Novel: The Story of Us
Author: Barbara Elsborg
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance
Released: 2018
Part of Book Series: Standalone
Summary: Are you okay?
The first words Zed says to Caspian, and the first time someone has cared about the answer. On a hot summer’s day, the lives of two boys are changed forever. A rebel and a risk taker, Caspian doesn’t give a damn for the consequences. Studious and obedient, Zed is the good boy who is never good enough.
The two couldn’t be more different, but there’s one thing they share, a need to belong to someone who understands them, someone who cares. Their friendship goes deeper than either can possibly imagine. They’re young, in love, and planning their future when an act of betrayal tears them apart.
Fate deals its hand. Seasons pass. Zed’s words follow Caspian through pain, fear and into the darkest of places. Friendships can last a lifetime, even when the world conspires to crush them. But this is more than friendship. This is love and they’re not going to let it slip through their fingers.
Warning
The Story of Us is a tale of love and survival, and the triumph of good over evil against the odds. It’s a new adult contemporary romance that deals with family and social issues. There is violence and cruelty to children but not sexual assault. The story has sexual situations, dark elements and suspense. The events and locations are a mixture of real and fictional. The characters are fictional.
Post’s Author Opinion:
Note: This is a personal opinion, it does not reflect YaoiOtaku’s official position towards the novel.
The Story of Us is far from being an easy read. I was not even halfway through when I had already gone from sadness to anger to happiness, a few times and in different orders. Without any kind of exaggeration I despised both Zed’s and Capsian’s families (to varying degrees). They were so awful. Zed and Caspian both deserved so much better.
A bit of a warning if you haven’t seen it already, there are some really difficult scenes to read regarding abuse. While I read those I kept wanting something to happen, something to set things right. This book gave me so much anxiety! Every time I saw a glimmer of hope, it was taken and stomped on. There was nothing I wanted more than everyone to let Zed and Caspian be.
The book stretched over a very long period of time, ten summers to be more precise, and I am glad I could go on this journey with Zed and Caspian. These two are so different, they come from two very different—yet similar—worlds and they want the same things: to be loved, to be praised for once, to love each other. They are both working so hard, they are trying so hard and it’s crushing when no one sees it.
This is my first Barbara Elsborg novel, but I don’t think it will be the last. I loved the writing, I always like angst when I read something, and this book had been just so good. I instantly feel for Zed and Caspian, I can’t even think of them separately, they are so right for each other.
Definitely one of my favourite reads.
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