These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever Paul Fleischer lives with his mother and two sisters in 1970s Pittsburgh. He navigates his Jewish family life in the aftermath of his father's suicide and the rage that got him expelled from school. His family worries over him and his lack of friends, his insecurities, and sensitive nature. As well as his inability to connect with his peers. Until Paul meets Julian, a graceful and electric boy at his new school; a boy who matches his intellect, but who challenges his ideas of his own self-worth. Paul is a serious loner and Julian mesmerizes him. Paul is full of self-hatred, yet is an idealist and self-righteous, believing he is the only one who sees things and people as they really are. But Julian sees right through Paul, right down into the worst parts; the parts that want control and the parts that like the pain Julian asks him to inflict on Julian's body. I think this is what Julian wanted: for Paul to need him so much that he'...