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Benedict
A young person’s sixteenth birthday is an important rite of passage that’s celebrated in the land of marionettes. A quarterly dance at the king’s palace for recent celebrants marks the highlight of a teenager’s year, where youngsters of all classes are invited to mingle and dance and enjoy themselves, forging new friendships and potential romances, all of which are expected to shape their lives for the better.
Benedict is a boy from a privileged household. Spoiled and taught his role as the future benefactor to those less fortunate, he’s grown up with specific strictures on how to behave toward others, and he’s learned to look to his elders for unequivocal guidance.
Just before the next dance at the king’s palace—a dance where Benedict, having just turned sixteen, is invited—a few strange things begin to happen. First, there’s the matter regarding Jeremy, Benedict’s friend, who lives in a poor cottage with his mother and grandmother in the woods. Jeremy’s not only been acting oddly, but also is missing some of his marionette strings. No amount of prodding from Benedict yields answers, and the more he tries to delve into things, the more Jeremy pushes away.
Secondly, there’s the matter regarding birds insisting that Benedict go to the palace to find the lost prince. With nothing but a key and obtuse instructions to go by, Benedict attempts to humor the birds but gradually realizes that the answer to the mystery of the lost prince could very well be a lot more personal than he’d first believed, especially when he sees Jeremy somehow being involved in it.
Benedict is a boy from a privileged household. Spoiled and taught his role as the future benefactor to those less fortunate, he’s grown up with specific strictures on how to behave toward others, and he’s learned to look to his elders for unequivocal guidance.
Just before the next dance at the king’s palace—a dance where Benedict, having just turned sixteen, is invited—a few strange things begin to happen. First, there’s the matter regarding Jeremy, Benedict’s friend, who lives in a poor cottage with his mother and grandmother in the woods. Jeremy’s not only been acting oddly, but also is missing some of his marionette strings. No amount of prodding from Benedict yields answers, and the more he tries to delve into things, the more Jeremy pushes away.
Secondly, there’s the matter regarding birds insisting that Benedict go to the palace to find the lost prince. With nothing but a key and obtuse instructions to go by, Benedict attempts to humor the birds but gradually realizes that the answer to the mystery of the lost prince could very well be a lot more personal than he’d first believed, especially when he sees Jeremy somehow being involved in it.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2013
29 people want to read
About the author
Hayden Thorne
100 books81 followersI write gothic fiction, fairy tales, and ghost stories with a touch of gay romance. For a complete and updated list of my published books,
please visit my Books2Read store
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 1, 2013
For sixteen years, Benedict has lived in a world without conflict. He's got a loving family who makes virtually all of his decisions for him; he's never had to think for himself. All he has to do is follow the rules which he never thinks about questioning. He's like a puppet, manipulated by strings, going and doing as they dictate, but, on his sixteenth birthday, things begin to change. He's not content to just blindly follow the rules any longer. Some of them simply don't make sense to him now. At the same time, he feels guilty for doing so. As the time approaches for his 'coming of age' party at the palace, Benedict begins a journey from which there is no retreat.
Birds are often harbingers of events to come and so it is in this case. After the birds attract his attention, Benedict decides to at least listen to what they have to say. He's given a message including a key with instructions to follow but they are not specific. In cases when logic may not be clear, he's urged to follow his heart. Benedict goes along with it, seeing it as an adventure. He's not prepared for the obstacles thrown in his way. He's baffled and frustrated, especially when, in the past, everything has always been perfectly clear. He has to decide for himself which he is clearly not used to doing. It's a new and frightening experience. He's not sure he wants to continue exploring this path; but he also knows that he no longer fits where he came from. His whole perception of the world has changed and he's lost. There's nothing to be done except to continue the search. He slowly makes progress, getting a bit further all the time, but he is also feeling more uncomfortable with himself as he progresses. Finally, he's able to piece it altogether. He sees what he wants and gives up what he was, to become the person he's meant to be.
This is a marvelous story, written in a lyrical prose that begs for interpretation. Each clue is definitive, i.e., his mother making all the decisions; his father cautioning Benedict not stray too far, and presents a great puzzle to arrange. I loved the string analogy. It was most impressive as a representation of Benedict's dependence on his family; the tightness representing rebellion; the pulling back into the old norm of his life. One of my favorite parts is when Benedict makes this profound observation: “The possibility of countless others who’d stayed in their dollhouses and painted stages for the rest of their lives was too real, and he shuddered at the thought.” I recommend this story to those who like their books to be thought-provoking and problem solving, portraying an excellent story with a great ending. Thanks, Hayden, for giving me something I could really get my teeth into as well as enjoy immensely.
NOTE: This book was provided by JMS Queerteen Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Birds are often harbingers of events to come and so it is in this case. After the birds attract his attention, Benedict decides to at least listen to what they have to say. He's given a message including a key with instructions to follow but they are not specific. In cases when logic may not be clear, he's urged to follow his heart. Benedict goes along with it, seeing it as an adventure. He's not prepared for the obstacles thrown in his way. He's baffled and frustrated, especially when, in the past, everything has always been perfectly clear. He has to decide for himself which he is clearly not used to doing. It's a new and frightening experience. He's not sure he wants to continue exploring this path; but he also knows that he no longer fits where he came from. His whole perception of the world has changed and he's lost. There's nothing to be done except to continue the search. He slowly makes progress, getting a bit further all the time, but he is also feeling more uncomfortable with himself as he progresses. Finally, he's able to piece it altogether. He sees what he wants and gives up what he was, to become the person he's meant to be.
This is a marvelous story, written in a lyrical prose that begs for interpretation. Each clue is definitive, i.e., his mother making all the decisions; his father cautioning Benedict not stray too far, and presents a great puzzle to arrange. I loved the string analogy. It was most impressive as a representation of Benedict's dependence on his family; the tightness representing rebellion; the pulling back into the old norm of his life. One of my favorite parts is when Benedict makes this profound observation: “The possibility of countless others who’d stayed in their dollhouses and painted stages for the rest of their lives was too real, and he shuddered at the thought.” I recommend this story to those who like their books to be thought-provoking and problem solving, portraying an excellent story with a great ending. Thanks, Hayden, for giving me something I could really get my teeth into as well as enjoy immensely.
NOTE: This book was provided by JMS Queerteen Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
October 5, 2013
From the unexpected representation of a young man’s destiny to the agony and realization and eventual discovery of his true self, Benedict is a story of surprises and of the burgeoning promise of young love set in a place of magic and imagination. This is Hayden Thorne at some of her allegorical best, leading the reader through a time of change and growth, and eventually to the acceptance not of a one-size-fits-all love but of a tailor-made love that suits two boys, perfectly.
You can read the rest of this review at The Novel Approach
You can read the rest of this review at The Novel Approach
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews