Book Review: One Man's Trash by Marie Sexton

From the Blurb:

After four tours in Afghanistan, Warren Groves couldn't settle into civilian life. For the last twelve years, he's survived by working odd and often illegal jobs for some of Denver's less fortunate. His personal life is equally unsatisfactory. He can barely remember the last time he had sex, let alone the last time he got to use somebody hard and rough, the way he likes. Fate intervenes when a favor for a friend leads him to a pretty young rentboy named Taylor Reynolds. 

Taylor's spent the last few years on his own, working as a hustler, going home with anybody who'll give him a warm meal and a place to sleep. He enjoys having a bit of force used against him, and he makes Warren an offer he can't refuse - all the sex he wants, as rough and dirty as he likes, in exchange for room and board. 

At first, Warren thinks he's struck gold. Taylor's the perfect roommate - he cooks, he cleans, and he's dynamite in the sack. But Taylor has some dark demons in his head and some even darker cravings. Falling for somebody as volatile as Taylor is dangerous enough, but when Taylor's urges turn truly self-destructive, it'll be up to Warren to decide just how far to let things go.

Ky's rating:

I have no idea why it took me this long to read this story. It had been sitting in my library for months but I finally decided to give it a go. I had read the great reviews and I had noticed the high rating, but I still didn't expect to like it this much.

The characters, both main and side, are well thought and nicely developed. The author didn't just create them and then sat back and watched, her characters evolved thoughout their story. Taylor experienced the biggest changes, but he was the one with the most issues of the two. That doesn't mean that Warren stayed the same. They both changed for the better, so they could improve their lives.

The story takes us close to the ugly underbelly that every big city has. Its characters are walking a fine line between legal and illegal. They meet people that the society has rejected. They try to help them and sometimes they succeed. The times that they can't do enough for them, they have to face the outcome. In short, they show us the dark side of the community.

The book is longer than average but I wouldn't say no to a story twice as long. I was never bored with the plot and I was always looking forward to the next page, the next scene, the next conversation.


I liked how Warren and Taylor supported each other, how they protected each other. They had a deep connection and an even deeper love and, even though they had many obstacles to overcome, they never gave up. I liked the way they sometimes talked with comparisons in order to get their point across and I liked the vase that held a special meaning in their relationship.

The story was dark and heavy at times, Taylor had suffered a lot in the past and the aftermath still affected him very much. Warren also had to face some difficult situations in his job and it all came back to than community that is rejecting those down on their luck.

I liked all of Warren's friends, and I'm curious about their backstories so I think I'll continue with this series.

Highly recommended, but proceed with caution.

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