Set in a remote village in the north of England, Open, Heaven unfolds over the course of one year in which two teenage boys meet and transform each other’s lives.

James—a sheltered, shy sixteen-year-old—is alone in his newly discovered sexuality, full of an unruly desire but entirely inexperienced. As he is beginning to understand himself and his longings, he also realizes how his feelings threaten to separate him from his family and the rural community he has grown up in. He dreams of another life, fantasizing about what lies beyond the village’s leaf-ribboned boundaries, beyond his reach: autonomy, tenderness, sex. Then, in the autumn of 2002, he meets Luke, a slightly older boy, handsome, unkempt, who comes with a reputation for danger. Abandoned by his parents—his father imprisoned, and his mother having moved to France for another man—Luke has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on their farm just outside the village. James is immediately drawn to him “like the pull a fire makes on the air, dragging things into it and blazing them into its hot, white centre,” drawn to this boy who is beautiful and impulsive, charismatic, troubled. But underneath Luke’s bravado is a deep wound—a longing for the love of his father and for the stability of family life.

In this debut novel by Sean Hewitt, Open, Heaven is an emotional and lyrical story, full of beautiful word choice and captivating imagery. This is a story about the transition from boyhood into first love, desire and yearning. And even when that desire and that passion is not reciprocated, that just creates an even greater emotionality and poignancy to the narrative. 

One of the elements I loved the most is how the writing drowns you in words and imagery, creating a visual picture that is almost haunting in its depth. The story is emotional with James being lonely, full of questions about identity, love and belonging. And his fascination and fixation on Luke creates a bond for the pair that lasts the summer, giving them a connection that allows them to help each other cope in different ways. It is emotional and the writing is incredibly detailed and absorbing.

The only element that threw me was the final resolution. We get a lot about James’ family and while the story does well resolving the connection between James and Luke, it doesn’t tell us as much about how James responds to his family after his summer and leaves some parts of the narrative unresolved, especially James’ relationship with his younger brother. 

If you like stories with lgbtquia characters that are full of passion, first love and yearning, this novel about the transition between boy to man might interest you. I did enjoy the emotional and lyrical writing, the captivating imagery and the passion of the character. The most powerful part of the writing is James’ connection to Luke which is written profoundly well. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stones. 

Penguin RandomHouse

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