Words of Devotion Volume 1

In this yaoi tale of roommates—former high school classmates who are more than friends—the story structure replicates the reader's experience. First, we meet the boys as a female classmate bumps into them for the first time since graduation. They return home, and the reader isn't sure if their squabbling is because the girl's crack about them becoming “trendy homos” is so wrong or so right. As the girl spends more time with them, so do we, and we gain knowledge of their close relationship, just as a friend would. Finally, their involvement is confirmed, but by that point, they're realistic people instead of ciphers. Unlike many yaoi characters, the boys are instantly distinctive, both in appearance and personality. Chapters provide flashbacks to show not only who they are but who they were and how they came together. Their nuanced expressions are subject to multiple interpretations. If that's a bit too cerebral, there's an additional, more physical short story included about a boy who makes a friend by kidnapping and holding hostage a classmate he has a crush on. (Aug.)