Reed, Rick R. Bashed: A Love Story. Albion, NY: MLR Press, 2009. paperback. 195p. $14.99. ISBN 978-1-60820-028-3.

A gripping thriller told from multiple points of view, Bashed delivers what readers have come to expect from Rick R. Reed: a violent and emotionally wrenching tale of realistic horror. The story is told by three characters: two perpetrators of a horrifying hate crime, and the man who survived the attack.

Donald is a fifty-year-old gay man attempting to recover physically and emotionally from a vicious assault. He and his partner Mark were attacked on a dark Chicago street by three men wielding aluminum baseball bats. Donald survived, but Mark died from his injuries, leaving Donald alone to process his grief, anger, and fear. It is only when Mark’s ghost begins to visit him that Donald begins to heal.

Ronny, the primary assailant is a homophobic sociopath, driven by fear and rage and determined to take the crime one step further. Justin is a troubled sixteen-year-old who realizes too late that his friends are murderers. He struggles with the weight of this knowledge and tries to find a way to make amends.

The three points of view are interwoven to create an action-based story that attempts to illuminate some of the characters’ darkest motivations. The violence is graphic, as is the sex, but neither is gratuitous. Fans of Reed’s previous work will find this story compelling and satisfying.

Bashed: A Love Story is recommended for public libraries.

Reviewed by, S. Annelise Adams
LII
Chicago Public Library