A-Z Challenge Review: Visible Friend by KZ Snow

Why I bought the book: It's a KZ Snow book. How can I NOT buy it?!

Plot: Chris has just finished some time in rehab for a heroin addiction.  On his last night in the centre he finds a strange man in his room, Denny,  who seems to know Chris but vanishes mysteriously when Chris calls for help.  Putting it down to emotional nerves, Chris tries to move on with his life. It's not easy for him to face up to the reality of a lonely existence when even contacting old friends runs the risk of him sliding back into his addiction.  The reappearance of Denny brings both comfort and confusion to Chris as he tries to come to terms with who Denny is.

Whilst I found the plot to be arresting, meaning that I read this novella nearly in one sitting, the time-line jumps around a bit with a basic linear pattern which then moves back in time occasionally to flashbacks of when Chris and Denny were close. The flashbacks didn't work so well for me, as I found that they jarred a little with the smoother present day plot, and I was glad they they were relatively short. Just occasionally the characters would remember flashes of conversation and this worked better for me as it was more integrated into the linear storyline.

Characters: The story is divided up between the characters of Chris, who has a third person narrative, and Denny, who has a first person narrative. This is something that has been done before by this author and I found it was an interesting and successful way of showing character.  I think as a reader we need to see Denny's thoughts in able to understand who he is and what happens to him when he's not with Chris - although I have to admit, I found the explanation of that little vague and unsatisfying.  What did work though was Denny's utter loyalty to Chris and his unconditional love for him.  I thought the way that this came across strongly in Denny's thoughts, through his genuine care and concern for Chris, was effectively shown.

It's a brave move on the part of the author to have a main character who is an ex-heroin addict, especially as Chris makes no excuses for his past addiction. It just was, it happened and now he's clean and looking to move on.  I really liked this attitude in Chris, just as I liked that we really get to know why he loved the drug so much as well as seeing all the negatives about the addiction.  The story wasn't preachy and nor did it condemn. In fact it gave a very balanced portrayal of drug taking.  This made me like Chris a great deal, especially in the way that he has to cope every day with the reactions of others to the marks on his arms and his history.  More than that though I'm a sucker for a guy with nothing to lose but who has an inner strength to keep going. I found this in Chris.  His loneliness is intense, and he's tempted to return to the comfort of heroin, but he stays strong and focused.  I found that I was cheering him on in the book, wanting him to succeed and achieve the happiness he deserves.

Overall: I really enjoyed reading this novella, but I was left feeling vaguely cheated out of a plausible ending.  All of a sudden Denny is just available to Chris - like magic - and it was just too convenient. I'm not sure how the ending could have been any different and still had a HEA, and I was happy that Chris and Denny could be together as a normal couple, but it was a bit of a niggle at the end for me as a reader.

Having said that, this was still a great read with a very unusual theme - both the recovery from a heroin addiction and the nature of Denny and Chris' relationship.  As with all KZ Snow books the writing is excellent with a strong sense of character and emotion.  If you're looking for a story with a rewarding romance but which isn't afraid to face up the reality of life, then this would be the books for you.  Grade: Very Good.

Buy this book HERE.