How I Got Carter

I like this, but...  No, that’s not true, I really liked reading this.  Jackson is instantly likeable, and very funny.  Yes, he spends way too much time in his head, but we get to experience much of that, and it’s addictive.  Carter on the other hand, arguably doesn’t think enough.  The downside of this is that there’s a lot of internal monologue, and if that’s not your thing, then you might find this a little hard going.  For me, it worked well.

So what happens?  Classic drama nerd gets football jock fantasy?  Absolutely.  Some crazy plot twist / clever writing device?  Nope, not really.  So still worth reading even though this story is essentially out there already like a million times?  (Disclaimer - this is exactly what I though the first time I saw this story - elsewhere - and so I gave it a miss.  How stupid was I?) Absolutely - stop reading this and go and get started on it!  This is engaging, funny, charming, heart wrenching, sad, and I didn’t want to miss one tiny moment of it.  And yes, there’s also some very hot moments too.  And a couple of characters that totally deserve their own space where we can get to know them better (Sam and Katy).

I feel like I have too justify my non-5 star rating, so here it is.  The story is called ‘How I Got Carter’.  There is no plot spoiler here, by the end of things, you can most definitely argue that Jackson did indeed get Carter.  There’s a few ways to interpret that, most of which might be true.  And yet... I was left feeling quite the opposite.  Jackson did not get Carter.  If anything, Carter got Jackson.  Becasue I didn’t get enough of a sense of Carter’s journey and I feel as though there’s about a thousand (OK, more than 6) things not addressed.  Admittedly that can be hard to do when the entire story is written from Jackson’s perspective, but it wasn’t an entirely satisfying feeling. I also didn’t find the final sexual moments to feel at all the right, in that it didn’t quite fit in how I had come to feel about Carter and Jackson - but that may just be me.

I read and followed this story on Nifty until it was completed a couple of years ago after a long span of five or so years. I liked it very much, which is why I rate it five stars. Since Roe has re-edited it for GA I will read it again. I highly recommend it.

Excellent story. Probably the most realistic of any gay coming-of-age romance I've ever read. Well worth the read. I'll read this one again I'm sure.

A well-written story that has you rooting for the boy from the first moment!

I loved this.  Even though the title gives away the game, the twists and turns of the story and the intense level of identification the author elicits with the narrator makes you want nothing more than for him to win Carter Mulkins. And even though you know he will, you'll rise and fall with each victory and setback. Great story!

😀