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Waking for Hours
Seventeen-year-old Bill Miller is a creative, sensitive, and talented teenager who thinks of himself as just a regular guy with ordinary problems. His girlfriend, Shelly, is confused about her feelings for him. His ex-girlfriend, Melody, likes him as just a friend. Truth be told, Bill just wants to find peace. As the summer before his junior year of high school comes to a close, Bill attends a fine arts program at a community college and begins to perceive himself in a new light.
After a rather unsuccessful day at camp, Bill meets Julian Jools Garden, who immediately makes him feel better about himself. Jools and Bill find ways to spend time together, starting with a hike in the middle of suburbia that causes Bill to question everything he has ever known about himself. As his friendship with Jools progresses, Bill realizes he is not a straight guy with a girlfriend, but instead a bisexual youth who has fallen in love with Jools, even as Shelly seduces him for the first time.
Waking for Hours shares a teenagers unique coming-of-age journey as he relies on the help of his grandfather and a new friend and unlocks the courage to face the reality about himself, love, and labels.
After a rather unsuccessful day at camp, Bill meets Julian Jools Garden, who immediately makes him feel better about himself. Jools and Bill find ways to spend time together, starting with a hike in the middle of suburbia that causes Bill to question everything he has ever known about himself. As his friendship with Jools progresses, Bill realizes he is not a straight guy with a girlfriend, but instead a bisexual youth who has fallen in love with Jools, even as Shelly seduces him for the first time.
Waking for Hours shares a teenagers unique coming-of-age journey as he relies on the help of his grandfather and a new friend and unlocks the courage to face the reality about himself, love, and labels.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2012
8 people want to read
About the author
Connie Anne McEntee
1 book5 followersIf I'm writing a story, it's probably going to be queer in one way or another.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 27, 2014
Teenager William - Billy - Miller finds himself in a situation he never dreamt possible: in a love triangle with both a female and a male.
As he discovers he is bisexual, he finds himself being polyamorous - having a girlfriend and a boyfriend at the same time.
Initially, Billy seems like an average teenage virgin, until he meets Jools, whom he gets to know during hiking trips and school study dates. As the two boys forge a special friendship, Billy and his girlfriend, Shelly, engage in intercourse for the first time.
Facing teenage struggles, like having to take a bus all the time because he doesn't have a car, Billy sometimes gets rides from his friends who have vehicles, including his girlfriend, as well as his parents and grandpa, too. The fun parts of being a teenager are incorporated into this book, including going to parties where Spin the Bottle and Never Have I Ever are played.
Throughout the book, the main character faces both inner and outer struggles, as well as discrimination from peers. His journey takes him to new and exciting places, and a variety of support systems emerge. The fact that Jools' mom is a lesbian and Billy's grandpa is bisexual adds another dimension to the book, too, demonstrating that LGBT people are everywhere!
Confusion about sexual orientation is the main issue in Waking for Hours. The moral? Self-discovery is a journey best left unrushed.
Because I had some interaction with the author - Connie Anne McEntee - prior to reading this book, I was able to notice some parallels between one the author's characters - Donnie - and the author's actual life. It's no secret that fiction is based on reality, and the parallels added to the authenticity of the characters in the book.
Some parallels:
similar names (Connie/Donnie)
the main character is a teen and has a sister (the author has two children)
the author has struggled with the very same issues as Billy
The simplistic writing was engaging, light and airy, the storylines had teachings behind them coupled with positive influences, including a gay pastor and a family who is loving and supportive of their children. Billy's parents try very hard to be great role models, and the fact that his grandfather is bisexual adds an interesting twist to the story. It's clear that the grandfather was born in a day and age where sexuality was not openly discussed, but the grandfather is portrayed as someone who is not only a mentor to Billy and his friends, and seems to be someone who is a lot of fun to be around.
I deem it an excellent book for teens, and would recommend this book easily!
As he discovers he is bisexual, he finds himself being polyamorous - having a girlfriend and a boyfriend at the same time.
Initially, Billy seems like an average teenage virgin, until he meets Jools, whom he gets to know during hiking trips and school study dates. As the two boys forge a special friendship, Billy and his girlfriend, Shelly, engage in intercourse for the first time.
Facing teenage struggles, like having to take a bus all the time because he doesn't have a car, Billy sometimes gets rides from his friends who have vehicles, including his girlfriend, as well as his parents and grandpa, too. The fun parts of being a teenager are incorporated into this book, including going to parties where Spin the Bottle and Never Have I Ever are played.
Throughout the book, the main character faces both inner and outer struggles, as well as discrimination from peers. His journey takes him to new and exciting places, and a variety of support systems emerge. The fact that Jools' mom is a lesbian and Billy's grandpa is bisexual adds another dimension to the book, too, demonstrating that LGBT people are everywhere!
Confusion about sexual orientation is the main issue in Waking for Hours. The moral? Self-discovery is a journey best left unrushed.
Because I had some interaction with the author - Connie Anne McEntee - prior to reading this book, I was able to notice some parallels between one the author's characters - Donnie - and the author's actual life. It's no secret that fiction is based on reality, and the parallels added to the authenticity of the characters in the book.
Some parallels:
similar names (Connie/Donnie)
the main character is a teen and has a sister (the author has two children)
the author has struggled with the very same issues as Billy
The simplistic writing was engaging, light and airy, the storylines had teachings behind them coupled with positive influences, including a gay pastor and a family who is loving and supportive of their children. Billy's parents try very hard to be great role models, and the fact that his grandfather is bisexual adds an interesting twist to the story. It's clear that the grandfather was born in a day and age where sexuality was not openly discussed, but the grandfather is portrayed as someone who is not only a mentor to Billy and his friends, and seems to be someone who is a lot of fun to be around.
I deem it an excellent book for teens, and would recommend this book easily!
October 29, 2017
This was one of the 1st books in a long time that I was able to sit down and just read and not want to put down. Connie did so well writing this and you can really feel the story come to life. I highly recommend this and can't wait to read more from her.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews