Dany Sirene

Despite the tremendous amount of holes that needed to be filled in the plot, I liked this story. The pace was fast and the plot was thick with secrets. I just wish it had been longer and more fleshed out so we got a better idea about the characters.

Both of the characters, Cam and Anton, seem to be 'lost' individuals and through pure chance, have found each other. We don't really know why Cam has addiction issues, but we get a hint that his father doesn't pay much attention to him. We also see that Anton can't be open about being gay because of who his father is. These two young men are trying to find their way and are making mistakes in the process like so many people do. In the end a small light starts to shine into their world.

… (mer)

Obsessions with wanting to be someone you are not, or with being successful in a chosen field can get in the way of someone being happy. In this story, Tyler gets a chance to find out what it is like to live your dream – or so he thinks. Actually, the 'lesson' he has to learn is different from what he expects. I loved that twist, even if the 'technical details' of his experience are never revealed, so we don’t find out if it was a dream or a trip into a parallel dimension. The value of what he comes back with is unquestionably very high, and I think he will be much happier for having experienced 'whatever it was'.

Tyler is a typical teenager. He has big dreams of becoming a rock star, but not much chances of getting there. When his allowance is taken away (because his homophobic father doesn’t want him involved with a band member), his world collapses. He now has to get a job to earn spending money. I wanted to smack him. He is 19, still lives with his parents and wants to make music all day long. He sure needs a wakeup call!

The one he gets is somewhat unexpected. A trip into the past and a chance to play in a band seems like the solution to all his problems. Needless to say, this is where he actually learns something. I loved his reaction to 1995 – 'What, no facebook?', 'Where is my iPhone?' and similar details just made me laugh. His relationship with Dylan is rocky to put it carefully, and every twist was just one more hint at what fate was trying to tell him.

If ever you want to read a story about a wannabe musician who has to travel in time (or at least have a very vivid dream about the past) to understand what life is all about, this one fits the bill. If you enjoy seeing the past (barely 20 years ago) through today's eyes, and if you like stories about teenagers realizing what life is all about, then you will probably enjoy this short story.




NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (mer)