Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: The World as He Sees It 
SERIES: Perspectives #2
AUTHOR: A.M. Arthur
NARRATOR: Guy Locke
PUBLISHER: Tantor
RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2016
LENGTH: 10 hours, 35 minutes
BLURB:
Love knows no limits…but fear could keep them from seeing it.
Gabe lives a double life. As Gabriel Henson, he works multiple jobs to support his remorseless, alcoholic mother. As Tony Ryder, he does internet porn for extra cash and regular safe sex without complications. But when he encounters a scared young man freaking out in a night club, he’s compelled to reach out. Ever since then, the memory of that young man has haunted him.
Tristan Lavalle lives his life thirty minutes at a time. After a traumatic brain injury three years ago, he gets through his day recording his life in spiral notebooks and sticky note reminders. A month after Tristan’s embarrassingly public meltdown, another chance meeting with Gabe sparks a warm, emotionally fulfilling email relationship. Both men crave more, but fear of the next step stands between them.
And then Tristan gets the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial that could improve his memory—if the side effects don’t kill him. But for Tristan, the possibility of a real life with Gabe is worth any risk…
Note: This book was previously published by Samhain Publishing. No significant changes have been made to this edition. Please read with tissues handy.
REVIEW:
The World as He Sees It is the second book in the Perspectives series but it can be read/listened to as a standalone. Sure, the couple from the first book have a huge presence in the book and there are events referenced to that book, but it’s nothing that keeps you from enjoying and following this one.
This is the second story with an amnesiac character that I’ve read in the past couple of days. This one though is a bit different from other amnesiac stories that I’ve read. I reminds me of the movie 50 first dates where the main character needs to get the love interest to fall in love with him again each and every day. Where all new memories get erased and nothing new sticks.
Life for Tristan Lavalle changed three years back when he and his best friend were the victims of a gay bashing and he suffered a traumatic brain injury. Now he lives his life thirty minutes at a time before it all gets erased. To say that he feels lonely and shut out from life is putting it mildly. He desperately wants more, but don’t know how, but joining his best friend and his boyfriend for a night out and a birthday celebration seems to be a step in the right direction.
Gabe’s life isn’t a dance on roses either; working several jobs and taking care of his alcoholic and abusive mother. It leaves him with little time to relax and enjoy friends or relationships. One of those jobs is working as a bartender at a night club, and it is there he encounters the man he can’t get out of his head. So when he returns he takes a chance and reaches out, and the rest, is as they say history.
I loved Tristan and Gabe together, they were so sweet. They had passion, trust and understanding. They were there for each other as much as they were able. Their relationship might have started out with some hot and heavy dancing and grinding, but developed over time via emails where they really got to know each other and started to build a foundation. When Tristan is offered a place in a clinical trial he gladly takes it – risks and side effects be damned.
Can I just say that I admire Tristan so much, I mean living life half an hour at a time, not remembering new people, where you are, what you are talking about from one moment to the next must be so terrifying – to say the least. But that was never the vibe you got from him. Sure the frustration over the situation was there, as were the loneliness, but more than that he had this determination through it all. A true fighter.
There are a couple of things that didn’t really work for me, but that’s all highly subjective and all on me. Let’s start with the whole clinical trial and miracle medicine for Tristan’s brain injury. It was too far-fetched for my tastes. Sure I am well aware that for many books you need to suspend all beliefs and go with the flow, but with miracle cures I just can’t. It’s too much for me. My second issue is the amount of on page sex. This book is very hot and heavy – how can it not be when one of the main characters works in the porn industry? But still, a bit too much for my tastes. But like I said, this is just me and shouldn’t keep anyone for picking up the book.
Guy Locke did a fantastic narration or rather performance of this book. With a wide range of different voices and some accents it was always easy to tell characters apart and following along. And adding a whole lot of feelings made the characters come alive for the listener. Just the way I like my audios and makes me want to come back for more.
RATING: 
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