"After almost being expelled from a prestigious Chicago music conservatory for a prank gone wrong, twenty-two-year-old pianist Crawford Paul returns home to Northern California for what he predicts will be another boring summer. Concerned his scholarship is now at risk, Crawford accepts the only job he can find: accompanying a glamorous seven-year-old named Isabella to a community swimming pool for lessons. There, Crawford is befriended by a nanny named Nina, an aspiring fashion designer who finds it difficult to hide her disdain for children. When Crawford meets Armando Leon, a lifeguard and Isabella's swimming instructor, he accepts Armando's offer to help him overcome his fear of water by way of private swimming lessons. As friendship turns into a summer affair, their lust for one another turns to love. When Crawford receives a chance of a lifetime audition, he is torn between returning to Chicago or staying in California to start a new life with Armando. As the end of the summer inches closer, Crawford and Armando fear they will be separated forever."
Backstrokes by Dylan Madrid was a nice short novel about a man named Crawford who is trying to find out who he is, who he wants to be and what he wants to do with his life.
The writing was pretty simple, but still very nice with lovely prose. It was descriptive and very atmospheric, if not a bit too slow at times because of the 'mood' of the setting.
Crawford was a solemn character who begins to find out more about himself when he meets Armando and the two, fairly quickly, fall in love. They fall in love after one date and a couple of mention moments of meeting up - I did not believe it, but I accepted it.
The book focuses more on music, so the title is a bit odd, but that's okay.
Overall, Backstrokes was a good, quick, & simple read !
-A
