The Zero Knot by KZ Snow
Dreamspinner Press
Gay Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1-61372-205-3
Reviewed by Cassie




Jess Bonner is eighteen, and preparing to start his life for real.  He’ll be going off to college after a semester working to save money, and he’s more than ready.  He decides to put aside the little group of friends he realizes he no longer wants to be around and move on.  The only person from their small group he cares to spend time with is Dylan “Mig” Finch, who to his surprise also wants to distance himself from the old gang.  Jess has been attracted to Mig for a while, and when he finds out the feeling is mutual he couldn’t be happier.

It’s not easy for two young men trying to start a relationship, though.  They have to contend with miscommunication, differing future paths, and the confusion of first love.  Then, just when it seems like they’ve got it all figured out, jealousy and revenge may ruin more than just their relationship—it may send one of them to prison.

The Zero Knot is a sweet, emotional tale of the trials and tribulations of first love.  I love KZ Snow’s books as a rule, and this one did not disappoint.  Both Jess and Mig are great characters.  Mig is serious, insecure, and sweet.  He also has a tendency to think too much.  Jess is more impetuous.  He’s a good guy too, but it takes him a bit longer to figure out what he really wants.  Once he figures it out, though, he’s true-blue and loyal to the bone.  Watching them try to navigate the treacherous waters of first love was alternately sweet and painful, especially when Jess makes a stupid mistake.  Fortunately, he is able to redeem himself, and by the end of the story he’s matured a lot.  He has to, with the roller-coaster ride of happiness and angst Ms. Snow puts him and Mig through!

The secondary characters are well-drawn, including Mig’s conservative family, Jess’s supportive father and hilarious little brother, and Jess and Mig’s old friends Brandon and Dominga, aka “Tomby.”  It was easy to see that manipulative, pushy Brandon would be a problem, and his character didn’t seem to have much nuance, but I was pleasantly surprised at Tomby’s three-dimensionality.  Almost all of the characters managed to seem like more than cardboard cutouts, something that’s not always true in stories like this one.  Another plus was the way the characters really felt like teenagers.  By the end of the story, almost everyone involved has grown and changed, mostly for the better.  There are some suspenseful sections, some sad moments, and some “awww” moments to balance it all out.  The Zero Knot is a must-read for fans of KZ Snow, or for anyone who enjoys contemporary coming-of-age type stories.