Review: Great read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 8, 2013
Please leave comments on Lucky's 5 sweet pea review at mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=13932I read the Foster High series from beginning to end. The tales of the boys (Brad Greymark and Kyle Stilleno) were indelibly etched into my mind, especially End of the Innocence, which completely shattered me the day I finished it. This story partially takes place during the events of that book.Mr. Goode is back with Taking Chances. It's another tale that needed telling, and I was honored when Mr. Goode allowed me to read it and give a review for it.Matt Wallace moved from Foster to the big city, San Francisco, in hopes of finding himself. He also had hopes of moving beyond the boy with the red door, a fantasy figure in his life. Matt is about to return home, because you can take the boy out of Foster, but you can't take the Foster out of the boy.Matt's life hasn't been a happy one. Every man he meets gets compared to the young man behind the red door. Every man pales to the boy he loved and never knew the name of. While at home for the holiday (and by the way, Matt hates Christmas!) he's about to find out something he's been dying to know for years. The name of his fantasy. Tyler Parker, a friend of Brad and Kyle.This story is a great read. Mr. Goode writes sweet, believable characters who have flaws and emotions and drama. They also have a history. One part of that history is the full version of why Robbie hates Tyler so much. It was gut wrenching and it helped me understand Robbie's character just a bit better. If this happened to me, I'd hate Tyler, too.There is a point in this book where you have to ask yourself: Is life really like this? Are we so fearful of life outside the closet? Of being who we are? You get to ask that more than once. If you've read "End of the Innocence (if you haven't, you really need to do so and before you read this book), you'll know what I'm talking about.I'm grateful I got to pre-read this story. Somehow he pulled me into Foster again, tears and all.