by Lindsay (link)
Genre drama/angst
Pairings Isaac/Nikki, Taylor/Natalie, Zac/Kate
Length 13 chapters (in three parts)
Status Completed
When Lindsay and I began to talk about collaborating, the premise of this story was one that she suggested to me. While I loved the idea, I didn’t feel a sense of ownership over it, so I suggested she write it on her own. I’m glad that she did.
There aren’t a lot of stories that focus on the Hanson children, and even fewer that focus on their actual children, as far as I can tell. A story from Shepherd’s point of view is a pretty novel idea, and Lindsay does a great job with it. Each of the three children has a distinct personality that shows aspects of Zac’s personality– Shepherd is mature and wise beyond his years, Junia is blunt to a fault and Abe might be a child genius if he could get that ADHD under control. Those personalities lend moments of humor to what is a very, very sad story.
Each of Zac and Kate’s children deal with Kate’s death in their own way, and sometimes they don’t deal very well. Their reactions are realistic for teens and preteens dealing with a major loss. Zac’s reaction is equally realistic, and incredibly heartbreaking. Ultimately, his healing is what the story is about, and it doesn’t happen easily. Seeing that healing from a slight distance, through Shepherd’s eyes, keeps the story from being too much of an angstfest to read comfortably. Of course, Shepherd has a lot of healing to do to, and by the end of the story, everyone is on the right road, even if they aren’t entirely there. Lindsay chose to keep the story fairly short, but I don’t mind–much.
Review by Bethany (website)