“Poppy Z. Brite made her name in the 1990’s writing tasty dark fantasy that inspired a generation of Goth kids. Now for something completely different!  If I had to sum up Second Line in a few words, I would say Kitchen Confidential meets A Separate Peace. Gary and Rickey, young foodies from the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, are separated by their fearful parents after they transition from best friends to lovers. They earn their kitchen chops during their time apart. Their love story is believably tender and yet unsentimentally told. Brite has beautifully captured the voices of very young men confronting fear and love. The charm of the guys together contrasts amusingly with the gritty bitchiness of busy men in the fast-paced kitchen of a luxury joint. They have knives, and they will pluck ducks.”—Néna Rawdah, St. Johns Booksellers, Portland