What do you think?
Rate this book
Going to the Sun
Danny and Beth are high school sweethearts in small town Montana, looking forward to graduation before they join the army.
Then a tragic accident tears their lives apart.
We follow both of their stories: one to prison and one to war.
They are finally reunited in a desperate race to save the people they love.
Then a tragic accident tears their lives apart.
We follow both of their stories: one to prison and one to war.
They are finally reunited in a desperate race to save the people they love.
820 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2018
9 people want to read
About the author
Eddie Owens
16 books54 followersHi,
If you are reading this then you have been at the very least mildly interested in one of my e-books, and want to know what kind of individual could create such diverse works.
Well, here goes. I'm a guy who grew up loving books and in middle age I finally thought I can write a book too.
How hard can it be? Right?
The answer is very hard but we'll come back to my creative writing masterclass at another time.
First of all, I wrote "Mandy". A inspirational story about a young woman who is given the chance to play football with the men, in an English premier league club.
After "Mandy", I tried writing for young adults and "Millie Hardiman and the Red Parrot Fever"was born.
Millie was inspired by the poem "Matilda" by Balzac. I used the line "Matilda told such dreadful lies it made one gasp and stretch one's eyes" as inspiration.
Next, since I am bitter and cynical I turned to writing a humorous novel. "Fat Jimmy and the Blind Ballerina" is a wonderful cathartic piece about a savagely funny young man.
Is he meant to be me? Not really.....Ok, maybe a bit. Anyone who knows me certainly sees my humour in the book.
Despite all of my hopes none of my first three books was picked up by an agent, so I did the obvious thing, I decided to write The Great American Novel. I'm from Glasgow and I have lived most of my life in Nottingham, so who better than me to write such a thing.
"Going to the Sun" is an epic work. 800 pages counts as epic. Either epic or overlong, read it and let me know.
When the agents were still not kicking my door down to represent me, I decided it was time to write my crime fiction novel. "Transfer from Alcatraz" is about a female PI in San Francisco. Again I am not female and I have never been to San Francisco, so I am obviously the best person to write such a tale.
Hopefully, if you are still reading , you want to try some of these books and find out if I have written anything worth a toss.
Take a shot and let me know how you get on.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 21, 2018
Danny and Beth were high school sweethearts with a bright future ahead of them until a painful mistake snowballed into a tragic accident and a lie that sent one teen to prison while his ex-girlfriend went to war in Iraq.
GOING TO THE SUN by Eddie Owens is a dark and gritty tale of two lives forever changed by one foolish mistake that snowballed into a nightmare that cannot be undone.
As Danny goes off to prison, his life changes for the better as he finds his “calling” in helping others and even his sense of justice is strengthened. His story is more of a success story than one of ruin, even though it was a lie from Beth that put the final nail in his conviction.
Beth went off to join the army, as planned and discovers a new and darker life of promiscuity in the hell that was Iraq.
Years later, they are forced together again in a desperate race to save the ones they love. Will they finally find peace between the two of them or will the past remain a constant reminder of pain?
Eddie Owens seems to have combined two stories in one as Beth and Danny’s fates are forged down different roads that are equally hard, yet with the ability to make or break the persons they are to become.
Danny’s story was one of redemption, of growth and dealing with the deck life had dealt them. He is a powerful character with a great presence.
The “Beth” from the beginning of their story changed so much, she became harder, darker and quite frankly, I didn’t care for how she went from a virgin with Danny to an overly promiscuous sexual athlete with who ever offered.
When Fate brought them back together, once again, it was Danny who took the high road to Beth’s venomous attitude. Proof that life is what we make/learn from it?
Rather long, over-descriptive in Beth’s sexual encounters, as well as an attempted rape, I found it took away from the quality of the story. Eddie Owens doesn’t shy away from making bold strokes and his writing is strong. That said, to be honest, Danny’s story made this book for me. Beth’s story could have been shortened up and still conveyed the raw, dark emotions she carried.
If you’re looking for some grit and no nonsense writing, where justice may or may not have been served, Eddie Owens has it is spades.
5 Stars for Danny's story 2.5 for Beth's
Publication Date: September 12, 2018
Publisher: Eddie Owens
Genre: Fiction
Print Length: 820 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
GOING TO THE SUN by Eddie Owens is a dark and gritty tale of two lives forever changed by one foolish mistake that snowballed into a nightmare that cannot be undone.
As Danny goes off to prison, his life changes for the better as he finds his “calling” in helping others and even his sense of justice is strengthened. His story is more of a success story than one of ruin, even though it was a lie from Beth that put the final nail in his conviction.
Beth went off to join the army, as planned and discovers a new and darker life of promiscuity in the hell that was Iraq.
Years later, they are forced together again in a desperate race to save the ones they love. Will they finally find peace between the two of them or will the past remain a constant reminder of pain?
Eddie Owens seems to have combined two stories in one as Beth and Danny’s fates are forged down different roads that are equally hard, yet with the ability to make or break the persons they are to become.
Danny’s story was one of redemption, of growth and dealing with the deck life had dealt them. He is a powerful character with a great presence.
The “Beth” from the beginning of their story changed so much, she became harder, darker and quite frankly, I didn’t care for how she went from a virgin with Danny to an overly promiscuous sexual athlete with who ever offered.
When Fate brought them back together, once again, it was Danny who took the high road to Beth’s venomous attitude. Proof that life is what we make/learn from it?
Rather long, over-descriptive in Beth’s sexual encounters, as well as an attempted rape, I found it took away from the quality of the story. Eddie Owens doesn’t shy away from making bold strokes and his writing is strong. That said, to be honest, Danny’s story made this book for me. Beth’s story could have been shortened up and still conveyed the raw, dark emotions she carried.
If you’re looking for some grit and no nonsense writing, where justice may or may not have been served, Eddie Owens has it is spades.
5 Stars for Danny's story 2.5 for Beth's
Publication Date: September 12, 2018
Publisher: Eddie Owens
Genre: Fiction
Print Length: 820 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
March 2, 2019
I enjoyed reading this. Owens packs a good punch in detailing the growth of the two protagonists as they mature into adulthood - one through choice, the other by necessity after making a mistake that had the potential to ruin his life.
The novel portrays their lives - one in the army, the other in prison - as well as being critical of each of the systems they are in, in great detail. So much detail, in fact, that I was beginning to wonder how the novel was going to get to the end point in which it started. Despite the length and detail, though, this novel is far from tedious or wearisome. The short chapters help to keep the reader interest flowing.
The last quarter of the novel quickens in pace and the tension is raised to its conclusion.
Thank you to the author for inviting me to read this in return for a review. I will definitely look out for more of his work in future.
The novel portrays their lives - one in the army, the other in prison - as well as being critical of each of the systems they are in, in great detail. So much detail, in fact, that I was beginning to wonder how the novel was going to get to the end point in which it started. Despite the length and detail, though, this novel is far from tedious or wearisome. The short chapters help to keep the reader interest flowing.
The last quarter of the novel quickens in pace and the tension is raised to its conclusion.
Thank you to the author for inviting me to read this in return for a review. I will definitely look out for more of his work in future.
November 4, 2018
"Sometimes, on a Sunday morning or on a holiday. Beth would pick him up and they would head for the mountains. The "Going-to-the-sun" Road was the main tourist road in Montana, fifty miles long, crossing Glacier National Forest.".....
Danny and Beth are supposed to graduate high school and go on to live happily ever after. At least that was the plan before the tragic violence that tore them apart. One goes to prison and one goes into the army. They each live a life they’d not expected.
The story winds through the before and after of their relationship. A looming threat will reunite them in a way. Can the past be laid to rest? Is there forgiveness for the mistakes they’ve made?
This tale was compelling from the start. I liked how the characters developed from young teenagers into young adults, faced with hard reality of both prison and war. What would they learn and take away from these lessons?
The book was mostly about their lives apart. The end tied up the beginning. Kind of like real life. You meet when you are young and you part, going about the business of your life. One day fate intervenes and you are back in the others space again. So many ways that ending can go.
Thank you Eddie Owens.
Danny and Beth are supposed to graduate high school and go on to live happily ever after. At least that was the plan before the tragic violence that tore them apart. One goes to prison and one goes into the army. They each live a life they’d not expected.
The story winds through the before and after of their relationship. A looming threat will reunite them in a way. Can the past be laid to rest? Is there forgiveness for the mistakes they’ve made?
This tale was compelling from the start. I liked how the characters developed from young teenagers into young adults, faced with hard reality of both prison and war. What would they learn and take away from these lessons?
The book was mostly about their lives apart. The end tied up the beginning. Kind of like real life. You meet when you are young and you part, going about the business of your life. One day fate intervenes and you are back in the others space again. So many ways that ending can go.
Thank you Eddie Owens.
November 7, 2018
I reviewed Owens’
Fat Jimmy and the Blind Ballerina
last September. I absolutely loved this novel, and was pleased when Owens got in touch to ask me to review Going to the Sun.
This was a really interesting concept, and an entirely different approach than that taken with Fat Jimmy. Owens tells the story of two American high school sweethearts, whose lives diverge on separate paths, only to be brought together again after a tragic, devastating crime.
The only characters who were truly developed and well-rounded here were Beth and Danny themselves. Any smaller characters weren’t given the same depth or structure, yet watching Beth and Danny grow was great. Both emerged from their teenage years in ways I hadn’t expected, and the events which shaped them were clearly documented by Owens – except one.
Beth grew from a virginal schoolgirl into a woman who found fun and release in no strings attached sexual relationships. Although I don’t see a problem with this in any person, her many trysts peppered throughout the pages felt like pointless filler. Other than the interpretation of Beth becoming her sister (who is called slut an uncomfortable number of times in the first few chapters), I felt there was no reason for us to be shown this side of Beth; it had no bearing on the plot, on Beth’s character, or on any sort of overall development, and felt tacky to me.
The plot itself is complicated and gritty, as we follow Beth through life in the military, and Danny through life in prison. They both learn valuable, and similar lessons, and Owens is bold enough to make these lessons clear to us. It’s a long story, mainly focussing on the growth of our protagonists. Owens slowly filters information to us in the first three quarters of the novel, only to ramp up the pace in the end. There wasn’t enough time spent on a slow path to the ultimate climax, and it felt very much as though the finale was jammed in at the end to ensure some shock value.
Despite the above, I did enjoy working my way through this and learning alongside Beth and Danny. Their complicated relationship with each other, their growth, and both of ending up in dangerous environments, appealed to me, and kept the plot going nicely. A good novel for someone looking for a good military or prison read – or both.
This was a really interesting concept, and an entirely different approach than that taken with Fat Jimmy. Owens tells the story of two American high school sweethearts, whose lives diverge on separate paths, only to be brought together again after a tragic, devastating crime.
The only characters who were truly developed and well-rounded here were Beth and Danny themselves. Any smaller characters weren’t given the same depth or structure, yet watching Beth and Danny grow was great. Both emerged from their teenage years in ways I hadn’t expected, and the events which shaped them were clearly documented by Owens – except one.
Beth grew from a virginal schoolgirl into a woman who found fun and release in no strings attached sexual relationships. Although I don’t see a problem with this in any person, her many trysts peppered throughout the pages felt like pointless filler. Other than the interpretation of Beth becoming her sister (who is called slut an uncomfortable number of times in the first few chapters), I felt there was no reason for us to be shown this side of Beth; it had no bearing on the plot, on Beth’s character, or on any sort of overall development, and felt tacky to me.
The plot itself is complicated and gritty, as we follow Beth through life in the military, and Danny through life in prison. They both learn valuable, and similar lessons, and Owens is bold enough to make these lessons clear to us. It’s a long story, mainly focussing on the growth of our protagonists. Owens slowly filters information to us in the first three quarters of the novel, only to ramp up the pace in the end. There wasn’t enough time spent on a slow path to the ultimate climax, and it felt very much as though the finale was jammed in at the end to ensure some shock value.
Despite the above, I did enjoy working my way through this and learning alongside Beth and Danny. Their complicated relationship with each other, their growth, and both of ending up in dangerous environments, appealed to me, and kept the plot going nicely. A good novel for someone looking for a good military or prison read – or both.
February 13, 2019
Owens' novel is a tour de force of a classic American genres wrapped around a pair of relatable and vivid characters. Going to the Sun begins with a catastrophic teen breakup before launching into a scathing critique of social institutions such as the prison system and military and finally emerges as a tense thriller. A satisfying and thoughtful read peppered with commentary, surprises and rewarding twists.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews