4.0 out of 5 stars
Neil finds his way - though it wasn't easy
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2017
Much of Neil Darrien's teen boy life - at least his "outer" life - is wrapped around theater, music and his beloved hoot of a guardian, Aunt Jenny, who has taken wonderful care of Neil since his somewhat less than beloved parents died when Neil was nine. To almost as great an extent, his current life is also very involved with his so-called "girlfriend" Melissa (oh Neil, how could you be so blind?), his new best friend Zane, his soon-to-be theatrical mentor Scott and a reality TV star known as Satine. How's that for a set of characters? But, each one has their important role to play in this engrossing story.
Sadly, his life is also haunted by a collared, hypocritical and threatening human wraith from his childhood past - along with the translucent stained glass window colors that always accompany his horrific hauntings.
Though promoted on Amazon as a YA "gay romance," I do think there was a bit too little romance involving Neil and Zane and way too much (though, in her case, said "romance" ends up - rightly so - being worthless) involving, on the surface, Neil and Melissa. Yet, the business with Neil and Melissa turns out to be important because it sets up the climax and final confrontation between Neil and his loathsome human "ghost" - in a brave public scene which finally sets our young, admirably protective hero free to be the guy he really was meant to be. This may sound like a spoiler but, really, the perceptive reader can see this coming from the first couple of chapters in this mildly suspenseful tale.
Except for, in the introduction, a thankfully vague allusion to the assault of Neil by his abuser, there's no sexual content here and almost no talk or thoughts of sex, making the book 100% suitable for gay or questioning boys from age group 11 and up. (Neil was described as being 17 or so).
One character was truly evil and another was "evil" largely through her ignorance and her somewhat stereotypical religious obsessions. But there's a plentiful abundance of good as well and that goodness finally wins out for a really appropriate HFN ending.
I liked the book a lot and would have given 5 stars if I'd been able to enjoy more "romantic" interactions between Neil and Zane
Neil finds his way - though it wasn't easy
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2017
Much of Neil Darrien's teen boy life - at least his "outer" life - is wrapped around theater, music and his beloved hoot of a guardian, Aunt Jenny, who has taken wonderful care of Neil since his somewhat less than beloved parents died when Neil was nine. To almost as great an extent, his current life is also very involved with his so-called "girlfriend" Melissa (oh Neil, how could you be so blind?), his new best friend Zane, his soon-to-be theatrical mentor Scott and a reality TV star known as Satine. How's that for a set of characters? But, each one has their important role to play in this engrossing story.
Sadly, his life is also haunted by a collared, hypocritical and threatening human wraith from his childhood past - along with the translucent stained glass window colors that always accompany his horrific hauntings.
Though promoted on Amazon as a YA "gay romance," I do think there was a bit too little romance involving Neil and Zane and way too much (though, in her case, said "romance" ends up - rightly so - being worthless) involving, on the surface, Neil and Melissa. Yet, the business with Neil and Melissa turns out to be important because it sets up the climax and final confrontation between Neil and his loathsome human "ghost" - in a brave public scene which finally sets our young, admirably protective hero free to be the guy he really was meant to be. This may sound like a spoiler but, really, the perceptive reader can see this coming from the first couple of chapters in this mildly suspenseful tale.
Except for, in the introduction, a thankfully vague allusion to the assault of Neil by his abuser, there's no sexual content here and almost no talk or thoughts of sex, making the book 100% suitable for gay or questioning boys from age group 11 and up. (Neil was described as being 17 or so).
One character was truly evil and another was "evil" largely through her ignorance and her somewhat stereotypical religious obsessions. But there's a plentiful abundance of good as well and that goodness finally wins out for a really appropriate HFN ending.
I liked the book a lot and would have given 5 stars if I'd been able to enjoy more "romantic" interactions between Neil and Zane