Thank you for stopping by today’s blog tour for Believing Rory by S.C. Wynne. This book is a coming of age romance between two men who are struggling to stay strong emotionally after a friend’s sudden death. I received one copy of this book at no charge from the author and you will find my review further down. You can also read an excerpt from the book and enter the giveaway that the author is hosting.
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TITLE:Believing Rory
S.C. Wynne
Dreamspinner
Press
ARTIST: Garrett Leigh
200 Pages
DATE:April 29, 2016
Will Rory bring them together or stand between them?
Graham has always relied on his braver, more confident buddy, Rory. But Rory’s
sudden suicide blindsides Lane and sends him into an emotional tailspin. How’s
he supposed to start college in a few months feeling this damaged?
Rory from playing League of Legends together. He was always intrigued by Lane’s
online presence, and Rory had promised to set them up. Now that Rory’s gone,
Baron has to approach Lane on his own.
On the surface, Baron and
Lane couldn’t seem more different. Baron is confident and serious, and Lane is
guarded and uncertain. But it’s the pain beneath the flesh that binds these two
souls together like barbed wire and cement.
MY REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5
MY REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5Believing Rory by S.C. Wynne is a hard book for me to review. The story is incredibly well written with well thought out characters and it really just drags emotions right out of you. While the author did a great job with the writing and the storyline, it was a hard book for me to enjoy due to the very deep nature of the subject matter.
Lane has just lost his best friend Rory, who committed suicide. He has always had zero self-confidence and is struggling emotionally to keep going after Rory’s death. He meets Baron, who was apparently a friend of Rory’s that Lane didn’t know about. They had all met playing online games but Lane didn’t realize that Rory and Baron had actually become friends. It throws him for a loop but the two of them bond trying to stay strong after Rory’s death.
Baron seems so together on the outside but he is actually battling some pretty strong internal emotions. He is trying to balance being the perfect son, the perfect friend, the perfect student and it is incredibly overwhelming. I found Lane and Baron bonding over various methods of killing themselves rather morbid and depressing but probably realistic given their histories.
The author does a great job developing the secondary characters. I really liked Lane’s little brother Kit and enjoyed seeing Lane build his relationship back up with him. His mom seemed like a typical mom….trying to balance the worry with giving Lane some independence.
The real problem I had with the book was really just the heavy subject matter. It starts off rather depressing and really doesn’t get too much happier for most of the book. It dragged me down and I really struggled trying to read it. There doesn’t seem to be a light to balance the dark of this book. And since the guys are 18, the relationship they develop is full of angst, drama, yelling, jealousy, etc. There are lighter and more romantic moments occasionally but they are few and far between.
Believing Rory by S.C. Wynne is a well written story which brings to light some very deep emotions. It is a good story but a very heavy one.
one for believing Rory.
know there’s no point in that, because not only is he nowhere around to feel my
wrath, he wouldn’t care if he was. Rory always went his own way. I needed him
more than he needed me. Obviously. He proved that when he leapt into the great
unknown without me. I can barely handle staying in my old familiar life,
untethered from him.
skin hurts? I’m so depressed my flesh actually aches. The ends of my hair feel
sensitive as I watch Mrs. Greg approach with my math test in her hand. A bright
red C sits at the top right of the paper. Thank God, I passed. My mom would
take away my laptop if I fuck up in school again. Especially this close to
graduation.
you, Lane.” Mrs. Greg sniffs and adjusts her black-rimmed glasses farther up
the bridge of her nose.
feeling the eyes of the class on me. They probably all think I’m stupid. I’m
not. I wonder how well they’d do on a math test if their best friend died the
day before. I think a C was just fine, considering. Obviously I’m the only one
who thinks that way since Mrs. Greg is still giving me a disapproving look, and
the redheaded girl next to me is shaking her head. I want to skip ahead to
lunch where I can tell Rory about how judgmental they’re all being. He’d rub my
head and tell me to relax. You’re overthinking things again, L, he’d say with
his white grin splitting his face.
stand abruptly, knocking into my desk. “May I go to the bathroom?” Mrs. Greg
hates letting kids go during class. But there must be something in my
expression that softens her. Or maybe she just doesn’t want me throwing up in
her classroom.
hands me the key with a huge wooden plaque attached.
the hall and hurry to the bathroom. I slam into the stall and unload everything
in my stomach. Then I sit breathing like a racehorse, with tears streaking down
my cheeks. I don’t know what to do with all the rage I feel toward Rory. It
feels like it’s eating me from the inside. I want to punch something. But
instead I sit in a pathetic, crumpled heap, sobbing onto the wooden plaque with
a key attached.
squeaks open and two guys come in. They’re laughing and fooling around. There
are two stalls, and I’m occupying one. I peer under the fiberboard walls and
glimpse expensive orange and black hi-tops. One person takes a piss while the
other guy talks to him. I scramble to my feet and, keeping my gaze averted, go
to the sink area and splash cold water on my cheeks. The guy waiting shuts up
finally, and takes the stall I just left, as the other person comes around the
corner and stops when he sees me. Then he continues on to wash his hands. Good
bathroom manners. It’s a rarity among high school boys.
He’s blond with spiky hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. He’s watching me
like he expects a response. Of course he would. Anyone well-bred enough to wash
their hands after peeing expects a response when they speak to you.
be here.” I don’t know why I say that. We aren’t in prison, although sometimes
it feels that way.
sounds genuinely concerned.
to scream. But instead I drop my gaze and turn to the door. “Is anybody?” I say
finally as I leave.
you’re dumb enough to only have one real friend to sit with, it kind of leaves
you in the lurch if he kills himself. I’m not hugely popular. I’m not actually
unpopular either. I’m one of those invisible kids who flits through the school
years not leaving much of a mark on anything. God, maybe Mrs. Greg and that
redheaded girl are right, and I am pathetic.
shoulder. Wincing, I look up from my yogurt to find Mason Price standing over
me. He’s the school clown. His talent surpasses just class clown. “I’m sorry
about Rory,” he says gruffly.
who has even said a word about Rory dying. I’d have never expected such
compassion from someone who sticks straws up his nose for a laugh.
again and moves off. I guess hitting me makes him feel like less of a wimp when
he offers me sympathy. I rub my shoulder and watch him join his friends.
Someone plops a tray down across from me. Judy from science class has decided I
need a pep talk. She has her hair dyed pink, with purple tips. Her makeup is
similar to an anime character’s with thick eyeliner, and long fake lashes. She
pops open her grape soda while staring at me. The color of the can matches the
ends of her hair.
today off.” Her voice is gently chiding.
wordlessly. If it were up to me, I’d take the rest of the school year off. But
my mom wasn’t having any of it. She screeched at me until I was dressed and in
the car. I didn’t have the energy to fight her. I just did as she said and now
here I sit with my yogurt.
support group on campus. You should probably go.”
just watch her.
to hurt yourself. But they help the people left behind too.” She gulps her
soda, her throat muscles moving up and down with each swallow.
Rory left me behind.
consideration.” Wow. That was oddly formal. What, am I running for Congress or
something? I’m finding it impossible to be normal. Well, my normal.
makeup-enhanced eyes soften. “Rory was a dick.”
defaming my beloved friend. My lifelong buddy who jumped off a parking
structure and left me all alone to face this fucked-up world. I’d rather hit
Rory.
through a bag of chips as she continues to study me like I’m bacteria lying in
a petri dish. Then she says, “You can always talk to me if you want. I know
you’re shy, so maybe a big group thing isn’t for you.”
had maybe three conversations with her in the four years of high school. Is she
a psych major? Maybe that’s it. They love psychoanalyzing everyone. It makes
them feel less crazy.
their name into the top of the table along with a heart. Steve + Sally 4-ever.
I trace my finger into the grooves, wondering if their undying love has
survived high school. Steve would never off himself and leave Sally alone. The
table wiggles and I notice Judy is getting up to leave.
“See you in class, I
guess.” She wanders away into the crowd of students. She’s still easy to spot
with her pink hair, though. Maybe that’s the point.
Perfect opportunity thank you. I can’t wait to read it.