This twenty four chapter story makes an interesting contrast to the last I reviewed.  Many of the themes it explores are similar, but the writing is older, dare I say more mature, and there is certainly rather more sex in it!

The theme of love is explored, but more so, the theme of friendship and what it means to be friends even above being a lover.  The characters are full of life and have a genuine feel to them that makes it easy to empathise with them, and particularly  with Paul, the narrator. 

The school I attended had the rather odd motto of "Bold and Loyal", at least it seemed odd in my youth.  I have since grown to regard both characteristics as essential parts of a good friendship, and it is this same process of discovery that Paul goes through in the pages of this story.

My only disappointment was that the end was very sudden.  I could have read another couple of chapters!

Read it  at crvboy

Emo and angst. Angst and emo.  Yes, there is a lot of both in this tale of the strange balance of the relationships between Jake, Seth, October and Declan as they find their way to... well I suppose what they are finding their way to is all part of what this story is about.

Now I should be honest here and say that I did start reading this story once before and gave up because it was just to full of, you guesed it, emo and angst.  This time though I was in the mood, feeling a bit more forgiving and understanding (awwww...) and so I pushed on past chapter 10. Onwards to the last  chapter 32.

It was worth it.  I was never certain who would be with who and when until the end and there was a lot more going on as the story progressed.  More than that, it occasionally got rather thoughtful and had quite a lot of interesting angles on love and friendship to explore.  A good example of a writer getting better and possibly a little less self indulgent as they progress.

You might not like it, but you may!

Read it at fictionpress

As a boy I was irresistably drawn to the napes of the necks of other boys.

I seldom mention short "one shots" on the pages of the Nifty archive.  This is not intended as any kind of snobbery, many of the tales fulfil their one and only purpose quite adequately, and Nifty is after all an erotic archive, not just a story site.  That said, there are not so many that merit review or recommendation because they seldom seem to stand out for anything other than their ability to make the read stand out so to speak.

Anyway, here is an exception, at least I enjoyed it very much.  A short, beautifully observed and sweet tale full of love, kindness and sex.  If you missed it, give it a read!

Read it at nifty

This short eleven chapter tale of the love that grows between the seventeen year old Brad, the principled scholarship boy in his British boarding school who has risen to head of house and the new boy, thirteen year old Richard whose life has may be been more priveliged, but has certainly be less happy.

I always enjoy stories that, to my own mind at least, capture some of the essence of boarding school life, and this idealised but loving portrait with its small but carefully written cast of characters is a fine example of the genre.

It is a sad feature of the age we live in that the perception of relationships between two boys boys whose age difference  is such as described in this tale is much changed.  What was once disapproved of because it was homosexual but often dealt approached with sympathy, respect and may be a blind eye or a quiet chat has now, in some parts become a notifiable criminal offence, not because of the homosexuality, but because some societies have chosen to legislate all kinds of relationships, indeed all kinds of behaviour in general with inflexible, inhuman and unkind statutes that brook no circumstance and care not one jot for the hapless victims of their protection.

Read it at iomfats

This lengthy thirty chapter story only just falls within teenage years as the principle character Shawn is nineteen. Shawn however is not an ordinary nineteen year old.  His deafness leaves him more vulnerable and his interactions with the minds of others give him a different perspective on exploring the world.

When his mother receives a letter from a father he has not seen for nineteen years asking Shawn to stay, Shawn is initially determined against the visit.  In the end he goes and what follows is a powerful and touching coming of age story as Shawn finds family and more.

Read it at  fictionpress

Happy hopes for one and all.  Have a good whatever you do!