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7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Insightful Look At The Shades of Gray Jun 25, 2009
By TheBookZombie
The thoughts that ran through my head before beginning this book were all over the place. Here I am a mother to two teenage boys, and I am about to read the memoir of a man whose been convicted of crimes against male children. I thought perhaps I may be angry, or disapproving or even disgusted, but I never expected to feel proud of this author for having the strength and courage to tell his story. But I did. Does that make me a bad person? No, I don't think so. And I also don't think that James Cornelio is a bad person either. Regardless of what he was accused, convicted or guilty of. Reading this memoir gave me the view from the other side, having read a few stories of survivors of abuse, Two To Six: A Sex Offender's Story was the first I'd read from the perspective of the accused. And it changed how I think of convicted sexual offenders, it made me realize that behind that title there is indeed a person, and a story.
James Cornelio's story seems a simple one, but becomes complex as more details become apparent. A respected, successful lawyer with a loving family and a close circle of friends and acquaintances. But he seemed to be leading a dual existence, bringing home young male prostitutes was his secret pleasure. Prostitution is something that goes back to the beginning of time, and happens in every culture. Whether trading sexual services for money, goods or social stature, it is something that has been going on for ages and is likely to continue, regardless of laws. My views on prostitution are probably more lax than the average person, I don't support it, but I also don't rally against it. Women, men and children being forced into prostitution is wrong. But there are those out there who decide to do it, whether for the quick cash or enjoyment of it. And not all of these people are able to live in places that allow it, or to find a safe house to work out of. So they end up on the streets hustling for money. And so James was a regular customer in certain areas where young men were offering their services. The young men were willing to sell something that Mr. Cornelio wanted. A business exchange, although not the type most people think is appropriate. But what can you do?
Making the situation a little more complex is that, just like everyone, James Cornelio had a certain type of person he was attracted to. He preferred younger men. However he stresses throughout his book that this does not include children or pre-pubescent boys. He likes young men. Which to me isn't all that strange, considering that everywhere one looks we are bombarded by the sexual embodiment of the young, the beautiful, the strong. Billboards, commercials, movies, music, television, even video games - they all seem to be saying that youth equals sexy. But regardless of what society and the media tell us we want, we all have a responsibility to behave in a morally and socially acceptable way. We need to take charge of our desires and control them with responsibility and thought. We cannot allow our passions to take over and cloud out judgments.
A loss of control is what I believe led Mr. Cornelio to find himself facing charges that would change his life forever. I think he got so caught up in the pleasures of his life that he was unable to clearly see what was happening to him. Or perhaps his subconscious mind didn't allow him to fully comprehend the dangerous terrain he was entering. The sexual desire for young people just coming into man (or woman) hood is a trait known as Hebephilia. It seems to be a tricky thing to define however, since all people mature differently. So a young man of twenty could very well be mistaken for fourteen and vice versa. But this is still no excuse for having sexual contact with a minor. This is where responsible behavior comes in. If Mr. Cornelio was going to consort with male prostitutes who appealed to his taste, he should have been more careful. Granted he was already breaking the law, but why not be that much safer and comfort yourself with the knowledge that the person consenting to the transaction was legally able to consent? Perhaps this could have saved James from falling into the legal, personal and spiritual disaster he found himself in.
Such is life though, what happens in the past cannot be changed. All we can hope for is to learn from our mistakes, to grow stronger with the pain of regrets and to try to live a better life, become a better person. After reading Two To Six and seeing what James went through, I do believe that he has done all that. At the beginning of the story he vehemently denies being a sexual offender, but bit by bit he comes to see that what he did was wrong, his control was gone and he needed to find a new way to live. I talk a lot about enjoying fiction that displays character development and personal growth, and this work of non-fiction has some of the most powerful insights into these things that I've ever seen. I truly believe that this author has laid himself open mind and soul, in order to help people understand that just because someone has done wrong in the past, it does not mean they are evil, inhuman and bound to continue doing wrong. Yes, there are those who will never learn from their mistakes, who are damaged beyond repair, who will continue to re-offend at every instance. But there are also those who can change, who realize only too late that they may be going too far. James Cornelio will forever be known as a sex offender, but that doesn't mean he will always be one. I believe that with his supportive, loving family, his faith and his spiritual and personal rebirth, Mr. Cornelio is a new person.
Two To Six is a wonderfully presented memoir, the author has written this in a way that feels he is personally relating his story to you. It does not come across as a defense of his actions nor as an apology for his crimes. It is straight-forward, honest and informative. It's also a tale of one man's spiritual journey, complete with stumbles, wrong-turns and despair. While I don't condone Mr. Cornelios' past behaviors I do recommend this book for it's ability to give a different perspective on a situation. With the National databases of sexual offenders available to the public in the USA (often with incorrect information) many people have become targets of violence. But just as you cannot say all Republicans, all country singers, all giraffes are the same - you also cannot say all sexual offenders are the same. Each has varying details to consider. Before, if you had asked me if I would allow a convicted sexual offender into my home, to sit at my table, to eat dinner with my family - I would have said Hell No! But now I've come to see that we cannot allow all-encompassing titles and past actions to overpower our judgments. Everything is not black and white - and to ignore the gray will only show the desire for ignorance.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
A Cautionary Tale Jun 18, 2009
By Karen Silk
Now and again a memoir is written that instructs in a profound, life affirming fashion. I found TWO TO SIX, written by James Cornelio, to be such a memoir. It takes the reader on a literary ride of great velocity.
The author's story is all the more compelling because of his background. He was raised a Roman Catholic, attended a Jesuit high school, attended Cornell as an undergraduate, and studied law at Fordham where he was a member of the Law Review. He went on to become a partner at a prestigious law firm in Manhattan where he practiced for over twenty years. In addition to having been a successful lawyer,
Mr. Cornelio is now clearly a talented writer who has looked into his mind and soul with stark honesty. Once I started reading the book I could not put it down and when I did,I was haunted by the story of one man's horrible loss.
The bones of the story are basically this. The author was arrested for soliciting a minor for sex, a male prostitute working the streets of Greenwich Village. His subsequent journey through the labyrinth of the New York State criminal justice system is a chilling sojourn by any standard. Through all of this he was represented by a highly skilled attorney who believed the author would never do time. In the end ... well, read it to find out.
It is the inner workings of the author's mind, his heart, his inner dialogue that keeps the reader keenly interested. Whether or not he ends up going to prison is almost beside the point as the story really engages because of the vivid description of the unfolding events and how the author is changed by the entire experience, how he is transformed and at what cost.
This is a cautionary tale beautifully told without pity.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Two to Six Dec 23, 2009
By LAN
"Loves to Read"
I would have never read the book based just on the title. As a mother of two I was uncertain as to what this "sex offenders" story would be. Hard to believe that something like that could happen to a successful, well-respected, professional. However, his story is certainly worth sharing. I thought the author's story was well told, sharing the reality of his experience as his case is worked through the system and the impact the event had on his life. It was great to see that in the end the life changing expereince had a positive impact.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Two To Six Dec 17, 2009
By S. Vaille
Two To Six is a wonderfully presented memoir, the author has written this in a way that feels he is personally relating his story to you. He is not defending his actions nor is he apologizing for his crimes. He is straight forward, honest and informative.
It is the inner workings of the author's mind and heart. The book keeps the reader interested. It doesn't make any difference if he ends up going to prison. The point is that the story really engages you because of the vivid description of the unfolding events. How the author is changed by the entire experience. How he is transformed and at what cost
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
The other side of Law & Order:SVU Jun 10, 2009
By Chauceriangirl
Have you ever watched shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit? Sure you have. I think almost everyone's seen it at least once. The way the police and the DA's office work to bring sexual predators to justice are fascinating, even as they're doctored up beyond all recognition for the audience. But have you ever wondered what's it like for the person on the other end? The criminal?
Now you can find out.
James P. Cornelio has written his story in Two to Six: a Sex Offender's Story. Before I received a review copy, I was wondering just how frank and open he would be.
I'm not wondering anymore. Cornelio seems to be very frank in his descriptions of the events that occured immediately prior to his arrest and thereafter. He makes many protestations that he is not a pedophile, and I believe him. However, his lyrical descriptions of young men too young to be called men have convinced me that he is a hebephiliac. I'm not quite sure, though, whether he understands that, understands the distinction between consensual sex between adults and consensual sex between adults and teenagers.
As I read through the book--and it is a well written story that grasps the reader's attention at the very start--I kept feeling that Cornelio was holding something back. There was something he wasn't telling me, the reader, and it detracted from the story. It's hard to trust a writer who doesn't trust the reader, or worse, who doesn't trust himself.
I kept reading about the tape, the tape, the tape that was the basis for his arrest, the tape that his attorney kept refusing to review. What was on that tape? The back cover of the book promises that the reader can go to Cornelio's website and see the actual documents, hear the police audio. I actually find that a sickening thought. And once I learned what was on that tape, right along with Cornelio, I knew why he had been holding back from telling the whole truth. Whether it is because, as he says, he had two experiences with young teenagers on the same weekend, and they blurred together until it seemed to him there was only one, or if it is because he wanted to make his argument throughout the book, like a good defense attorney would, and then spring the truth on the reader, I do not know.
One must not forget that Cornelio was an attorney. He writes like an attorney, thinks like an attorney, and filters this story through the experiences of an attorney. My opinion was that he is as honest in the telling as someone with an attorney's mind can be.
I don't know Cornelio beyond what he's chosen to reveal in the pages of this book, and I cannot judge him. But whether he is guilty or innocent of the charges that were leveled against him, the terror and uncertainty haunted him throughout this journey. One can hope that he is wiser now, more compassionate towards those that would normally be his prey, and be a source of inspiration to others facing the same trials.
We laugh when we hear the preacher's wife on The Simpsons asking, "Won't somebody think of the children?" But after reading this story, you will hear yourself asking the same question, because a boy of 14 years is still a boy and should be protected from any who would prey upon his youth.
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