The Decisions We Make

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 show more 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!




NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

A "taboo" story about two foster brothers who fall in love. It's an interesting enough premise but the author didn't really explore any of the issues in depth-- the whole being raised as brothers thing, the difficulty of coming out, being a victim of hate crime, dealing with a difficult past; all of it was glossed over really quickly that none of the conflicts felt real. The characters were poorly developed and the villain was so absolutely cartoonish. Nothing here felt authentic, just cheap drama and shallow emotions. The writing felt very disjointed, and consisted of all telling and no showing, and the dialogue between the characters did not ring true. All in all, I am really surprised by the high ratings this book has gotten-- to me, show more this whole thing felt like a rushed first draft that was put together without any effort or care rather than a completed and polished novel.

Also, this really shouldn't be labelled YA as it's written like a typical adult m/m romance with lots of swearing, "swollen dicks", adult (but not entirely explicit) scenes, etc. The characters just happen to be teenagers. show less

I loved this novella, especially the first half as we learn about the boys and the Walker family. I really hope there are such great foster parents out there! Yes, there is a bit of hurt/comfort happening, but overall I found this a very positive story. I loved Jamie's enthusiasm as a foil to shy and insecure Daniel. Thanks RJ!

I'm not always the biggest fan of YA. However, I loved this one.

I wasn't sure what to expect. It's a touchy subject, one that could also be a minefield in all kind of manner. However, the author gives us a sweet, romantic, but overall, a believable story.