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As a precursor to this story, Bateman includes a note stating that this work is that of fiction, and that though some of the events happened, to what degree and where has been bent to his creativity and as such the outcomes of the story may greatly differ from that of what truly happened. Having finished the story, I am more than a little curious to know what of this is actual truth and what is fiction, because what was written was penned with such conviction and heart that not only do you believe that every event happened exactly as told, but that you, the reader, are a fly upon each wall these two boys inhabited throughout the entire story. This is not to say that the author was disingenuous in his note, I am sure he was nothing but truthful in his statement, I simply am stating that my interests have been piqued since each word was so full of heart, that I myself felt that I experienced what these two boys went through, and the heart ache that goes along with such big love.
The story begins as the main character from whose point of view the story is told, Dale, arrives at school and sees what will become his chosen brother, Blade, for the very first time. Although the story is not lengthy, their relationship portrayed in it is, and spans over several years together. They spend the majority of their time partying, stealing, and overall rabble-rousing, but in between all that they found a way to form a bond so strong that it never even needed to be spoken. Throughout the story the boys are separated and brought back together again for a myriad of different reasons, but they always found their way back to the world that was only inhabited by the two of them. It is a wonderfully heart wrenching look at how love, even the unromantic kind, can bind us together in ways we don’t even notice until after it has done its work.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. Aside from a few spelling typos, there is nothing that I didn’t like about it. The storyline is universal and it can speak to anyone to whose hands this book falls. Even though you may not have lived the same lifestyle or even experienced one of the circumstances that Bateman depicts in this story, we have all felt this devastatingly fantastic connection with a human being, and if not, then it is something that we desperately wish to find. I am amazed that within such a short amount of time, Bateman created such a believable world filled with believable people, and transported me to another place where as the reader, I was asked to look into my own life and see if I had taken my chosen family for granted. Not many authors can do that in 200 pages, much less in 20. Bateman is a very gifted writer and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next.
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