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10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 We Are Family: Broadening the Parameters Aug 08, 2008
By Grady Harp
It is refreshing to come upon a new writer who is skilled at telling stories free of pretenses, and able to utilize the spectrum of language to incorporate both eloquent narrative and spicy colloquialisms. And these are only some of the gifts Christopher Beckwith brings to his debut novel WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?, a significant tale of pan sexuality in the African American community and the overriding importance of both genetic and extended family in coping with variations from the 'normal' modes of living.
Ron Davis is a successful architect in an Atlanta based company: he loves his work, enjoys his co-workers and appears to have it all in place, with the exception of a significant other. Ron is surrounded by devoted friends, especially his best friend Randy who is a campy party person always encouraging Ron to find the right partner. Ron is closeted at work and when his boss sends him to Houston to critique and assist a housing project, Ron is tense as he is traveling with his very straight partner Steve. Once in Houston (and quite out of the blue) Ron meets Sam, a partner in the firm he has been sent to advise, and the two men find a surprising and richly fulfilling relationship: Steve likewise pairs off with a beautiful partner and through an accidental meeting, Steve discovers Ron's sexual proclivity and, to Ron's surprise, is completely accepting of the 'new Ron'. The stay in Houston is meaningful but short, and when Ron returns to Atlanta he discovers a tragedy that crumbles his world. The remainder of the novel deals with how Ron works through his loss and how his own family as well as the families of his friends and acquaintances not only accept Ron's sexuality, but how they all are support systems far beyond what the previously paranoid Ron could imagine. It is a coming out story rich in details and told with a surety of prose that makes this novel eminently readable.
Christopher Beckwith writes so well that his use of vernacular phrases and conversational language of the African American community highlight his book rather than control it. Too often authors attempt to tell an entire story in an idiosyncratic lingo that at times demands a translation footnote! Not so with Beckwith: the verbal interchanges of his characters add flavor while allowing the novel's flow to be uninterrupted for those who may not be familiar with such terms and phrases. Beckwith has a gift for describing sexual encounters (both gay and straight) with highly charged eroticism while never crossing the line into the seamy territory. His physical encounters described so well are about passion and love and his ability to fill his book with such language without alienating any reader is amazing.
Beckwith develops is characters extremely well, so well that they become part of our own reading family as the novel develops. There are no loose strings and no matters left unattended. If the novel relies a bit heavily on spiritual matters (how many times is it necessary to hear the prayers before eating?), then Beckwith sews these threads into the flavor of his community with the respect that such spiritualism holds. It is a bit troublesome that the editor of the book found it necessary to place a disclaimer about the model whose presence on the beautifully designed cover of the book sets just the right mood for the story inside: 'The sexual orientation and/or preferences referenced in this work do not constitute those of the model'. Perhaps with more understanding books such as this one by Christopher Beckwith such homophobic actions will dissolve. This is very fine writing from a very fine new author. Recommended reading for many reasons. Grady Harp, August 08
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Engaging Romance Jul 17, 2008
By Russell J. Sanders
Christopher Beckwith's novel What's In It For Me? is a romance...not a swashbuckling bodice ripper, but a romance, nevertheless. What sets it apart is its target audience: urban African-American gay men. That is not to say that others won't enjoy the book, but it definitely has its core audience in mind throughout.
The story is a quick read. It's the kind of book that you take to the beach or read on an airplane or, better yet, snuggle up with in a big rocking chair on a rainy day. Its protagonist Ron finds love, forms new friendships, and faces a tragedy with charm, resilience, and determination.
Ron lives in a contemporary Atlanta (and visits a contemporary Houston) where lasting relationships--both sexual and platonic--form swiftly, homophobia barely exists, and racism never lifts its ugly head. Every man wants to sleep with Ron, but he is true to the man he instantly falls in love with early in the book; new friends virtually fall into his lap; parents, almost without question or teeth gnashing, accept their children's homosexuality; and even the tragedy that is central to the plot is faced with few tears spilled because everyone surrounding Ron is so supportive. It's a world that you want to slip into, to relish, on a rainy day, or a lazy day, or a long, boring flight. The book is just so darn pleasant. You can't help but like these people, even if you sense that things are happening just a little too easily for them.
As for the writing, it is competent. It flows and is easy to follow. There are quirks that Beckwith has, however. Since at least the late nineteenth century, authors on a mission have tried to re-invent punctuation. George Bernard Shaw and Cormac McCarthy come to mind. Shaw had no use whatever for the apostrophe. Apparently, Beckwith has no use for commas. His sentences have almost none in them. This is disconcerting at times, forcing the reader to read a sentence twice when the first reading is discovered to be an incorrect interpretation. All too often, commas are missing after introductory clauses, in series of items, or before nouns of address. The reader's brain gets a workout, deciphering meaning, when the author could have made it so clear just with a few simple commas.
And Beckwith also has a quirky way of formatting dialogue. Instead of the accepted rule of "each time a new speaker speaks, start a new paragraph," Beckwith lumps several speeches together in one paragraph, leaving the reader to sort out who is speaking. Sometimes it's easy to figure out, other times you tag part of a speech to one character, then suddenly realize it belongs to the other character in the conversation.
Beckwith's editor was evidently asleep at the wheel here. The writer should have been counseled that a new author writing a simple story probably doesn't need to reinvent the English language. But said editor not only did no counseling, apparently proofreading was done by running the manuscript through spell check. A word like PARENT'S would rush right past spell check, with the computer thinking it was singular possessive when Beckwith wanted the plural PARENTS. All too many plural nouns fall prey to this. But then again, that spell check program may not have been used because there is no such spelling as ALRIGHT, which crops up constantly in the novel. Please, editor! The word is ALL RIGHT, two words, two L's.
But these are just nitpicking criticisms from an old English teacher. The book flows, and the reading is not hampered too much by these annoyances. I just find it a shame that new authors fall prey to editors who rush to print when a competent proofreading of a manuscript would uncover so many easily fixed problems.
That being said, What's In It For Me? is a pleasant book and a worthwhile read. For those so inclined, the sex scenes are steamy enough to arouse, and the characters are engaging enough to hold your interest throughout its swiftly read 414 pages. I can't, for the life of me, figure out what the title means, but I challenge readers to discover for themselves. That's the joy of a new book and new author: a chance to explore.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Not a good read. Jan 22, 2010
By Ja'i
This book is too long and the attention to detail is too specific. I read a great deal of books tailored towards an African American Gay audience and this book missed the mark. I think too many chapters were included that were irrelevant. I am not sure if this is the author's first book but if so, there is definitely room for improvement.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 left something to be desired Dec 26, 2009
By Greg
"GEE"
As for me, "What's in it for me" left something to be desired. This was a very long and wordy story that could have been told in just a few pages. The main character, Ron, was a bit too "perfect" and his romance with Sam was just not the real world as I see it. Furthermore, there were too many unbelievable coincidences in the story as a whole. If you like fairy tales, then this is the book for you. I personally prefer a little more drama and a little more dirt with real people living in the real world. I don't think I'll be reading any more of Christopher's books.
Great read! May 09, 2009
By Bruh Luvr
"Bruh"
Cool book, and a great read. Erotic, Humorous, Suspenseful,
and even Heartbreaking, at times. A fairly thick book, yet
its a quick read, because of the characters and how you are
drawn into their world. I'm a SGL MOC, and could relate to
many things that the protaganist and his friends dealt with,
but you need not be gay/bi to enjoy this book, you only need
to enjoy a great story being told.
See all 11 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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