Rachel Reviews: The First Taste by Joseph Vogel

One of the things that I love about reading is that each novel takes you to a place apart from you but allows you to experience it comfortably, at your own pace. Sometimes, these stories have points of reference to which you can relate; other times, they are so far distant to anything you've ever known that reading them is like being a voyeur looking through the misty window into your neighbour's house.

I didn't feel voyeuristic reading Joseph Vogel's book but it has taken me somewhere of which I have no knowledge: the life of a Mormon teen. Our narrator is Drew and he is likeable and thoughtful and feels like a safe pair of hands. We learn about his life and especially the importance of his friends, Owen and Greg, all of similar age and all reaching the point in their lives where they are expected to go out and spread the word of Joseph Smith to the rest of the world. And when I mean the rest of the world, it could be anywhere.

This is looming for all of them and some are embracing the process more than others. For Drew, the prospect of leaving his home town is difficult because he has a girlfriend: Owen's younger sister, Iris. Their discovery of each other carefully unfolds throughout the book. Firstly, Drew dealing with his guilt at dating the sister of one of his oldest friends, which feels like a betrayal. Then the development of their relationship which is rich with the exciting newness of love with poetry, letter sharing and the desperation of seeking intimacy. However, this is difficult as they are both too aware that the consequences of their indulgence of each other could be extremely damaging.

This is a gentle love story. Vogel's narrative is honest in its depiction and I could feel the desire, tension and longing and the feeling of wanting to do what is right but not really knowing what that is! It is about people trying to find their way in a life which sets constraints of faith and expectation and of keeping a balance between what they as individuals want, which may contradict that set of values, and being respectful to the society of which they are part.

Vogel conveys this struggle with aplomb and I was pleased to see will continue it in 2027 with a further book.

Rachel Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC: