by Nikki (link)
Genre cest, drama, romance
Pairings Taylor/Natalie, Zac/Kate, Zaylor
Length prologue and 16 chapters
Status Unfinished
I’ve always loved the song Nikki named this story after and associated it strongly with Zac and Taylor, so I have to say that Stigmatized is right up my alley. Even a cliche story of Zaylor is cliche for a reason–because some plots just work, no matter how many times they’ve been done.
Rather than detail the entire evolution of their relationship, as so many Zaylors do, Nikki neatly summarizes all of that in the prologue. The story actually begins with Zac’s proposal to Kate, and proceeds to deal with how Zac and Taylor balance their marriages with their secret relationship. So many stories, especially shorter ones, gloss over the fact that they are cheating to be together, but this is at the forefront of Stigmatized.
Also at the forefront is the emphasis on their relationship staying secret. Of course, this means that it doesn’t. Only one character finds out over the course of the story, and it’s one of the best scenes, even as anti-climatic as it is. Another character is revealed to already know, because every Zaylor needs a cheerleader. I don’t mind that so much, but I’m not crazy about the sudden inclusion of a drug habit.
Unfortunately, Nikki didn’t see this story through to the end, so there’s no way to know who else inevitably discovered Zac and Taylor’s relationship, but what she had written paints a nice, if brief, picture of their life. The short chapters and occasionally awkward turns of phrase barely detract from the overall effect of Stigmatized.
Review by Bethany (website)