The main problem is Duncan’s attempt to bolster the central theme with repetitive action. In order to demonstrate that Liam is struggling to accept his homosexuality, Duncan relies on too many conveniently placed flirtatious encounters between Liam and other young men. Half-way through the book, I grew tired of following Liam around the club scene as he demeans women, beats up the guys he fucks, and repeats the well-worn quip: ‘You’re only gay if you take it.’

Initially, it seemed that Duncan was trying to illustrate the difficulty of breaking away from stereotypes, but it soon became clear that he was unable to comprehend how these characters might develop. The final development came too late.

While Metro is a confronting and entertaining novel, readers without some experience of this culture might assume that all metrosexuals are emotionally retarded sex-addicts. In order to portray this particular community fairly, Duncan should have considered both halves of the metrosexual compound, everything else that makes up the life of a young, urban person exploring his or her identity.