Mio

by Lysander Arden

Alex, an apathetic high school senior, is intrigued when a beautiful yet eccentric boy transfers into his English class.

Mio is free-spirited, Mio screams Romantic poetry on his campus's off-limits lawn, and Mio has found himself enamored with his classmate.

Drawn into an increasingly intimate relationship amidst Mio's tendencies towards chaos, the two are confronted with a series of decisions which will forever alter their lives.

This open-ended short story questions the value of freedom and individuality. Although an m/m love story, it does not fall within the romance genre.

23 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Jun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lysander is definitely one of my favourite authors. That being said, I’m in a toxic relationship with all my favourite authors. I’m crying in public and this hurts so much, and the prose is so perfect and oh my Mio.

[Amber Kestner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book before and had to read it again. I love learning about Mio and who this person was. It's a good short story that will take you in. I wish it was longer. Highly recommend reading.

[Kolgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was beautifully written! Mio's character is mystic and intriguing, the story made me curious to learn more about his background and family, so I hope that the author writes more about these characters someday. It was a memorable story that stuck to my mind.

[Rachel Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story lifted my spirits and broke me to pieces all within two hours. It's a stand-alone, but your mind hopes for more from such dynamic characters. Lysander has a wonderful ability with building a relationship between the reader and the characters and truly makes you care in a very short amount of time.
The commentary on how people who are "normal" deal with people who are neurodivergent throughout the book is realistic and eye-opening. I say give this book a read. It's worth your time.

[Maurice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had great ideas and great writing, but it was way too short, and I felt like it was missing a ton. It would have had to be at least three times as long as it was to reach the potential that it had. I'm disappointed the last book I read from this author also happened to be my least favorite, but hopefully we'll get the Liam and Paris book soon, so that I'll have another one I'll definitely love.

[Ian D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eloquent and intriguing, and I liked all the ambiguity and uncertainty. Mio rather reminded me of a couple of my fellow students when I was 17. The story also captures what I recall of myself at that age, as I tried to develop confidence and a sense of my own self-identity. For me, the ending was a little haunting, but not in an uncomfortable way.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate how all the secondary characters don’t even get a full name. Keeping the story clean. My favorite part was Mio deciding where to go for dinner.

The ending was…appropriate? I didn’t want that, but I also would rather not know what happens in the future.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has a knack for writing beautifully thought-provoking works and this is no exception. This short story is full of heart. The writing style flows with gorgeous poetic descriptions. It's a truly lovely read.

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

Such an intriguing short story. I loved Mio's dynamic and fiery character. I have so many questions, but I also love the mystery of leaving it open-ended and unanswered. I'll be thinking of this story for a long time. 💕

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very sweet story about a boy who’s different from everyone else, and the boy who falls for him because of it.
Mio transfers to Alex’s school after being expelled. Alex is instantly intrigued by the boy who walks around without shoes and wears eyeliner. Mio seems a bit odd, but Alex is intrigued. They form a friendship and even though the other kids don’t understand Mio, Alex doesn’t care. Mio is a light in his life and Alex wants him to stay.

[Vivi Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so beautifully written, the message is so lovely, and the story is so immersive, I read it all in one sitting. Mio's character is fascinating, the MC's way of seeing things is unique, and their relationship is EVERYTHING. The ending is also very interesting.

I am definitely recommending this everywhere to anyone who wants to read more LGBTQ+ representation in books and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. So much more. <3