Turnabout

by Jonathan Penn

Bobby Greenwell is a bag boy in a natural-foods grocery. He tends to be a bit timid, but Cameron Lowell, his burly construction-worker boyfriend, has been teaching him how to be more assertive.

Cam is laid up with both legs in casts due to a workplace accident, and Bobby is his sole caregiver.

When a homophobic skinhead breaks into their house and threatens Cam’s life, all hell breaks loose. Bobby defies everything he’s ever known about himself to confront the thug and hang on to what has become most dear in his life.

36 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2014

About the author

Jonathan grew up in The South. While new to the world of writing, he has been inventing tales for at least fifty years. He was probably also making stuff up during the two years prior to that but, as this was his pre-verbal period, there’s no evidence one way or the other. An armchair linguist, he has taught himself to ask, “Where is the bathroom?” in seven languages.

He enjoys gardening, He gardens, and enjoys red wines, cooking, theatre, and, of course, writing. Jonathan reminds himself every day how fortunate he is to have shared the best and worst of the last thirty-three years with the man of his dreams.

Jonathan loves hearing from readers, so comment here on Goodreads, or email him at jpennwrites@gmail.com, and please Friend him on Facebook.

Reviews

[Debbie McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Editor's Review

Originally published in 2014 as part of the Kickass Anthology (Mugen Press), Turnabout is a short story about self-belief and how the love of another is often the route to finally believing in ourselves. It's the story of Bobby and Cam, whose lives are violently interrupted by a homophobic thug, prompting Bobby to bravery.

Being a short story doesn't mean it packs less of an emotional punch. Jonathan Penn writes scenes that are emotionally intense; they alternately set my heart racing in fear and make me melt in a puddle of tearful sadness/happiness/goo. However, short stories are difficult to review in detail without giving too much away.

The important point here (or one of two important points) is that Turnabout is a wonderful short story that is well worth the 99c cover price.

The other important point is that all net proceeds from the sale of Turnabout go to Eric Arvin's medical fund. You can read more about that here: https://katepavelle.wordpress.com/201...

[DC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh! It was ok for a short story, but it just didn’t hold any emotional impact for me. Bobby was presented as a 24 year old college graduate (English degree) working as a bag boy until he figures out what he wants to do. Even with that tidbit of information, I couldn’t imagine Bobby as anything more than some meek high school aged nerd. The story just didn’t have a smooth flow. There certainly were no deep or lengthy conversations between characters. Most of the dialogue took place in Bobby’s head.
I rated this at three stars because I see it as just another average short story. There is nothing that makes it stand out above the crowd.