Many emotions went through my mind as I read the book. First thought here we go again with Michael Thomas Ford. Once upon a time..... I do believe he writes in the same style with his characters. The main character Ned is not a strong character. He is nerdy and worries a lot as a boy, takes that through his adulthood as well. Stronger characters fill his life. He does get balls to just leave his friends and start a new life in Maine, yet the partner he is with seems like a take charge type of guy. Example books the flight to Chicago no questions asked. The beginning well we are up coffee is started so start talking. I do believe Jack is like the character from Get Real. This movie is about two high school kids that develop a bond one nerdy and one a jock. The king of the campus per say.
This makes me wonder what type of character Michael Thomas Ford is. Authors tend to write what they know. Are these characters him or are the strong characters him and his friends or partners are the weak ones.
Second thought of the book about half way through. This story is getting familiar we can call it Forrest Gump. I was waiting for a catch line like life is a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get, but the familiarity College, War and Aids......
Finishing the book really didn’t like how it ended still felt that there was no closure with Jack and Ned. I know that they are and will be friends but the air wasn’t cleared if that makes sense. I think Ned is still weak yet wiser in his older years. Yet again the main character runs away like the other books from life thinking that it is better somewhere else. MTF main characters seem to be searching for something that they don’t seem to find at the end. I do believe Ned found some sort of Peace about life, yet not sure if that what he was looking for in the beginning of the book.
I do have to say that out of three the novels we have read from MTF that this was the better one. RATING 3.5