Amazon Category:  Mainstream Publisher: 1st Books Library ISBN-10:  1587212315 Type: Fiction Pages: 263 Copyright: May 1 2000 Crime and Punishment with sexuality as its core The lives of three Brooklynites, two men and a woman, all in their twenties. In Part One they are profiled separately. In Part Two their lives touch at a local club. An examination of children of the sexual revolution. Excerpt They stood at the foot of the entrance, gazing into each other's eyes amidst a tense silence, a silence that suggested they embrace.

Word Wrap: Book Review by Cindy Penn
Word Wrap: A book review by Cindy Penn Close to the Edge by Vic Fortezza 1st Books Library May 2000 ISBN: 1587212315 Paperback - 266 pages Highly recommended Every day headlines proclaim yet another shocking tale of someone ordinary crossing over the edge and acting in heinous ways. Vic Fortezza answers the question argued by psychologists of what pushes a protagonist over the edge in CLOSE TO THE EDGE. Set in an Italian-American community in Brooklyn in 1978, CLOSE TO THE EDGE covers two days in the lives of three characters. The mundane routine of their existence frames the interior dialogue to allow the reader to step into the characters' lives, exposing their motives, desires, and fears. A meditative novelist, Vinnie uses jogging as an opportunity to reflect. His mother represents the archetype of the doting Italian mother eager to see her son married. Reading Vinnie's thoughts reminds this reviewer of reading THE PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST BY A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce. The thoughts are clear, easily followed (before Joyce's writing became terribly obscure) and honest. Each person seeks to connect with someone, to fill the void of emptiness. A receptionist, Kathy had an abortion several months ago and can't escape her torturous guilt. She looks forward to change, hoping to give up her boring and ill paying position for a job waitressing, which at least promises to be more adventurous. Not one to frequent nightclubs, her chance meeting with Vinnie is tender and promising. A blue-collar worker who daydreams of a better life, Rocco knows he'll always be just what he is. He resents those who laugh at his expense, and is infatuated with a woman he cannot have. He recalls an incident from childhood in which he struck another child, and wonders if that vicious violence is his true nature. Yet he was not without remorse. Ultimately, the reader follows the twists and turns that end in a haunting and dramatic finale. Fortezza weaves an intricate plot which enshrouds his characters, embracing the Italian culture in which he grew up, lending his dialogue authenticity, and his novel remarkable depth. The philosopher and poet definitely exists within this talented author's pen, and CLOSE TO THE EDGE is highly recommended.

Catten Ely Reviews Close to the Edge for Suite101.com
The year is 1978. The setting is Brooklyn, in an Italian-American community. Close to the Edge covers two days in the lives of three people who are thrown together by circumstance. Fortezza’s characters — Vinnie, Kathy, and Rocco — are well detailed and easy to know. Vinnie is an introspective novelist, the son of a classic doting Italian mother who refuses to learn English. Kathy is young, insecure, single, and dealing with post-abortion emotions. Rocco is blue collar through-and-through, a little obsessive, romantic, and nurses a crush on a girl who isn’t remotely interested in him. Fortezza deals with each character's troubling issues with amazing delicacy and insight. The novel begins on Thursday, alternately detailing the lives of the three individuals. Drawing the reader into the separate worlds of each character, Fortezza describes their mannerisms and thoughts with care, skill, and good humor. All three are looking for love, for that “other half” to complete their empty lives. Part two takes place on Friday and leads the trio into an intricate web from which they will not emerge. For a first novel, Fortezza seems to puts his soul on paper. One can’t help but feel he speaks from the streets he writes about, imitating speech patterns (“Does she still follow ya aroun’ all the time?”), verbalizing the frustration Vinnie faces living at home and trying to write (“I’ll rest when I’m dead”), and reflecting on life in Brooklyn (Kathy is ecstatic when she finds an empty seat on the subway). There are a few technical problems with the book. The standard format of italicizing foreign words and book titles isn’t followed and tends to be confusing at times. The copy editing is a little sloppy and distracting. But in general, the story moves forward steadily, the characters are real enough, and the ending packs a heck of a punch in the mouth.

Ladyjiraff Reviews Close to the Edge
Brooklyn, New York in 1978 in an Italian-American area three characters, Vinnie, Kathy, and Rocco meet by pure circumstance. Mr. Fortezza's characters are well developed, described visibly and are portrayed as easily liked individuals. Naturally, the first thing that I noticed was the beautiful cover art. The comforting scenery of a woman sitting on a bench on a beautiful clear blue day watching a sailboat float across the vast ocean in front of her immediately pulls you in. Thursday morning begins the novel. The three characters unconsciously have something in common...each one is looking for love to complete them and to fulfill their lives. Vinnie is a writer and son of an adoring and typical Italian mother who snubs the opportunity to learn English. His pensive tendencies make it difficult to find what he's after. Rocco is a blue-collar worker who is in love with a girl who isn't at all interested in his romantic tactics to sweep her off her feet. Kathy is an insecure woman who on top of being alone and young is dealing with abortion issues--should she or should she not--as her emotions run wild. I couldn't wait to read the conclusion for each of the insightful and troubling concerns of Vinnie, Rocco, and Kathy. Fortezza's storytelling is genuine, sincere and he writes with such compassion and bluntness that the dialogue, the characters, and their surroundings seem real for reflecting life in the big city. The ending sort of surprised, but satisfied my hunger for wanting to know the characters from a talented author. I look forward to future works. --Reviewed by Jennifer L. B. Leese,