Michael Bowe

The moment is all we have and some of them transform life

Well paced with characters we can relate to, this is a story of despair and redemption with a tinge of transformation. An appropriate title, it engages the reader easily while evoking an array of emotions. The lives of the two primary characters parallel one another and as the story plays out they grow closer. During times of duress friendships become valuable and this story demonstrates the importance. The author manages to slip in an unexpected element that at its root, moves the characters closer highlighting the value of levity as things grow heavy. Highly recommend for those who prefer stories of the human condition to those of horror.… (mehr)

Relationships and ambition are the focus of this novel - a group of friends who meet each other in college and who build their lives and livelihoods together. Pete Dalton is an average suburban kid, who dreams of becoming a writer, heading to a college because his favorite author went there. His roommate Danny was a star high school athlete, whose knee was ruined causing his football scholarships to D1 colleges to be revoked, but who works diligently to get back on the team. Pete becomes best buddies with Ben Matthews, who wants to make the world a better place, and his wealthy girlfriend Tyler, who is the most ambitious of all. A local kid, Ben and Pete, write a story advocating for a student center that astonishes all, and gets them onto the staff of the college newspaper, run by Stan. Ben wants to make things better in the California town of Cavanaugh, as he and Pete leave college to start a free paper to develop the community, which becomes successful, while Tyler goes onto become anchor at the local TV station. Ben's meteoric rise in the city allows him to get into politics, attracting the right friends and the ire of the incumbent, but dirty mayor. Ever the reporter, Pete starts pulling on a string, eventually unravelling all. At times this book was 5 stars no doubt, but I was disappointed in how things turned out for all.… (mehr)