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Pull Down the Sun
Dear Author,
He was the boy I spent my summers with; every long, hot summer holiday by the beach. For six weeks every year, he was my best friend, my partner-in-crime, and eventually my first kiss, my first everything. And then one year, what should have been our last summer before university, he wasn’t there. He didn’t come back. I waited all summer. Now, ten years later, on a different beach, in a different town, another country, we run into each other and all those old feelings come rushing back.
Photo Description:
The black-and-white photo shows two handsome, well-built, bare-chested young men, kissing passionately as they lie in the shallow waves on a beach. Still wearing their jeans, they look like they have tumbled into the water, so caught up in the moment and their love for each other they are oblivious to the world around them.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
He was the boy I spent my summers with; every long, hot summer holiday by the beach. For six weeks every year, he was my best friend, my partner-in-crime, and eventually my first kiss, my first everything. And then one year, what should have been our last summer before university, he wasn’t there. He didn’t come back. I waited all summer. Now, ten years later, on a different beach, in a different town, another country, we run into each other and all those old feelings come rushing back.
Photo Description:
The black-and-white photo shows two handsome, well-built, bare-chested young men, kissing passionately as they lie in the shallow waves on a beach. Still wearing their jeans, they look like they have tumbled into the water, so caught up in the moment and their love for each other they are oblivious to the world around them.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
78 pages, ebook
First published June 15, 2015
1 person is currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Danni Keane
11 books99 followersDanni Keane lives in the depths of English suburbia, where she likes to divide her time equally between writing, daydreaming and napping.
Having never really grown up, Danni fits right in at her day job, working with children. She spends her days avidly listening to the whimsical imaginings of five-year-olds, and then rushes home to shamelessly plagiarise their ideas. However, she has yet to write a story about an exploding ghost banana. Maybe one day...
She loves to read and write all different types of stories, but her favourite characters usually have one thing in common: they are ordinary people with extraordinary dreams.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 16, 2015
~4.25~
This is a beautifully written, pitch-perfect coming-of-age story about first love and the secrets we keep.
Two boys meet at the age of 8. They are inseparable during the long and lazy summer months on the Cornish Coast; real life happens off stage.
Everything is sharper, brighter when Tom and Jacob are together.
Tom comes from a loving middle-class family. He's not privileged, not exactly, but his parents support him; his grandpa adores him; and he gets to vacation in Greece.
Jacob hides behind lies and half-truths. His is a fantasy world where his dad is a famous footballer and he goes on holiday in Florida and swims with the dolphins.
There are windmills and trinkets that mean everything. And many things that Tom refuses to see.
Tom idolizes Jacob. He never asks. And Jacob never tells.
There is so much to love about this quiet, bittersweet story, so many truths between the lines.
Tom, the narrator, bares his heart, but he also judges. Tom wants the happy Jacob, not the Jacob hiding behind the facade. And Jacob doesn't trust enough to be real. Because real hurts.
There's foreshadowing in the story that hints at bad things to come, so I read with bated breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I would have rated this story 5 stars; it was THAT good. But the ending, a tender, tentative HFN, wasn't enough (not for me).
Jacob needs more than Tom can give, and my heart clenched at the uncertainty, the long-buried trauma and pain.
I liked that Tom's issues weren't so easily resolved. It's never that simple. But I needed one more chapter, just one more, set a few years down the road.
I wanted a glimpse of a future where the scars have faded and there is just sunshine and the beach and two men in love.
This is a beautifully written, pitch-perfect coming-of-age story about first love and the secrets we keep.
Two boys meet at the age of 8. They are inseparable during the long and lazy summer months on the Cornish Coast; real life happens off stage.
Everything is sharper, brighter when Tom and Jacob are together.
Tom comes from a loving middle-class family. He's not privileged, not exactly, but his parents support him; his grandpa adores him; and he gets to vacation in Greece.
Jacob hides behind lies and half-truths. His is a fantasy world where his dad is a famous footballer and he goes on holiday in Florida and swims with the dolphins.
There are windmills and trinkets that mean everything. And many things that Tom refuses to see.
Tom idolizes Jacob. He never asks. And Jacob never tells.
There is so much to love about this quiet, bittersweet story, so many truths between the lines.
Tom, the narrator, bares his heart, but he also judges. Tom wants the happy Jacob, not the Jacob hiding behind the facade. And Jacob doesn't trust enough to be real. Because real hurts.
There's foreshadowing in the story that hints at bad things to come, so I read with bated breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I would have rated this story 5 stars; it was THAT good. But the ending, a tender, tentative HFN, wasn't enough (not for me).
Jacob needs more than Tom can give, and my heart clenched at the uncertainty, the long-buried trauma and pain.
I liked that Tom's issues weren't so easily resolved. It's never that simple. But I needed one more chapter, just one more, set a few years down the road.
I wanted a glimpse of a future where the scars have faded and there is just sunshine and the beach and two men in love.
June 22, 2015
Summertime, holiday friendships, and heartache.
Bittersweet YA that finds resolution with time. And time is what it takes, no matter how much you want, love, care for something--you can't rush it. Keane does a wonderful job with portraying regular young men, unrepentantly so, for better and worse. Also manages to show situations that rip out your heart while focusing on the aftermath rather than the pivotal event that irrevocably altered their lives.
Favorite quote:
“Sometimes,” he said, “I feel like if I stand in the right place, or if I wish hard enough, the wind might blow me away.
Part of the MM Group's 2015 DRitC: Love is an Open Road
September 20, 2015
This is a very lovely story about two boys being their first everything. They pull apart as they grow up, but the feelings they have for one another don't disappear. And then, all those years later, they run into each other on their holidays.
(...) We have our time here with the people we love, and we might be apart for a while, but it comes full circle. We go back to them because it’s where we’re meant to be."
June 16, 2015
So I may be a bit biased on this story because I was lucky enough to beta read it... but screw it.
I adored this. From the prompt picture that gives me all kinds of feels, to the actual words, this was an emotional ride. I teared up more times than I care to admit but if you know anything about me, I am an emotional reader and when an author hits that button, the dam breaks and I am a mess.
I love that we meet Jacob and Tom as they are young boys, spending their summers at "the coast" and growing up with them through the years as their friendship develops and they blossom sexually. Yeah, I used the word blossom because it fits, it just does. Both boys have their issues but Jacob, he broke my heart and while I caught on early to his life, it didn't lessen the blow at all.
The heartache of first love; of falling for that someone who isn't perfect and will more than likely break your heart is always bittersweet. It hurts like hell but second chances, those will always make my heart sing and give me hope.
Let me gush and fan girl for a moment... There is one thing I love most about the boys that Danni Keane writes; they are real. There is no suspending of reality with her stories and everything from spots on the skin that come with growing up to the realness of first time sex... she writes honestly and that, I adore about her.
So anyway, Tom and Jacob have one rough ride but it's worth it. The story goes into some deep issues with Jacob and his childhood and the way it's handled, to me, was respectful and the magic penis does not solve everyone's problems. Can you imagine that?
Ugh. This was lovely and images of sunsets, hearts and windmills just make my heart clench and, le sigh.
I'm done gushing.
Redhead out.
I adored this. From the prompt picture that gives me all kinds of feels, to the actual words, this was an emotional ride. I teared up more times than I care to admit but if you know anything about me, I am an emotional reader and when an author hits that button, the dam breaks and I am a mess.
I love that we meet Jacob and Tom as they are young boys, spending their summers at "the coast" and growing up with them through the years as their friendship develops and they blossom sexually. Yeah, I used the word blossom because it fits, it just does. Both boys have their issues but Jacob, he broke my heart and while I caught on early to his life, it didn't lessen the blow at all.
The heartache of first love; of falling for that someone who isn't perfect and will more than likely break your heart is always bittersweet. It hurts like hell but second chances, those will always make my heart sing and give me hope.
Let me gush and fan girl for a moment... There is one thing I love most about the boys that Danni Keane writes; they are real. There is no suspending of reality with her stories and everything from spots on the skin that come with growing up to the realness of first time sex... she writes honestly and that, I adore about her.
So anyway, Tom and Jacob have one rough ride but it's worth it. The story goes into some deep issues with Jacob and his childhood and the way it's handled, to me, was respectful and the magic penis does not solve everyone's problems. Can you imagine that?
Ugh. This was lovely and images of sunsets, hearts and windmills just make my heart clench and, le sigh.
I'm done gushing.
Redhead out.
June 15, 2015
Trigger warning - mentions of sexual child abuse.
This story, another great submission for the Love Is An Open Road event, made my heart hurt and my eyes leak. I hurt for Jacob and I hurt for Tom. I hurt for missed chances, and for time lost. I hurt for Jacob, for the little boy whose innocence was taken from him, who had nobody but Tom believe him, who lost himself in the process. I hurt for Tom, who fell in love and was left without knowing why, who carried so much anger and grief in his heart, and who finally found out the truth.
But I also rejoiced when they found each other again, when the truth comes out, and when it's clear that not all is lost.
Gorgeous story, great writing, definitely worth your time.
This story, another great submission for the Love Is An Open Road event, made my heart hurt and my eyes leak. I hurt for Jacob and I hurt for Tom. I hurt for missed chances, and for time lost. I hurt for Jacob, for the little boy whose innocence was taken from him, who had nobody but Tom believe him, who lost himself in the process. I hurt for Tom, who fell in love and was left without knowing why, who carried so much anger and grief in his heart, and who finally found out the truth.
But I also rejoiced when they found each other again, when the truth comes out, and when it's clear that not all is lost.
Gorgeous story, great writing, definitely worth your time.
June 15, 2015
Oh, this has such feelz. Summer love, beach culture, two kids from different sides of the tracks…
I loved how every interaction between Tom and Jacob had a subtle, underlying something-not-quite-right that existed for Jacob— how it affected this lovely, exciting thing they had discovered between them.
This author has a deft hand at portraying youth: the coming of age, the anxiety, the edge of discovery. And a way of painting a very strong sense of place: the windmill, the sandy bunker, Mr. Tulley’s shop, Granddad’s chalet, Jacob’s caravan… all colorfully depicted. And a way of tugging at your heart: Jacob and Tom deal with some pretty heavy issues.
I really liked how the ending was hopeful without the shiny red bow on top. Definitely want to read more from this pen.
January 5, 2016
3 Stars
A beautifully written, heartache inducing story.
This one has put me in a deeply pensive, melancholic mood--which is the result of both excellent storytelling and some heavy subject matter.
Although the quality of the writing was impressive and the emotions elicited were strong, I'm not actually sure I liked the road this story ended up taking. I was fully engaged up until the boys reached the age of 16, but then my previous enthralment gradually ebbed away. I honestly can't pinpoint what triggered my sudden disconnect, whether it was simply my mood or the angsty route the story later took, either way my overall enjoyment was affected.
A beautifully written, heartache inducing story.
This one has put me in a deeply pensive, melancholic mood--which is the result of both excellent storytelling and some heavy subject matter.
Although the quality of the writing was impressive and the emotions elicited were strong, I'm not actually sure I liked the road this story ended up taking. I was fully engaged up until the boys reached the age of 16, but then my previous enthralment gradually ebbed away. I honestly can't pinpoint what triggered my sudden disconnect, whether it was simply my mood or the angsty route the story later took, either way my overall enjoyment was affected.
July 14, 2015
Oh wow. This story was amazing. I adored it. I want more. MORE> MORE> MORE.
I read this book with a combination of joy, nostalgia, and an unbearable urge to cry. Jacob. Eight year old Tom might not have been able to see through the façade, but this grown-up reader could, and as much as I wanted to read the next word and the next, part of me dreaded it. Feared the sadness that would come. The revelations.
I couldn't stop reading though.
I wanted to know all the things. I loved how the story was told. I would love to know more about the future these two have. We see the start of the healing, but I want to know more. I want to see their first Christmas. I want Jacob to have that experience. I want the love after the healing. We get glimpses, but I'm greedy and want more.
Also, the setting. The nostalgia. My BFF at school, her family had a static caravan by the coast and many weekends through the summer I would get invited there. Being from a larger, less well off family, I felt some of the awe that Jacob did. I completely understood him.
And anyone who spent any time at the seaside in Britain through the eighties or nineties, or even the noughties, knows those shops, with the beach balls and windmills and ice-creams and buckets and spades... A veritable treasure trove of brightly coloured plastic for children. Just seeing the description summons up a bright summers day. The kind without humidity, but with a blazing sun and cool coastal breeze. Sand and sunburn and salt water. I can smell it, and hear it, and almost feel the sand under my feet. The seaside in summer.
Thank you Danni. This story is amazing. And, if you wanted to write more about Jacob and Tom, I for one want to read it!! This story has made a good day great. :)
I read this book with a combination of joy, nostalgia, and an unbearable urge to cry. Jacob. Eight year old Tom might not have been able to see through the façade, but this grown-up reader could, and as much as I wanted to read the next word and the next, part of me dreaded it. Feared the sadness that would come. The revelations.
I couldn't stop reading though.
I wanted to know all the things. I loved how the story was told. I would love to know more about the future these two have. We see the start of the healing, but I want to know more. I want to see their first Christmas. I want Jacob to have that experience. I want the love after the healing. We get glimpses, but I'm greedy and want more.
Also, the setting. The nostalgia. My BFF at school, her family had a static caravan by the coast and many weekends through the summer I would get invited there. Being from a larger, less well off family, I felt some of the awe that Jacob did. I completely understood him.
And anyone who spent any time at the seaside in Britain through the eighties or nineties, or even the noughties, knows those shops, with the beach balls and windmills and ice-creams and buckets and spades... A veritable treasure trove of brightly coloured plastic for children. Just seeing the description summons up a bright summers day. The kind without humidity, but with a blazing sun and cool coastal breeze. Sand and sunburn and salt water. I can smell it, and hear it, and almost feel the sand under my feet. The seaside in summer.
Thank you Danni. This story is amazing. And, if you wanted to write more about Jacob and Tom, I for one want to read it!! This story has made a good day great. :)
March 30, 2016
I think this was an incredible story but it just wasn't for me.
It was very well written. The characters were endearing. The young love tugged on my heart. But I have one really BIG but here.
Child abuse, especially sexual abuse is a harsh trigger for me.
It was TOO hard and TOO much and destroyed my enjoyment greatly.
Clearly a MNY.
It was very well written. The characters were endearing. The young love tugged on my heart. But I have one really BIG but here.
Child abuse, especially sexual abuse is a harsh trigger for me.
It was TOO hard and TOO much and destroyed my enjoyment greatly.
Clearly a MNY.
July 11, 2021
DNF @ 84%
Oh. The. Drama.
Spoilers ahead.
Two kids meet on summer break on the coast. Over several summers they strike up an unlikely friendship and then an even more unlikely romance. Until it goes kablooey. Then TEN YEARS pass, they meet again, they're still hung up on each other because their lives are sad, they fight (fists included) about what happened ten years ago. There's a lot of blaming of MC2 by MC1 because apparently MC1 isn't responsible for his inability to move on. I don't know what happens after that, because with only twenty or so minutes left to go, I ran out of care.
MC1 is a bit fatalistic. He realizes that he knows next to nothing about MC2, but he never addresses it when they're kids. Which is understandable to a point when they were younger, but once they were in their teens, I expected a bit more from him. But they were too busy kissing, and then necking. And MC2 has some sort of traumatic childhood situation to explain the crappy way he treats MC1, but the explanation we're eventually given just didn't quite seem like enough for all he did. Maybe partially, but not entirely. (There could be more of an explanation past the point where I stopped, since that seemed pretty mild considering all the hints earlier in the book.)
I liked the first half well enough, though it was a bit drawn out. The jump forward ten years caused it to lose all natural momentum, and I'm not sure why the first part was as long as it was, even though I liked that part better. I also would have expected MC1 to start putting the clues together about MC2 a lot sooner - or at all, since it turns out he never does. I was pretty sheltered growing up too, but I could have made some deductions by that age when they were finally boyfriends; maybe MC1 never saw any Very Special Episodes. It made it hard to really care about MC2 because like MC1, we never really get to know him, just the face he presents, and some of his behavior made him hard to like, despite their earlier friendship being so sweet.
So they're both a couple of immature goobers who lack communication skills and who stunted their emotional and psychological growth by getting hung up on their first loves. I'm sure they kissed and made up in the last 16% but frankly, I don't see these two making it past a month of being in a full-time relationship.
Oh. The. Drama.
Spoilers ahead.
Two kids meet on summer break on the coast. Over several summers they strike up an unlikely friendship and then an even more unlikely romance. Until it goes kablooey. Then TEN YEARS pass, they meet again, they're still hung up on each other because their lives are sad, they fight (fists included) about what happened ten years ago. There's a lot of blaming of MC2 by MC1 because apparently MC1 isn't responsible for his inability to move on. I don't know what happens after that, because with only twenty or so minutes left to go, I ran out of care.
MC1 is a bit fatalistic. He realizes that he knows next to nothing about MC2, but he never addresses it when they're kids. Which is understandable to a point when they were younger, but once they were in their teens, I expected a bit more from him. But they were too busy kissing, and then necking. And MC2 has some sort of traumatic childhood situation to explain the crappy way he treats MC1, but the explanation we're eventually given just didn't quite seem like enough for all he did. Maybe partially, but not entirely. (There could be more of an explanation past the point where I stopped, since that seemed pretty mild considering all the hints earlier in the book.)
I liked the first half well enough, though it was a bit drawn out. The jump forward ten years caused it to lose all natural momentum, and I'm not sure why the first part was as long as it was, even though I liked that part better. I also would have expected MC1 to start putting the clues together about MC2 a lot sooner - or at all, since it turns out he never does. I was pretty sheltered growing up too, but I could have made some deductions by that age when they were finally boyfriends; maybe MC1 never saw any Very Special Episodes. It made it hard to really care about MC2 because like MC1, we never really get to know him, just the face he presents, and some of his behavior made him hard to like, despite their earlier friendship being so sweet.
So they're both a couple of immature goobers who lack communication skills and who stunted their emotional and psychological growth by getting hung up on their first loves. I'm sure they kissed and made up in the last 16% but frankly, I don't see these two making it past a month of being in a full-time relationship.
August 2, 2015
Truly heart breaking and yet uplifting. I loved it!
October 2, 2015
3.5 stars
The first part that tells the subsequent years of Tom and Jacob meeting at the beach, from age of 8 to age 18, and the last year when Jacob just disappeared ... well, I loved that part. It was beautiful; it built up the story and emotion wonderfully. I was there from the beginning, a witness of their friendship, the small moments, their kiss, their first attempt at sex, and the broken heart. It did wonders to my heart.
However, the second part, the ten years after ... somehow it lacks the emotional pull of the first part. Maybe because to me, it felt like it happened quicker, less of momentum built? I mean, I liked that Tom didn't just accept Jacob's apology which then led to the reveal but I wanted to read more.
I especially would love to know more about Jacob. I would love to see him more fleshed out after the ten years being apart from Tom. And, I guess I wanted to see a more happier ending, something more promising at least than a (what I categorized as) happy for now. It gave me good feels but just (not yet) the feels, if that makes sense.
The first part that tells the subsequent years of Tom and Jacob meeting at the beach, from age of 8 to age 18, and the last year when Jacob just disappeared ... well, I loved that part. It was beautiful; it built up the story and emotion wonderfully. I was there from the beginning, a witness of their friendship, the small moments, their kiss, their first attempt at sex, and the broken heart. It did wonders to my heart.
However, the second part, the ten years after ... somehow it lacks the emotional pull of the first part. Maybe because to me, it felt like it happened quicker, less of momentum built? I mean, I liked that Tom didn't just accept Jacob's apology which then led to the reveal but I wanted to read more.
I especially would love to know more about Jacob. I would love to see him more fleshed out after the ten years being apart from Tom. And, I guess I wanted to see a more happier ending, something more promising at least than a (what I categorized as) happy for now. It gave me good feels but just (not yet) the feels, if that makes sense.
February 24, 2016
I really liked Part 1 and Tom's voice during it.
Part 2 (ten years later) wasn't as good for me.
July 6, 2015
Very lovely story that broke my heart and made me smile at the same time.
June 22, 2015
Oh wow. This story had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, I suspected what happened to Jacob, but I was hoping so hard I was wrong. My heart was breaking for both MC's and the author conveyed so much without being explicit. I just wIsh for a more definite HEA, but I also think the more bittersweet ending is fitting.
I just love the DRitC event, as it make me read authors and genres and subject matters I might not read normally.
I just love the DRitC event, as it make me read authors and genres and subject matters I might not read normally.
June 23, 2015
Beautifully written, but oh, so sad; yes, this one hurt my heart...
I wanted to fix it for both boys, take away their pain and make it all better. But I couldn't, and that made the story feel real.
I don't know if I could read it again, but I'm glad I read it the first time.
I wanted to fix it for both boys, take away their pain and make it all better. But I couldn't, and that made the story feel real.
I don't know if I could read it again, but I'm glad I read it the first time.
September 8, 2015
Such a lovely story.
January 2, 2016
My God! Even if all other Love is an Open Road stories somehow turned out to be rubbish (which they don't, thankfully), it would've still be worth it just to have this one! It couldn't be more perfect, and to think I was hesitant to read it because I'm not a big fan of reunited lovers theme.
Also you know how it often is with not so long stories that span a long time - you can't connect with characters enough, you feel like too much is omitted or summarized instead of being told properly... Well, here it was just right. Partly because throughout their childhood and teenage years Jacob and Tom only saw each other during six weeks of summer holidays and not even every year. And partly because the writing is just so damned good.
And, oh my god, the subtleness! So little is said outright, and yet, you get the whole picture. In fact, you understand what's going on way before Tom does, but still I never got the desire to hit him on his head for not noticing sooner. Maybe it's because I was so in tune with his emotions. Like when he got angry, I was also angry right there with him, not thinking "Ooh, this is the perfect lead for some angry sex".
Brilliant story! Now I'm off to discover what else Danni Keane has written.
Also you know how it often is with not so long stories that span a long time - you can't connect with characters enough, you feel like too much is omitted or summarized instead of being told properly... Well, here it was just right. Partly because throughout their childhood and teenage years Jacob and Tom only saw each other during six weeks of summer holidays and not even every year. And partly because the writing is just so damned good.
And, oh my god, the subtleness! So little is said outright, and yet, you get the whole picture. In fact, you understand what's going on way before Tom does, but still I never got the desire to hit him on his head for not noticing sooner. Maybe it's because I was so in tune with his emotions. Like when he got angry, I was also angry right there with him, not thinking "Ooh, this is the perfect lead for some angry sex".
Brilliant story! Now I'm off to discover what else Danni Keane has written.
June 22, 2015
Such a well written story! Danni did quite a good job with the theme required for this picture, and she added a twist at the end I didn't see coming (I really thought it was a different reason motivating Jacob's behavior).
Recommended!
Recommended!
June 23, 2015
If only I could find the words to say how much I loved this story. It was so well written, I felt like I was there. I could feel the sun and the wind. I felt the love and the heartbreak, the confusion and the hope. I highly recommend this one!
June 23, 2015
4.5*
This book here is exactly why I love the M/M group event, I had never read anything by this author before and now I'm off to find out what else they have written.
This was such a great story :)
This book here is exactly why I love the M/M group event, I had never read anything by this author before and now I'm off to find out what else they have written.
This was such a great story :)
June 24, 2015
Heartwrenching and beautiful. A short story but comes with quite a punch.
June 17, 2015
3.5 stars
June 21, 2015
First of all: the writing style is addicting. I'd give for that alone 5 stars. It kept me glued to my kindle and craving more.
The story itself is hard to rate. Tom and Jacob met as children at the age of 8. They developed a friendship that was magical because it was timed. They both seemed to glorify the other one and they both kept that piece out of their real lives. Just the way they didn't include their daily lives into that bubble they built around them. The bubble was intact when the were young and their friendship was innocent. But their relationship started to fall apart when they tried to be more than friends.
Their love ends abruptly and leaves Tom heartbroken and lost behind. He stays in a limbo for 10 years. He doesn't move on because there was no closure a day he holds on to hope for something.
The revelations of Tom's secret is shocking even if the reader is warned. I was still somehow unprepared. This just shows how good the writing style is. We don't get the details but we get enough details that I was heartbroken and angry. The emotions that come up are raw and they're are hard to handle.
The reason why I can't rate it higher is that the ending is not satisfying for me. I feel almost left behind. Maybe a bit like Tom felt when Jacob disappeared. I wish there'd be some kind of silver lining at least in the future. But maybe the author wanted it to end like that. Maybe that way it lingers longer on our minds. Personally I just wanted more. More for Jacob, more for Tom and certainly more for me. But I'm just a greedy reader who fell in love with the characters and don't want to leave them behind unless I know they'll be perfectly fine.
The story itself is hard to rate. Tom and Jacob met as children at the age of 8. They developed a friendship that was magical because it was timed. They both seemed to glorify the other one and they both kept that piece out of their real lives. Just the way they didn't include their daily lives into that bubble they built around them. The bubble was intact when the were young and their friendship was innocent. But their relationship started to fall apart when they tried to be more than friends.
Their love ends abruptly and leaves Tom heartbroken and lost behind. He stays in a limbo for 10 years. He doesn't move on because there was no closure a day he holds on to hope for something.
The revelations of Tom's secret is shocking even if the reader is warned. I was still somehow unprepared. This just shows how good the writing style is. We don't get the details but we get enough details that I was heartbroken and angry. The emotions that come up are raw and they're are hard to handle.
The reason why I can't rate it higher is that the ending is not satisfying for me. I feel almost left behind. Maybe a bit like Tom felt when Jacob disappeared. I wish there'd be some kind of silver lining at least in the future. But maybe the author wanted it to end like that. Maybe that way it lingers longer on our minds. Personally I just wanted more. More for Jacob, more for Tom and certainly more for me. But I'm just a greedy reader who fell in love with the characters and don't want to leave them behind unless I know they'll be perfectly fine.
July 4, 2015
This story adds nicely to the list of Danni Keanes that I've read and really enjoyed.
The story is rather sad and achy--about two boys who spent summer holidays together, more or less grew up together and fell in love, and then lost touch. The first half(ish) of the book covers those early years (as recounted by the grown-up narrator), and then we skip to the "present" and their reconnection.
All is not rosy--or as rosy as it might have seemed as they were growing up--and the narrator gives the reader enough of this in the first half that I think we have at least an inkling of what's really going on, even when our narrator was young and didn't. Hence why it's kind of achy all the way through, rather than just in the later half.
I'd have liked a bit more, something a bit more solid to end it, but there was enough hope that I was pretty satisfied. :)
The story is rather sad and achy--about two boys who spent summer holidays together, more or less grew up together and fell in love, and then lost touch. The first half(ish) of the book covers those early years (as recounted by the grown-up narrator), and then we skip to the "present" and their reconnection.
All is not rosy--or as rosy as it might have seemed as they were growing up--and the narrator gives the reader enough of this in the first half that I think we have at least an inkling of what's really going on, even when our narrator was young and didn't. Hence why it's kind of achy all the way through, rather than just in the later half.
I'd have liked a bit more, something a bit more solid to end it, but there was enough hope that I was pretty satisfied. :)
June 15, 2015
I felt slightly misled by this story. When I read the prompt, it mentioned flashbacks to childhood, and the genre was listed as contemporary. However, what I read was much more YA than anything. The whole first part was with the characters in childhood from age 8 to 19, when they lose touch with each other. Part Two then begins 10 years later. It's hard to tell just how much each of these parts are on a scrolling screen, but suffice it to say that when reading it I kept expecting the jump to present times much sooner than it actually happened. Overall the writing was fine, and it was a heartbreaking story, but unfortunately Jacob wasn't fully fleshed out as a character.
Thank you to the author for participating in the LOR event.
Thank you to the author for participating in the LOR event.
December 13, 2015
Loved this story. Everything from the style of writing to the subject matter just worked. Told from the perspective of Tom one of the main characters, he takes us through his life growing up, the summers spent at his grandfathers chalet and Jacob, the boy he spent those summers with, starting out as friends and becoming more as they got older. You are always aware of the sad undercurrent to Jacobs life that is hinted at but as the story ends, you know the two MC's will get their HEA. So well written, it had me engrossed.
October 11, 2015
I am not sure what to think. There's a lot of sadness and anger here, and underneath something trying to be good. Two boys meet at 8 years old, and as they mature, it develops into a relationship. Then one boy disappears for ten years, and the other can't move on with his life. As the story closed they had reconnected and were trying to make things work.
June 24, 2015
3.5 This was a bitter sweet story, with a lot more about the boys as youngsters than I expected. Although I did enjoy all of the ya aspect to this story I was left feeling like I wanted and needed to know more about them as adults, and I wanted to read more about them reconnecting as adults. Still a very well done short story.
June 18, 2015
3.5*
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