Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I've been doing lots and lots of school work!  Ugh!  Anyway, to help you start your week off right, take a look at this review that Parker Owens did on Wayne Gray's story "The Answer". Have a great week!

The Answer
Wayne Gray

Reviewer: Parker Owens
Status: Complete
Word Count:  5,848

Short stories can be riveting and entertaining, but they are often immensely difficult to write. An author must craft a compact, yet compelling, story arc into five or six thousand words.

The Answer delivers admirably. Wayne Gray takes us on a journey through the seasons of a life, allowing us to see the changes in his main character, Shawn. We see him in his twenties, his thirties and into his fourth decade. There are few constants in Shawn’s life; his business, his friend Ian, and his own inconstancy. It is against this backdrop that we watch the journey of the years play out, and the understanding of maturity dawn upon the main character.

I liked the intimacy of this story, especially. There are little details in each snapshot that let the reader sense what his characters taste, touch and see. Wayne does a great job showing us both significant and subtle alterations in both Shawn, and in the other characters who intersect his life, changing as often as the weather. Those readers who may have reached a certain age or wisdom can closely identify with the markers the author describes, pointing the way to middle age. What comes to Shawn in maturity may not surprise readers, but it will surely make them smile.

This story appeals for many reasons, but most importantly because it speaks to me of optimism and hope. Wayne Gray demonstrates that “too late” isn’t inevitable, and that real change can happen to anyone.

I’d encourage everyone to sit down and read this story by a gifted member of GA. Discover The Answer for yourself. 

Category: Fiction  Genres:  Romance  Tags:  young adult, mature adult, adult, gay, North America, anal,  friendship  Rating: Mature