Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romantic, Circle of Friends
LGBTQ+ Category: Bi, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender
Reviewer: Estora
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About The Book
Nine years have passed since a group of strangers first met at a magical little restaurant in East Sacramento called Ragazzi. They have all been touched by its subtle magic, and have become a family.
With the tragic death of one of them, the ripples spread through the entire group, exposing secrets and revealing truths that many of them would rather not face.
Dave and Marcos are battling their own demons. Matteo seeks an embezzler at Ragazzi, while Diego struggles to hold on to his son, Gio. Carmelina fears Daniele won’t take no for an answer. And both Ben and Sam are dealing with tragic losses that have turned their lives upside down. Into the mix come a few new characters—Ainsley, a Sac State student studying to be a doctor; a mysterious strange who is stalking someone in the group; and a few new love interests who may have agendas of their own.
It’s 2024, and the cast of River City is back. What secrets will be revealed before the last page turns?
ABOUT THE SERIES:
The River City series is a heady blend of secrets, friendships, a little bit of magic, and a bunch of Italian cooking that will warm your heart.Warnings: Death of several characters.
The Review
A group of strangers’ lives were changed forever when they met at an Italian restaurant in Sacramento nine years ago. Now, their lives entwine once more in the wake of new struggles, tragedies, loves, and secrets.
I ended up reading the first book, The River City Chronicles, in tandem with Down The River. Having River City Chronicles under my belt definitely enhanced my experience of Down The River, but the book can be read just as well without prior knowledge.
The ensemble cast was large enough to make my head swim, but fortunately there is a handy cast guide at the start of the book, which I made liberal use of until I became familiar with the cast. The characters, all bound together by circumstance and the subtle magic of the city, are written with such incredible detail to their every day lives and emotions and so much love and care that I nearly believed them to all be real people. There is one particular scene where Marcos, a web designer, grimly scrolls through the AI slop of online job postings with increasing dejection. Too real!
Down the River is a love letter from the author to the city of Sacramento, a place I have never been to but now I feel I know it intimately. It is a love letter to family, to friends, to queer joy, to the beauty of diversity, and to the connections that people make and the secrets they carry.
But the best part? (Well, all of it is the best part, but you know what I mean.) The best part had to be the descriptions of food had me salivating as I read the book on the train to and from work. I am absolutely going to try to make the Torta Tenerina.
I am truly in awe of Coatsworth’s prolific writing, which never comes at the cost of quality. Down the River is a beautiful and gentle story with high emotions and lyrical prose. It is real and magical, touching and deeply personal. Perhaps we’ll be treated to another River City tale in another nine years’ time!
The Reviewer
Estora is a long-time reader and writer of LGBT+ speculative fiction.
