It Was a Riot: Tears in the Chaos Unpacking the Heart of the Story
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In It Was a Riot by Daniel Hall, the turbulent life of Edward “Eddy” Turner unfolds as a gripping and emotionally charged journey through the stricken streets of East London, the brutal front lines of the Falklands War, and the impoverished mining communities of Northern England. This authentic contemporary LGBT fiction novel masterfully explores deep themes of identity, sexuality, and paternal rejection. Eddy’s domineering football hooligan father casts a long shadow over his childhood, while medical school offers a fleeting lifeline that only thrusts him into new struggles.
As Eddy battles his inner demons amidst the specter of AIDS and the chaos of a violent protest, he finds himself fighting for his freedom against a biased court system hell-bent on jailing him for manslaughter. This debut novel quickly ignites with a story that demands to be told, making it a must-read for fans of character-driven epics including Tomasz Jedrowski’s Swimming in the Dark and Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain. It Was a Riot is not just a novel; it’s a powerful exploration of what it means to survive and find oneself in a world determined to keep you down.
Title: It Was a Riot
Author: Daniel Hall
Publisher: Success Publications
Genre: LGBT, Queer
Release Date: June 28, 2024
Pages: 289
Star Rating: 4 stars
Spice Rating: 0 chili pepper
It Was a Riot Explores Deep Topics
There’s an overwhelming abundance and yet a scarcity of words to truly capture this book’s essence. Going into It Was a Riot I was a little taken aback. Although it is a fiction novel parts of it reads as a memoir. A man traveling memory lane telling his life story to the reader. But in this memory, you lose sight of the overall story. You enter and Eddy is pleading his case for a crime he committed, not being fully aware of the crime or the point in the general story. I often don’t go into stories reading the synopsis. Relying on the first few chapters to give me context, then allowing the story to flow more naturally without clouding my thoughts without unnecessary suspicions.
20% in (and even a little more than that), it still feels like exposition. Still laying the foundation of his childhood, with no real light at the end of the tunnel. I desperately wanted to move beyond this. The book not being long at only 289 pages, could have time spent better somewhere beyond this groundwork. At some point we are building up to a riot, right?
“I close my eyes as the tears pour.”
What would have done the story a better service is if it was composed more like a flashback setup. Giving glimpses into the past while still staying rooted in the point of the court case. Without this anchor, nothing is tying me to Eddie. I couldn’t care less about what was going on. Not getting glimpses of where he is now to see how far he has come throughout the tale, impacts the story in a way that it feels the author doesn’t want to convey. We spend no real time with the court case. No real-time with the riot that causes it all. No real-time with the repercussions of his actions.
In contrast, once you get beyond that you see the deeper issue. The boy fighting tooth and nail for his father’s approval, and never fully receiving it. The father who only cares about appearances. Not truly taking the time to understand and be there for his child. The mother that lets him down instead of fighting for him. And everyone in between.
Bolstering the story is Hall’s writing. It is strong and impactful in the way (even if the impact was more towards the end) that the story needs. It Was a Riot has a captivating honesty quality and a rawness that adds depth to the feel of the story. With the ability to suck you in and give you a view of others lives. Feeling relatable yet gritty.
” That day, I was reborn. I no longer cared about my father’s approval, and I never would again.”
The story in itself is heartbreaking. It Was a Riot is a story of discovery. A man finding his way as part of the LGBTQ community as well as for himself in the 70s. Making mistakes and losing himself in the ebb and flow. Your heart wrenches for Eddy. Breaking apart piece by piece and never fully melding itself together. Even with the end of the story. While bringing resolution you lose those pieces that are broken. Sobbing for a man who starts as a stranger but feels like a friend by the end.
In a lot of ways, it reminds me of the story of Marsha P. Johnson and all the sacrifices she made for the movement (if you don’t know Marsha you need to read her story). Although their stories are not the same, they are reminiscent of each other. Both fighting for a cause that is the same.
Deeper into this heartwrenching sadness, there is the theme of the impact of AIDS on the gay community. Adding a perspective that many will never see. Giving courage to those who may have fought previously or who are currently fighting the disease.
Overall, It Was a Riot is a story that needs to be read (bring the tissues), being the perfect PRIDE month read. It Was a Riot is available on Kindle Unlimited.
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