Mesmerized, a young adult novel by award-winning author David-Matthew Barnes, tells the story of 17-year-old Serena Albright who is searching for comfort for the grief and guilt she feels over the brutal death of her gay older brother, the victim of a hate crime. Frustrated that her deep-in-denial parents spend endless hours in front of the television and refuse to acknowledge the death of their son, Serena accepts the challenge to have a face-to-face meeting with the boy who killed her brother.
Set in Sacramento in the summer of 1986 and published in November 2010 by Bold Strokes Books, Mesmerized is experiencing a second wave of renewed interest amongst young readers.
“The author presents a vivid and realistic telling of the emotions and unfortunate realities that a teenager can face in reconciling his sexuality, as well as the confrontations this can cause with others,” reviewer Bob Lind writes about Mesmerized.
Other critics have also taken notice of the optimistic tone of the novel. “There is a wonderful resounding theme through out: sometimes you have to be…(Click for full release.)
