REVIEWED by VALERIE

TITLE:  The Boy at the Bottom of the Fountain

AUTHOR:  Jay Bell

PUBLISHER:  Self Published

LENGTH:  84 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 25, 2019

BLURB:

Sometimes dreams come true, whether you’re ready for them or not.

Shane was only fourteen when found a photo of a boy his age and became obsessed with it. Now, thirteen years later, he has a chance encounter with a man who bears a striking resemblance. Already in a happy relationship, Shane must keep his fantasies in check while attempting to solve the mystery, but little does he realize just how many connections they share. The Boy at the Bottom of the Fountain is a heartwarming short story about love in its many forms, be they real or imagined.

REVIEW:

The Boy at the Bottom of the Fountain is an imaginative tale of serendipity and what could have been.   It follows three boys whose lives become intertwined in ways that won’t become apparent – quite by chance – until they are grown men thirteen years later.  (This is not a ménage story.)  

When he was a freshman in high school, Shane found a school photo of a boy about his own age at the bottom of a fountain in the mall. He fishes it out and keeps it in his wallet for over a decade, creating grand fantasies about the boy in the picture whom he names Colby. The imagined Colby stands by Shane’s side during those difficult coming-of-age years and helps Shane discover his homosexuality. 

As a man of twenty-seven, Shane meets Luke in a chance encounter at a baby shower and immediately recognizes him from the boy in the fountain picture. From there the cleverly crafted short story continues, but it’s nearly impossible to discuss the book more without giving away not only the ending but spoiling the plot as a whole.  

I read one review that said this is a story of sacrifice, another that calls it sad; it is neither. Author Jay Bell has written an intriguing plot that you will be swept away by. It’s a brief, one sitting read, told in the third person, that switches back and forth between the past and present in a way that is not annoying the way it is in some multi-timeline books. All storylines end happily with an ending best suited to the character. Some of it is slightly bittersweet but there is no angst for the adult men. 

If you enjoy short stories, you should be pleased with The Boy at the Bottom of the Fountain. I’m not usually a fan of shorts and I still found this satisfying, so give it a try regardless. It will have you believing in fate! 

RATING:

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