KrisK

Awesome story! It looks like Geron has posted 61 stories on this site and this is only the fifth one I've read since joining earlier this week. I wonder how long it will take me to read the 56 stories I have yet to go, because after reading this one I am quite sure I want to read all of the others. A couple of things that stand out and made this story interesting to me. First would be the way in which Geron paced the story and moved the characters through time. The story begins with the main characters all being in their early teens. The story finishes with the main protagonist's 50th birthday. That great time span is covered in just five short chapters! At first it was a bit disorienting to be reading along and realize that we had just jumped a few years into the future. But then it occurred to me that it really worked. The next couple of times it happened didn't bother me at all. The main thing that stood out for me with this story was the ending. I can't tell you how many times I've read what I thought were wonderful stories, all the way up to the end, when the author just can't stick the landing! This story had one of the best endings I've read in a long time. I don't think I'm exaggerating to say that it was profound. I'm not ashamed to say I was smiling and crying at the same time. Any author that can pull that off has earned my respect. Can't wait to get into the next story.

What a perfect ending! So simple, and yet profound. I really do mean profound, too. It perfectly tied the whole story together, as if there was a thread reaching all the way back to that first wish Griff and Benny made together. Every step of their journey together, Benny always wanted to make Griff happy, and Griff wanted Benny's wishes to come true. The perfect point and counterpoint. Very nicely done! I'm almost afraid to choose the next story of yours I want to read. I'm having trouble imagining how it could be better than this one!

Haha, thanks Raven, and thanks for the invite. I'm not really very good at snark though. I may have to just sit in my own corner for a while, watching and learning from the masters! 😁

Another fantastic chapter! What stood out this time was Griff extending himself and making up with Gary Spain. He demonstrated a great deal of empathy and compassion for a 13 year old boy. Griff's character is also showing an almost unbelievable mature grasp of the world in general. But then Ben will challenge him and pull him out of his head and back into a more teen centered reality. Like this comment from Ben, for example. "There you go again, sounding like some biologist. 'Penis'. 'Testicles'. 'Semen'." He shook his head. "You make it sound yucky when you use those words." Benny and Griff are clearly well matched and seem good for one another. I look forward to getting to know them even better in coming chapters.

Thanks for the recommendation Geron, I'm loving it so far and anxious to dive into the next chapter. I loved the scene where Ben was able to so effectively shut down Gary Spain's heckling of Griff. I also loved Ben's line: "Never be scared of me, Griff."

Hi Kbois, I'm new to GA (as in I joined less than 48 hours ago) so I'm still exploring and learning about the site and all that is on offer. Thanks for mentioning "anthologies", that gives me something else to explore. I came to your story through a recommendation made by Raven1 to check out your writing. I'm very glad I did and look forward to reading more of your stories.

This was a truly inspired story. I was particularly impressed with how you did not shy at all from allowing Shay's character to feel relief, rather than sorrow or grief from his mother's death. That seemed an honest, and appropriate response to the circumstances at the time. It was nice that you then allowed Shay's character, through time and therapy, to come to a healthier perspective. Allowing your characters to emote and behave in ways that make readers uncomfortable is something I very much respect in an author. I suspect this was a hard story to write, at times it was a hard story to read. But at the end of the story, I counted the time spent reading well worth the investment. I hope you feel the same about the writing of the story.

I thought this was a wonderful follow-up to Thrift Shop Nation. I'm a bit surprised to see that the story has not become a regular series. The characters are certainly well laid out enough, and the setting would seem to lend itself to a wide variety of future scenarios. But judging by Geron's story count, I suppose he has to carefully choose how he will spend his writing time. I particularly loved the scene at the pond where Josh and Kelly were mentoring Steve and Chris. Great story!

This story was recommended to me by Raven1 and he did not steer me wrong. I think it's safe to say that I'm addicted to Geron's stories now! I enjoyed everything about this delightful story. The setting was so well crafted that it was easy to place myself in the midst of the action. The character development was also very good, so much so that I found myself longing for another chapter. Thankfully, I just received a message from Raven1 letting me know that there is a sequel, "The Second Time Around" so I'm headed there right now!

Thanks for letting me know Raven1. Your recommendations have been great so far, so I will check it out. In fact, I'm going there right now!

What a delightful story! I enjoyed your attention to detail with the settings. The story, though not without some angst and drama, had an overall positive vibe that I found pleasing. I also thought that the romance between Steve and Chris was well paced and really drew me in.

This is my second story to read on this site, both from this author. I read "My Crimson Year" earlier and wanted to read something else just to see if I actually liked this author, or if the first story I read was just going to be a 'one off' kind of thing. I'm glad I did. This story was much more whimsical and fun compared to "My Crimson Year", but very well put together nonetheless. As I read, I kept wondering what the 'great and special test' was going to be as the story didn't seem to be giving many hints. But that's one of the things I loved about this story. It kept me guessing right up to the end. I enjoyed the setting of this story and liked the way I was drawn into the action of the characters. I could easily hear Jeff barking like a true carny for people to 'step right up' and take a chance with the baseballs. I could also easily see Jeff cringing as each pitch smacked against the plywood target! I hate spoilers so I won't get into details, but finally learning what the 'great and special test' was definitely did not disappoint. Now I'm anxious to read more of this guy's stories, but there are a lot of them!

A friend recommended this story. I had to join the Gay Authors site to be able to read it, so I'm new here. Must say, the site is a bit overwhelming, but I'm not sorry I joined because this story was well worth the 'price of admission', as the saying goes. Regarding the story, I appreciated the way in which the author realistically portrayed the characters, not hesitating to use some graphic language when the situation seemed to call for it. I'm an old fart, but I've been around teenagers enough to know that they don't pull any punches when it comes to expressing themselves. I don't have much patience for authors that whitewash that aspect of a teens character in a story. I also thought the sexual exploration of the characters seemed realistic. The slow dawning of understanding of Greg's feelings toward Junie was thoughtfully unfolded and seemed very believable. I also really liked that the two protagonists, Andy and Donnie, were active in sports (football) as well as participants in drama (acting in a school play). Too often in coming of age tropes, the characters are cast as affiliated with one interest or the other. It was nice to see that Andy and Donnie were interested in, and did well in both. It looks like this author is prolific on this site, so I look forward to reading more of his stories. Anyone have any suggestions on what I should read next?