Neurosis by Anthony Carinhas is the fictional tale of Christian Wall, an affluent divorced father and high-powered attorney who serendipitously bumps into a high school junior named Gregory Collins, inviting him to his luxurious loft after Gregory's parents fall asleep. The next few scenes follow Gregory's parents, Myrtle and Josh, who are disgusted by the prospect of California's Proposition 8 failing to pass, which would make gay marriage legal in the state. Their life is also one of privilege, filled with expensive day spas and upscale steakhouses, and conclude with family dinners involving intellectual discussions with their two sons, Nathan and Gregory. When a nosy neighbor reveals Gregory's affair with Christian to his mother, all are forced onto a collision course that their fancy cars cannot outrun.

Neurosis by Anthony Carinhas is intelligently written fiction at its absolute finest. As it sifts through political, social, and socio-economic issues, Carinhas is able to put a personal face to every point of contention as it arises. Everyone is likeable, which makes for the type of complex plot drivers where tension rides on each page and you know at the end there will be losers, but you can't decide who you want it to be that comes out on top. You know who should, but that's not the same. Of course, there are no real winners in stories like this...except with regard to the reader, who will have had the opportunity to spend a long afternoon with Carinhas' extraordinary writing and characters that linger long after the last sentence is read.

Neurosis: A Novel by Anthony Carinhas is a realistic coming of age story that will appeal to fans of gay themed literature. Set against the backdrop of affluent Texas society, this novel features the question of coming out for young Gregory. Gregory Collins has been raised in a strictly traditional household with very controlling parents. Gradually, he begins to feel bottled-up and as though everything he ever wanted can’t be achieved without the sanction of his parents. He feels as though love in the family is conditional and as though he can’t become what he feels he is called to be. Unable to continue living like a stranger in his own home, he rebels and sets out on a path of self-discovery, which brings him to his first experience of love and sex. Can he ever hope to change the biases of his parents and find the family he’s always wanted?

Anthony Carinhas has written a beautiful story and he allows the setting to come out strongly through the narrative. Readers are transported into a world where gay people are used to hearing very derogatory statements about their sexual preferences. The traditional values of the protagonist’s family compound to create the dynamics for the conflict that permeates the story. The author focuses on the psychological aspects of the conflict and develops them in a powerful way. The writing is done to perfection, with diction that is strengthened by everyday language woven into the exciting dialogues. Beautiful character development and great pacing. Neurosis: A Novel will enable readers to understand the nature of problems faced by gay individuals, even today. It is emotionally rich and deeply moving.

The year 2008 was a different time for America. It was on the verge of change, and you were either on the side you thought was progress or the other side. Neurosis by Anthony Carinhas mainly follows the story of divorced Christian Wall and Gregory Collins, a teenage boy born in affluence and raised in a household of right-wing conservatives. The Collins family, consisting of Myrtle, Josh, and their eldest son, Nathan, enjoy a bit of intellectual and political banter, mainly about the presidential elections and the current social issues revolving around Proposition 8. Myrtle and Josh believe that homosexuality is a perversion; they believe that such things will destroy the sanctity of marriage. Unbeknownst to them, their own son is gay. When Gregory meets Christian for the first time, the young man doesn’t waste time by beating around the bush. He lets Christian know what he wants and he inevitably gets it, but when their secret is exposed life for the Collins family soon changes.

The top layer of this novel is angst and drama sprinkled with tragedy, just like any story, but below that is where the depth and heart of the story lie. Carinhas manages to tell readers a great story and inform readers of important social and political issues that are still relatable in today’s society. I was taken aback at how individualistic Carinhas’s characters were. Each had a varying opinion and world view, yet never stopped being likable, and I suppose part of their likability is due to how realistically they were written. I believe readers will delight in reading Neurosis for more reasons than one. I certainly did!

Neurosis: A Novel by Anthony Carinhas is a brilliantly plotted story that explores the theme of a guy coming out and the dynamics of a traditional family when one of theirs turns out to be different — someone they never expected. Gregory Collins is raised in a strict family and even though he has everything he needs, he doesn’t feel fully loved. The hard part is that he can’t be the person he feels he is. How can he come out without losing the good graces of his parents? This story explores his journey towards his first experience of love and what sex will mean for him. When he chooses to stand for what he really wants, will he still have a family he can call his own?

While the drama might not be as intense as readers expect, the story is rich with emotional depth. Anthony Carinhas explores the tension and the inner conflict of a gay character struggling to come to terms with himself and a hostile society. The author portrays the anxiety in the young protagonist with unusual skill and allows the reader to experience the depth of his pain, the ache that results from the need to belong. This could explain why Gregory gets excited about the gay community, but will he feel the sense of belonging which his family can’t provide? The writing is great and the author’s diction and phraseology make for a great reading experience. The realistic dialogues as well as the emotional connection readers get with the characters are among the greatest appeals of this novel. Neurosis: A Novel is a great story that will appeal to fans of gay literature and the LGBT community, engaging and entertaining. It’s also a subtle indictment of a world that preys on people because they are different.