Jake Coburn

Trust-fund thugs run amok in Manhattan. Over the course of a weekend Nick professes his love to Kris, one of his best friends, and has to bail her brother Danny out of trouble with the MKII gang after he was caught messing with the gangleader's girlfriend. Nick's been out of the life for awhile and really doesn't want to get involved anymore. But Nick is haunted by the time he witnessed his friend Kodak being stabbed by gang members and he froze, unable to jump in and help. Helping Danny out is his way of repenting and putting closure on his old gang lifestyle. Scenes with Kris drag. "Catcher in the Rye" with a hip-hop vibe.… (mer)

Ted is a former basketball player whose life was turned upside down when he lost his college scholarship, and Erica is a bulimic girl from a wealthy family, determined to go to college despite her father unease about her moving out. Their paths cross when Erica’s father offers Ted the opportunity of a lifetime: keep an eye on Erica and have your college tuition paid for. Through a mix of narrative and e-mail correspondence between characters, readers are taken on the emotional roller coaster that is addiction, and does not shy away from controversial issues like alcoholism and bulimia. Rather than alluding to them, he says them up front: the reader is inside Erica’s head as she binges and purges, seeing her thought process and the euphoria she experiences throughout. The reader is exposed to an accurate depiction of college life, parties, hook ups, explicit language, and all. Love and addiction are not the only elements, though. The two main characters are deeply developed and become rather humorous. Because of their complexity there is an element of suspense toward the end. Coburn does not gives clues as to how the story will end, leaving readers guessing until the last two pages. Readers who are thirsting for love, lust, struggle, controversy, mystery and suspense—here it is!… (mer)

Ted was a star basketball player with an Ivy League scholarship until he lost his knee in a drunk driving accident. Erika is the only child of a millionaire who has a bingeing problem, but still wants to attend the same Ivy League school. So through an intermediary, Erika's dad offers Ted a scholarship of his own, with one criteria - he has to spy on Erika. Coburn brings together two characters with addictions, and helps them through the recovery process through their love for each other. I liked the rough love story, but kept reading because I knew this huge lie was between them and wondered how it would be resolved. Coburn comes up with a good, messy resolution which is true to the characters and their lives. Well written and not as popular as it should be. I'll start recommending it.… (mer)