by Sammy (link)
Genre cest, drama, romance
Pairings Zac/OFC, Zaylor
Length 45 chapters
Status Completed
In the genre of Zaylor, it’s difficult to come up with something that hasn’t already been written, and for that reason, I’m inclined to forgive authors for branching out and putting the boys into very alternate universes. In this particular story, Sammy writes about a Zac and Taylor who are complete strangers and who from very different backgrounds. It’s a lot to digest at first, but I like the setting (New York City) so I’m willing to give This Is Where You Belong a chance.
The story progresses slowly, each of the rather short chapters covering only a small amount of time. Despite that, a lot does happen so the emotional journey feels real enough. Both boys get turns narrating, and their voices are fairly distinct. That’s a difficult thing to pull off as just one author. Even more difficult to pull off is the sort of unreliable narrator, where facts about the characters’ lives are revealed only a little a time. It bothers me at first to feel like I’m missing something, but eventually Sammy piques my curiosity and I’m drawn into the drama of This Is Where You Belong.
This Is Where You Belong is the definition of a slow burn. And then it just sort of… explodes and fizzles out. In the last few chapters, the story skips ahead several years, and the transition feels awkward to me. The last few chapters, though they do bring a good resolution, feel rather sudden and rushed. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth after what was a fairly enjoyable, if unpolished, story.
Review by Bethany (website)