Things We Lost 1. Things We Lost

Give up now and just plan on bingeing the whole thing.  It's not that long.

This is really sweet (I might even consider it cute) love story, which also happens to ramp up the drama pretty quickly and never let up until the very end.  Ehren and Tris are both kind of adorable, but it takes more than that for Ehren to overcome his expectations of the world and people in it and risk everything.

I'm now going to check out what else @Dabeagle has written, because if this is anything to go by, I want it.

Ehren has missed out on most of the important stuff many of us take for granted: loving parents, a home, the chance to have friends, go to school, have enough to eat, clean clothes and a shower as needed. Living on the streets is a hard life, but he’s clever and resourceful.

On the day we meet him, he makes a snap decision to help a girl in need, in spite of being scared of the potential consequences. The ripples from this first stone are complicated further when Ehren flings another daring missile, and life as he knows it unravels around him. But luckily he has made friends who are loyal to him, and we keep hoping he'll gain some of the things he's lost.

Dabeagle writes great stories, but I think this will always be my favorite. I hope he'll return to Ehren one day, to let us know how he's doing.

This is one of my favorite stories on GA. Dabeagle just has a knack  when drawing you into a story.

Ehren comes from the life of hard knocks. He’s trying to survive the streets and stay alive. As bad as life is, Ehren comes to the aid of a girl in need. This leads him to her brother Tris. Can Ehren and Tris overcome obstacles to be together? Main obstacle being very different circumstances.

I guarantee you will fall in love with Ehren and this story.

This story takes a hard look at the world of 'civilization' while presenting the reader with two young lovers from diametrically opposed backgrounds. Their worlds collide when Ehren helps Tristan's sister Piper escape from drugged rape or possibly worse. While some of the adults are busy arranging their little charade of normalcy, by playing the roles of responsible parents, counselors, teachers, social workers.... they trap Ehren in a cycle of anger and despair. Can the loyalty of Piper and love of Tris lift Ehren out of this claustrophobic little world?

This is a sobering yet uplifting story. Ehren is at once street-smart yet naive, intelligent and confused. Despite being deprived of love as a child, he is capable of love and has lots of love to give. Time and again he chooses to escape from the 'civilization' that tries to tame him. But With the help of Piper and Tris, Ehren tries to integrate into the world that has failed him just to be with his loved ones.

The raw power of the story does not just come from Ehren's will to survival. It's almost an allegory of the feral self of the individual. Every one of us can be the downtrodden Ehren. We love seeing him triumph over his past, because we are cheering that part of us that refuses to be tamed by the all-encompassing 'civilization'. 

I read start to finish in one setting.   I’m not ashamed to admit I had tears on more than one passage.   This story has triggers, but if you’re able to transcend them then I can not recommend this story enough.   What an excellent author; what an excellent story  he/she told.   

@Dabeagle has created one of the most lovable characters I have ever met – Ehren, a boy from the street, passionate lover of detective books, honest and brave in spite his own misfortune. A true hero. Saving a girl from raping involves him with new family and Tris – love of his life. Faced with the dangers of the street, betrayal and fight for survival, Ehren overcomes all the obstacles, leaving you cheering, wanting to hug him and support him.