by Allie (link)
Genre drama/angst
Pairings Isaac/Nikki, Taylor/Natalie, Zac/Kate
Length 13 chapters
Status Unfinished
I tend to avoid stories as relatively short as The Better Days that have been left abandoned for so long. I’m an epic writer; my stories go on and on, and each chapter may not contain a whole lot of actual plot. Other authors can pack a lot into much fewer chapters, though, and I’m hoping Allie is one of them.
Unfortunately, Allie’s chapters are quite short and don’t cover a lot of ground. They are, however, packed with a ton of angst. I have no attachment to Zac’s wife, fictional or real, but the way Allie describes Zac’s pain in such a beautiful, heartbreaking words, makes me really feel it. Her writing isn’t overly flowery, but every now and then a phrase will reach out and punch me in the stomach with how perfect it is.
There are a few little inaccuracies in Allie’s writing, which are grating, but probably only bother pedants like me. There are also a few over the top moments, even some cheese. What really makes this unfinished story shine, though, is the connection between the three brothers. Even if I can’t handle all of Zac’s suffering, the moments when Isaac and Taylor help him grieve are what really stick out in these short thirteen chapters.
Review by Bethany (website)