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The Step Back
Ed Garrison has it all―a successful basketball career, a great relationship with his kid brother, the best dog a guy could ask for, and a supportive family. With summer vacation being the only thing standing between him and a full-ride scholarship to Berkeley, Ed feels invincible.
But everything falls apart as high school comes to an end and his mother suddenly leaves his father for a woman three thousand miles away, leaving behind a broken home in the wake of her absence and betrayal. Ed feels helpless as his humiliated father turns to liquor and work and his brother throws away his future for illegal substances and crime. Not even the dog stuck around to watch.
Soon, Ed is lashing out too: he turns down his scholarship in favor of attending a small school in Northern California and alienates himself from his fractured family to start a new life of his own. Alone and confused, Ed switches his major to journalism, trains for a marathon, and adopts a puppy, all in attempts to fill an unexplainable void in his life. But as the years pass and this new chapter is also riddled with distrust and regret, he fails to maintain the relationships that matter the most. Ed has no choice but to reckon with his past mistakes as his dreams of a basketball career are shattered and his family continues to crumble.
But everything falls apart as high school comes to an end and his mother suddenly leaves his father for a woman three thousand miles away, leaving behind a broken home in the wake of her absence and betrayal. Ed feels helpless as his humiliated father turns to liquor and work and his brother throws away his future for illegal substances and crime. Not even the dog stuck around to watch.
Soon, Ed is lashing out too: he turns down his scholarship in favor of attending a small school in Northern California and alienates himself from his fractured family to start a new life of his own. Alone and confused, Ed switches his major to journalism, trains for a marathon, and adopts a puppy, all in attempts to fill an unexplainable void in his life. But as the years pass and this new chapter is also riddled with distrust and regret, he fails to maintain the relationships that matter the most. Ed has no choice but to reckon with his past mistakes as his dreams of a basketball career are shattered and his family continues to crumble.
256 pages, Paperback
Published May 11, 2021
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 16, 2025
A colleague of mine at OSU wrote this book. I bought it in the early months of the pandemic when it was first published and it wound up in a box of stuff. I found it recently and I'm so glad I did. I wish I'd read it sooner.
June 11, 2021
The Step Back
Ever wondered what is like inside the head of an 18 year-old, middle class Californian white boy whose family is going through a huge shift?
This book nails it. And by that I mean, the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are things that Ed does that made me shake my head and want to sit him down for a TALK. But, as the characters in this book show, getting through to someone with a TALK is much easier said than done!
This character - I wanted to simultaneously give him a hug and also tell him to wake up from a lot of his self-centered nonsense! That made me realize that the writing is so good - it evoked a lot of emotions from me!
Absolutely a coming of age story. Some of those head-against-the-wall moments come through to some resolution by the end of the book. This is the story of a child becoming an adult through some really tough times. And making mistakes for sure.
One thing that really stood out to me was how toxic masculinity affected these characters. Ed, his father, and his younger brother. They are soooo bad at showing emotion and talking about problems that they make it even worse on themselves. A very sad part for me was when Ed actually was growing emotionally and asked his dad about something serious - about love and the divorce he was going through - and the dad closed up yet again and went to hide in his office.
I couldn't put the book down, even when Ed's poor decisions were being down in me like a train, I couldn't look away! Poor kid!
JT - great job on this! I also loved the depictions of basketball and the pick up games, especially at the start of the book.
Ever wondered what is like inside the head of an 18 year-old, middle class Californian white boy whose family is going through a huge shift?
This book nails it. And by that I mean, the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are things that Ed does that made me shake my head and want to sit him down for a TALK. But, as the characters in this book show, getting through to someone with a TALK is much easier said than done!
This character - I wanted to simultaneously give him a hug and also tell him to wake up from a lot of his self-centered nonsense! That made me realize that the writing is so good - it evoked a lot of emotions from me!
Absolutely a coming of age story. Some of those head-against-the-wall moments come through to some resolution by the end of the book. This is the story of a child becoming an adult through some really tough times. And making mistakes for sure.
One thing that really stood out to me was how toxic masculinity affected these characters. Ed, his father, and his younger brother. They are soooo bad at showing emotion and talking about problems that they make it even worse on themselves. A very sad part for me was when Ed actually was growing emotionally and asked his dad about something serious - about love and the divorce he was going through - and the dad closed up yet again and went to hide in his office.
I couldn't put the book down, even when Ed's poor decisions were being down in me like a train, I couldn't look away! Poor kid!
JT - great job on this! I also loved the depictions of basketball and the pick up games, especially at the start of the book.
September 25, 2021
Disclosure: I received this ebook for free as part of a Early Reviewers program. The publisher hoped for a review but it was not required. The author, publisher, nor the company running the program had any say in this honest review. Nor did they get to read this before it was public.
This is a book about a boy who starts out in the summer months between end of the high school and beginning of college. It touches on many things that happen to him between then and the end of that first school year. This book would be best suited for those near the end of high school who are going off to college soon, or those in the first couple of years of college.
It doesn't mean that others won't enjoy it, but it may bring back some painful memories or the book may talk about things that they wouldn't understand if they haven't experienced it yet.
There are some great quotes in the book (which I don't think give spoilers but may):
"[the] college you attend can have a major impact on your life, and I don’t think it’s a choice that should be influenced by hobbies and diversions"
“I’m trying to show you something, all right? You don’t just throw in the towel when things get hard. You have to keep going. I’m not just talking about basketball. Do you hear me?”
"There were no stockings, no lights, no smell of pine, nothing at all to indicate what day it was except the little pile of gifts where the tree usually stood. They were wrapped poorly, except the ones [...] from our mother"
"It was the reason I kept doing such stupid things [...] And I knew that I would continue to make these mistakes until I admitted [...]. My old life was gone. I had to build a new one."
"I’d been so focused on technical distinctions that I’d never considered the more basic question of how it would feel to be in their position. I’d thought only about how they fit into my life rather than how I fit into theirs."
"I think that’s what people mean when they say they have no regrets. Everyone has regrets, but it’s a way of saying your regrets have value to you."
"But the thing about regret is that after a while, good things start to come along that wouldn’t have otherwise."
This is a book about a boy who starts out in the summer months between end of the high school and beginning of college. It touches on many things that happen to him between then and the end of that first school year. This book would be best suited for those near the end of high school who are going off to college soon, or those in the first couple of years of college.
It doesn't mean that others won't enjoy it, but it may bring back some painful memories or the book may talk about things that they wouldn't understand if they haven't experienced it yet.
There are some great quotes in the book (which I don't think give spoilers but may):
"[the] college you attend can have a major impact on your life, and I don’t think it’s a choice that should be influenced by hobbies and diversions"
“I’m trying to show you something, all right? You don’t just throw in the towel when things get hard. You have to keep going. I’m not just talking about basketball. Do you hear me?”
"There were no stockings, no lights, no smell of pine, nothing at all to indicate what day it was except the little pile of gifts where the tree usually stood. They were wrapped poorly, except the ones [...] from our mother"
"It was the reason I kept doing such stupid things [...] And I knew that I would continue to make these mistakes until I admitted [...]. My old life was gone. I had to build a new one."
"I’d been so focused on technical distinctions that I’d never considered the more basic question of how it would feel to be in their position. I’d thought only about how they fit into my life rather than how I fit into theirs."
"I think that’s what people mean when they say they have no regrets. Everyone has regrets, but it’s a way of saying your regrets have value to you."
"But the thing about regret is that after a while, good things start to come along that wouldn’t have otherwise."
June 7, 2021
Another recent adventure of Claire coming to say that she is reading a book stray from her normal genres and that it wasn't as uncomfortable as expected haha. As if my most recent read, Faultland, didn't give me enough family drama, The Step Back is certainly one "step" above (see what I did there??). We are thrown into the world of Ed Garrison right as the end of high school has just approached and summer officially begins. The start of summer also brings the start of changes in his life, with his mother trying to fix the relationship they once had until she decided to leave town, a dad awkwardly trying to still be "involved" in his life after turning to alcohol, and his brother, Charlie, who would rather ignore him. We follow Ed as he grapples with these emotional altercations as well as his relationship escapades with the many girls he meets when he goes to college.
Essentially, the novel is a coming-of-age story that follows the main character throughout the numerous conflicts he seems to experience all at once. I think readers around the same age as Ed would be able to relate to his story in some way or another. However, I probably wouldn't suggest that a younger audience read this unless they are comfortable with the mentions of alcoholism, sex, and a lot of cursing. The story does follow a lot of "adult" themes but, in reality, that's the way life is. Overall, I did enjoy getting to follow Ed. He definitely wasn't my favorite character as he tends to be pretty blunt and sometimes I didn't quite understand his logic, but it was interesting to see how he navigated the problems in his life. The reason why I gave 3 stars though was because I just am so in my "fantasy" element that I'm really partial to the kinds of characters and storylines that really excite me to keep reading.
Essentially, the novel is a coming-of-age story that follows the main character throughout the numerous conflicts he seems to experience all at once. I think readers around the same age as Ed would be able to relate to his story in some way or another. However, I probably wouldn't suggest that a younger audience read this unless they are comfortable with the mentions of alcoholism, sex, and a lot of cursing. The story does follow a lot of "adult" themes but, in reality, that's the way life is. Overall, I did enjoy getting to follow Ed. He definitely wasn't my favorite character as he tends to be pretty blunt and sometimes I didn't quite understand his logic, but it was interesting to see how he navigated the problems in his life. The reason why I gave 3 stars though was because I just am so in my "fantasy" element that I'm really partial to the kinds of characters and storylines that really excite me to keep reading.
May 19, 2021
My Recommendation: Definitely worth a read. It starts off a little slow but constantly builds. I'm not the biggest fan of white cis-hetero male coming of age stories, but this one definitely had a bit more for me to connect with for some reason even though I'm not a big sports person and have spent minimal time on the west coast.
My Response: I wasn't sure what to expect with this. I saw a meh review (that was still four stars) on Goodreads so that definitely made me hesitant to start. But, I'd already told the publisher I'd take a look at it, so I did.*
The Step Back is the story of Ed Garrison. There's not a lot that happens other than he grows the f*ck up. It sounds weird saying it's that simple—sure it's a two-year period in his life is full of upheaval and maturing faster than he want—but in essence that's what it is.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
*I received a copy of The Step Back from the publisher via Edelweiss in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.
My Response: I wasn't sure what to expect with this. I saw a meh review (that was still four stars) on Goodreads so that definitely made me hesitant to start. But, I'd already told the publisher I'd take a look at it, so I did.*
The Step Back is the story of Ed Garrison. There's not a lot that happens other than he grows the f*ck up. It sounds weird saying it's that simple—sure it's a two-year period in his life is full of upheaval and maturing faster than he want—but in essence that's what it is.
Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.
*I received a copy of The Step Back from the publisher via Edelweiss in return for my honest opinion. No goods or money were exchanged.
October 10, 2021
I was able to read this with the Early Reviewer program from LibraryThing.
With this being the first book of the author, I will start with how exciting that is and how proud you should be to be able to do something that some can't do.
Now, to the story. This is a story about a teenage boy who you follow throughout the summer after high school and into his college years. The way his life and choices are affected because of his parents getting a divorce while he was in high school. Personally, I didn't like Ed. I didn't see his character grow all that much, to be honest, and that bothered me. It wasn't until the end that suddenly he seems to be a little different and by that time, it was only like 10 pages left in the book. And it's only near those last few pages that things start to wrap up for everyone else involved.
But the writing was good and it kept me wanting to continue reading. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from the author because of this.
With this being the first book of the author, I will start with how exciting that is and how proud you should be to be able to do something that some can't do.
Now, to the story. This is a story about a teenage boy who you follow throughout the summer after high school and into his college years. The way his life and choices are affected because of his parents getting a divorce while he was in high school. Personally, I didn't like Ed. I didn't see his character grow all that much, to be honest, and that bothered me. It wasn't until the end that suddenly he seems to be a little different and by that time, it was only like 10 pages left in the book. And it's only near those last few pages that things start to wrap up for everyone else involved.
But the writing was good and it kept me wanting to continue reading. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from the author because of this.
December 10, 2021
I was able to read this ebook for free with the Early Reviewer program from LibraryThing. Thanks to Ooligan Press for sending it.
I believe we all had those times in life where we are so focused on ourselves and our pain that we can not see anything else and then we stop and look around and everything we did during that time comes crashing. - This is how I felt reading this book. It's so well written that we can feel how Ed does at every single moment and we all can relate to it at some point or another.
It's hard to grow up, specially when a lot of things (good and bad) happen at the same time.
My congratulation to the author J.T.Bushnell for an amazing first work.
I believe we all had those times in life where we are so focused on ourselves and our pain that we can not see anything else and then we stop and look around and everything we did during that time comes crashing. - This is how I felt reading this book. It's so well written that we can feel how Ed does at every single moment and we all can relate to it at some point or another.
It's hard to grow up, specially when a lot of things (good and bad) happen at the same time.
My congratulation to the author J.T.Bushnell for an amazing first work.
June 15, 2021
Loved It !!! I was pulled in from the beginning and found it hard to put down. Such vivid writing made it easy to see through the eyes of Ed and feel his pain. I was consistently moved by his attempts (wrong or right) to figure out his life path on his own as a young adult while his parents were too caught up in their own inner turmoil to help.
He was very descriptive with the characters and settings which made it feel like I was part of the story watching the scenes unfold.
I highly recommend it and look forward to his next book.
He was very descriptive with the characters and settings which made it feel like I was part of the story watching the scenes unfold.
I highly recommend it and look forward to his next book.
June 21, 2021
Coming of age story about a young man just leaving High School into the next phase of his life, struggling with defining himself and the breakup of his family. This story is compelling and real. I mean you just hurt with Ed, his misunderstanding and choices. I loved the development of the characters. They all seemed real and I find myself still wanting to know more about them. Once I started reading, I could hardly put it down. Highly recommend. Could see this as a really good movie.
August 22, 2021
Review to come
December 16, 2021
Very realistic coming of age story set in the late 90s.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews