J.B. Hickman

Thanks to Goodreads for sending this First Reads book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

Part of me feels it may be unfair for me to review a book wherein I am not the target audience. In this case, the story is of teenage young men at a boarding school for boys grappling with father-son relationships and forming a bond with each other while experiencing some awesome boyhood escapades. Classic coming of age story. Yet, the book was quite entertaining for me and it was quite well written. I would definitely read more from Hickman in the future. The characters were relateable and the building of the friendships worked for me. The only drawback in this vein is how difficult it was to truly relate to the culture these boys came from - wealthy and famous. But the story line is more about relationships and expectations and the difference was easy for me to overcome.

The ending is a surprise I did not see coming, which is a great compliment for a book. Initially I didn't think the ending was believable, but as I thought more about it, it was quite well done. There is a theme of family histories, dynamics, and secrets that are held so dear and this ending makes it almost tangible. Bravo!

Yet ... what is with the title? There is a reference to keepers of dawn, but it was almost in passing and I fail to see how any of the themes or major characters relate to it. This does become a drawback while reading, a distraction while trying to catch the meaning of the book as a whole.

This isn't a book I need to own and I am not quite sure just who I would recommend read it. But it was so well written, I hate to give it too few stars. If I could, I'd give it 3.5.… (mer)

After reading this novel, I want to give credit to the author for getting me to care about characters I have little if anything in common with. Although the story didn't immediately grab me, I still found myself drawn into the life of 15 year old Jacob Hawthorne, and impatient to find out his secrets. The book revolves mainly around a year in the life of 4 teenage prep school boys, and despite their personal differences they unite on a common ground. The way these teenagers are trying to break free of the molds their families set for them is really engaging.

I can honestly say I have never considered what life in an all male boarding school would be like, but this book really puts you in that world. There were a few plot points that I could not have seen coming that make me want to immediately reread the book taking into account everything that is discovered further into the story... Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the book as much as I did, and will definitely keep an eye out for more books by Hickman.… (mer)