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Desert Dropping An Ordinary World

   (12 reviews)

After his mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Rory is sent to Arizona to live with the father he’s never known. Angry, grieving, and completely out of place, he expects nothing from the desert except heat and disappointment. Instead, he finds family, truth, and the possibility of first love. But learning to belong means facing the past—and risking his heart.

Copyright © 2010 DomLuka; All Rights Reserved.

Story Recommendations (37 members)

  • Action Packed 14
  • Addictive/Pacing 27
  • Characters 37
  • Chills 3
  • Cliffhanger 10
  • Compelling 12
  • Feel-Good 8
  • Humor 6
  • Smoldering 10
  • Tearjerker 23
  • Unique 16
  • World Building 7

1 Story Award

  • Reader's Choice 2023 - First Love

    Reader's Choice 2023 - First Love

    Earned



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Pascal

   3 of 3 members found this review helpful 3 / 3 members
This story is a real rollercoaster. While following Rory feels very frustrating at times, I feel this is one of the very few coming of age stories that actually feels like we’re following a teenager instead of an adult brain inside a teenage body. I enjoyed every single chapter, and every single character, no matter if I liked them or not. Even the "bad guy" was written in a way that made his actions believable! One of the best stories on GA for sure! Thank you DomLuka.
  • Like 4
ChillFire

   3 of 3 members found this review helpful 3 / 3 members

Desert Dropping is a classic coming-of-age story. And to be bold for a moment: DomLuka's best.

The premise is simple - Rory's mom dies of cancer, and her last wish is for him to be sent to Arizona to live with his dad, whom he has never met before. Plenty of plot twists, surprises, and emotional rollercoasters await.

Admittedly, the lead character, Rory, can be quite infuriating at times (especially in the first half and the penultimate arc). Sometimes you just want to grab him by the shoulders, shake him, and scream "what the hell are you doing!?"... But he does get better, and ends up being quite memorable. The same goes for the other leads - they are all memorable in their own right and I like them all.

Speaking of characters: I felt that Jase ended up a bit underused, though he does get some good screen time during the final arc. While the focus is primarily Rory and Eddie's relationship, I still would've loved to see more scenes with him.

There are some minor formatting errors (particularly around italicized phrases), though I suspect this might be a result of the multiple CMS changes that have occurred since Desert Dropping was first published.

Some thoughts that contain spoilers:

Spoiler

I know a bunch of readers were rooting for Rory and Luke to get together, but I think Dom made the correct choice pairing him with Seth. Rory ending up with Luke would've been quite predictable, and I agree with Luke when he told Rory it would've been weird "because they're supposed to be a family" (paraphrased). At least in my opinion, the story benefitted from the fact that it didn't go down this path. And I'm not just saying that because Seth is my favourite character. *cough*

The chapter Mom in a Box made me tear up. I don't cry often when reading, so that's saying something. Rory's mom left him some amazing gifts.

I really liked how the ending tied up most plot lines. Eddie's car accident was a shock, though! (Can't Rory be happy for a bit first? haha) Seth's support of Rory and his family throughout the entire ordeal was quite admirable. Aaron's tragic character arc made me feel quite bad for him, despite how much of an ass he was throughout the rest of the story. The scene where Eddie/Jase/Luke/Rory confront Mr. Keslin/Aaron in the hospital hallway was especially powerful.

A must read. 5 stars.

  • Like 1
  • Love 1
PrivateTim

   2 of 2 members found this review helpful 2 / 2 members

I don't know what Dom's level of education was when he wrote this story, but I do know he was young. That makes this remarkable story even more remarkable. Dom used many classic literary techniques; the classic misunderstanding, people talking but not communication, people making assumptions rather than just ask and get a straight answer. All of these weave their way through the story to heighten the drama, make you want to rip your hair out and slap someone (mostly Rory).

Any of Dom's stories is worth reading, but think this is a great starter story.


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