Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: The Worst Bad Thing
AUTHOR: J.E. Birk
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 123 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 23, 2016
BLURB:
Iceland, Stonehenge, London, Paris….
To the casual observer, it looks like a dream trip. For Tate O’Reilly, it’s anything but. He’s a man on a mission to rectify a critical mistake, and there’s nothing to hold him back—certainly not friends or family. For Tate, it all comes down to one simple thing—he must fix what he has broken.
What he doesn’t count on is meeting Gabriel Carillo. Gabriel is kind, mysterious, and seems to be on his own mission to ensure their paths keep crossing. But Tate’s hiding an awfully big secret—one he’s certain even Gabriel can’t forgive.
Does a man’s past have to determine his future? In the middle of cities filled with history, Tate is going to find out.
REVIEW:
Every once in a while you choose a book that has a huge impact on you. That it grips you from the very start and has a strong hold on you that you literally can’t stop reading. This book, “The Worst Bad Thing”, was one of those books for me. I had a huge thumping in my chest and churning in my stomach because I was afraid of what there was that Tate was holding back, what his secret he kept alluding to was, and rightfully so.
This is the story of a young High School Science Teacher, Tate O’Reilly, that, in one bad judgment call…a mistake that was life altering and huge, changed not only the lives of his students but his own life as well. It was heart wrenching and difficult to read how a person can not allow themselves to recover, that they don’t feel the ability to exist. That they don’t even deserve to. A person doesn’t enter into education to harm their students but to inspire and lead them. And young, new teachers are so enthusiastic and eager to show the wonders of the world to their students. But, unfortunately, every once in a while, sometimes things go horribly wrong. And in that instant, life as you know it is irreparably changed. I am just thankful that Tate met and got to know someone as special as Gabriel. I only wish that there were more Gabriel’s in this world for those unfortunate souls that have suffered such extreme horror in their lives. Gabriel, an ex-military turned private security person, meets up with Tate on his journey to England and Paris. They are on a stop over in Iceland when the two men meet and become acquainted. The story continues as they embark on this journey and how it impacts each of their lives.
Author J. E. Birk has written a gripping tale of two men that are getting to know each other but have huge secrets shrouding them. The author did a fabulous job of portraying how special they each are and “makes you remember why you got up in the morning.” This book is going to stay with me for a long time to come…it’s just that real. This is one of those times when I wish there were more than 5 stars available to rank it because of how it made such a strong impression on me. I can’t recommend this book enough. I see this being on my top picks list for 2016, it’s just that good!
RATING: 
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