Bryan Bliss

"Thoughts & Prayers" was three short stories, each focusing on a student hiding under some stairs during a school shooting twelve months ago. I was hoping the author would bring the stories together in some way at the end to make Thoughts & Prayers feel more like a novel, which he didn't do.

I enjoyed following the two girls' journeys as they struggled with the trauma and memories of that fateful day, but Bezzel left me cold. I couldn't get interested in all the gaming and ended up just skimming his story. I read somewhere that this novel was a great example of how to deal with loss, but it didn't do it for me. I have read much better.… (more)

I was intrigued by this book from the start, especially when I realised that Luke was writing to his friend from prison. Why was he there? What terrible crime had he committed? It wasn't long before I realised that Luke was not just in prison, he was on death row. I had to read more! And so I followed, the tragic, heart-wrenching story of Luke and Toby, and the events that led to Luke's arrest.

These two boys had very few positives in their lives except each other. Toby's father was a drunk and a brute who would take his anger out on his son. Luke had two gorgeous little brothers but his mother wasn't the most reliable and was certainly not Mother of the Year material. However, Luke was a protector and would do anything for his brothers and best friend.

The love, trust and loyalty Toby and Luke shared moved me. It was something pure and special which made the ending that more tragic. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. A powerful read!… (more)