4 out of 4 stars
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One thing that most people can agree on is that their teenage years were an awkward and cringeworthy time. Puberty, crushes, first love and just general teenage angst can be overwhelming. Looking back on those years you may smile a bit, laugh at something you once thought was the end of the world or just shake your head and wonder what you were thinking. This book made me do all three. This book took me down memory lane into my own adolescence, as it depicted that of the main character. Peter (aka P.T) is an awkward, hormone crazy teen that will make you laugh at all of the predicaments he seems land himself into.
In Beyond Forever’s Horizon by D.G Roach, the author depicts the life of a young boy as he transitions into adulthood. At the cusp of manhood, Peter tries to navigate these uncharted waters with a positive yet comedic attitude, despite how confused he really is. He is a normal kid who crushes on girls, fights with his brother, deals with going to a new school for the first time and who loves to surf with his best friend in a small town in Australia. The book also touches on subjects such as him finding and exploring his sexuality, losing his father suddenly and the subsequent financial and emotional burden his mother went through and of course puberty. When Peter leaves school and lands his dream job of working on an Australian cruise ship the story gets better and more multifaceted.
This book falls under the memoir and the coming of age genre. It is inspired by the real-life experiences of the author. Peter deals with all the trials thrown his way with humor and skepticism, as he really at times is completely clueless. Peter is a typical fifteen-year-old boy trying to understand his raging hormones. The story was quite awkward and cringe-worthy, as you might expect of most coming of age stories. Especially so when the main character loses his virginity for the first time and his inner monologues as he becomes infatuated with every girl he lays eyes on. Surprisingly, this story was filled with humor and was very touching. The first half was awkward, but as the story progressed it managed to convey a lighthearted and occasionally emotional story of a young boy finding his place in the world.
My thoughts: I rate this book a 4 out of 4. If I had judged the book by the first half I would not have loved it so much. The first half of the story is quite awkward and slow at times. If you do not like coming of age stories you will not like this book, as it is solely depicted from the eyes of Peter. Also, some of the language used and the inner ruminations of the main character were quite awkward. However, it is written from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old boy who’s hormones are raging faster than he can think. Also, the depiction of Peter losing his virginity was very detailed and weird to read.
However, I feel as if the author captured the journey of adolescence and being surrounded by so many influences of family and society. I particularly enjoyed the accounts of his life on the cruise line, because I love books written in the perspective of ship crews.I recommend this book to those who love “slice of life” or coming of age stories. It was written beautifully and really captured the essence of what it is to be a teen. Beneath the juvenile and sometimes lewd thoughts of the main character, you will find a touching and thoughtful story.
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Beyond Forever's Horizon
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