A Portrait for Tomorrow by Raynarde

You might want to read this book if you enjoy:

• Realistic fiction

• Gay romances

• Philosophical vibes

• An emotional read

• Staring at ceilings for long periods of time after finishing a book

A Portrait for Tomorrow is a strong debut novel from Raynarde who aims to write profound furry stories with a degree of thematic depth. If you’ve read my reviews before, you know “thematic depth” is my top buzzword, so I was excited to pick this book up and see what Raynarde was capable of in my favorite department. What I found was a story reminiscent of a John Green novel—thoughtful and heart wrenching, with a focus on insightful characters who have a lot going on in their heads. It was interesting to find something with similar vibes to The Fault in Our Stars but in a furry context, and just like TFIOS, this book packs a heck of an emotional wallop.

The story follows Gerald Waller, a reclusive lion whose mother has died a few years before the story begins. He's a painter, but he lacks inspiration and motivation as he deals with his ongoing grief, an alcoholic father, and general depression. When he meets an inquisitive and altogether lovely fox, Michael, the two quickly fall in love and Gerald finally starts to better himself and meet the challenges in his life. But the biggest challenge comes when a health scare puts Michael’s life in jeopardy, threatening Gerald’s newfound progress and the loving future they had planned.

I tend to go for fantastical gay romances, so I was worried about being underwhelmed by this one's realism and simplicity. Luckily, this book thrives on the "less is more” approach. The setup may sound simple, and you can pretty much suss out what’s going to happen from the first few chapters, but one should never underestimate the power of simple done well, and A Portrait for Tomorrow is certainly done well. It put me on an emotional rollercoaster the likes of which I haven’t ridden in a long time, something grounded that felt real and thus sparked some very real emotions. By the end I was left staring at the ceiling with watery eyes and the temptation to call in sick to work the next day.

I personally love a book that can spark an emotional reaction like this. It’s often a testament to the book’s quality. But readers who are easily overwhelmed may want to prep their emotional shield or take this book slow. While I don’t think the book throws any unexpected punches that aren’t also thrown in similar novels, the punches are still strong and will be especially felt by gay men who can relate to the characters, so be prepared.

And speaking of the characters, there are plenty to fall in love with and relate to here. Michael is of course the standout. He’s essentially the perfect boyfriend archetype. Inspirational, encouraging, supportive, and educational, with infectious optimism and positivity. He’s one of those people who betters everyone around him. Meanwhile, Gerald is more flawed in the beginning of the story. I’d describe his personality as “muted.” He’s reclusive, lacks motivation, and is generally pessimistic about the world around him. It’s wonderful to watch him finally start moving out of that stagnation to become a capable lion throughout the book. I was also impressed by how real the side characters felt. You can sense that each of them is dealing with the book’s events in their own unique ways that contrast with Michael and Gerald’s own experiences.

There is one aspect of this book that I think certain readers should be aware of going in. The book advertises itself as philosophical, so it may attract some philosophy enthusiasts, but those readers may find the book lacking. There is of course meaning inherent to the heavy situations in the story, but you won’t find many bold perspectives, philosophical references, or answers to existential questions here. For readers like me, that’s great, as I’m not big on heavy handed philosophy. But those hoping for an appeal to their taste in philosophy might want to temper their expectations. I honestly wish the book hadn’t been advertised as philosophical, because I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not approached it with that lens in effect.

Altogether, A Portrait for Tomorrow is a solid debut for Raynarde that succeeds at pulling on the heartstrings. Readers who love a realistic and emotional read will doubtlessly find this to be one of their favorite furry reads. The tears shed over this book will also probably be enough to solve a small drought. I look forward to seeing what Raynarde does next.

Print and eBook: https://thinking-fox.com/books/