Sammy Blue

Hey, I promised I'd read it and so I did. Let me give you my opinion... There has been a significant improvement from the first two to the third chapter. You still mix up the tenses. Sometimes you write in the past tense and sometimes you write in present tense. Decide for one of those and stick with it. I like the story idea, even though it is moving a little fast. Take your time to go through and describe everything that happens! Don't rush things, it is not the end of the story that matters, but the way you are walking to get there. Anyway, keep writing! Looking forward to more. I wanna know what their new school is like.

That's actually difficult to say, lol I thought of post WW II, because before that it was a completely different system and if you'd ask for the first Chancellor here, I think everyone would think of Adenauer...^^

Hey Riegel, thanks a lot for your nice words and your comments on the content/etc.! There are two reasons for my English skills, I think. I read a lot on here and elsewhere. I play an online game on an American server and the English lessons I had at school were pretty though (for an A it was pretty much required to be semi-fluent). The other reason is my amazing editor, nosty, who has made sure that I lose my most common errors. I'm pleased to hear that the hard work has payed off. I will be honest about some things here. I am glad that you did not find any inconsistencies in the depiction of Albany. The story was originally set in a not named town of about a hundred thousand citizens. Only after about the fifth chapter, I decided to choose a city and it happened to be Albany. I did some research but I mostly just try to make it sound like it fits without actually having chosen exact locations or checked which schools are where and if there is a park close enough, or a public pool. I chose Albany because I wanted an open-minded youth that is generally accepting of gays, with some exceptions and some people who just don't know any gays and therefore have prejudices which they can overcome quickly, though, because of their surrounding. That presented me with a major problem when working on Josh's adoptive father. I realized it too late and while I do want him to be really homophobic, it is hard to write him, as a politician, that way in NY. I try to make it work and hope I won't mess it up somewhere in the next chapters. I think the main excuse is that while the public is mostly accepting in that day and place, there are exceptions and people might act different when they are at home, like you pointed out. I am already working a little bit on my next story and want to be much more accurate there. I guess the fact that I will mostly set it in Germany will make things easier. I like how you pointed out that Josh and Jacob have to work on their weaknesses to be the other one. I have not looked at it that way, so far, but you are right. It's very interesting what my readers point out what I do subconsciously. ;D We might never learn how they ended up in different families. The Bakers might not even know and Josh's parents don't seem to be likely to be talkative. We will see what happens... Wow that was almost a novel I wrote here. Anyway, I should go do something for university, so I have enough time to write chapter 10 in the next days. Thanks a lot for your review again!

I couldn't even tell you the first 2 cancellors of my country, let alone the first four of the US... I think that kind of knowledge is pretty pointless. History really is about coherences, about the why and how much more than about the (exact) when and who. We can learn a lot from history, but not from the names and dates alone. Any computer can answer that kind of question better and quicker than a human... But not knowing "which country was fought in the cold war"? (the question is kind of put stupid though) Okay, seriously: I can't even believe that one... Is it because I've lived all my life right at the former east/west German border and regularly travel between the former DDR and BRD? Maybe that's the reason, but that question feels like a 99,9% should answer it correctly... I don't know... 27% just sounds like... wrong... and what the hell has a difficult political system to do with not knowing basic things like about the declaration of independence and the soviet union... The name of the chief guy from some court? Who the hell cares? ^^

Haha no comment about Philip? I was kind of expecting one after your chapter 1 review! As for Parker: Jacob was pretty clear when talking to him. ^.^ It remains to be seen how Parker will react to that... Thanks for all of your reviews! It means a lot to me.

I agree. Jacob's life is obviously totally different from Josh's so his observations are probably even worse than the one of Josh, who is kind of used to it. Then again, he also has a certain distance to everything. He can evaluate things differently than Josh. You have already read about that in chapter 9.

Thanks, I'm glad you had fun reading it! Originally the whole trading places part was much shorter but it seemed people liked it, so there are a few chapters to come on that. It slowed down the posting but I suppose that's worth it.

They sure haven't thought of everything, but at least of the most important things. Still, I guess it is impossible to get everything perfect. We'll see what happens

Haha, yes, the question a reader asks here is probably not IF it will go wrong, but WHEN it will happen. I think swapping lives can be temping at any age, but with 15 it is probably even more so. And at that age you can do it much better than if you've got a job or an own family...

Yeah, I don't think Josh's parents would be very excited to explain that... do his grandparents even know? Jacob's brothers are so close to him, it seems like it would make no difference to them. He has a lot to lose though, so I guess it's understandable that he isn't keen on letting the world know.

It does make a big difference to have someone to rely on, to have friends.

It's a common problem that many teens have, I guess. :3 Also, the less friends you have, the bigger seems the problem with the courage to be.Maybe meeting Parker was not only something bad, though.

Well as you have already learned (much later) Philip is not that simple. He does seem creepy, though. And well, with a life like Josh's, things can only get better.

It is, isn't it? But as an author, you sometimes have to be cruel, I guess. Thanks a lot for all your reviews! Since you took the time to write one to every single chapter, I am now going to try and reply to each and every of your reviews!

The next chapter will definitely be Josh's POV and he will have French on Tuesday, that much I can promise. To the rest I can only say: very good observations! Your reviews are a pleasure to read! Damn it's so hard to keep myself from writing spoilers here, because I already know what's going to happen. Though I think this is the first time you don't predict everything I have thought of I hope I will manage to surprise you at some point.

Thank you! The idea is kind of cliché, but I love it, too. I guess it's a scenario that is exciting to think about and that most of us would like to experience.

Thanks a lot! I'm glad you're enjoying it. A happy new year to you, too! :3

Thanks and I'm working on it! Good point with Jacobs teachers, though it might take some time for them to notice. It's really close to finals and the end of the school year, so they would really only notice it after the summer holidays... :3

Josh mostly takes what he gets and doesn't question it much. He's too busy with enjoying the time away from his life and trying not to make any mistakes. Jacob is very different there, but that's due to the circumstances. It makes Josh appear a little naïve, though. You're right, the things Jacob changes for him depend on Josh to change, too. But maybe being Jacob for a few days will already give Josh the distance to look at things a little differently. That might help him at least a little. Thanks a lot for your review! It's great, often I read your reviews and realize that I have to add something to the next chapter. It's not necessarily something you point out, but the things you mention, the things you wonder about, make me look at things again and wonder if I have covered everything you thought of. There have been some great improvements from that! Keep it up, it's worth a lot

“... so he said that I would see things much differently if my son was gay. What an idiot! I told him that my son was raised properly and he surely wasn’t gay. And if he were, I would teach him a lesson on morals that he would never forget.” I froze; the handle in my hand, the door halfway open. The room got silent and I forced my legs to move. Tentatively I entered. Josh’s parents and Philip turned to look at me. I cleared my throat and sat down on Josh’s seat while Philip finished putting the

Thanks a lot! It is easy to pretend being Josh, there is not all that much that can go wrong. However, being Josh is not all that easy, that's true. It seems Jacob sees himself on a special mission though. I like to write longer parts, too, and want to avoid changing the POV on every other corner. I'm not sure I can always make it work, but I'm doing some rewriting currently (this and the next chapter was not included in the original story I wrote) and I'm trying to do full chapter povs. Anyway, thanks for your review!

Thank you!

Jacob I overlooked the still empty school parking lot. Taking a deep breath, I slowly started on my way towards the school. The first students were already entering the main building, or standing outside, chatting. As I passed them, nobody greeted me or as much as looked at me for longer than a second. It was as if I was invisible. I felt awkward and rejected. Then I realized that this was what Josh faced every day, and that made me sad and also angry. My shoulders were dropped, my pace was sl

It's an amazing story by a great writer!

The thoughts of that muscle ache is already making me feel sorry for Josh. I know it all too well myself. We don't know for sure about Jacob's day, but we will see what happens in the next chapter. ;3 Thanks for your review!