STARRED Book Review: Intrinsic by W.H.B.

Reviewed by Timothy Thomas

Great expectations, heartbreaking disappointment, and love that endures life’s great lows

Intrinsic tells a story of passionate, enduring love in the shape of a romantic tragedy, but it becomes much more than that by the end.

Themes of identity, manhood, dignity, kindness, and destiny permeate this work of literary fiction. Coming from the mind of an author known only by their initials, W.H.B., this book shares much wisdom through a stirring narrative that sweeps you away and doesn’t let you forget it.

Christopher Franklin is on top of the world. As the most popular student at the private school he attends and the son of literary giants in New York City, Chris’s destiny is apparent, with the heavy weight of expectation sitting comfortably on his shoulders. As he and his friends celebrate their graduation from high school, he is prepared to embrace adulthood, starting with telling Meghan how he feels about her. Theirs was a match made in heaven: two only children who met in first grade and were since inseparable, their desire for and compatibility with one another are unmistakable to anyone who sees them together. But the night of their school’s big graduation party at the Waldorf Astoria brings with it an unexpected surprise—Mary.

With his ego and his feelings bruised by Meghan’s drunken, disrespectful behavior, Chris is entranced by this alluring stranger from the moment he hears her voice. He is at her side all night, unable to keep his eyes off her, while an increasingly despairing Meghan looks on, powerless to stop the love of her life from falling under the spell of this enchantress. After beginning the night as the best of friends, they end it as bitter enemies, a seemingly impassable chasm opening and all their hopes and dreams falling into it.

In his grief over their dead friendship, Chris invites Mary to the Hamptons, and there, a single mistake marks his first steps into adulthood, leading to an abrupt and brutal fall from grace and utter loss of control of his life. Divorced from the comforts, connections, and privileges of the life he inherited, he must rely on the help of a stranger whose life has been inexplicably intertwined with his own, and whose wisdom gives Chris the courage to build up from rock bottom.

This story is raw and real, probing the consequences of Chris’s actions for every crumb of misery, and yet somehow it manages to stay hopefully optimistic. The depth of emotion will leave a lasting impact as the reader becomes an unwitting passenger on a rollercoaster propelling them forward with the belief that things will turn around for our protagonist.

Part of the tragedy of the story is in its relatability. Ultimately, Meghan ends up being relegated to the-one-who-got-away status simply because they were both too fearful to admit their love for one another. Sometimes, words unspoken can be just as damaging as those you say and can’t take back.

The writing style is direct, on the nose. This can result in the occasional lack of nuance and with some unnatural dialogue and transitions. Thankfully, this issue is not so severe as to make reading it a difficult task, and the content more than makes up for the irregularities of the style.

Intrinsic leaves a bittersweet aftertaste on the heart’s tongue, but this is often the case with great stories. It is not just a story to be read, but a drama to be experienced. If love stories or riches-to-rags stories are your thing, this is definitely worthy of your consideration. Author W.H.B. has created something truly memorable here. It’s been a pleasure to experience it.

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