Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Daniel Keyes is an orphan, fostered by the Walkers. The product of a lonely childhood, he is thrown into the chaos of the Walker family and into the life of his new foster brother Jamie.

This story is the journey of Daniel and Jamie finding their place in the world. Through Jamie being a victim of hate crime to coming out to family and friends, there are many decisions the boys have to make before they become men.

Book Review

This is a young adult gay romance that isn't afraid to tackle some difficult issues, yet will warm your heart with the depth of the characters' feelings. In the end, that is what it is all about. Growing up and being a teenager is tough, but the problems Daniel and Jamie have to deal with are just that bit extra-difficult. The angst almost killed me, parts of the book were hard to read through my tears, but overall, the way these two guys grow up and deal with their situation is amazing. Not that I expected anything less from RJ!

 

The very first sentence of the book already set the tone. "Do you think he loves Star Wars or crappy Transformers like Mark?" is the question Jamie has just before Daniel arrives to become part of the Walkers family. And what a family it is! They are all about making Daniel feel welcome, and Daniel, trying to deal with the loss of his biological parents, has a hard time accepting all the love he is being given. That part, and later on the family's support, truly reads like a fairy tale.

 

The interesting part is how the boys' feelings for each other change over time. Since they are foster brothers, yet not biologically related, this isn’t easy for them. They know what they feel, well, Daniel does but he is afraid to admit it. Jamie takes a lot longer to come to terms with the fact he loves Daniel in an entirely un-brotherly way. The issue of how others will see them needs to be acknowledged and dealt with, and it is. I felt for them, since not only are they teenagers (tough enough), they are gay (talk about making life almost impossible), and they feel romantically attracted to each other? They sure have a lot to overcome!

 

If you like angst-y stories, if the task of growing up in today's world baffles you but you’re curious about the way kids deal with it, and if you think you can survive one heck of an emotional roller coaster ride, then give this book a chance. I don’t think you'll regret it - I certainly didn’t!

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided bythe author for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 137 pages/37000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-January-2012
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thedecisionswemake-673763-145.html