Reviewed by Marieke
TITLE: Under The Stars
AUTHOR: Geoff Laughton
PUBLISHER: Harmony Ink Press
LENGTH: 180 pages
BLURB:
Ethan Tanner is an out and proud, fastidious, and fashionable sixteen-year-old vegetarian who likes theater and musicals. This year, it’s his sister’s turn to pick the vacation destination, so he ends up on a dude ranch he knows he is going to hate. What with the dirt, animals, and germs, he can’t possibly be happy.
Jason McCoy is the closeted sixteen-year-old son of the ranch owners and is trying to find his place in a world that doesn’t seem to fit him. He takes an interest in Ethan, shows him around, and gets him to ride a horse. When he invites Ethan camping, Ethan thinks Jason must be joking. But Ethan takes a risk, and the two boys bond under the stars.
After that, Ethan and Jason are inseparable. Their friendship grows into something deeper as they begin to figure out what they want from life. But Ethan’s home is in Chicago, and the distance might be more than the two teenagers—and their blossoming relationship—can withstand.
REVIEW:
Ethan starts out as a spoiled brat that has a bit of a princess attitude. But slowly, during the whole story, he evolves into a very likable young man. It starts with horseback riding. Ethan finds out he actually likes it, even though the first time is not a success. He learns that getting dirty doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Jason is a bit of a mystery in the beginning. First you think he might be gay too, but then he says some things that make you wonder. His reactions are confusing, sometimes he seems to be kind of bigoted, but other times…he seems desperate and lonely.
The two boys start with an awkward friendship, circling around each other because they both have no idea what to do about the mutual attraction. But soon enough, their love grows. Jason’s parents try to keep them apart, but of course the boys find a way.
This story started out so amazing, the characters so well fleshed out, and the situation so perfectly described. I loved the whole farm scenery and the development between the boys is amazing. But, halfway through the story, the writing style changes. It’s no longer detailed and slow paced, but it skips big chunks of time.
It also skates over emotions and situations as if the author was in a hurry to get to the end. The actual ending is very sweet, with a happy ending to melt your heart, but again, very hasty.
This could’ve easily have been a five plus star review, but it just didn’t get there. The second half took away too much detail and therefore emotion. So all in all a good book, but it could’ve been nearly perfect.
RATING: 
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