I Am

by Matthew Hubbard

Phoenix Harper’s childhood was stolen at the age of ten. He was in fourth grade. He raced home to watch cartoons after school. He was sexually molested. No one believed him.

And then he blinked.

After college graduation, he is forced to return to his hometown. And his family. It’s like some higher being pressed pause on the remote control of his life. He’d spent so many years trying to forget what had happened, but the heat of the Alabama summer is slowly engulfing him.

Stuck in small town suburbia, he meets a cast of characters who alter his outlook on life. Each new encounter brings to light a part of himself he didn’t know he was missing. With the help of the cashier and the bag boy at the local grocery store, an elderly neighbor who sips sweet tea on the front porch, and his kid sister who acts like a crazed baboon, Phoenix will finally confront his past.

It’s time to discover what life is truly about.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Abuse, Romance

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2014

Reviews

[Jeff Wilken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free through Goodreads First Read program. My wife got to this book before I did. She isn't much of a reader but thought that it was an excellent book. She had an extremely hard time putting it down to go to bed each night. If she recommended that I HAD to read it, then it has to be an excellent book.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was extremely impressed by this book, as the narrator and events made perfect sense to me in more ways than the obvious storyline. That blend of growing up vs high school/college dynamic in a small town resounds with me. I felt that Matthew created real characters in a real story and their spillover story was spot on to life.

I feel like anything I might add to this review would be a spoiler, so all I can do is recommend you give it a try. Particularly if you are from the south, and know what a buggy is, how can you go wrong?

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful...just beautiful

This novel is bold and honest to its very core. It's about the healing and transformation process and it will even cause you to look at your internal demons. The ones that have been lurking inside for a while. More importantly, it will cause you to see the real you, the beautiful and innocent you that has always been there staring back at you. You will laugh and cry and even smile in retrospect.

[Alyssa Blalock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It was hard hitting and bold. I laughed and I cried. This book brought a very real trauma to the front page and didnt look back. The characters were sincere and genuine. The feelings portrayed made you feel like you were there. Definitely a must read, especially if you have been through trauma yourself.

[Steven C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Powerful!