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The Confluence
The gods created it to ensure a perfect timeline… so why would the coin link together two people from a half century apart? Elliot, a young man postponing college to save up money and leave his difficult home life, finds himself stuck in the past when Cam, his secret childhood crush, returns to town. Elliot is forced to confront old wounds, and is struggling to confess his true feelings about Cam, when he finds a mysterious coin that brings on strange hallucinations of a missing girl from 1959. Deep in the swampy lush lands of 1950's Massachusetts, eight-year-old Sofia is shocked when she, but not her parents, sees Elliot standing in her flower garden. Elliot warns Sofia of the double-homicide of her parents set to happen in six days. The case was marked as unsolvable in Elliot’s time because the clues all were washed away by a devastating once-in-a-century-flood. In view of this news, Sofia struggles to convince her parents she isn’t simply an imaginative little girl but communicating with Elliot from the future. With time growing short, Sofia desperately tries to ensure her parents stay alive, Elliot battles against the inner demons ripping him away from Sofia’s numbered days, and the harbingers of fate fight to take back control of the coin that binds Sofia and Elliot together. Can Elliot overcome his own problems as he and his grade school crush attempt to stop a sixty year old cold case?
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2020
6 people are currently reading
1804 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Josephs
3 books56 followersReviewers and Book Bloggers, get a FREE digital copy of Gregory's new "suspenseful, time-hopping mystery," THE CONFLUENCE (out NOW from Literary Wanderlust):
Request an Advance Reader Copy!
Gregory Josephs is an author of speculative and LGBT fiction who spends a lot of time indulging his insatiable curiosity—about everything. He believes in self-love, authentic food, and that procrastination is the product of an intensely creative mind.
Though he was raised in Colorado, Gregory spent many of his summers in Wisconsin, where he fell in love with the idea of everything North.
Growing up in the west, at some point there was more hot sauce than blood running through his veins, and thanks to his foodie parents it’s a rare day that he doesn't down a jalapeño. He's a foodie too, now (with a serious addiction to cooking magazines).
When he isn't writing he's likely in the kitchen fermenting something—bread dough, cheese, sauerkraut, and of course, peppers!
Unable to resist the allure of a northern climate, Gregory relocated to Massachusetts in his early twenties, where he’s lived ever since. He is passionate about the local food movement, and has been volunteering one day a week at an organic community farm since 2016.
Alongside his photographer husband, Gregory regularly collects fiestaware and sips whiskey while entertaining his two rambunctious cats, and a dog. He can't imagine a better life.
Keep in touch! For news updates and FREE stories, join Gregory's monthly mailing list!
Request an Advance Reader Copy!
Gregory Josephs is an author of speculative and LGBT fiction who spends a lot of time indulging his insatiable curiosity—about everything. He believes in self-love, authentic food, and that procrastination is the product of an intensely creative mind.
Though he was raised in Colorado, Gregory spent many of his summers in Wisconsin, where he fell in love with the idea of everything North.
Growing up in the west, at some point there was more hot sauce than blood running through his veins, and thanks to his foodie parents it’s a rare day that he doesn't down a jalapeño. He's a foodie too, now (with a serious addiction to cooking magazines).
When he isn't writing he's likely in the kitchen fermenting something—bread dough, cheese, sauerkraut, and of course, peppers!
Unable to resist the allure of a northern climate, Gregory relocated to Massachusetts in his early twenties, where he’s lived ever since. He is passionate about the local food movement, and has been volunteering one day a week at an organic community farm since 2016.
Alongside his photographer husband, Gregory regularly collects fiestaware and sips whiskey while entertaining his two rambunctious cats, and a dog. He can't imagine a better life.
Keep in touch! For news updates and FREE stories, join Gregory's monthly mailing list!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 23, 2020
Thanks for waiting! I am a slow reader, and an even slower reviewer!
In The Confluence, Gregory Josephs brings us a modern fairy tale, complete with a race against the clock to save mankind. How could a book like this go wrong? Well, in a different author’s hands it just might. Josephs seems not only to understand the teenage psyche, as well as the angst of a boy coming to terms with his sexuality, but he also seems to know on a deeper level what magical realism looks like. While this is in a sense a thriller, it reads like an older young adult version of Shelia Turnage’s Three Times Lucky, with a bit of Stephen King’s The Talisman thrown in for good measure. Josephs has a beautiful writing style, his words elegantly gracing each page as the tale unfolds. With an equally deft hand at both characterization and setting, The Confluence takes the reader on a journey between two worlds…or perhaps, across many worlds. With demons both external and internal, this novel is a unique story that bridges not only time, but the evils that prevail in both. It is at once a time travel story, a love story, and a family saga, all three elements integral to the plot, and, ultimately, the solid ending.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC!
In The Confluence, Gregory Josephs brings us a modern fairy tale, complete with a race against the clock to save mankind. How could a book like this go wrong? Well, in a different author’s hands it just might. Josephs seems not only to understand the teenage psyche, as well as the angst of a boy coming to terms with his sexuality, but he also seems to know on a deeper level what magical realism looks like. While this is in a sense a thriller, it reads like an older young adult version of Shelia Turnage’s Three Times Lucky, with a bit of Stephen King’s The Talisman thrown in for good measure. Josephs has a beautiful writing style, his words elegantly gracing each page as the tale unfolds. With an equally deft hand at both characterization and setting, The Confluence takes the reader on a journey between two worlds…or perhaps, across many worlds. With demons both external and internal, this novel is a unique story that bridges not only time, but the evils that prevail in both. It is at once a time travel story, a love story, and a family saga, all three elements integral to the plot, and, ultimately, the solid ending.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC!
June 26, 2020
Wow! I feel incredibly lucky to have received an ARC of the Confluence because this turned out to be my book of the year 2020. I know it’s only March, but I’m sure this will be impossible to beat.
I wanted to savor this book, take it slow to make it last longer, but it took me a mere three pages before I threw that idea over board and raced through it because I simply couldn’t stop reading.
So, let’s have a closer look. The characters are truly great – they have so much depth, they are so convincing, and I really shared their worry and joy when reading this. I loved how the boys navigate their feelings for each other, and I loved how deeply Elliot cared for someone just because she needs saving. We need more of this in our world!
The story itself is absolutely clever. Gregory Josephs managed to surprise me with the turns the story took, and although they are completely believable and logical, I was so caught up in the story that I didn’t see them come. It’s been a long time that a book made the hair stand on the back of my neck, and even a longer time that a book made me cry because it’s so moving. This one did, on several occasions. The Confluence is very well-written, with very good pace and structure: I never lost track of what was happening although there are two parallel timelines. The prose matched the story perfectly and instantly immersed me into a summerly world of flowers, vegetables and family - and dark powers lurking underneath. I will definitely reread this and can’t recommend it enough.
I wanted to savor this book, take it slow to make it last longer, but it took me a mere three pages before I threw that idea over board and raced through it because I simply couldn’t stop reading.
So, let’s have a closer look. The characters are truly great – they have so much depth, they are so convincing, and I really shared their worry and joy when reading this. I loved how the boys navigate their feelings for each other, and I loved how deeply Elliot cared for someone just because she needs saving. We need more of this in our world!
The story itself is absolutely clever. Gregory Josephs managed to surprise me with the turns the story took, and although they are completely believable and logical, I was so caught up in the story that I didn’t see them come. It’s been a long time that a book made the hair stand on the back of my neck, and even a longer time that a book made me cry because it’s so moving. This one did, on several occasions. The Confluence is very well-written, with very good pace and structure: I never lost track of what was happening although there are two parallel timelines. The prose matched the story perfectly and instantly immersed me into a summerly world of flowers, vegetables and family - and dark powers lurking underneath. I will definitely reread this and can’t recommend it enough.
February 27, 2020
It’s finally here and it’s all very exciting. There are spoilers here, so please continue at your own discretion.
I very much appreciate receiving this on a Monday so I could spend two workdays pretending to read “continuing education material” while really reading through this year’s long awaited entry from Gregory Josephs, the man I met on a city bus in Arlington who offered to let me spend the night under his stoop in exchange for my opinion of his new book. This one is for you, Greg.
I should preface that I am coming off a smoking hot streak of community based literature. Most of what I have consumed had been so under the guise that I would be standing on the receiving end of a narrative that not only toasted my bread for a compelling story that was well-written but also to see a character that I could relate to as having more to do than being some comedic relief, best friend, side character. Most authors, for me, failed to deliver on all of these fronts unable to balance the story with the characters with the writing. One of my favorite aspects of this author is his ability to balance the prose in his work with magical ideas that would leave most people wondering how anybody could think in such ways with the knowledge of what LGBTQ literature should look like. It should just look like literature. When I read this book, I don’t see a collection of characters whose sexuality IS the plot. Rather I read a story in which a main character had to fight with his inner demons in order to help others around him. He needed to deal with his own shit while dealing with some colossal issues he didn’t even know existed days prior. It’s poetic, in a sense, of people in their 20’s. Granted, Elliot had just turned 20 but I think the best description of being in one’s 20s is just this.
“I have a lot of shit on my own plate right now and you me expect to take on the world too?”
Interpret this as you may but this is how I saw it. It just so happened that this character’s personal demon, on top of dealing with the death of his father, trying to find social acceptance, and handling an alcoholic mother and her abusive boyfriend, was accepting his sexuality. It drove the character’s development much like overcoming any personal, internal issue would. I appreciated this throughout this 300+ page tale as my last bout with something of the sort was a damn nightmare. And this is coming from someone who looked forward to sleeping under a stoop.
There comes a point in every novel when the reader is asked to take the author’s hand and when prompted with the question “Do you trust me?” the reader has a choice to make. Yes or no. There are certain aspects of fiction where the reader must make up their mind if they can go along with whatever suspension of disbelief that author throws at them. Sometimes this is simply going along with a neat adventure the main character goes on (think No Country for Old Men) but can shift as drastically from the mundane to magical spells, dragons, new worlds, and everything else that we consider to be fantastical (think Lord of the Rings and Star Wars). But I believe that it’s that piece in the middle that is the hardest to fully capture. The magical realism that I personally find the biggest challenge in suspending total disbelief for, that balances everyday life with some seemingly “out-of-left field” story line that can leave readers thinking “this just got really dumb” or “this just got super interesting.”
Admittedly the first time I ever came across something like this, I wasn’t about it. I thought the author, who wasn’t this one, had ruined their story. “What the heck were they thinking!?” I was irate. This is so silly, so foolish. This can’t really happen on Earth, why would I believe this? I put that book down and was furious. I couldn’t believe I had sat there and been spoonfed such bullshit. Two days later, I was recounting the book with someone when they cried out at the ingenuity of it all. They loved the idea. But why? What was I missing? I then realized that fiction writing and novels didn’t just have to be 100% plausible or 100% fantastical. There exist stories that love to delve in an in between where every day occurrences in life are dictated outside the realm of what we know. For me this has ranged from Amelia Earhart secretly being alive beneath ocean in a secret fortress of whale-human hybrids, every character being named Aureliano in 100 Years of Solitude, and now this tale involving free will and fate being dictated by deities from a past era. And why shouldn’t these Deities exist in a world that also features patty-pan squash, sexual acceptance, and family issues. After all, we already live in a world in which people have chosen to believe in Gods, Goddesses, Deities, etc. I also just have a lot of fun living and existing in stories that take the mundane aspects of life and shake it all up with some imaginative elements. It brings me back to the times when I could find an old building foundation, stone chimney, or ramshackle shack in the woods, ironically enough when I have also been out running, and create tales and stories of what and who used to live there. It also sparks interest of others as they create tales and maybe even urban legends start about the old cottage belonging to a witch or some crazy idea. Regardless, this story not only helped me continue my love for magical realism but also aided in my endeavors to continue living my current life with the same drive to exercise my creativity and imagination (even when working for the man gets me down).
I loved Sofia as a character. It’s a great time and place in our world when the strongest character mentally and emotionally is an 8 year old girl. I also loved her outfits, love of the outdoors, acceptance, and patience.
I’m not entirely a fan of “I read all of this in a book/ask the expert” type exposition (I believe it’s called teacher exposition) I saw towards the end of the book with Jared explaining the coin in his email. Examples of this can also be seen in the film Sinister (with Vincent D’onofrio being the professor explaining to Ethan Hawke) as well as in Harry Potter when Hermione shows up with a book she always seemed to find to explain how they figured something out and give the readers some idea of what is happening
I’m not saying these are bad films/novels and recognize the need to explain things in writing, but I never manage to make it through to the other side of this without forgetting something or spending more time than I’d like piecing everything that occurred with the exposition dump to its appropriate location in the narrative.
I can say, however, that I am happy Jared’s only point of being in the book wasn’t just for this moment. He wasn’t added in as the brother to be an exposition dump. He was also crucial in helping Elliot grow as a person. If Jared wasn’t pivotal in our sweet boy’s growth, I would be more angry about this exposition dump. I appreciate this to the upmost degree.
My biggest gripe of this kind of story is the need to explain the various timelines from all perspectives. I’ve seen this in video games, books, and film and while I appreciate the attention to detail and in depth preparation that goes into creating such a narrative, it almost feels like a reset for me when I experience it. For example, reading through the first part for 60+ pages to have it change timelines to essentially give me everything that happened in the first 60 pages from an altered perspective in which I also know where/how it’ll end up shaping out makes me feel a bit unaccomplished after 120 pages. There was also a bit of whiplash as the story flipped between timelines every 3-4 pages with repeated cliffhangers.
Time based narratives always mess with my thought processes and I find that the less I think about them, the easier they are to understand. So if I get this straight:
Sofia saw Elliot held at gunpoint in dreams and such because she had the coin but only after she makes initial contact with Elliot.
Elliot is able to make contact with her because he has the coin 60 years in the future and she has it in the past. He warns her of the flood and the murder and she warns him of the shooter (which seems to go unnoticed)
She escapes the flood and the murders because of Elliot and the help of the Priest and decides to leave the coin for him so he can find it in the future. But he had already found it before making initial contact so why was it there in the first place if the idea to put it on the stoop was sparked by the knowledge he had to find it after she knew he had it?
She gives him the coin which means he’d find the coin which means that Tony would be compelled to take the coin at the same gun point she’d foreseen before giving him the coin and thus caused all of these things to happen. This seemed like Free Will was present but also Destiny was planned to happen regardless. I’d be lying if I said I was entirely on the same page with understanding it all. Perhaps the idea was in trying to change the past or influence the future, you inadvertently set things into motion that would have occurred anyway. So is Free Will there just so we think we can influence the future but Destiny would occur either way and is set in stone? Which would mean that Sofia knew Elliot would be held at gunpoint regardless of what she did and almost completely forgot about him over the years but still managed to remember the exact time that the shooting was supposed to occur after 60 years. Was the time explained in the book? I will look again to find out how she knew the exact time it would occur.
I’m definitely not against the idea of time components in novels and they can work well when carefully crafted and thought out. I think the author did just this. I just don’t think I’m always able to handle the ideas of time paradoxes and the fine nuances of timeline consistency. I didn’t understand Primer, Inception sometimes still messes with me, and don’t even get me started with The Time Traveler’s Wife. It’s something I admittedly struggle with. The reason I say this, however, is because if I can go into a novel that has these elements and still enjoy it then I believe the author did a fantastic job.
I’m very happy with how author Gregory Josephs has matured (pronounced muh-too-werd) with his writing but also has never shied away from the stories he loves to share, tell, and experience. Now that this has been posted I can stop siphoning your WI-FI and move on from your stoop. Our physical journey ends here, Greg. I cannot stay here with you forever, for legal reasons and because it’s super cold in your wretched town. And while we can no longer be together, your literature will always be a part of me. Where it goes, I will follow.
I very much appreciate receiving this on a Monday so I could spend two workdays pretending to read “continuing education material” while really reading through this year’s long awaited entry from Gregory Josephs, the man I met on a city bus in Arlington who offered to let me spend the night under his stoop in exchange for my opinion of his new book. This one is for you, Greg.
I should preface that I am coming off a smoking hot streak of community based literature. Most of what I have consumed had been so under the guise that I would be standing on the receiving end of a narrative that not only toasted my bread for a compelling story that was well-written but also to see a character that I could relate to as having more to do than being some comedic relief, best friend, side character. Most authors, for me, failed to deliver on all of these fronts unable to balance the story with the characters with the writing. One of my favorite aspects of this author is his ability to balance the prose in his work with magical ideas that would leave most people wondering how anybody could think in such ways with the knowledge of what LGBTQ literature should look like. It should just look like literature. When I read this book, I don’t see a collection of characters whose sexuality IS the plot. Rather I read a story in which a main character had to fight with his inner demons in order to help others around him. He needed to deal with his own shit while dealing with some colossal issues he didn’t even know existed days prior. It’s poetic, in a sense, of people in their 20’s. Granted, Elliot had just turned 20 but I think the best description of being in one’s 20s is just this.
“I have a lot of shit on my own plate right now and you me expect to take on the world too?”
Interpret this as you may but this is how I saw it. It just so happened that this character’s personal demon, on top of dealing with the death of his father, trying to find social acceptance, and handling an alcoholic mother and her abusive boyfriend, was accepting his sexuality. It drove the character’s development much like overcoming any personal, internal issue would. I appreciated this throughout this 300+ page tale as my last bout with something of the sort was a damn nightmare. And this is coming from someone who looked forward to sleeping under a stoop.
There comes a point in every novel when the reader is asked to take the author’s hand and when prompted with the question “Do you trust me?” the reader has a choice to make. Yes or no. There are certain aspects of fiction where the reader must make up their mind if they can go along with whatever suspension of disbelief that author throws at them. Sometimes this is simply going along with a neat adventure the main character goes on (think No Country for Old Men) but can shift as drastically from the mundane to magical spells, dragons, new worlds, and everything else that we consider to be fantastical (think Lord of the Rings and Star Wars). But I believe that it’s that piece in the middle that is the hardest to fully capture. The magical realism that I personally find the biggest challenge in suspending total disbelief for, that balances everyday life with some seemingly “out-of-left field” story line that can leave readers thinking “this just got really dumb” or “this just got super interesting.”
Admittedly the first time I ever came across something like this, I wasn’t about it. I thought the author, who wasn’t this one, had ruined their story. “What the heck were they thinking!?” I was irate. This is so silly, so foolish. This can’t really happen on Earth, why would I believe this? I put that book down and was furious. I couldn’t believe I had sat there and been spoonfed such bullshit. Two days later, I was recounting the book with someone when they cried out at the ingenuity of it all. They loved the idea. But why? What was I missing? I then realized that fiction writing and novels didn’t just have to be 100% plausible or 100% fantastical. There exist stories that love to delve in an in between where every day occurrences in life are dictated outside the realm of what we know. For me this has ranged from Amelia Earhart secretly being alive beneath ocean in a secret fortress of whale-human hybrids, every character being named Aureliano in 100 Years of Solitude, and now this tale involving free will and fate being dictated by deities from a past era. And why shouldn’t these Deities exist in a world that also features patty-pan squash, sexual acceptance, and family issues. After all, we already live in a world in which people have chosen to believe in Gods, Goddesses, Deities, etc. I also just have a lot of fun living and existing in stories that take the mundane aspects of life and shake it all up with some imaginative elements. It brings me back to the times when I could find an old building foundation, stone chimney, or ramshackle shack in the woods, ironically enough when I have also been out running, and create tales and stories of what and who used to live there. It also sparks interest of others as they create tales and maybe even urban legends start about the old cottage belonging to a witch or some crazy idea. Regardless, this story not only helped me continue my love for magical realism but also aided in my endeavors to continue living my current life with the same drive to exercise my creativity and imagination (even when working for the man gets me down).
I loved Sofia as a character. It’s a great time and place in our world when the strongest character mentally and emotionally is an 8 year old girl. I also loved her outfits, love of the outdoors, acceptance, and patience.
I’m not entirely a fan of “I read all of this in a book/ask the expert” type exposition (I believe it’s called teacher exposition) I saw towards the end of the book with Jared explaining the coin in his email. Examples of this can also be seen in the film Sinister (with Vincent D’onofrio being the professor explaining to Ethan Hawke) as well as in Harry Potter when Hermione shows up with a book she always seemed to find to explain how they figured something out and give the readers some idea of what is happening
I’m not saying these are bad films/novels and recognize the need to explain things in writing, but I never manage to make it through to the other side of this without forgetting something or spending more time than I’d like piecing everything that occurred with the exposition dump to its appropriate location in the narrative.
I can say, however, that I am happy Jared’s only point of being in the book wasn’t just for this moment. He wasn’t added in as the brother to be an exposition dump. He was also crucial in helping Elliot grow as a person. If Jared wasn’t pivotal in our sweet boy’s growth, I would be more angry about this exposition dump. I appreciate this to the upmost degree.
My biggest gripe of this kind of story is the need to explain the various timelines from all perspectives. I’ve seen this in video games, books, and film and while I appreciate the attention to detail and in depth preparation that goes into creating such a narrative, it almost feels like a reset for me when I experience it. For example, reading through the first part for 60+ pages to have it change timelines to essentially give me everything that happened in the first 60 pages from an altered perspective in which I also know where/how it’ll end up shaping out makes me feel a bit unaccomplished after 120 pages. There was also a bit of whiplash as the story flipped between timelines every 3-4 pages with repeated cliffhangers.
Time based narratives always mess with my thought processes and I find that the less I think about them, the easier they are to understand. So if I get this straight:
Sofia saw Elliot held at gunpoint in dreams and such because she had the coin but only after she makes initial contact with Elliot.
Elliot is able to make contact with her because he has the coin 60 years in the future and she has it in the past. He warns her of the flood and the murder and she warns him of the shooter (which seems to go unnoticed)
She escapes the flood and the murders because of Elliot and the help of the Priest and decides to leave the coin for him so he can find it in the future. But he had already found it before making initial contact so why was it there in the first place if the idea to put it on the stoop was sparked by the knowledge he had to find it after she knew he had it?
She gives him the coin which means he’d find the coin which means that Tony would be compelled to take the coin at the same gun point she’d foreseen before giving him the coin and thus caused all of these things to happen. This seemed like Free Will was present but also Destiny was planned to happen regardless. I’d be lying if I said I was entirely on the same page with understanding it all. Perhaps the idea was in trying to change the past or influence the future, you inadvertently set things into motion that would have occurred anyway. So is Free Will there just so we think we can influence the future but Destiny would occur either way and is set in stone? Which would mean that Sofia knew Elliot would be held at gunpoint regardless of what she did and almost completely forgot about him over the years but still managed to remember the exact time that the shooting was supposed to occur after 60 years. Was the time explained in the book? I will look again to find out how she knew the exact time it would occur.
I’m definitely not against the idea of time components in novels and they can work well when carefully crafted and thought out. I think the author did just this. I just don’t think I’m always able to handle the ideas of time paradoxes and the fine nuances of timeline consistency. I didn’t understand Primer, Inception sometimes still messes with me, and don’t even get me started with The Time Traveler’s Wife. It’s something I admittedly struggle with. The reason I say this, however, is because if I can go into a novel that has these elements and still enjoy it then I believe the author did a fantastic job.
I’m very happy with how author Gregory Josephs has matured (pronounced muh-too-werd) with his writing but also has never shied away from the stories he loves to share, tell, and experience. Now that this has been posted I can stop siphoning your WI-FI and move on from your stoop. Our physical journey ends here, Greg. I cannot stay here with you forever, for legal reasons and because it’s super cold in your wretched town. And while we can no longer be together, your literature will always be a part of me. Where it goes, I will follow.
February 25, 2020
I really enjoyed reading The Confluence, it was an intriguing read that was hard to put down! I loved following Elliot's journey, watching him grow and become more confident... and how his life takes a u-turn when he find's Sofia. After that, it's a race against the clock for Elliot to save her life-but not in the traditional sense, because Sofia is a ghost...or is she?
There are not many authors that both the husband and I enjoy reading equally. And Gregory Josephs is one of those authors!
There are not many authors that both the husband and I enjoy reading equally. And Gregory Josephs is one of those authors!
May 12, 2020
I love the descriptions in this book. It makes things easy to picture.
I also admire how unique the plot is.
(Full review coming soon!)----Here it is!
I would like to start this review by saying that Gregory Josephs has delivered a stellar story that you need in your life.
Conceptually speaking, I have never read a book quite like this. I’ve read a million queer romances and a million mysteries, but the whole thing with Sofia’s sections of the story and the past history of everything was honestly incredible. It’s almost supernatural and feels like reading a fantasy with a very contemporary vibe, which all in all is definitely enjoyable.
I really admire Josephs’ pacing throughout the book. As a relatively quick reader, when a story’s pacing is off it makes things hard to enjoy. I love how Josephs spaces out the parts of the story focusing on Elliot with the pieces focusing on Sofia, all the while keeping the integrity and connections between their lives alive. I didn’t have to read half the book before things picked up. I also really love the friendship/romance drama between Elliot and Cam, especially regarding it’s pacing. It didn’t take over the mystery of the story but was still prominent enough to pull my heartstrings. No matter how well written a scene is, if it’s out of place it becomes a waste. I am pleased to report that Gregory Josephs has no such problem.
I didn’t realize this until I’d finished the book, but the entire thing acts like a juxtaposition between Sofia’s youthful innocence and the hauntings of her past being placed upon Elliot’s shoulder as he enters adulthood. I don’t know if that was intentional, but I think it’s pretty cool. That distinction makes the connections between their stories stand out and become that much more interesting to read.
In terms of characters, I’m obsessed with Cam. There isn’t a moment I can pinpoint, but I love his attitude. He seems like he’d be fun to have around on a day trip to Disneyland. Tony, on the other hand, was instantly my least favorite. There is something inexplicably admirable about a character so obviously written for readers to dislike. Josephs succeed entirely-Tony really pushed my buttons.
Generally speaking, I prefer dialogue and internal monologue to description. However, I was floored by the way that Josephs illustrates the story. Frequently, the five sense were mentioned so I could really feel like I was in the story.
One of my favorite lines is “Elliot was withering on the vine, even as so many of his old high school peers were flourishing.” I don’t even know what it is about that line, but I think it’s really beautiful. I also love the use of colors as descriptors in The Confluence. It reminds me of the classic style of The Great Gatsby. Whether it was a “gray morning” or a “painted sky,” the imagery had me hooked the whole way through.
An additional note, this is my favorite line with absolutely no context: “It was a realization there was another way to exist. A different way to be. An alien happiness. Nothing was more terrifying.”
I also admire how unique the plot is.
(Full review coming soon!)----Here it is!
I would like to start this review by saying that Gregory Josephs has delivered a stellar story that you need in your life.
Conceptually speaking, I have never read a book quite like this. I’ve read a million queer romances and a million mysteries, but the whole thing with Sofia’s sections of the story and the past history of everything was honestly incredible. It’s almost supernatural and feels like reading a fantasy with a very contemporary vibe, which all in all is definitely enjoyable.
I really admire Josephs’ pacing throughout the book. As a relatively quick reader, when a story’s pacing is off it makes things hard to enjoy. I love how Josephs spaces out the parts of the story focusing on Elliot with the pieces focusing on Sofia, all the while keeping the integrity and connections between their lives alive. I didn’t have to read half the book before things picked up. I also really love the friendship/romance drama between Elliot and Cam, especially regarding it’s pacing. It didn’t take over the mystery of the story but was still prominent enough to pull my heartstrings. No matter how well written a scene is, if it’s out of place it becomes a waste. I am pleased to report that Gregory Josephs has no such problem.
I didn’t realize this until I’d finished the book, but the entire thing acts like a juxtaposition between Sofia’s youthful innocence and the hauntings of her past being placed upon Elliot’s shoulder as he enters adulthood. I don’t know if that was intentional, but I think it’s pretty cool. That distinction makes the connections between their stories stand out and become that much more interesting to read.
In terms of characters, I’m obsessed with Cam. There isn’t a moment I can pinpoint, but I love his attitude. He seems like he’d be fun to have around on a day trip to Disneyland. Tony, on the other hand, was instantly my least favorite. There is something inexplicably admirable about a character so obviously written for readers to dislike. Josephs succeed entirely-Tony really pushed my buttons.
Generally speaking, I prefer dialogue and internal monologue to description. However, I was floored by the way that Josephs illustrates the story. Frequently, the five sense were mentioned so I could really feel like I was in the story.
One of my favorite lines is “Elliot was withering on the vine, even as so many of his old high school peers were flourishing.” I don’t even know what it is about that line, but I think it’s really beautiful. I also love the use of colors as descriptors in The Confluence. It reminds me of the classic style of The Great Gatsby. Whether it was a “gray morning” or a “painted sky,” the imagery had me hooked the whole way through.
An additional note, this is my favorite line with absolutely no context: “It was a realization there was another way to exist. A different way to be. An alien happiness. Nothing was more terrifying.”
May 22, 2020
This book is really quite sweet. The world mechanics are internally consistent, or the characters are self-acknowledged about what they are understanding and what they don't.
The narrative is sweet and just complicated enough. The characters are really charming and I root strongly for the main characters.
I reserve five stars for books which leave you with that feeling of the world being bigger than when you started, books that really change your life. This was a good book that kept me very actively engaged but wasn't a game-changer.
That said I love a fiction book with queer characters, that's always a delight.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The narrative is sweet and just complicated enough. The characters are really charming and I root strongly for the main characters.
I reserve five stars for books which leave you with that feeling of the world being bigger than when you started, books that really change your life. This was a good book that kept me very actively engaged but wasn't a game-changer.
That said I love a fiction book with queer characters, that's always a delight.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 25, 2020
This book was very good! It had me spell bound with the twist and turns! Very good!
September 7, 2020
This is a incredible work of modern day fantasy! The main character Elliot has a journey with his sexuality which is SO important for people to hear. To me, this was absolutely the backbone of the narrative with some fantasy and sci-fi time jumping added in. It's a beautiful work about love and the kindness we show to each other.
May 17, 2020
In Gregory Joseph’s time travel fantasy, The Confluence, twenty-year-old Elliott is having a tough time. Unable to afford University, he’s marooned at home with his alcoholic mother and her thuggish boyfriend. He’s in between life phases, eager for adulthood but trapped in adolescence. Circumstances have disrupted his development, and he clings to memories of the mother he’d had as a boy and struggles with his sexual identity.
Into this void drops the Chromicum coin, a magical object that opens a window to the past. Drama unfolds, endangering Elliot and others, but also opening a door to discovery, adventure and personal growth. The plot is absorbing and the conclusion satisfying.
This tale reflects another neat feature of time travel fiction, whether fantasy or science fiction. It’s never one thing, and the range of styles in this categories is infinite. Elliot’s tale is also a mystery (a small town mystery complete with cat and gardening) and a coming of age story with an LGBT theme.
The Confluence is a pleasure to read. The formatting and editing are spotless. The prose is vivid and professional, lushly describing the setting, an idyllic New England township. Several characters relay the tale, including a young girl and an evil, ancient priestess, each with a distinct voice. The supporting characters are also complex and believable.
“Mon cher, lilted the sickly-sweet voice at the other end of the line. It was cool and crisp, lush and honeyed. A French sunset. A chilled glass of Lillet…”
My only trouble was Elliot, in particular his whining and reluctance to embrace his sexuality, given the modern day setting and an accepting fictional peer group. Having witnessed far worse struggles than an extra couple of years at home with a suboptimal family, he frustrated me. “Get over yourself and get on with your life,” I thought at times, but petulant and self-absorbed are believable features in early adulthood, and some of his inertia might be explained as loyalty to his not very admirable mother. Overall, the book compassionately illustrates the young man’s struggles.
(I received an ARC in exchange for this review; however, the review reflects my honest assessment of the novel.)
Into this void drops the Chromicum coin, a magical object that opens a window to the past. Drama unfolds, endangering Elliot and others, but also opening a door to discovery, adventure and personal growth. The plot is absorbing and the conclusion satisfying.
This tale reflects another neat feature of time travel fiction, whether fantasy or science fiction. It’s never one thing, and the range of styles in this categories is infinite. Elliot’s tale is also a mystery (a small town mystery complete with cat and gardening) and a coming of age story with an LGBT theme.
The Confluence is a pleasure to read. The formatting and editing are spotless. The prose is vivid and professional, lushly describing the setting, an idyllic New England township. Several characters relay the tale, including a young girl and an evil, ancient priestess, each with a distinct voice. The supporting characters are also complex and believable.
“Mon cher, lilted the sickly-sweet voice at the other end of the line. It was cool and crisp, lush and honeyed. A French sunset. A chilled glass of Lillet…”
My only trouble was Elliot, in particular his whining and reluctance to embrace his sexuality, given the modern day setting and an accepting fictional peer group. Having witnessed far worse struggles than an extra couple of years at home with a suboptimal family, he frustrated me. “Get over yourself and get on with your life,” I thought at times, but petulant and self-absorbed are believable features in early adulthood, and some of his inertia might be explained as loyalty to his not very admirable mother. Overall, the book compassionately illustrates the young man’s struggles.
(I received an ARC in exchange for this review; however, the review reflects my honest assessment of the novel.)
April 7, 2020
(I won an ARC of this book in a giveaway - did not promise a review, and yet here I am...)
First and foremost - this is the kind of book you can sink into and disappear from your own life for a while. I read it in three sittings over a weekend, which is the sort of immersive reading experience I don't have very often these days. The pacing is excellent, and the ending finds the perfect balance between seeming inevitable without being too predictable.
I especially loved Sofia's character - such a strong and clear personality. A little girl that seems entirely her age, without feeling cutesy or trite. Eliot is a strong protagonist, and while some of his emotional journey seems a little predicable, there is also strong depth and nuance, especially in his relationships with his Mother and his friend Lindsey.
First and foremost - this is the kind of book you can sink into and disappear from your own life for a while. I read it in three sittings over a weekend, which is the sort of immersive reading experience I don't have very often these days. The pacing is excellent, and the ending finds the perfect balance between seeming inevitable without being too predictable.
I especially loved Sofia's character - such a strong and clear personality. A little girl that seems entirely her age, without feeling cutesy or trite. Eliot is a strong protagonist, and while some of his emotional journey seems a little predicable, there is also strong depth and nuance, especially in his relationships with his Mother and his friend Lindsey.
July 2, 2020
Horrible tragedy echoes into present day world
A chance to prevent the lethal past is hindered by more than awkward feelings- and there may be more at stake than they realized
Intense time traveling drama and action
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A chance to prevent the lethal past is hindered by more than awkward feelings- and there may be more at stake than they realized
Intense time traveling drama and action
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 3, 2020
This is the 1st book I've read written by Gregory Josephs; he has done a great job at writing a good book; I will definitely be reading more of his books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
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July 1, 2020 It is a story about time travel, relationships, and a bit of magic. The book is written in parts. Part One is written about Elliot. Elliot is athletic, and smart. He lives in Haverford close to the Pentucket River. Elliot's Father passed away some time ago. He lives with his mother and her live in boyfriend. His birthday is coming up. Elliot should be in college, but instead is working on a farm. A farm where we meet Cameron. Elliot and Cam have grown up with each other. Cameron has been out as a gay man, and is all too cute. Elliot also has a best friend Lindsey, who he runs around with. Like for real they are runners.
The story opens up on a rainy afternoon. Elliot and Lindsey needed shelter, and found an abandoned farm house. It was there Elliot was drawn to. His life is going to change from that time on. In Haverford, during the late summer of 1959, there was a great flood. What happened exactly after the flood leads Elliot on a journey to save lives. Did I forget to tell you? Elliot's side of the story typically takes place in 2019. That was the most trippy part. That is the time traveling this book does. The book separates the time jumps like a fluid motion. Good breaks in chapters, and good breaks in who is being read about. I don't read so much about sci-fi, but when offered to read this book. It kind of had to happen. I know most of you want cozy, I know that is why you follow my random blogging. But just wait....
There are murders in this book. Now I can't tell you who, or what committed the murders. That is a big key to the book. I will say people are not what they seem. And, what is it about this ancient coin that draws out people from the shadows? A goddess? An Italian Folk Story passed down? Just keep reading the book.
The story opens up on a rainy afternoon. Elliot and Lindsey needed shelter, and found an abandoned farm house. It was there Elliot was drawn to. His life is going to change from that time on. In Haverford, during the late summer of 1959, there was a great flood. What happened exactly after the flood leads Elliot on a journey to save lives. Did I forget to tell you? Elliot's side of the story typically takes place in 2019. That was the most trippy part. That is the time traveling this book does. The book separates the time jumps like a fluid motion. Good breaks in chapters, and good breaks in who is being read about. I don't read so much about sci-fi, but when offered to read this book. It kind of had to happen. I know most of you want cozy, I know that is why you follow my random blogging. But just wait....
There are murders in this book. Now I can't tell you who, or what committed the murders. That is a big key to the book. I will say people are not what they seem. And, what is it about this ancient coin that draws out people from the shadows? A goddess? An Italian Folk Story passed down? Just keep reading the book.
April 6, 2020
Thus suspenseful, super natural story will keep you wondering what will delight the reader. From cover to cover Elliott and Sofia keep you wondering what will happen next. The character development and story that wound its way through modern day and yesterday kept me interested throughout. You can tell the author is passionate about writing. Can’t wait to read his next book.
July 1, 2020
The story line was great, the character work was fantastic and the book had a fairly smooth flow to it. This was a good read and kept me hooked from beginning to end. This was the first book by this author that I've read, but it won't be the last.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 22, 2020
This story is full of adventure and suspense, taking you on a wild ride through parallel timelines, all the while following a young man’s journey of self-discovery.
February 9, 2021
This book has an interesting premise and incorporates time travel into it, making it a really interesting and fun read. Overall, it got a little draggy in parts, but the overall story was entertaining and worth the read.
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