wildone

Wow, I'm being worked to the bone here 😮 2 blogs in 2 days So when I heard one of our Review Team Members was heading down under, I thought I might take a stab at writing my first review for the Review Team. I need to warn you, I usually only copy and paste the amazing work the Team does. So with @chris191070 in Australia, I thought I would review one of my favourite stories from there. Heart of the Tree by Graeme Reviewer: Wildone Status: Complete Word Count: 192,398 Have you ever read a story where one of the main characters is a tree? Not any tree but a ancient Moreton Fig Tree that took up a large part of a town's park in rural Australia. This story is a amazing tale of the fate of that tree, but a tree that all the locals know has much more significance than any other tree. It is magical in many ways. It is what holds this community together and has done so for years. Yes, there is doubters, probably like you. Give it a read and see if you still doubt it's mystical ways. In the beginning we are introduced to a local group of teens, fresh out of Senior High and are making plans to go to university or apprentice or just continue on working for any of the local employers in rural wine growing area of Australia. That is until a stranger comes to town one night and goes under the tree and is found dead there the next morning. Not long after, limbs and branches start to fall from the tree as it is dying as well. A wonderful Aunt to the whole town, Aunt Cynthia, feels the pain and sorrow as she was once was the Heart of the Tree. She is there to guide these young adults to search out and find the new Heart of the Tree as she approaches her latter years. Will she find the new Heart before it is too late? This tree is kept alive by love and bestows love on anyone who wants to be united by love under the tree. It is a mystery though on what can heal the tree. If you haven't had the chance to read Graeme, his characters are amazing to say the least. From first meeting them to new ones being introduced, your imagination is alight with images and profiles that Graeme hasn't outright described, but they're mannerisms and traits help cement their images in the readers mind. Graeme is a bit of a trickster too. You might have preconceived notions of what kind of people are in the story. Be prepared to finish a chapter and look back and wonder how did I get it all so wrong! I know he only used Drama, General Fiction and Romance as genres, but you could add in Mystery easily too! Graeme gives you just enough rope, to either save yourself or to, well we won't say that. The lovable cast of characters makes reading chapter after chapter a delight. You may hate some of them only to love them later. The mystery comes in as you never really know what is going to happen next. This story was also written I believe over 20 years ago but it could easily have taken place yesterday. The story has a unique way of standing the test of time. Don't let the size of this story scare you away. Once you are done the prologue and Chapter 1, I think you will find it hard not to click on the next chapter. One of my all time favourites here at GA and where it was originally hosted at AD, I hope you give it a try and it will become one of yours too! Category: Fiction Genres: General Fiction, Romance Sub-genres: Drama, Romance Tags: young adult, australia, no sex, coming out, friendship Rating: Teen

I know I read this story back when you first started posting it on GA, Graeme. There was just so much that I had forgot and so glad that I read it again. The emotional roller-coaster as we felt like we were part of the story and could sympathize and empathize with the characters and the heartbreak and love that all of them found, well maybe not Susie , was remarkable. I think some authors have an amazing talent to bring their characters to life and you are an expert at that Looking back, I wonder if you thought maybe came to you about a short story of Rhys, maybe articling with the lawyers in town, as well as being the father of a couple of kids that he really hasn't grown up to be As for not wishing that on anyone, we never really knew what Rhys' dad was like as a teen. Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree Thanks, Graeme Now I have something I need to do

It seems like everything is coming into place. I'm sure Matt and Vince will be doing a lot of studying As for John Young, there must be something deeper than just not wanting a gay heart of the tree. I've got some guesses but I will not share them at this time

I'm glad that Vince and Matt got to say what I'm sure the tree needed to hear or feel somewhat privately, only an audience of 4. I'm looking forward to when they can continually walk down the streets of Mourton hold hands and heads up high! With the injunction, I laughed so hard, I needed that, when the lawyers said all the work was being done for the tree pro bono I wonder if the tree had to sign a contract or give a dollar as as retainer I too love Mama Saviloni, much like Aunt Cynthia. I hope there is people that can take over the loving attitude for the whole town when they are both gone. Reading Trebs comment made me feel a sense of sadness but also a sense of warmth. I miss him a lot

Now you got me crying again 😢 I love the ending and how they got to it for Vince and Matt. Rhys continues to surprise me on how he has maybe taken some of the lessons he learned from assumptions of Shane, and outing people and so forth, and is now using it with Cameron, although he didn't really want to be around him. But he did the biggest thing I think you can do, he listened I have to admit, I haven't really like Mark's character most of the story. He seems to be an antagonist in a lot of the scenes. What he did for Vince and Matt today, made me change my mind and think he too is growing as well. Maybe uni was what was needed for everyone to get a different perspective to life

I loved the fact that Rhys went to the party, probably thinking yes, it would be educational, but also not realizing what could and did happen. I imagine that if any of my straight friends came to a gay bar with me, it would be interesting to see if they got hit on. And as Ryse learned, he got a small glimpse of how the gays have to be on guard as well. I'm glad that the meet the parents is going so well. The fact that Vince is about to call and ask about meeting up with Matt's parents, over a weekend, should be a nerve racking event for Vince, but one that will take his mind off of the worries of coming out as the Tree

I love Vietnamese Food. Now I'm going have to grab a coworker tomorrow and go have some lunch Nice way to start a chapter out. It is interesting on hearing the conversation in the bar, and how some are dead set against it and some are resigned to it. Cutting down the tree seems to hinge on Vince and Matt. With their commitment to not rush things and move forward with only declaring their love after they have time to learn if each others are the one, that pressure must be intense. At least they are past the lust phase and are acting like two mature adults than the horny teenagers that I was at 18/19

I agree with everyone. With Bobby off with Cindy, we were thinking that maybe Bobby might be finally finding a girl, and then the phone call comes in. I'm curious what obstacles the lawyers will do and what the townsfolk will do. I'm sure that most are just waiting for the heart to be revealed. BTW, how is the tree doing?

I was hoping this wouldn't happen, but so to speak that we all knew it was coming 😢 This took a lot to get through. I was a tough go, but beautifully written. Aunt Cynthia was obviously so much more than the heart of the tree. The world will be one angle less living among them. I think this is a wonderful tribute to Codey, Graeme I know he meant a lot to you and that fact that he let you use the poem in your story meant so much to you. Hopefully my comment here so many years later, brings back a bunch of great feelings and memories of his life. He too sounded like an Aunt Cynthia for how he expressed from the heart.

I'm actually 😢 The whole chapter was a bit of a downer other then getting to hear the uni students are bunking together. I am curious of what will go wrong with Rhys's party!

A heavy chapter, me thinks. A lot of serious chats but we were not told what was said, yet In a linear sense, I guess we can assume that David was the child that was molested and Felicity was his mother. But I'm not 100% sure. Graeme, a moral question with what you are saying, that people hate for a reason they feel they have been wronged horribly? What about racism, especially when it is generational? I remember a older guy in a McDonald's talking to the only white girl at the counter and he was bellowing about her being the only person that deserved to work there and all the others should go back home and leave jobs for Canadian's. Since the managers and others were non white, they were obviously intimidated. I stepped forward and just told him that if he felt that way, he should just leave and never come back. He can rant in his living room where he can say whatever he wants, but in public, it isn't called for. He called me a name and left. The manager thanked me for what I said, and said yes, they were all intimated and didn't know what to do. More surprising after I sat down, a lady came over and thanked me for saying what I did and she has been telling her husband that for years, and hopefully he would now listen 😮.

Pink eye... ewwwww. I nearly stopped reading as I don't want pink eye 😮 With that out of the way, it seems like maybe others in town are finding out that maybe there are more gay people in town than the lawyers. I wonder if they are hearing rumours of the youngin coming out and thinking about their own history of coming out. If there is an illegal wedding, I love that term and 100% behind Rhyse, I'm sure they will be involved. Like they asked Ryse when he went to see them . Vince seems to be getting more comfortable in acting like he is the Heart of Tree, but we haven't had any updates if the Tree is still loosing branches. I think Vince after the convo in the privy, maybe realizes that more and more people are finding out, and so far, other than the old bitty that accosted Alex, everyone has been supportive.

Now we are planning an illegal wedding 😮 I agree, Mark and Shane need to both be there for Mia, she was essentially sexually assaulted. She may appear strong, and she is, but when your personal space and body has been violated, I don't imagine you can just put it behind you 12 hours later 😢 Karen redeemed herself it seems, turning the smart arguement back against Shane that handed his out so freely. I guess Karen might have some people smarts afterall

Wow, that was an eventful chapter 😮 So, there is: Vince and Matt Shane and Mia Jamie and Alex I do hope that Shane is okay

I guess this chapter deals with another main character that is back in the scene, the tree Interesting what Bobby is trying to do with a reluctant Jamie in a last ditch effort to save his parents marriage. Alex seems to know what his parents are like. I would have like to be a fly on the wall in the radiator hose section to hear what Alex and Bobby talked about after Jamie wanded off. Shane finally lit into Karen, who we seem to now know is a very insecure person but portrays her strength through her book smarts. I'm glad that she has been talking with Warren so she will have someone in Sydney as a contact. She needs to drop the fairy boy comments to Shane though. Shane is a interesting character still, he took her to task in front of everyone and embarrassed her, but knew he need to fix things before they had anytime to fester. Paul was funny as he realized he maybe was only looking that this girl for her looks. I can't say 'straight boys' because Jamie did the same thing with Bobby I think Vince is starting to realize that his friends are still his friends and they are 100% behind him. I hope he eventually relax with being around Matt outside the friend group. Great chapter, Graeme. A lot of info dropped for us, and you covered a lot!