travlbug

Emily is a pill. Whether Jeffrey started out as gay or straight is immaterial: The mental intimacy he shares with Sean is so overwhelming that it finally manifests as physical intimacy. So, did the trip to the basement give Jeffrey his newfound power of telekinesis or did it merely serve as the trigger? And what do the aliens get out of providing our heroes with these astonishing mental abilities? Also, the events in this novel occur 21 years in the past. Just imagine what Jeffrey and Sean might be capable of in the present! Heck, they may rule the world, and we don't even know it! 😁 More, please!

Adam went to high school in California! He didn't have to drop out after all. This means that the Rites had to provide him with at least the same amount of support that a foster kid would get but without receiving a subsidy. That said, the Rites seem to be as loving as they are generous, and they treat Adam more like an informally adopted son. No wonder he considers them his new family. I think they must be in Las Vegas instead of San Francisco, because Adam really hit the jackpot! I also hope that Artie joins the baseball team: He's been in San Francisco for less than a week, and he needs to meet more people and continue to broaden his horizons. (Joining a sport will definitely push the envelope for him). And trust me, Artie, Ky and Dizzy will still be waiting for you at the end of practice! 😄

Kohen with the Captain: Calm, cool, and collected. Kohen with Lakshou: Calm, cool, and dissected. (Sorry, couldn't help myself. 🤗)

Quite a compliment to have two guys vying for your attention. Annoying, maybe, but endearing all the same--and much better than the attention of bullies, as in Artie's prior school. Adam is an amazing person: He survives an upbringing by monsters disguised as human beings. Then, after being thrown out of the house when he is only 16, he travels by himself a 1000 miles away to reinvent his life. Even without a high school diploma (or maybe with a GED), he becomes a successful restaurateur and winds up living in an upscale area of San Francisco. And far from being bitter, he's happy! The chicken nachos exemplify his view of life: "You can always turn a mistake into something good." If he "messes up," he'll try to make something worthwhile out of it. He really seems like a great role model. So why won't he discuss his early days with Artie? (Geoff seems surprised that Adam has failed to so, and even after we get a brief sketch of those soup-kitchen days, the details are sadly lacking.) Why this odd reticence? Maybe Adam has something to hide, but I think that he is simply too embarrassed to talk about it--that the reticence is not so odd after all.

Love Nick and all the firsts that he is experiencing in his life. It's wonderful to see him blossom before our very eyes. Yet, despite it all, he remains a very level-headed young man. His story--and that of his friends and family--has truly been uplifting. As for Hannah, it would serve her right to find that the gun is a cigarette lighter! In any event, she has just ruined her life. (Tiny quibble: Juveniles are usually not entitled to bail, but I love the chapter anyway. 😊)

Artie is turning out to be a pragmatic and thoughtful young man; and once again, his maturity level exceeds that of his uncle. The cart comparison in the market is a hilarious case in point. Everyone deserves a Charlotte, and l'm certain that she will help Artie to keep things in perspective. I'm looking forward to the dinner with Lindsay's parents (or should I say, I'm looking forward to the secrets about Adam that the parents may share). We may finally learn about Adam's early days in San Francisco!

Carter's discomfort with gay sex comes across beautifully, as does his ambivalence. Well done! Yes, Alex seems like a prissy, controlling jerk, but there must be something Aron sees in him. At the very least, we know that Aron feels sexually attracted to him (much to Carter's chagrin 😂).

Artie seem like a sweet guy--and he even does laundry! After all he's been through, his present dilemma--choosing between the nice boy or the "bad" boy--doesn't seem too terrible. Family resemblances can be strong, so I have no issue with the nephew being a ringer for the uncle. I loved that, in an earlier chapter, Artie didn't see himself in Adam--he saw his mother!

I love the tentative relationship-building between Jeffrey and Sean. Sean has been ready, but as for Jeffrey: It's about time! I think the implants are gone because the jig was up: The boys knew about them, and the doc in the prior chapter talked about removing it from Jeffrey if it didn't work itself out naturally. The aliens couldn't risk their tech being discovered, so they removed them. At least, we know that the boys' telepathy is not dependent on those particular implants. After Sean bopped the one alien in the temple, I was afraid he'd be punished--and he did wake up with a headache, so who knows what the aliens might have done to him. That said, they fixed Jeffrey's laceration, and they blocked both boys' memory of the encounter. Hmmm. And Brett makes another appearance. Are the aliens using an avatar of Brett to make Sean more tractable or is it somehow Brett himself? Kudos to the author: I hope you have another free weekend soon!

Neat! A few more mysteries, but finally, a few answers: Both Jeffrey and Sean have a bump behind their right ear, so this may be the site of an alien implant. Further, the white hot pain behind Jeffrey's right ear, as brought on by the MRI, suggests that the alien technology does not like magnetic fields (a potential way to beat the implant in the future?). Also of interest, Sean has a "blackout" where he loses an hour, but Jeffrey develops a nosebleed (increased intracranial pressure?) and true loss of consciousness, hitting his head on the way down. I wonder if the aliens were downloading instructions to the implants during these blackout periods, but I also have to wonder if Jeffrey may be rejecting his implant to have the reaction he did. I can't figure the rhabdomyolysis at all, so we'll still have to wait and see on that point. The sequence with Brett is intriguing--alien induced, or a true visitation?--and why would Jeffrey be blocked from telling Sean? Finally, did Emily eavesdrop outside the hospital door? How else would she have learned of the homunculus? Considering Jeffrey's block speaking of Brett, could the teens come clean to Emily even if they wanted to? Another great chapter! Will be waiting impatiently for the next!

I'm sort of hoping that Lindsay became Adam's best friend--at least in part--by finding him shelter when he first arrived in San Francisco, maybe even allowing him to live with her. Adam is a self-made man, even if he is a high school drop out: Maybe he got a job--or Lindsay helps him to get a job--as a dishwasher or busboy at a restaurant, and he works his way up from there, learning the ropes of the business and stashing away money, until he was ready to open a restaurant of his own--of course, with Linday's help (and money) as a partner. Sadly, your scenario is more realistic than mine, but you never know....

Finn's talking marriage and kids, and Christian's saying that they haven't even had sex yet! Obviously, Finn takes after his mother! 😅 I'm not quite sure how I feel about Sam: He calls himself Finn's friend, but he finds the time to visit only when he needs cash and to recharge his lap top. He also spies on Finn for the benefit of his tribe. I'll be convinced that he's truly Finn's friend when he does something purely for Finn that is not prompted by enlightened self interest.

I really feel for Sean and Jeffrey. Torture, blackouts, disorietation, an intrusive telepathic bond--and now they're being studied like animals in a habitat. There is no endpoint to their ordeal, no way to escape. And now, something catastrophic has happened to Jeffrey. (I love a good cliffhanger.) More, please!

Ah, so Cynthia's putting Sanctuary up for sale was a mom thing--she was anticipating that Finn was never coming back to sanctuary to live (and this also explains her surprise at Finn's resolution to do so). And mom's pronouncement at dinner regarding a wedding--priceless. Now on to see what develops between Finn and Christian!

Shocked to find Sam a speciesist. Who'd have thought. 😁 I agree with BlindAmbition: Why is Cynthia so surprised that Finn is home to stay? That said, she certainly seems happy about it, as she is now free to travel with her gentleman friend. On the same topic, she is very easy to convince to stop the sale of Sanctuary. However, I'm puzzled: She notes that the land and house pass to the son, not the wife, so why would she put Sanctuary up for sale at all, as it is not hers to sell? It is not a ploy to make Finn come home, as it is Sam who tells him, not her. (He even has to ask her if the place has actually sold yet.) Her motives remain a mystery.

Keep a promise, get a boyfriend. Instant karma! Love the scenes between Finn and Sam, with their budding friendship. And of course, even salamander people love bacon! Not looking forward to the confrontation between Finn and his mom: How can he explain why she can't sell Sanctuary if he can't discuss the reason behind it--or will he?

Artie's denial is so cute! Dizzy is a good friend to Ky and tries to defer to him, but his hopefulness regarding Artie remains apparent. Ky seems so vulnerable that hurting him would be like kicking a puppy. And Charlotte: She sees all and knows all--a great friend, not to mention Artie's new personal psychologist. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Sam helps Finn and then extracts the promise after the fact, when Finn feels obligated. Sneaky. And what would Sam have done if Finn had not given his promise? Fun premise. Will certainly keep reading.

A day ago, Artie--brainwashed as he was--thought that being gay is an abomination. A day later, two guys are flirting with him, and maybe he wants to flirt right back. I guess that San Francisco just has that effect on people! 😊 🎵 What a difference a day makes... 🎶

I love Mr. Edgars' comment that Adam and Troy are better together than they are separately. 😍 Adam's mom doesn't use an endearment in her note, blames Adam for the sperm-donor's death, and doesn't bother to sign the note. She makes clear that, even in their shared grief, she doesn"t want to have him near her. She has created her own hell by disowning her son, and she is welcome to it.

The only good thing about being sheltered is the wonder/amazement waiting for you as you break free to explore the real world. Artie is finally on his way! 😀

My heart bleeds for any kid caught in Artie's circumstances. At the beginning of the chapter, he says "welcome to my living nightmare," but in this case, it appears that Adam will give him a last-minute reprieve. 😪

Superb finish to an amazing story. Finally, at the end, Riley decides to wear his artificial eye--the perfect symbolism that he is whole again. I will miss these characters greatly, but I also look forward to more of Ace's writing. (Ace, keep writing at this level, and there's a Pulitzer with your name on it just waiting for you. 😉) Thanks a million for having given us this profound and moving account of Riley Walker and his family and friends.

A moment of peace and security. So why don't I feel peaceful and secure?

Of course, Ace, you could always write a book about Riley and Carter 10 years later! (Thanks to Teddy and Ryder for the precedent. 😁) I can see it now: Carter's in the NBA, and Riley comes home from a hard day's work as a coach or a social worker (karma) to a house full of kids just like him (also karma 😂). The possibilities are endless (for everyone to get into trouble!). At least, I can dream for a sequel....