Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: We Still Live
AUTHOR: Sara Dobie Bauer
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 233 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 9, 2019
BLURB:
Running from a scandal that ruined his life, Isaac Twain accepts a teaching position at Hambden University where, three months prior, Professor John Conlon stopped a campus nightmare by stepping in front of an active shooter.
When John and Isaac become faculty advisors for the school’s literary magazine, their professional relationship evolves. Despite the strict code of conduct forbidding faculty fraternization, they delve into a secret affair—until Simon arrives.
Isaac’s violent ex threatens not only their careers, but also John’s life. His PTSD triggered, John must come to terms with that bloody day on College Green while Isaac must accept the heartbreak his secrets have wrought.
***WE STILL LIVE is a standalone M/M friends-to-lovers romance featuring detailed adult content, graphic violence, hurt/comfort, and mental illness.***
REVIEW:
We Still Live, is one story whose review I left for a couple of days before writing. The reason why is that the subject matter and the way it was written sent me on an emotional rollercoaster. Thus, I wasn’t sure how to structure my review, and I still haven’t figured it out, so I’m going to shoot from the hip.
Isaac is the emergency hire at Hambden University. He is running from an emotional melee that he’s not ready to face. John Conlon is a professor and is trying to cope with a tragedy that affected everyone at the university where he works. A tragedy in which he was also branded a hero.
The story is told in the third person from Isaac’s viewpoint. For some events, by writing the story this way, the author allows the reader to be, on the outskirts, looking in. By the story being in the third person, we get even closer to Isaac.
I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster because the subject matters tackled are University shootings, terrorism, suicide, and abortion. There are other’s too – all of which are current and hit close to everyone’s heart.
Part of me felt uncomfortable that such heart-wrenching issues were in a book of entertainment, that I enjoyed, and I felt like I shouldn’t enjoy it. At the same time, they brought everything to a forum that ensured nothing was swept under the carpet. In the story itself, it says that works of art are not subjects to be debated. They allow one to express themselves and begin the process of healing. Some works will bring a smile at remembering a person, while others works will bring a tear. I totally agree with this.
The author skillfully includes a range of characters who bring levity, protectiveness, heartbreak and reality to the story. They are woven in, to make the novel an entertaining read, while its legacy leaves the reader more aware and thinking about the people who have been involved in such horrendous events.
There are some great one-liner’s, and the dynamic between John and his best friend Tommy is hilarious and caring. The viewpoints, range of emotion and reactions is illuminating.
John is the one who stops the student shooter. He is also passionate about all aspects of his life. So, for him being called a hero when he feels anything but, was an eyeopener.
Isaac has a different set of life events to come to terms with. After being in a heterosexual marriage, he came out of the closet and had to bear some horrific consequences.
We Still Live also deals with the coping methods of the various characters. By facing what has happened can they, only then, begin to move on. One can never get over such events, but one can learn how to live with them. The story also shows that not everyone can cope as effectively as others.
So, while this story tackles some deeply moving subject matters, it is also one of hope. And that makes it a super story to read. I love a story that leaves me educated, entertained and emotional.
RATING: 
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