Reviewer: LouisHarris
Status: Complete
Word Count: 20,328

Nephylim has a way with real life dramas and Home strikes at the very life blood of the reason we are human. We are gifted with the emotion which becomes a setting in the work. Heartfelt and
poignant, Home is a fascinating portrait of gay love and a moving exploration of the bond of love, friendship and the heart’s most complex choices.

It is a richly layered drama and she never loses its grip. She builds the suspense through dialogue, and she sculptures the conflict in such a way that the reader is compelled to read on. She knits the colours of suspense with a remarkable profusion of angst, and weaves through the difficulty of moral choices effortlessly.

It is a beautifully crafted story and will grab any reader who is compelled by emotion and character.

After an argument with his parents, Ryden has a nasty fall. He is hospitalized and comatose, and although his family surround him with loving support, he yearns and calls for his boyfriend Luke, whom he dearly loves. But Luke doesn’t come, and his condition is deteriorating rapidly.

Only one thing will save Ryden, and that is Luke.

Ryden’s mother decides to find him, and when she does, she hopes it is not too late.

There is the question of the fall, and what is keeping Ryden from recovery?

Home is a multi-layered story that is structurally sound.

The arrangement of information for economy and maximum effect is important in a short story and Nephylim does not waste words. She uses direct, simple words to direct the message of the piece, which is simple: Never Give Up.

Mother wants to find Luke, she doesn’t give up.

Luke wants Ryden to get better and find the truth behind the accident, he never gives up and Ryden never gives up in his attempt to live.

The various elements of the story, character, setting, plot, style and point of view are thoroughly interwoven and she creates a single, whole effect and the impact is intense. The uncomplicated characters and settings enables the reader to see immediately and without confusion the points that are being made.

It is a blessing.

Nephylim chooses the central incident to reveal as much as possible about Ryden, and Luke her main characters.

The thorough enjoyment of losing oneself in Ryden’s world does not let up for one moment. He seeks freedom, and he holds onto dear life, never giving up hope that Luke, the boy he loves dearly, will come to him and hopefully save him from death.

Ryden’s mother, who uses her paternal instinct to drive away the person who caused such misery to her son, is undoubtedly a heroine in this story for she sticks to her guns when the truth is revealed.

And Luke, who shines through his own hurt, makes a stand.

These are everyday people in extraordinary circumstances.

They become part of the reader’s heart and they tug at the emotions because these are characters we can all identify with.

And this, dear reader, is one of the many reasons we read.