bookpanther's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 4.5
We Still Live completely caught me by surprise. This was a well-balanced romance novel that explores trauma and violence in a well though-out, powerful, and tender way. I loved the way Bauer chooses to confront these sensitive topics head on instead of just brushing the surface. Truly a gem.
Thank you NetGalley and NineStar Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
We Still Live completely caught me by surprise. This was a well-balanced romance novel that explores trauma and violence in a well though-out, powerful, and tender way. I loved the way Bauer chooses to confront these sensitive topics head on instead of just brushing the surface. Truly a gem.
Thank you NetGalley and NineStar Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
book_buddy_rob's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Nine Star Press for sending me this to read and review.
This was a very steamy romance between two college English professors and while it's not necessarily a literary masterpiece or the best writing in the world, it was still a very addictive read. It's like eating candy, it doesn't add any nutritional value to your diet but it's still satisfying. That's how I felt while reading this book. Also enjoyed that there was a little more depth to the story by weaving in themes of mental health and trauma, it gave the story a complex layer to it and kept it from being just another smutty romance.
I will be filming a full review this weekend so stay tuned for that on my YouTube channel.
This was a very steamy romance between two college English professors and while it's not necessarily a literary masterpiece or the best writing in the world, it was still a very addictive read. It's like eating candy, it doesn't add any nutritional value to your diet but it's still satisfying. That's how I felt while reading this book. Also enjoyed that there was a little more depth to the story by weaving in themes of mental health and trauma, it gave the story a complex layer to it and kept it from being just another smutty romance.
I will be filming a full review this weekend so stay tuned for that on my YouTube channel.
gabi90's review against another edition
4.0
The beginning and ending of this book was great. It's about the aftermath of a school shooting. What happens to those who are alive. How each individual is dealing with the events, the loss of loved ones, and the overall tragic event. This part was great. I loved it.
The middle is about Isaac, who just moved to the city. And he comes with baggage. His ex (who isn't really his ex, but he's boyfriend) shows up, and... well... some things happen I didn't like... yeah, overall that middle part was complicated and confusing for me. I understood some of the ex's behavior, jealousy can make you do things that you normally wouldn't, but I have my doubts about Simon, he seemed a little too out of it. A little crazy.
I found it annoying that Isaac constantly pointed it out that John isn't his type. Clearly he was into John physically, he liked him as a person too, so what if John doesn't look like someone he would usually go for?! I didn't understand why this needed to be said over and over... until Simon showed up. Yeah John and Simon were totally different.
I have to say that upon meeting John, I immediately halted, because before I picked up the book I thought he would be a somber, quiet but confident guy with a typical, impeccable teacher appearance. Instead there was this laid-back, totally cool young guy. I can only blame myself for thinking that though.
Anyway. I totally bought the connection, the chemistry between the MCs, even though at times it felt too sudden, other times it was slow. I loved the affection. These two were constantly touching each other (when not in public).
So I found the drama with the ex too much, otherwise it's a really good book.
The middle is about Isaac, who just moved to the city. And he comes with baggage. His ex (who isn't really his ex, but he's boyfriend) shows up, and... well... some things happen I didn't like... yeah, overall that middle part was complicated and confusing for me. I understood some of the ex's behavior, jealousy can make you do things that you normally wouldn't, but I have my doubts about Simon, he seemed a little too out of it. A little crazy.
I found it annoying that Isaac constantly pointed it out that John isn't his type. Clearly he was into John physically, he liked him as a person too, so what if John doesn't look like someone he would usually go for?! I didn't understand why this needed to be said over and over... until Simon showed up. Yeah John and Simon were totally different.
I have to say that upon meeting John, I immediately halted, because before I picked up the book I thought he would be a somber, quiet but confident guy with a typical, impeccable teacher appearance. Instead there was this laid-back, totally cool young guy. I can only blame myself for thinking that though.
Anyway. I totally bought the connection, the chemistry between the MCs, even though at times it felt too sudden, other times it was slow. I loved the affection. These two were constantly touching each other (when not in public).
So I found the drama with the ex too much, otherwise it's a really good book.
achillespatroclus's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
amyaislin's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I don't know why I've never read anything by Sara Dobie Bauer before. I wish I'd read this sooner because I really clicked with this author's writing style and I look forward to reading more by Sara.
The one word that comes to mind when I think of of this book is "strong." It's a really strong book. Expertly written, engaging characters, fleshed out side characters, a strong storyline. It deals with loss and love and hope and mental illness/PTSD and healing, and above all, the desire to heal and move forward after a painful past. John was charismatic and broken and Isaac was steady and strong, the perfect counterpart for John.
There was one thing that didn't make sense to me and that's the appearance of Isaac's ex. (It's in the blurb, so I'm not spoiling anything.) His appearance sparked chaos and created some drama, but it seemed to create drama for the sake of drama. It moved the story along in the sense that it helped Isaac tell John a few things he was keeping secret, but given Isaac was about to do that anyway, the ex's appearance served no purpose. That entire subplot could be removed and it wouldn't affect the book any.
Other than that, everything else worked perfectly to create an engaging novel that was hard to put down
The one word that comes to mind when I think of of this book is "strong." It's a really strong book. Expertly written, engaging characters, fleshed out side characters, a strong storyline. It deals with loss and love and hope and mental illness/PTSD and healing, and above all, the desire to heal and move forward after a painful past. John was charismatic and broken and Isaac was steady and strong, the perfect counterpart for John.
There was one thing that didn't make sense to me and that's the appearance of Isaac's ex. (It's in the blurb, so I'm not spoiling anything.) His appearance sparked chaos and created some drama, but it seemed to create drama for the sake of drama. It moved the story along in the sense that it helped Isaac tell John a few things he was keeping secret, but given Isaac was about to do that anyway, the ex's appearance served no purpose. That entire subplot could be removed and it wouldn't affect the book any.
Other than that, everything else worked perfectly to create an engaging novel that was hard to put down
charkinzie's review
4.0
We Still Live is the most timely and topical book I've read in a long time. Isaac accepts a teaching position, restarting his life and trying to leave behind the mess he's created. He meets John, a young teacher, and writer.. and the hero who stood nose to nose with a shooter on campus. They begin working together on a literary magazine that they hope will help people to process the tragedy that happened. In the process of working together, they become involved. The problem is that there are things in both men's pasts that they don't reveal.
Trauma is definitely a theme in this book. Both main characters have experienced things that have a lasting effect on their spirits. John was a witness to a shooting at the school. People were killed, the shooter ultimately killed himself and John faced up to him in the last moments of his life. What I appreciated about this book is that the story isn't really about the people who lost their lives in the shooting, it's also about the people who survived. I was reminded of my days working with the HIV/AIDS community. We lost many people: friends, lovers, family, colleagues and it was years before we would realize the trauma and weight of being the one who lived.
John is dealing with a couple of things in the novel. Early on it becomes clear that he is dealing with mental illness as a result of his involvement in the shooting. He's also become known as the hero who stood in front of the shooter and spoke to him. But what exactly did he say? What were the final words that the shooter heard? The events of that tragic day have left John a changed man. Once an award-winning writer, he's no longer writing, he struggles under the impact of horrendous nightmares, he doesn't seem to trust himself.
On the other hand, Isaac's trauma is about living a life that was false and the results when it came out. (Pardon the pun). Isaac had been married to a woman for years... and dating a man. He was ashamed to be his authentic self and it wore him down to the point at which he revealed his feelings to his wife, divorced and ... ran. It took a lifetime to build up the shame and fear that caused Isaac to run towards a new life and the darkness trails along behind him in the guise of a cell phone constantly revealing text messages from his past. Coming out was a traumatizing event for Isaac. Maybe he handled it wrong, maybe he spent years not even aware of the impact his secret life was having on others... either way... his new start is still tainted by his past.
The two main characters are each fighting their own battle not to drown in the world around them. John is haunted by the events of the day of the shooting as he struggles to try and appear as normal as possible. Isaac knows that the past in on his trail even as he relishes his first months as a gay man living life and falling into a relationship with a colleague. I think, for me, the characters seemed to both be trying to make something new out of what happened to them in the past. They are both recreating themselves in different ways, but I found them to be very authentic. These two men are trying to take tragedy and loss and build on that shaky foundation to begin their lives anew. It just isn't working quite the way that they hope it will.
I think John's journey over the course of this story touched me the most. When he is introduced in the novel, outwardly he seems as though he's okay which I think is a very real front that people put up when they are most in need of help. For some reason, Isaac and he share a connection when they meet. I wondered if the author was intending for it to seem as though, perhaps, the two men could sense the broken within each of them. I am a believer that sometimes we find people when we need them.
This is a well-written novel with great characters. The pace of the growing closeness between John and Isaac felt very authentic. I also really came to enjoy a lot of the supporting characters. Tommy is John's best friend. He's caring and sweet, and I loved the way he tried gently to support John through his bouts with PTSD. I also really enjoyed how protective Tommy was when Isaac came into the picture. It's lovely to see such a genuine relationship between a straight man and a gay written realistically.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a plot with heavier, realistic themes running through it. Because of the intensity of some of the vents in this novel, I would suggest reading the warnings before you begin it. This is the first time that I've read a book in which the focus has been the people who survive a tragedy like this... I suspect there are a lot of people who might need to read it.
Trauma is definitely a theme in this book. Both main characters have experienced things that have a lasting effect on their spirits. John was a witness to a shooting at the school. People were killed, the shooter ultimately killed himself and John faced up to him in the last moments of his life. What I appreciated about this book is that the story isn't really about the people who lost their lives in the shooting, it's also about the people who survived. I was reminded of my days working with the HIV/AIDS community. We lost many people: friends, lovers, family, colleagues and it was years before we would realize the trauma and weight of being the one who lived.
John is dealing with a couple of things in the novel. Early on it becomes clear that he is dealing with mental illness as a result of his involvement in the shooting. He's also become known as the hero who stood in front of the shooter and spoke to him. But what exactly did he say? What were the final words that the shooter heard? The events of that tragic day have left John a changed man. Once an award-winning writer, he's no longer writing, he struggles under the impact of horrendous nightmares, he doesn't seem to trust himself.
On the other hand, Isaac's trauma is about living a life that was false and the results when it came out. (Pardon the pun). Isaac had been married to a woman for years... and dating a man. He was ashamed to be his authentic self and it wore him down to the point at which he revealed his feelings to his wife, divorced and ... ran. It took a lifetime to build up the shame and fear that caused Isaac to run towards a new life and the darkness trails along behind him in the guise of a cell phone constantly revealing text messages from his past. Coming out was a traumatizing event for Isaac. Maybe he handled it wrong, maybe he spent years not even aware of the impact his secret life was having on others... either way... his new start is still tainted by his past.
The two main characters are each fighting their own battle not to drown in the world around them. John is haunted by the events of the day of the shooting as he struggles to try and appear as normal as possible. Isaac knows that the past in on his trail even as he relishes his first months as a gay man living life and falling into a relationship with a colleague. I think, for me, the characters seemed to both be trying to make something new out of what happened to them in the past. They are both recreating themselves in different ways, but I found them to be very authentic. These two men are trying to take tragedy and loss and build on that shaky foundation to begin their lives anew. It just isn't working quite the way that they hope it will.
I think John's journey over the course of this story touched me the most. When he is introduced in the novel, outwardly he seems as though he's okay which I think is a very real front that people put up when they are most in need of help. For some reason, Isaac and he share a connection when they meet. I wondered if the author was intending for it to seem as though, perhaps, the two men could sense the broken within each of them. I am a believer that sometimes we find people when we need them.
This is a well-written novel with great characters. The pace of the growing closeness between John and Isaac felt very authentic. I also really came to enjoy a lot of the supporting characters. Tommy is John's best friend. He's caring and sweet, and I loved the way he tried gently to support John through his bouts with PTSD. I also really enjoyed how protective Tommy was when Isaac came into the picture. It's lovely to see such a genuine relationship between a straight man and a gay written realistically.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a plot with heavier, realistic themes running through it. Because of the intensity of some of the vents in this novel, I would suggest reading the warnings before you begin it. This is the first time that I've read a book in which the focus has been the people who survive a tragedy like this... I suspect there are a lot of people who might need to read it.
emmajaye's review
5.0
Stunning as usual, Sara!
Another exceptional tale with characters and setting so real you could just walk into them. Isaac, a big guy, is running from his own FUBAR past, one of his own making, then falls into a rabbit hole in his new job by falling for a fellow teacher, the fragile, snarky, 'twink' John Conlon.
Oh ok, seen this sort of plot before I thought. But I haven't. This is SO MUCH MORE. Woven through the developing relationship is the town's recovery from a school shooting. Some face it, some hide, and even with fragile mental health, John powers through.
What I LOVED about this book was John's depth of character, his urge to carry on, to 'deal' even when he's not. It felt so damn real.
Read it. It'll stay with you for all the right reasons - simply, its a wonderfully written book.
Another exceptional tale with characters and setting so real you could just walk into them. Isaac, a big guy, is running from his own FUBAR past, one of his own making, then falls into a rabbit hole in his new job by falling for a fellow teacher, the fragile, snarky, 'twink' John Conlon.
Oh ok, seen this sort of plot before I thought. But I haven't. This is SO MUCH MORE. Woven through the developing relationship is the town's recovery from a school shooting. Some face it, some hide, and even with fragile mental health, John powers through.
What I LOVED about this book was John's depth of character, his urge to carry on, to 'deal' even when he's not. It felt so damn real.
Read it. It'll stay with you for all the right reasons - simply, its a wonderfully written book.
kimalexander's review
5.0
Normally I lean towards fiction with a fantasy element, but I trust the author so I plunged in--and so glad I did! The characters ached and loved and grew and I felt what they felt. As other reviewers have pointed out, the ex-boyfriend character felt a bit undercooked, but John is drawn with such delicacy and poignancy it more than made up for problems elsewhere. I loved the idea that sometimes love doesn't heal you--doing the work in therapy and getting the help you need makes you available to be a partner. After all, your beloved is not a defibrillator!
susanscribs's review
4.0
Very impressed by this new-to-me author. This was not an easy book to read, but it was real and true. Bauer shows the lingering effects of a traumatic, violent event on a group of people with the focus on the alleged "hero" who stopped the shooter. But given that challenging backdrop, she portrays a moving romance between new teacher Isaac and "hero" John, as well as a great friendship between John and fellow teacher Tommy. The way the men interacted felt more genuine to me than a lot of M/M romance novels; it was affectionate but down to earth and full of humor too. Some of my favorite parts of the novel were scenes portraying Tommy and John trash talking each other about their respective college football teams with Isaac looking on in fond confusion.
There were a few things that didn't work for me. Isaac had a lot of his own baggage that didn't quite get the attention it deserved. And some of the Isaac melodrama seemed like it belonged in a different novel than one that took such a gritty view of how individuals and communities heal from what has become all-too-common sudden violence.
But those quibbles didn't detract much from my admiration for the author and engagement with the story, especially given her courage to give the book a realistic (still happy in that the MCs are together) ending in which love can ease but not erase the pain.
Brava Sara Dobie Bauer. I'll be checking out your backlist for sure.
ARC from Net Galley provided in exchange for honest review.
There were a few things that didn't work for me. Isaac had a lot of his own baggage that didn't quite get the attention it deserved. And some of the Isaac melodrama seemed like it belonged in a different novel than one that took such a gritty view of how individuals and communities heal from what has become all-too-common sudden violence.
But those quibbles didn't detract much from my admiration for the author and engagement with the story, especially given her courage to give the book a realistic (still happy in that the MCs are together) ending in which love can ease but not erase the pain.
Brava Sara Dobie Bauer. I'll be checking out your backlist for sure.
ARC from Net Galley provided in exchange for honest review.
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