What I love most about this book if the way the author speaks to the readers, it reminds me of the 2003 Peter Pan film when Smee occasionally turns to the camera and says things like, ‘It’s all a bit tragic really isn’t it’. So although I see Jacob as a character in the story, I also see Jacob the author. I love his quirky remarks and sense of humour, its so dry sometimes and other times its so blatant you can’t help but laugh out loud and then keep giggling about it for the next 10 minutes – maybe I’m just easily pleased.
The matter of fact-ness from ‘Jacob’ is honest, going from sarcastic jokes to flat out ‘I want this’ is genius. I need to meet this guy. The quirky remarks and the thought processes he goes through are well remembered. You need to bare in mind when reading this book that its taken from his diary and memory (up until a point in the book anyway), this wasn’t written literally as he lived his life. So to add the things he has, the actions and the comments is a talent.
I have a couple of great lines from this book that I have made a note of just because they are either too cute or laugh out loud funny including this one below which really we’ve all said at some point in one way or another:
“Who could’ve guessed that the last place we go is the perfect place?”
“Yeah, how about next time we’re looking for something, we go to the last place first?”
“What? That doesn’t make any sense, because then it would be the first place we go and not the last place, and therefore it wouldn’t be the perfect place, because it wouldn’t be last if we went there first.”
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“Powder my— I mean, wash my nose— my face, I mean, I need to wash my hands,” – I just want to hug him for that line.
This book could be classed as ‘life affirming guidance’ for anyone dealing with new situations, dealing with love and loss of a relationship and bulling. Reading that someone else has gone through the same things – we all say everyone experiences it but we never really take that thought in do we? We never really accept it. Here you can read about it and see how life played out for someone who went through the same things we all go through and its nice to read. Its nice to ‘hear’ someone’s opinion on it and go, ‘yeah, that’s how I felt and that’s what I’m going to do about it’.
If you’ve ever been in-love with someone that didn’t want you or you just never told, this is for you. It will show you what you are or did go through for quite possibly no reason.
This book will show you that despite their upbringing, their history with other people, once someone gets involved with the wrong ‘crowd’ they become a different person – someone that can be hurtful, spiteful and dis-respectful. I hope that one day ‘Drew’ understands what he acted like towards who was supposed to be his best friend, and finally has the bravado, which he showed through those school years, to say sorry.
For those of you who are unsure of whether to read it for the ‘gay romance’ part – there isn’t much, there’s kissing and hints at intimate situations but nothing hot or remotely graphic. It’s just a sweet romance (here and there) that played out in some boys life.
This isn’t a masterpiece; this isn’t life defining, but it has potential, as does the author. For a first book – this is honest, down to earth life that is encompassed in a novella. A quick read that you can go back to every now and then. I personally hope the author keeps his unique ‘speak’ for any new novels etc. that maybe coming out, some people don’t quite get it or just don’t think it suits. But I think it helps to keep the book ‘safe’ and ‘sweet’.
I gave this story a 4/5 as there is alot of potential for this author and I want him to be encouraged to make more ‘stronger’ books – as in more depth and less restraints in the way he describes things – I believe this will come with age and experience. I recommend this book for anyone who has a heartbeat but it is also a cute book to read sitting on a cloud too.
nixcean 