Eighteen-year-old Tobias Gavin is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. For many years, the what-ifs of coming out have swirled around his head, so he has chosen to live a lie to keep from disrupting the “normal” life he has created with his family and friends. That is until he meets Gareth David the day he enrolls for his first semester as a college student. He feels an immediate connection with Gareth…a connection that pushes Tobias to question the way he has been living his life. When Gareth coincidentally becomes, Tobias’s History professor, Tobias is forced to confront his feelings and confront the universe. Tobias must come to terms with his depression, anxiety, heartbreak, and his sexuality before he can even begin to heal his wounds. He believes that everything happens for a reason, but he learns that some experiences are meant to teach even if they cause heartbreak. Once he comes to terms with himself, he might find his knight in shining armor. Tobias must learn to trust himself and those around him if he wants to find happiness.
I was given an ARC of this book for my honest review. Now that disclosure is out of the way, let’s get to the story.
This review is going to be a bit different from how I usually post. Normally I would put little jokes or emojis to express how I felt about the book. But not this time; this book deserves more than that. This novel touched me in a profound way…as I never had to go through what the main character experienced but it was as if I was there. The fear, the frustrations, the pain of trying to be who you’re meant to be…not what was expected.
This book to me was about how the main character, Tobias Gavin was navigating his life while questioning his sexuality while dealing with fear of whether he would be accepted. Now he does meet people in college that he does feel connections with but I don’t want to spoil any part of this story. Back to the point…Tobias needs to learn how to deal with the hurt he has buried deep before he can even have a chance to find happiness, to finally have some peace and maybe even the love of another man.
This book I gave 5 stars. I teared up at a few parts because I know there are so many people in the world experiencing this and even now as I write this review. This book should be read especially for those people. Also you should read the acknowledgments at the end because by me reading it; I realized why I felt connected to Tobais. It’s because the author Scott Garrison injected part of himself into the words on the pages and there’s truth in the writing.
I leave you with this:
Remember you never know what a person is going through…Be Kind. ❤️
Y’ALL MY NONBIOLOGICAL TWIN WROTE A BOOK AND IT’S ABOUT TO BE PUBLISHED AND I’M SO SO SO PROUD OF HIM!!!!!!!! (That’s my way of saying I got an ARC and I know the author and whatever other disclaimer I should be putting out there. 😅)
I have now read three or four iterations of this novel, and I still love it and feel very real emotions towards the characters. This book makes me laugh, cry, yell, and sing!!!
This book will be relatable for anybody who is struggling (or struggled) with coming out of the closet. Tobias deals with a lot of inner turmoil regarding the fear of being his true authentic self.
The characters in this book are dynamic and the relationships are very believable. Everybody deserves friends like Matt and Cyd!! 💜
WOW! I am a little biased, (because I went to college with the author and he has always been a great guy) but I loved this book. I think if I had read this during my freshman year of college, I would have related to Tobias so much: struggling with his identity, chasing attention from inappropriate partners, not valuing his own feelings and opinions enough. As a full adult reading this, I wanted to squeeze him and remind him to love himself. The characters in this book are so well written and likable (besides one bad guy), and I really enjoyed the relationship between Tobi and his friends. [SMALL SPOILER AHEAD] Additionally, it is nice to have a different coming out story-one in which the main character is afraid to come out (for logical reasons-society has not always been nice to LGBT+ people), but when he does is loved and supported by his family (and chosen family). I am lucky to have been able to read this ARC, and I will definitely be rereading and recommending this book!
