Note: Founder by Jodi Payne is a homoerotic love story.

Aubrey Jacek’s life is steadily spinning out of control. He has caught his lover having sex in his bed with another man, and his drinking is getting out of control along with his temper. When Aubrey finally goes too far, his boss is forced to let him go and Aubrey goes from bad to worse. His drinking becomes his escape from life and Aubrey starts spiraling towards the bottom of the bottle. Still, having met Kelly makes Aubrey want to be a better man, but he just can’t manage it so Aubrey does what he does best – he leaves. This takes Aubrey on a journey across the country, during which he hits rock bottom, but throughout all the one-night stands and nightly drinking binges Aubrey thinks of Kelly. The question is – will Aubrey ever get himself out of the bottle?

Founder is an intensely emotional tale. Jodi Payne drew such a realistic character in Aubrey that you will live every heart-wrenching moment of this story with him. Aubrey will make you want to scream, throw things and bring out your tender feelings all at once. It’s incredibly difficult to endure the progression of Audrey, as he slowly kills himself physically and emotionally by drinking himself insensible and lowering himself to become not much more than a whore. However, it was also incredibly satisfying to see Aubrey slowly realize that the only way to be a better man is to want it for himself not because of someone else. Founder is a journey of self-discovery and how that goes hand in hand with overcoming an addiction. Founder is the type of story that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Reviewed by: Isabella