Corners Sanitaria Springs

It takes a special writer to take such a well-worn genre as the gay teen roughie and make it unique.  Sure, all the elements are there -- the squalid environs, the abusive criminal father, the fearless advocate, the clumsy armed stooges, the traumatized protagonist who has shut down his feelings, the mysterious death, the local child molester who messes with the wrong kid -- and they are served up with all the brutality and gusto which one might expect.  

But there are some special elements here, first and foremost the realistic and heartwarming friendship between Ethan and his best friend, the troubled but unwaveringly loyal Mason. Their unbreakable bond is the emotional core of this story, and the second best thing about it.  The first is Dabeagle's  main character, Ethan.  Fiercely intelligent, yet believably scarred, Ethan's journey is extremely well-written and richly rewarding. 

That he gets a bit of a jog in that direction from a diminutive guardian angel doesn't feel at all like a plot contrivance, as Ethan is written in such a way that you know it was only a matter of time before he figured things out for himself.  This isn't a story about lost souls, or even the sort of deus ex machina awakening that a boyfriend can spur in similar roughies.  It's about a troubled, smart kid at one awful point in his life who learns that love, loyalty, resourcefulness and true friendship can overcome even the most horrifying of circumstances and bring clarity and hope to even the darkest night. Great work!

I have never done this before so expect this review to be flawed unlike the story. I just want to help Debeagle get five star reviews.

If you are familiar with Debeagle's past work then this story has all those elements that make his stories great.The difference in this one is it darker then his previous work and as a result has more suspense.The writers of shows like NCIS have nothing on this author.But the thing he does best is show how friends and couples interact you as a reader grow to love the characters. In Corners if you can believe it he racthet it up even more.If you haven't read his stories before you don't know what your missing

This is an incredibly engaging story about Ethan and his best friend, Mason. Ethan’s family life is abysmal with a drunken mother, petty criminal father, and a twin who was recently killed while accompanying their father. Mason feels ignored by his feuding parents, but is able to provide sanctuary for Ethan when things are too difficult for him at home.

There is a mystery about how Ethan’s twin died. There is a mystery about identity of the voice that Ethan can hear due to an acoustic trick in the gym locker room. There is no mystery why readers were extremely eager to read the next chapter!

This is one of Dabeagle’s very best stories.

Debeagle is one of my favorite writers on this site, and with this story he once again had my heart and interest from the first paragraph to the last word. The writing is amazing, and there’s a truth and realness to the characters filled with their imperfections, that is just so beautiful.

The  story is about Ethan, who recently lost his sort of estranged twin brother. Due to his less than fortunate home situation he has sett his eyes on getting away and into college, giving all his focus to school and soccer, while emotionally closing himself off from almost everything. The only two people he lets a bit close to him is his best friend Mason, who struggles with his own issues, and Masons on/off girlfriend. When Ethan starts noticing thar someone is sort of stalking him, he starts trying to figure out who and why. About the same time his home life and personal life collides, and he has to confront the walls he’s built up around himself. 

Definitely wort a read! P.s. please check out Debeagle’s other stories, they’re worth it.

This is very engaging story from Dabeagle.

We follow Ethan and his best friend Mason. Ethan the main character comes from a family where he has a drunken mother, criminal father and a recently deceased twin brother. Mason lives in a home where he feels ignored by his feuding parents, but he his willing to do anything to help Ethan.

As we delve further into the there is the mystery of how his twin brother died, who the voice in the corner is, which Etan hears in the Locker Changing room. The action with chapter keeps it there so you eagerly want the next chapter.

This  is a really fantastic story that is a classic Dabeagle story.

This, I believe, is going to become a classic Dabeagle story.  It is engaging, lively, sometimes dark, but always inspiring.  The protagonist, Ethan, comes from difficult circumstances.  He is determined to make his way out, however, and to bring his best friend Mason along with him.  Ethan's home life is grim, but he has friends to support and sustain him.  As in many of Dabeagle's tales, the plot revolves around the failures of the adults in the situation, yet there are also adults in the story who step up to the plate and meet their responsibilities (sometimes they need a push to so do, of course).  Ethan's determination to overcome his circumstances, and his essentially loving, honorable, and hopeful nature are his biggest assets in the struggle, and he puts them to good use.

This is an exceptionally well developed tale of the haves and have-nots and shows how each can be both.  Add some mystery and intrigue, a dash of self analysis, a few helpings of violence and suspense and you have the backdrop for this excellent story. This is the story of  Ethan along with his best friend Mason, the unknown Nathaniel and a few more characters which are vitally needed to complete the story. This story is written with a very real flavor, while showing how friendship and loyalty can allow the worst environments to produce amazing outcomes. There are several plots and subplots which all combine to tell a story of fear, suspense, longing and happiness. This is a fairly quick read that will, in my opinion, leave the reader in a happy place and wanting to read more from this author!!

A beautiful, touching, and engaging story full of wonderful plot twists.  It's not a typical "coming of age" story.  It is a beautifully told tale of loyalty, self-discovery, and love, along with insecurity and self doubt.  Dabeagal's characters are so fully realized and well thought out.  They each become endearing to the reader is different ways.  A thoroughly enjoyable and moving read.

Eloquent tale of coming of age on the hard side of the tracks, done with style and grace. These sorts of tales are not new, but they are seldom done this well, with sympathy and compassion, even for some of the lesser players.  A hard look at a hard state of being, but injected with fascinating contrasts, and imbued with the positive power of change that only love and friendship can bring to bear on life.

Not to be missed.

Dabeagle’s exceptional writing and storytelling talents are on full display in this moving, harrowing, and ultimately affirming tale of boys trapped in dark, lonely, dangerous lives who escape and ultimately triumph through the power of friendship, loyalty, and love.  Highest recommendation!

This was one of those stories I, somehow, missed, and once I have found it, I've been blown away (so, piece of advice here, guys – recommend the stories you like, newer know who will discover the treasure).

Well, if I have to describe this story in one word, it would be friendship. This story is Ode, a monument to real, sincere, deep, everlasting friendship. This bond, bromance or brotherhood between Ethan and Mason is one of the most beautiful relationships ever written on GA. There is a romance in the story, but it is the friendship love that take your breath away reading it. Beside they are both estranged from their families which brought those guys closer together, it is honesty and loyalty – two principles making core of this unique relationship. @Dabeagle is master of making strong, independent but misfit and socially estranged characters. Instead of his twin brother, Ethan has courage to resist their father, make a right choice, and stay on right path. He is determined to leave the sick surrounding, finish college, make a carrier…but he doesn’t want to do it alone, ha wants to take loyal friend and his love with himself. Chapter by chapter, we discover how many talents Ethan has – sports, coaching, planning, leading… He is a natural planner and strategists. Giving us an optimistic end of the story, author leaves us to imagine bright future those guys will have.

The most extraordinary thing about Dabeagle's writing in general, and this story in particular, is an expressive tautness or rather an economy with words and emplotment. The reader is confronted with Ethan's grim world & his inextinguishable spirits early on. From this grim world emerges a wonderful friendship, which is the backbone of the story. A close friendship that perhaps did not cross the boundary into a romance, but this really is beside the point. Dabeagle gives us relationships that are nuanced, evolving and often hard to define by the rules governing our social life. Maybe the point is to stop pondering what exactly is the nature of Ethan & Mason's bond, but to see how this bond defined both & made their relationships with other people possible. 

I have not yet encountered another story that better captures the subtle dynamics between a gay teen and his straight best friend in such vivid, minute detail. Even though there are plenty of stories in this well-worn genre about friends from diametrically opposite socioeconomic backgrounds, this story offers something more. Even much more than Ethan's reflections on his relationship with Mason. Suffice to say, friendship, companionship, brotherhood, camaraderie and physical attraction were all present at once in any given human relationship & the young protagonists figured out their relative positions in those webs of social meaning much better than a lot of adults of our day.