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Small Town Dreams
She was a good girl. A girl with close friends, dreams, goals and a deep love for her small, quite home town. She was like most of her friends, growing up, living, laughing and enjoying their days. Now, the final year of high school was on them and the future was stunningly bright, perfect. They all knew it and they all slipped into the final days of summer not worrying about a thing. Just as small town girls should.
Connie, however, was different. Her desire, her gut need to get out of that town, to leave it behind, to start living a real life, was all she ever thought about, all she ever wanted. Her friends saw it in her and, of all her friends, Annie saw it the most clearly. Annie saw what Connie wanted and she knew exactly what Connie would do to get what she wanted. Annie worried and hoped that her friend, her best friend, wouldn’t do anything rash, stupid, thoughtless. Annie held that wish for as long as she could.
But with school starting and the sudden attachment between Connie and the handsome, driven Parker Levitt, things began to change with Annie and her close friends. Connie, somehow more secure in her future, believing Parker, with his offer of a full scholarship to Columbia in New York City, was her ticket away, her pass to freedom. But, Parker, was in the midst of change as well. The pressure to be the golden boy, the star student, the one who would make his family’s dreams come true, was getting to be too much for him. Combined with his realization that Connie was seeing him, not so much as a boyfriend but, as a way to freedom, Parker took a strange and dangerous turn, one that he involved Annie in far too much, far too deeply.
A small quiet town had rivers of silence and mystery running deeply beneath its surface. The innocence of the days, if you look closely, is tinged with glimpses of desperation, horror and fear. When the under currents begin to run faster, wilder, when they start to break their banks and bubble to the surface, the results are often devastating and life changing for all involved. This was the truth. This was the reality of that small town, in that year, when Annie Stewart suddenly saw the world as it really was.
Connie, however, was different. Her desire, her gut need to get out of that town, to leave it behind, to start living a real life, was all she ever thought about, all she ever wanted. Her friends saw it in her and, of all her friends, Annie saw it the most clearly. Annie saw what Connie wanted and she knew exactly what Connie would do to get what she wanted. Annie worried and hoped that her friend, her best friend, wouldn’t do anything rash, stupid, thoughtless. Annie held that wish for as long as she could.
But with school starting and the sudden attachment between Connie and the handsome, driven Parker Levitt, things began to change with Annie and her close friends. Connie, somehow more secure in her future, believing Parker, with his offer of a full scholarship to Columbia in New York City, was her ticket away, her pass to freedom. But, Parker, was in the midst of change as well. The pressure to be the golden boy, the star student, the one who would make his family’s dreams come true, was getting to be too much for him. Combined with his realization that Connie was seeing him, not so much as a boyfriend but, as a way to freedom, Parker took a strange and dangerous turn, one that he involved Annie in far too much, far too deeply.
A small quiet town had rivers of silence and mystery running deeply beneath its surface. The innocence of the days, if you look closely, is tinged with glimpses of desperation, horror and fear. When the under currents begin to run faster, wilder, when they start to break their banks and bubble to the surface, the results are often devastating and life changing for all involved. This was the truth. This was the reality of that small town, in that year, when Annie Stewart suddenly saw the world as it really was.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2014
38 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Milton
261 books20 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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February 17, 2018
In this novel I see a reverse role. It maybe that Connie is the one that got murdered, but I feel Anne is living her dream life. Everything that Connie talked to everyone of her girlfriends about using Parker to get out Rockland is what eventually she has in reversal with Dean. The only thing is Dean has already accomplished what Parkers parents and the community set him on the path to. Parker already had a break in his psyche, all it took was one trip away from the"norm" and the misguidance from a book for him to slide into a comfortable psychotic sociopathic state of mind. Like Dean told Anne some people can't be helped, and Parker probably was never right in the head hiding behind a good small town Good boy facade just like Anne admitted she does at times. Parker needing to blame Anne for his obsession with her and his violent behavior is the mind of a very ill person. Like Dean told Parker, he's going to feed off his own revenge and misery for a lifetime because he won't control Anne's happiness with his absolution. I'm not even sure how I feel about Anne this happily ever after in this story. I think I remember seeing the movie Sleepless in Seattle, and it wasn't as aw inspiring to be a main inspiration in the dialogue of the book. I didn't want to have to jog my memory to remember that movie to correlate it to Paul's conversation with Anne about Dean. All of that about the signs could've been used in a more elaborate way veto the movie references connecting the characters. But in the end I don't like cliffhangers so Parkers pass and going to New York, being that's where The Moore's are headed for their honeymoon is not the way to end this novel unless theirs a sequel. Shame on you author!
April 29, 2019
I think that this book is going to haunt for me a while, as it affected me at a deep emotional level. Parker was a young man with tremendous potential, but his dark side rose up and took over his character and personality at a very young age. Annie was unwittingly drawn into the conflict between Parker and his girlfriend, Connie, both of whom used her as a source of direction and comfort. Annie was one of those rare individuals who knew who she was even as a teenager. She was centered and certain about her future. However, the angst and internal conflict experienced by the other characters in the book, caused her to doubt herself. Parker tried to imply that Annie was responsible for the actions he had taken, causing her to re-evaluate and take control of her life. This book is well written, with a deep understanding of how the disturbing actions of one person can deeply impact the life of an innocent, leaving me feeling sad and restless.
November 18, 2017
Sorry but I just didn't like this book
I really dislike this book. The story, the characters and the pace of the book is rush. Weird end as well.
I really dislike this book. The story, the characters and the pace of the book is rush. Weird end as well.
February 25, 2015
this one was a strong read, a bit heavy but i loved it more than anything. It's one of the few books i would rate ten stars which i read lately. The content is a bit angsty, you must be in the mood to read it, be warned. It is not really a romance at the first sense, though there is one in it. A beautiful utterly satisfying read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews