Do-Gooder

Amazing is the only way I can describe this novel in one word. It’s a very intense, suspense- and action-filled coming-of-age story that is a character study as well as a thriller. It’s told in first person by seventeen-year-old Isaiah, and if you’re expecting a high school drama or similar, you’ll not find that between the pages of this book. Instead there is an incredible tale of a youthful error leading to kidnapping, cruelty, and international conflict. But it is also the story of Isaiah changing and growing from a somewhat sullen and stubborn teenager into a thoughtful young man who begins to realize that his actions have consequences and not all decisions made by his parents and other adults are as easy as they look. <br /> <br />Isaiah is in deep trouble after he decided to protect a friend by pretending the gun he was caught with belonged to him. Sure, he had his reasons, but in typical teenage fashion he did not think things through, and lack of life experience means he didn’t look at all the angles. As a consequence, and to avoid a prison sentence that could easily ruin the rest of his life, Isaiah’s mother argues the authorities into sending Isaiah to stay with his “do-gooder” father in Africa as a sort of severe version of community service. All Isaiah sees is the hardship of having to spend time with a man who seems to have forgotten him. A man he hasn’t spoken to or heard from in ten years, ever since Isaiah and his mother returned to the US.<br /><br />Nothing is as expected when Isaiah arrives in Cameroon. His father doesn’t even bother to pick him up from the airport, sending one of his assistants, eighteen-year-old Henry, instead. Since Henry idolizes Isaiah’s father (for good reasons, as I found out later), Isaiah initially dislikes Henry on principle and they do not get off to a good start. But that changes when they are kidnapped by a group of armed men who demand they hand over “the canisters”. Isaiah and Henry have no idea what is going on and end up depending on each other for survival. And that is much harder than it sounds because Isaiah is diabetic and the mercenaries refuse to hand over his insulin. <br /><br />What follows is a hair-raising story of hidden agendas, revelations, and a fight for survival that nobody should have to face – and especially not two teenagers. Isaiah goes through hell – physically, mentally, and emotionally - as he struggles to figure out what is going on and how to save himself. Henry becomes a lot more important to him as the story develops, but nothing comes easy to these two young men.<br /><br />If you like emotionally intense stories with twists and turns that might shock you, if you prefer your romances to be slow-burn and well-meshed with action and adventure suspenseful enough for a Jason Bourne movie, and if you’re looking for a read that puts a struggling teenager through the wringer to have him come out the other side a young man, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It’s as wild as it is edgy and an excellent example of young adult fiction that tells it as it is.<br /><br /><br />NOTE: This book was provided by Harmony Ink Press for the purpose of a review on <a href="http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/do-gooder-by-j-leigh-bailey-at-harmony-ink-press" rel="nofollow noopener">Rainbow Book Reviews</a>.

Ah. <i>This</i> you guys! #pageturneralert :)<br /><br />What an exciting, action-packed and wonderfully brilliant story. <br /><br />It’s written in first person and we sadly only get Isaiah’s POV — but I had so much fun with his voice :)<br /><br />ALL THE ☆☆☆☆☆ !! <br /><br />► <br /><br />Isaiah was born in Africa and spent the following seven years with his missionary parents in a refugee camp in the Central African Republic. When he and his mom return to the States his dad stays behind. After not having heard from his father in ten years, it’s easy to imagine that Isaiah resents him for not being part of his life.<br /><br />While he was happy growing up with his mom in Milwaukee, not having any contact with his dad has left a hole in his heart, one he didn't think could ever be fixed, so he covered up with a bit of teenage temper and a lot of bitterness and resentment.<br /><br />So you can understand that Isaiah is in a bad mood and beyond frustrated when he arrives in Africa, and the promise of a long and boring summer. Most of all, he doesn’t want to spend it living with his father, who he thinks doesn’t give a damn about him. When said father doesn’t even bother to pick him up from the airport, well, that’s just the cherry on top.<br /><br />Isaiah’s not very impressed by Henry, who was sent to get him on his father's behalf, when they first meet. He pretty much can’t stand Henry on principle; just another do-gooder, and he really doesn’t want to have to deal with him. <br /><br />But Henry is so much more than that and Isaiah’s quickly intrigued by his 'new friend'. <br /><br />Bad luck leads them into the clutches of scary assault riffle wearing mercenary soldiers, who believe the kids have something they want. So obviously their next move includes a kidnapping stunt followed by some heavy questioning and a week in the poorest conditions imaginable. <br /><br />The boys were soon dirty, hungry and irritable, understandably so, and suffering from all kinds of pains.<br /><br />Isaiah is also diabetic. Without his insulin and crappy food while being held hostage and at the mercy of really scary, international bad guys his chance of survival are minimal…<br /> <br />►<br /><br />The core of the story is pretty intense and when the days went by, one after the other, Isaiah close to death and Henry barely sane, oh I was so caught up in the book there was no way I would’ve put it aside for anything. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. <br /><br />The setting (Africa; Rainforest) is one of the rarer ones seen in this genre, even more so when it comes to Young Adult, so is the whole being kidnapped and held for ransom part — something I greatly enjoy. There is just something about the fight of survival… throw in a love-interest, some tension and voila. One of my favorite plots. It also helped that both boys are absolutely lovable in their own way and I was cheering for them from the moment they met. <br /><br />With how scary a place this world is I find it a frighteningly realistic scenario, although probably with not the highest chance of happening on a regular basis, thank God. It’s not pretty. I don’t know much about Africa and the politics down there, but there are refugees and war and so much <i>hurt</i> all over the world. It’s just easy to imagine… <br /><br />▽ <br /><br /><i>Fazit:</i> <br />One of my favorite reads for sure. <br /><br />I would <b>love</b> to see Isaiah and Henry again. <br /><br />As with many Young Adult novels this one ends just too soon! :(<br /><br /><br />▽ <br /><i>Many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.</i>

Wow, talk about a wild ride that keeps you going until the very end! <b>Do-Gooder</b> is an entertaining, action-packed YA novel and a heartbreaking whirlwind of emotions. There was danger around every corner, and the plot moved swiftly, so there wasn't a moment of boredom. Each character had a distinct personality and felt real.<br /><br />I admit that as a hardcore fan of romance novels, I was a bit disappointed there wasn't much more than a kiss in the course of the story. I get that it would've felt forced and out of place, but an epilogue would have been nice. <br /><br />I think the author went a little overboard with the use of the word 'do-gooder'. It was mentioned 14 times, and I <i>really</i> got the point the first couple of times it was used.<br /><br />Great stuff overall, though. <br /><br /><i>***ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***</i>

*Thank you Netgalley.com for the free, advanced copy*<br /><br />THIS BOOK WAS SO, SO COOL. <br /><br />Action packed, A complete page-turner... It was quite amazing.<br /> It was also much more complex and deeper than the blurb made it sound. It caught me off-guard and I LOVED IT. <br />So many cool things going on, that ultimately contributed to the slow-burn in the precious relationship between Isaiah and Henry/Hank xD it was so, so well planned-out that, seriously, there's not ONE dull moment, you can't stop reading, there's always something (even in the strange moments of aparent calm) that keeps you at the edge of your seat. This book just keeps surprising you AND IT'S THE BEST FEELING EVER. <br />I mean, SERIOUSLY. Wow.

For a young adult book that required some suspension of disbelief through the action part, I was surprised at the bit of adrenaline rush I had through the high action parts. <br /><br />It was also a fresh thrill to read what seemed like a basic coming of age transition plot suddenly take a serious left turn. Meanwhile, the subplot of what happened at home is not forgotten and plays out meaningfully. <br /><br />A YA story that plants itself into the thriller genre. Recommended. <br /><br />Thank you to the publisher for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It's more of a close 2.5 Star Read.<br /><br />Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />Isaiah was born in Africa, but soon moved with his mother to the United States. Now he is on his way back. He tried to stop a friend from making a big mistake and was caught with her gun in his hand. He should spend two months there, working at his father's hospital. Henry, who works for his father, picks him up at the airport. While they drive they are stopped by armed mercenaries and kidnapped. During their time as prisoners they have to face many terrible things and struggle for survival.<br /><br />I enjoy the character growth we got to see and how Isaiah turned from a moody boy to a Hero, from somebody who thought that helping people only got yourself in trouble, to somebody who actively wanted to help people.<br /><br />Their relationship starts with a hate-love relationship in which Isaiah calls Henry Hank to make him angry. He also resents all those do-gooders who are like his father, but slowly he starts to care more about Henry and soon develops a bit of a crush.<br /><br />I liked that Isaiah was a Typ-1-Diabetic and that it w<br />as described realistically as where the problems that happened when he couldn't access his Insulin.<br /><br />There where some scenes that just didn't make sense (like Isaiah forgetting that he had just been abducted and locked up in a dark damp cellar and instead swooning over how ~pretty~ Henry is.) Some of the paragraphs were choppy and it threw me out of the reading flow at times. Also Henry's mysterious past was the "gay homeless boy starting prostitution to survive" which I've read in so many stories already, that it is neither a mystery nor particularly interesting. And while i'm sure that it's the story of many homeless gay boys, it also doesn't help that most of the time that plot is written by women, and not ownvoices.<br /><br />There was an (unnecessary) rape scene (and no exploration of what trauma that must have been, especially considering Henry's past), the death of the only black women of importance (the book was set in Africa and there's not a single important black character who survives/exists, which just feels... lazy) [the only other black character is an evil kidnapper] and some racist remarks from Isaiah (at least those where challenged in the book).<br /><br />I think the setting was interesting, but that the story could have been better. I also never really felt connected to the characters, so the book just fell flat for me.<br /><br />Why I read it: A m/m romance set in Africa? Yes, I'll check it out!<br /><br />Do I recommend it: If you're looking for a fast-paced m/m romance with crime story aspects, this could be the book for you. Just look out for the trigger warnings.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the free advance copy*<br /><br /><i>Do-Gooder</i> is a book about severely diabetic 17 year-old Isaiah Martin after he is caught with a gun (it wasn’t his, and the story behind becomes apparent in increments), and sent to stay with his father who runs a refugee camp in Cameroon for penance.<br /><br />Isaiah hasn’t heard from his father in ten years. The way his father prioritises the camp over his own son has given Isaiah an aversion to “Do-Gooders”, and Isaiah isn’t looking forward to spending a whole summer surrounded by them.<br /><br />When his father doesn’t even bother to pick Isaiah up from the airport, it isn’t the best start. Instead he’s picked up by Henry, an assistant at the camp, and the two boys start the two-day journey into the wilds of Cameroon. Things go very wrong very quickly, and they find themselves in the middle of a situation that will have wider repercussions than they can imagine.<br /><br /><i>Do-Gooder</i> is an interesting book. Bailey clearly loves Africa, and this shows in her descriptions of Cameroon and its people. There is more presented than desert and scrubland large-eyed orphans: Yaoundé is shown as a thoroughly modern city, with a bustling University district. As Isaiah and Henry travel through the country towards the camp, the setting becomes more remote and deserted, and the heat and humidity of the rainforest they end up in is wonderfully evoked.<br /><br />Both the main characters are gay, and talk about it quite early in the book, but there is thankfully no instant development of feelings. Isaiah is jetlagged and annoyed when they first meet, and the closest we get to instalove is him noticing that, yeah, Henry’s kind of hot. Instead, we get a wonderfully slow-building friendship growing from adversity. There’s never any doubt that their situation is the most important thing to think about, and everything but survival is stuck in the background. The book isn't about their sexuality, it's just who they are.<br /><br />I loved the boys’ road-trip, and the way the rather dire situation they end up in is handled. Isaiah especially felt very real and relatable, as it’s from his perspective we see everything. Both boys acted how I think most people would in a hostage situation: there are no stupid acts of bravery or attempts at escape, and they worry that this makes them cowards. Their individual backstories are revealed slowly, as they talk on the road and when they’re being held.<br /><br />When the international politics and the full extent of Isaiah’s father’s involvement in things starts to be unveiled, things get really interesting. The last third of the book escalates to international intrigue and almost feels like a political thriller.<br /><br />The last couple of sections feel a little rushed and flat, though, and let the rest of the book down a little in my opinion. <br /><br />This is a book with big themes and important subjects, but it doesn't feel like one. It's quite an easy read, and although there are some horrible scenes, it isn't harrowing.

<b>A <a href="https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words</a> Review</b><br /><br />“Do-Gooder” was an exciting, action-packed read. The romance mostly took a back seat, since the protagonists were a little busy trying to survive.<br /><br />I mostly decided to read this book because of the setting. Not a lot of m/m books are set in Africa and I’ve always liked reading about exotic places. We don’t get to read much about the culture, though, since the story is mostly set in the middle of nowhere, with our two protagonists as prisoners of international mercenaries. I didn’t mind too much, since there were plenty of other things to keep me interested.<br /><br />It’s interesting how the author managed to keep the story so suspenseful, even though it’s mostly set in a single hut and the MCs mostly just talk. Still, there’s the constant worry about Isaiah’s health, the mystery of Henry’s past and of course the mystery of why they were kidnapped and the worry about the next step of the kidnappers.<br /><br />Even more amazing is the fact that she also managed to keep the feel of the story very realistic. All the explanations we get throughout made sense and the whole plot seemed like something that could totally happen under those circumstances.<br /><br />The one part I didn’t really like was the romance. Not so much that it played only a minor role, but Isaiah’s feelings felt awfully rushed. It’s pretty much insta-love for him, which is a trope I despise. I didn’t quite buy into the intensity of the feelings. It read more like a crush to me and they just didn’t spend enough time with each other for me to believe that this was grounds for a serious relationship. Maybe Henry’s POV would have helped, because we only get to see Isaiah’s side. As it is, I didn’t really get the impression that Henry was returning Isaiah’s feelings for a long time.<br /><br />The result was that I didn’t buy into the ending either. It felt like a forced HEA and pretty unrealistic. A HFN ending might have worked better, at least for me.<br /><br />If you’re looking for a light, fun read, keep looking. This is not the book for you.<br /><br />If, however, you’re looking for an action packed story full of intrigues and mystery, with a dash of romance, you’ll love this book.<br /><br />The cover by Aaron Anderson represents the story perfectly: bullet holes and the all-important backpack with an African landscape on it. I’m not too fond of the background colour, but otherwise this is a great cover.

<b>3.5 of 5 stars – Good Gay YA, More Action Adventure, Some Romance.</b><br /><i>[Thanks to the author for a free copy via Goodreads' YA LGBT group in exchange for an honest review]</i><br /><br />I love various gay genres, including YA romance, and this was refreshingly in the form of an action adventure, as well as in Africa, and J. Leigh Bailey did justice to both.<br /><br />Her style was straightforward, easy-to-read and descriptive enough to fit the faster paced action. While not a fully adult action adventure, the plot was credible, tense and fast-paced when it needed to be. Even though a bit predictable, I stayed in it to the end, which was realistically satisfying, <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="bfae6523-cf11-450c-94d3-952dbbafb17a" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="bfae6523-cf11-450c-94d3-952dbbafb17a">with a believable HFN</label>. The story was fairly realistic, especially with some violent treatment by the captors, which goes with being an action thriller (more so than an m/m romance); so even though it wasn’t graphic it might upset some. And I liked being in Africa, aptly pictured. Yet I still wanted a little more to help me visualize and get an even better sense of the action, the place, and its people (maybe this came from it being mostly in the jungle?).<br /><br />Bailey also did a good job with the characterization and development of the two teenaged MCs, treating them with respect without too much angst or childishness like I’ve seen in some YAs, but still having that touch of energy and impetuousness. I liked both MCs – the moody, frustrated Isaiah (17) and Henry (18) with admirable do-gooder qualities, putting others before himself, especially in protecting Isaiah, to make up for past “sins.” That said I was a bit surprised and disappointed in the lack of racial diversity in the characters, especially in the MCs and other good guys. With the setting and circumstances, it seemed to be an opportunity missed.<br /><br />Written to good effect in the first-person POV of Isaiah, I appreciated how he grew from his finding out more about his absent Dad, his kidnapping, and his working with Henry to survive. I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="151627e1-97d8-41b8-871f-54ea2f8b8e92" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="151627e1-97d8-41b8-871f-54ea2f8b8e92">to more</label>. And just fyi, this was a good YA in that there were no sex scenes (just some sexual thoughts and urges, even if mildly described compared to what a teenage boy would have).<br /><br />Overall, a decent action adventure through the eyes of a regular gay kid from the states.

A coming of age LGBT novel written by J. Leigh Bailey. Would you, or could you, do something that could get you sent to Africa for summer community service? Isaiah Martin sure did! Do you think you could fall in love while despising your being there? Isaiah did! <br /><br />Isaiah helps a friend by taking the gun away, but then is found with it near school property. Because of this, he has to join his father in Cameroon, Africa as a missionary. Isaiah hasn't seen or heard from his father in a long time, and has some issues with it. When arriving in Africa, he is not met by his father, but one of the others at the mission, Henry. Just a short shot way from the mission camp, they are picked up by rogue soldiers. Will they make it out of the camp alive? Can they trust each other and their felling? <br /><br />I think I would put this in YA Action/Adventure before I put it in YA romance. While there may be overtones of love/lust in the book, the main portion of it is the action/adventure for Isaiah and Henry. This is still an amazing book! I did not want to put it down!<br /><br />Thank you Harmony Ink Press and NetGalley for the free digital copy of this book to give an honest review!