What do you think?
Rate this book
Ginjuh
My name is not "Ginjuh" but that's what everyone calls me. It all started when I was 3-years-old at a family reunion and my speech impediment kept me from properly parroting what everyone else in the family was calling me. Fifteen years later and my speech impediment is marginally better but I still have a shocking wave of flame-colored hair, freckles, and I'm so shy I can barely look at my own reflection. I'm still stuck with that awful nickname. Even the other people in school call me "Ginjuh".
How can a teenage guy come out to his family when they already tease him about his looks and his speech impediment? Why wouldn't a person's family realize the damage they can do to a child's self-esteem with such taunts? "It's all just in good fun, Ginjuh!" is what they tell me. Sometimes I feel like my whole family is against me, like they want me to feel worthless.
At least I have my grandpa. But he's been sick for a while. Above all things--being scared of coming out, being annoyed with the taunts and jabs, being so shy my own shadow scares me--I'm terrified of losing him. But that's life, isn't it? A guy has to learn to face it...or collapse under the weight of it.
How can a teenage guy come out to his family when they already tease him about his looks and his speech impediment? Why wouldn't a person's family realize the damage they can do to a child's self-esteem with such taunts? "It's all just in good fun, Ginjuh!" is what they tell me. Sometimes I feel like my whole family is against me, like they want me to feel worthless.
At least I have my grandpa. But he's been sick for a while. Above all things--being scared of coming out, being annoyed with the taunts and jabs, being so shy my own shadow scares me--I'm terrified of losing him. But that's life, isn't it? A guy has to learn to face it...or collapse under the weight of it.
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2019
48 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Chase Connor
39 books315 followersBANG BANG HE SHOT HER DOWN - the fourth book in the Head Rock Harbor Mystery series - can be pre-ordered here!
https://mybook.to/HRHM4BBHSHD
GHOST IN THE CUPBOARD - the first book in the NEW Silas Erie Paranormal Cozy series - can be pre-ordered here:
https://mybook.to/SEPC1GitC
Chase Connor spends his days writing about the people who live (loudly and rent-free) in his head when he’s not busy being enthusiastic about naps and Pad Thai. Chase started his writing career as a confused gay teen looking for an escape from reality. Ten years later, one of the books he wrote during those years, Just A Dumb Surfer Dude: A Gay Coming-of-Age Tale, was published independently. Chase has numerous projects in various stages of completion lined up for publishing. Chase is a multi-genre author, but always with a healthy dollop of gay.
https://mybook.to/HRHM4BBHSHD
GHOST IN THE CUPBOARD - the first book in the NEW Silas Erie Paranormal Cozy series - can be pre-ordered here:
https://mybook.to/SEPC1GitC
Chase Connor spends his days writing about the people who live (loudly and rent-free) in his head when he’s not busy being enthusiastic about naps and Pad Thai. Chase started his writing career as a confused gay teen looking for an escape from reality. Ten years later, one of the books he wrote during those years, Just A Dumb Surfer Dude: A Gay Coming-of-Age Tale, was published independently. Chase has numerous projects in various stages of completion lined up for publishing. Chase is a multi-genre author, but always with a healthy dollop of gay.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 4, 2019
Sweet story was super sweet (but never sappily so).
I adored Zach, aka "Ginjuh" (for his flaming red hair), right from the start, as he was an out and proud teen at school, yet "somehow" wasn't out to his parents. No idea how that worked in a small town, but whatever.
Austin was a bit more difficult to warm up to, since he was a quiet, broody, emo, closeted boy in Zach's class, who used to be athletic and popular, until a traumatic event occurred, which drastically changed him.
When Zach's grandpa hired Austin to help around the farm, the boys didn't hit it off at first, until Zach worked his way under Austin's thorny outer layers, something I've always enjoyed witnessing in romance.
And although this story is *heavily* YA, there was no immediate, intense attraction. The pair became quasi-friends and feelings developed from there, so no insta-love to be found here.
The book was mostly low-angst, with little friction between the MC's and more tension between Zach's father and grandfather due to a past event. I liked that, because the MC's were left with more pages to work on their developing feelings, instead of fighting and being dramatic.
The story, told only from Zach's point of view, was a tale of first love and stressed that family runs more deeply than blood, and that past hurts should be worked through and forgiven, if you want to live a happy life.
There was one off-page steamy scene, but these are two 17 year olds at the beginning of their senior year of high school, so I doubt I'd have wanted to have had front row seats for that anyway. : )
I'd rate the book at 4 stars and recommend it to readers looking for a sweet, cute, very YA story.
-----------------------------------------------
This book is *FREE* with Kindle Unlimited membership.
See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)
-----------------------------------------------
October 21, 2020
DNFed at 30 percent. I just didn't like the dialogues between the main character and his so called friends. It's misleading. Making fun of queer/transgender/gay is a big NO for me even though it has been done to showcase reality but if the representation is weak and lacks justification, I am totally against it. Not going to pick this up again. I won't miss it. Even if it's a short book by my recent most favourite author.
August 3, 2019
Team Grandpa all the way...
2.5 stars
There was quite a bit going on in this one. It was hard to tell the focus. Was it the growing relationship between two boys or the failed relationship between father and son? I think the story needed to be fleshed out more.
2.5 stars
There was quite a bit going on in this one. It was hard to tell the focus. Was it the growing relationship between two boys or the failed relationship between father and son? I think the story needed to be fleshed out more.
April 17, 2019
A stunningly beautiful coming of age tale with two remarkable characters. This read was a lovely breath of fresh air.
March 15, 2019
A sweet coming-of-age story with characters I really enjoyed.
October 2, 2020
So good! This was the perfect not-overly angsty YA read to end the month. I'll definitely be looking for more by this author when I need a YA next time: excellent complex young characters, dealing with the crap of life without agonizing over it, and supportive adults being mature in their care of young people instead of belittling or grinding them down, along with other adults who are dealing with their own crap in realistic ways. And Allen T. St. Clair's poems were gorgeous -- I'll be looking him up, too!
*update: alas, no books of poems by Allan T. St. Clair. My life is a little sadder for this fact. Guess I'll just have to buy the book instead of only borrowing it from kindle unlimited so I can re-read the poems anytime I need one.
BTW, this is what I think Zach will look like when he's a little older:
Mmmmmm, yeah...
*update: alas, no books of poems by Allan T. St. Clair. My life is a little sadder for this fact. Guess I'll just have to buy the book instead of only borrowing it from kindle unlimited so I can re-read the poems anytime I need one.
BTW, this is what I think Zach will look like when he's a little older:
Mmmmmm, yeah...
April 19, 2020
I'd say 3 stars is fair. It was very short, so of course I'm going to feel like the love was rushed, no matter how sweet the two MCs were. Plus the typos/awkward wording was TOO much for only 140 pages, come on. The wrong "YOUR/YOU'RE"?! not ONCE but TWICE is just cringe-y.
The relationship between Zach and his Grandpa was everything though!
The relationship between Zach and his Grandpa was everything though!
August 18, 2019
Chase Connor has become one of my very favorite authors. I have yet to read a book of his that I don't absolutely love.
This one was no exception. It's a coming-of-age story about Zach, who's been stuck with the awful nickname of 'Ginjuh'.
It mainly takes place among the cornfields of his grandfather's farm. It's a beautiful, humorous, and sweet (though never sappy) story about family, friendship, and first love.
One thing I adore about this author is how, along with the humor and amazing storyline, there is ALWAYS a message to take away from each story.
For this one -- at least for me -- it's the reminder to not judge people only by their appearance or your first impression of them. There is always so much more to a person once you get to know them.
I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it...Chase Connor is a natural-born storyteller. I can't recommend him or his books to you enough.
Just read ONE! You'll see exactly what I mean.
This one was no exception. It's a coming-of-age story about Zach, who's been stuck with the awful nickname of 'Ginjuh'.
It mainly takes place among the cornfields of his grandfather's farm. It's a beautiful, humorous, and sweet (though never sappy) story about family, friendship, and first love.
One thing I adore about this author is how, along with the humor and amazing storyline, there is ALWAYS a message to take away from each story.
For this one -- at least for me -- it's the reminder to not judge people only by their appearance or your first impression of them. There is always so much more to a person once you get to know them.
I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it...Chase Connor is a natural-born storyteller. I can't recommend him or his books to you enough.
Just read ONE! You'll see exactly what I mean.
January 17, 2022
Ginjuh
By Chase Connor
Lion Fish Press, 2019-20
Four stars
I do love redheads. It runs in my family. But, because of that, I also know that redheads are often weary of being singled out as redheads. So, imagine getting tagged with a nickname in childhood that focuses both on your hair color and a speech impediment that seems cute to others, but embarrassing as hell to you.
And there we have Zach Pelton, whose story this is. He loves his grandfather, on whose farm he helps out every weekend. His grandfather calls him Zach. Zach is generally a happy teenager. Comfortable in his own (pale, freckled) skin, out at school. Popular enough with his classmates. There’s an oddly fractious relationship with his parents, which I didn’t understand, at first.
The story shifts, as expected, when his grandfather hires a classmate, Austin Mankins, to help Zach create a corn maze to capitalize on the fall/Hallowe’en festivities. Austin is the class weirdo, an emo kid who writes in his notebook all the time and barely says anything. Everybody can see where this will go once Austin appears on the scene. The surprise is the way that the author handles it. Austin isn’t snarky or rude; he’s just withdrawn, almost apathetic. Zach is sensitive enough to see that—because of his tender, hands-off closeness to his laconic grandfather.
This is a subtle story, and it sticks to you because of that, without at first making a huge impression. Ultimately, it is all those carefully depicted and calibrated relationships within the small group of central players—Zach, Austin, Grandfather Pelton, Zach’s parents—that you need to pay attention to. Also rewarding is Zach’s friendship with Jay, his closest childhood friend.
This is one to think about as you read. And after you finish it.
By Chase Connor
Lion Fish Press, 2019-20
Four stars
I do love redheads. It runs in my family. But, because of that, I also know that redheads are often weary of being singled out as redheads. So, imagine getting tagged with a nickname in childhood that focuses both on your hair color and a speech impediment that seems cute to others, but embarrassing as hell to you.
And there we have Zach Pelton, whose story this is. He loves his grandfather, on whose farm he helps out every weekend. His grandfather calls him Zach. Zach is generally a happy teenager. Comfortable in his own (pale, freckled) skin, out at school. Popular enough with his classmates. There’s an oddly fractious relationship with his parents, which I didn’t understand, at first.
The story shifts, as expected, when his grandfather hires a classmate, Austin Mankins, to help Zach create a corn maze to capitalize on the fall/Hallowe’en festivities. Austin is the class weirdo, an emo kid who writes in his notebook all the time and barely says anything. Everybody can see where this will go once Austin appears on the scene. The surprise is the way that the author handles it. Austin isn’t snarky or rude; he’s just withdrawn, almost apathetic. Zach is sensitive enough to see that—because of his tender, hands-off closeness to his laconic grandfather.
This is a subtle story, and it sticks to you because of that, without at first making a huge impression. Ultimately, it is all those carefully depicted and calibrated relationships within the small group of central players—Zach, Austin, Grandfather Pelton, Zach’s parents—that you need to pay attention to. Also rewarding is Zach’s friendship with Jay, his closest childhood friend.
This is one to think about as you read. And after you finish it.
March 28, 2019
Who do you love? Simple qiestion. Hard answer.
Maybe "who loves you?" is a better question to try to answer. Or is it "who loves you more than you love yourself?"
Family is a good starting point most of the time, but what if they are not? Friends can be possibilities, but some are just friends, and some are not.
Issues in life have big impacts on people, causing drastic changes in some. Secrets can also cause damage to relationships.
Trying to figure out other people is difficult until you both open up. Rumors or being wrong can end relationships. Yet differences attract magnetically and likeness attracts homogeneously.
It is all based on acceptance and respect. Even bullies need love as they tend to be hidden versions of those they pick on, but cannot find self respect in that reality.
Zack and the other characters play roles that differ for where they are and who they are with, as we all do. It is when the roles allow honesty and respect to cross over to others that the reality of love can replace the Halloween fears and hayride love with forever true love and understanding. Forgiveness frees us to love and be loved.
Maybe "who loves you?" is a better question to try to answer. Or is it "who loves you more than you love yourself?"
Family is a good starting point most of the time, but what if they are not? Friends can be possibilities, but some are just friends, and some are not.
Issues in life have big impacts on people, causing drastic changes in some. Secrets can also cause damage to relationships.
Trying to figure out other people is difficult until you both open up. Rumors or being wrong can end relationships. Yet differences attract magnetically and likeness attracts homogeneously.
It is all based on acceptance and respect. Even bullies need love as they tend to be hidden versions of those they pick on, but cannot find self respect in that reality.
Zack and the other characters play roles that differ for where they are and who they are with, as we all do. It is when the roles allow honesty and respect to cross over to others that the reality of love can replace the Halloween fears and hayride love with forever true love and understanding. Forgiveness frees us to love and be loved.
June 6, 2019
Chase Connor is an automatic read for me.
Iowa just might hold some sweetness after all if there are characters like Zach who are confidently out and popular in high school. But this is a tale about family love as much as it is about first love, and both stories dovetail around a corn maze. But you have to be there, so read Ginjuh, and remember how it felt to blush or want someone so badly your body aches every time you stand next to him. So sweet!
Iowa just might hold some sweetness after all if there are characters like Zach who are confidently out and popular in high school. But this is a tale about family love as much as it is about first love, and both stories dovetail around a corn maze. But you have to be there, so read Ginjuh, and remember how it felt to blush or want someone so badly your body aches every time you stand next to him. So sweet!
June 15, 2019
A really sweet gay romance with lovely characters
October 31, 2020
I liked this a lot. A kind of quiet story, without much drama, but the little drama there is, still is meaningful. This story made me think about myself as a parent, and the mistakes I’ve made, and then hopefully, made up for. This is why I love Chase Connor’s writing. There might be a few unimportant grammar mistakes, but the heart of the story is still everything.
March 14, 2019
It was a interesting read
I would say 3 1/2 stars. I think it was a good story with interesting characters but It could of been more.
I would say 3 1/2 stars. I think it was a good story with interesting characters but It could of been more.
February 18, 2020
Okay so not a lot of positives but I did LOVE the relationship between Zach and his best friend Jay, it felt so natural and sincere without feeling staged. And seriously, who couldn't love Grandpa after reading this? The author did a great job in getting across that the farm is a safe haven that anyone would long to visit.
HOWEVER
There were quite a few spelling errors and inconsistancies that bothered me while reading. The writing was a bit meh and some more editing wouldn't have hurt
I felt guilty for not hating Matt for his ignorance, but, at the same time I realized he was just ignorant. - Sorry, what?
The "southern style" of writing was at times challenging for me, not an English native speaker, to understand. It would have helped if those were marked in some way, or maybe if the story was explicitly set in a southern region in the beginning of the story. Weirdly, because of the title I had assumed the story was set in the UK before I started to read..
The author has a tendency to repeat or rephrase the same thing a few times when one time would suffice, adding nothing to the story. Additionally, some of Zach's moralizing "thoughts" annoyed the crap out of me:
No one knows what happens or is talked about between two people in a marriage, so it's best to not judge when the two people in it present a united front. Even if it's against their own son. - said the 18 year old who basically did nothing wrong apart from being a bit harsh against his dad, yeah right.
Also, after , the style of the writing completely changes into the style of a romance novel, almost as if the last 20 pages were written by someone else. Because the story is quite short, this change of style is quite abrupt and sticks out like a sore thumb.
The story itself was sweet, although it generally lacked some focus. Is it about a teenager leaving home for college, is it about dealing with a troubled past, about family relationships, about being gay, about falling in love for the first time? Also, the fact that everyone in Zach's surroundings calls him by a (somewhat offensive) nickname, including his own parents and Austin's dad who doesn't even know Zach (?!), even after Zach has explicitly told everyone he wants them to stop - it just kept weirding me out and I couldn't get past it. Not the greatest read I've had.
HOWEVER
There were quite a few spelling errors and inconsistancies that bothered me while reading. The writing was a bit meh and some more editing wouldn't have hurt
I felt guilty for not hating Matt for his ignorance, but, at the same time I realized he was just ignorant. - Sorry, what?
The "southern style" of writing was at times challenging for me, not an English native speaker, to understand. It would have helped if those were marked in some way, or maybe if the story was explicitly set in a southern region in the beginning of the story. Weirdly, because of the title I had assumed the story was set in the UK before I started to read..
The author has a tendency to repeat or rephrase the same thing a few times when one time would suffice, adding nothing to the story. Additionally, some of Zach's moralizing "thoughts" annoyed the crap out of me:
No one knows what happens or is talked about between two people in a marriage, so it's best to not judge when the two people in it present a united front. Even if it's against their own son. - said the 18 year old who basically did nothing wrong apart from being a bit harsh against his dad, yeah right.
Also, after , the style of the writing completely changes into the style of a romance novel, almost as if the last 20 pages were written by someone else. Because the story is quite short, this change of style is quite abrupt and sticks out like a sore thumb.
The story itself was sweet, although it generally lacked some focus. Is it about a teenager leaving home for college, is it about dealing with a troubled past, about family relationships, about being gay, about falling in love for the first time? Also, the fact that everyone in Zach's surroundings calls him by a (somewhat offensive) nickname, including his own parents and Austin's dad who doesn't even know Zach (?!), even after Zach has explicitly told everyone he wants them to stop - it just kept weirding me out and I couldn't get past it. Not the greatest read I've had.
April 19, 2020
A sweet but not very rememberable story. It felt stiff and lecture-y at times, which took me out of the reading experience every so often, but it wasn’t too bad. Could i rate it 3,5 i would, but after much indecisiveness i rounded it down, bc I just didn’t enjoy it that much. But maybe I’m just too out of the target demographic.
I very much disliked the notion that someone can only be “emo” if they have experienced something bad or are depressed. And I find it annoying that the author calls emo a 90’s style and equate it with goth. Not the same thing, and emo was very much an 00’s thing, thankuouverymuch. The latter is more a personal annoyance than anything, but the former rubbed me the wrong way.
I recommend it to any and all teens who want a short and easy little love story. There wasn’t a whole lot of substance to it, but it doesn’t have to be all the time. Sometimes it’s good enough with some light reading, and this absolutely fits the bill
I very much disliked the notion that someone can only be “emo” if they have experienced something bad or are depressed. And I find it annoying that the author calls emo a 90’s style and equate it with goth. Not the same thing, and emo was very much an 00’s thing, thankuouverymuch. The latter is more a personal annoyance than anything, but the former rubbed me the wrong way.
I recommend it to any and all teens who want a short and easy little love story. There wasn’t a whole lot of substance to it, but it doesn’t have to be all the time. Sometimes it’s good enough with some light reading, and this absolutely fits the bill
March 22, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
È stata una lettura rapida e leggera, che cattura subito sin dal primo capitolo. Sono stata un po’ contrariata in certe occasioni, come ad esempio il fatto che il fulcro dell’angst (comunque quasi inesistente, precisso) è una stupidaggine intuibile e parecchio meno grave di come la fanno passare, ma tutto sommato ho chiuso un occhio proprio perché il libro vuole essere leggero.
Il protagonista è un ragazzo con cui è facile trovarsi confortevoli, e gli altri personaggi che compaiono non sono male. Avrei apprezzato un po’ più spazio per Austin, ma perlomeno alla fine conosciamo la sua storia.
Una cosa cosa che non mi è piaciuta riguardo ai personaggi è che le comparse femminili sono quasi tutte insulse e senza carattere, specialmente la madre del protagonista, ma essendo un romanzo veloce capisco che non ci fosse spazio per loro.
Mi è piaciuta la relazione tra i due protagonisti, che pur sviluppandosi un po’ rapidamente non ha saltato nessuno step ed è stata molto dolce.
È stata una lettura rapida e leggera, che cattura subito sin dal primo capitolo. Sono stata un po’ contrariata in certe occasioni, come ad esempio il fatto che il fulcro dell’angst (comunque quasi inesistente, precisso) è una stupidaggine intuibile e parecchio meno grave di come la fanno passare, ma tutto sommato ho chiuso un occhio proprio perché il libro vuole essere leggero.
Il protagonista è un ragazzo con cui è facile trovarsi confortevoli, e gli altri personaggi che compaiono non sono male. Avrei apprezzato un po’ più spazio per Austin, ma perlomeno alla fine conosciamo la sua storia.
Una cosa cosa che non mi è piaciuta riguardo ai personaggi è che le comparse femminili sono quasi tutte insulse e senza carattere, specialmente la madre del protagonista, ma essendo un romanzo veloce capisco che non ci fosse spazio per loro.
Mi è piaciuta la relazione tra i due protagonisti, che pur sviluppandosi un po’ rapidamente non ha saltato nessuno step ed è stata molto dolce.
February 2, 2021
"Be prepared to sing for a lifetime."
Although I enjoyed the story, I'd have liked to know more about the characters and the plot itself. It seemed to me that things just happened in a very fast way. But there is one thing I did like: Austin. I NEED TO ADOPT HIM. HE'S JUST TOO PRECIOUS FOR THIS WORLD.
From here on it could be considered a spoiler. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD.
There were two things that bothered me a lot. One is the fact that at the beginning of the story, and throughout it, we see that Zach doesn't like the nickname "Ginjuh" at all, but he's still called that not only by his classmates but also by his friends and his parents. The other is the fact of not knowing about the final conversation between Zach's father and grandpa.
My final rating is 3 ✨
Although I enjoyed the story, I'd have liked to know more about the characters and the plot itself. It seemed to me that things just happened in a very fast way. But there is one thing I did like: Austin. I NEED TO ADOPT HIM. HE'S JUST TOO PRECIOUS FOR THIS WORLD.
From here on it could be considered a spoiler. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD. SPOILERS AHEAD.
There were two things that bothered me a lot. One is the fact that at the beginning of the story, and throughout it, we see that Zach doesn't like the nickname "Ginjuh" at all, but he's still called that not only by his classmates but also by his friends and his parents. The other is the fact of not knowing about the final conversation between Zach's father and grandpa.
My final rating is 3 ✨
September 14, 2021
"Ginjuh" received FOUR stars.
Didn’t want it to end! 💕
The novel gained *stars* for these items:
* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."
* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."
* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."
* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"
The novel failed to gain stars for this item:
NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything s/he writes."
Didn’t want it to end! 💕
The novel gained *stars* for these items:
* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."
* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."
* gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."
* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"
The novel failed to gain stars for this item:
NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything s/he writes."
July 29, 2022
This was short and very sweet but not over the top. I enjoyed it though the narrator (Zach) sometimes came across older than he was (17), which was disconcerting. The only drawback I saw was the Mom who showed up on one scene early on, badmouthing the grandfather, then was never seen or heard from again. Guess the story was intended to focus more on the relationships Zach has with his father, his grandfather, and eventually his classmate turned coworker Austin.
So four stars (minus one star for the issues I mentioned above. Recommended.
So four stars (minus one star for the issues I mentioned above. Recommended.
February 21, 2023
Am enjoyable read!
It was relaxing and enjoyable to read Chase Connor's Ginjuh -:a book without high school bullying or cruel parents. Zach and Austin come out and fall in love over the late summer and fall of their senior year without too much angst or strive. Zach is confident in himself, and Austin is broken. But as Zach and Austin fall in love, Austin blossoms, and Zach shows himself to be more accepting of his relationship with his father than his father is with his father. Read this book. It's a warm and inviting read.
It was relaxing and enjoyable to read Chase Connor's Ginjuh -:a book without high school bullying or cruel parents. Zach and Austin come out and fall in love over the late summer and fall of their senior year without too much angst or strive. Zach is confident in himself, and Austin is broken. But as Zach and Austin fall in love, Austin blossoms, and Zach shows himself to be more accepting of his relationship with his father than his father is with his father. Read this book. It's a warm and inviting read.
March 14, 2020
Mixed feelings as other reviews said, the focus is a little blurry. It adds another dimension to the traditional gay coming out, first love tale but it didnt ring as realistically - maybe more pages of story would have allowed it to grow. As it was, it felt to me, overly constricted and closed down.
March 4, 2021
Brilliantly phrased
I enjoy reading about the beautiful story between these amazing characters. Chase Connor does a beautiful job describing the surrounding areas, The landscapes and all-around Setting. Just gives the story more character, and transports you from your living room right to the spot. Love your stories Chase
I enjoy reading about the beautiful story between these amazing characters. Chase Connor does a beautiful job describing the surrounding areas, The landscapes and all-around Setting. Just gives the story more character, and transports you from your living room right to the spot. Love your stories Chase
July 26, 2019
Wonderful
When I first started reading this I book I was unsure what to expect but it is a wonderful book. So many great experiences that I wish I had at the same period of my life. This writer, I believe touches the heart of what a teenager goes through.
When I first started reading this I book I was unsure what to expect but it is a wonderful book. So many great experiences that I wish I had at the same period of my life. This writer, I believe touches the heart of what a teenager goes through.
March 31, 2020
Sweet Story
Family drama and first loves. What could possibly go wrong? I enjoyed the connection Zach and is grandpa had together. There should be more of that in this world. 3.75 for poems.
Family drama and first loves. What could possibly go wrong? I enjoyed the connection Zach and is grandpa had together. There should be more of that in this world. 3.75 for poems.
October 14, 2020
Beautiful!
An amazing story about finding love in the most unexpected ways in life and how that love is not love till the time is right. Beautifully written about two boys not expecting the best from each other. Bravo!
An amazing story about finding love in the most unexpected ways in life and how that love is not love till the time is right. Beautifully written about two boys not expecting the best from each other. Bravo!
November 12, 2021
Needed work.
The Kindle Unlimited edition I read had severe formatting issues that made it almost unreadable.
The main character says he's an Ed Sheeran fan. Multiple stars off for that. What kind of self-respecting gay man admits to that? Even one who lives in Iowa.
The Kindle Unlimited edition I read had severe formatting issues that made it almost unreadable.
The main character says he's an Ed Sheeran fan. Multiple stars off for that. What kind of self-respecting gay man admits to that? Even one who lives in Iowa.
March 25, 2019
An uplifting breezy read. Set in a post LGBT acceptance setting.
June 29, 2019
3.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews