 16-adult)

Kirkus Reviews