22nd out of 332 books
—
529 voters
End of the Beginning (Tales from Foster High #2)
by
John Goode (Goodreads Author)
Not too long ago, Brad Greymark outed himself to his high school and the rest of the town of Foster, Texas, with a fairly obvious public display of affection. Now what? Brad had thought being Foster’s favorite son wasn’t that important, but when it comes time to choose between high school fame and Kyle, the boy he might just be falling for? It’s not an easy decision, knowi...more
ebook, 1st Edition, 78 pages
Published
December 7th 2011
by Dreamspinner Press
(first published December 6th 2011)
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Hello there Morning After...
In this continuation of the Foster High series, we catch up with Brad the very next morning after he has essentially outed himself to the whole school trying to defend Kyle. Brad is in a tight spot and he is PANICKING. I mean he knows he really wants to be with Kyle, but can he live with being an outcast? Going from the guy that practically "Walks on water" to being a pariah is not exactly an improvement, even if he knows in his heart Kyle is the only thing he really...more
In this continuation of the Foster High series, we catch up with Brad the very next morning after he has essentially outed himself to the whole school trying to defend Kyle. Brad is in a tight spot and he is PANICKING. I mean he knows he really wants to be with Kyle, but can he live with being an outcast? Going from the guy that practically "Walks on water" to being a pariah is not exactly an improvement, even if he knows in his heart Kyle is the only thing he really...more
This book was Brad's POV and it was pretty darn good. The timeline of the book is only a day or two and the story is short, running at 78 pages. It's filled with inner commentary and ANGST!! It just left me wanting more, more and more dammit! When does #3 come out????
Insightful Emotional Rollercoaster Ride
The 2nd book of the Tales of Foster High Series did not disappoint, at all.
I was positively surprised that it was written in Brad's POV so that we can get an insight on his inner emotional turmoil, this time.
And that is exactly what we get.
You won't really find any big action in this short story. Apart from the fact that the 80ish pages only span a timeline of 1-2 days, this short story rather gives you the possibility to witness Brad's reaction, feelings...more
The 2nd book of the Tales of Foster High Series did not disappoint, at all.
I was positively surprised that it was written in Brad's POV so that we can get an insight on his inner emotional turmoil, this time.
And that is exactly what we get.
You won't really find any big action in this short story. Apart from the fact that the 80ish pages only span a timeline of 1-2 days, this short story rather gives you the possibility to witness Brad's reaction, feelings...more
First you should be aware that End of the Beginning is the second in a trilogy of books by John Goode. The first, Maybe With a Chance of Certainty introduces us to the main character, Brad, whose voice carries this second novel. And what a voice...naked, painful, selfish, self-condemning, wounded, and most assuredly, in love--Brad's voice is all of these things and more.
Brad is the demi-god of high school fame in the small town of Foster. He dates the undeniable queen of the "popular girls" and...more
Brad is the demi-god of high school fame in the small town of Foster. He dates the undeniable queen of the "popular girls" and...more
A nice followup sequel, but I never connected to Brad like I connected to Kyle. And because this installment is from Brad's POV and his get-to-know-Brad edition, I almost rated it a 3/3.5. His actions, which he readily admits, comes from a more selfish place. Some of what we find out about Brad and his past experiences are such a surprise. Looking at Brad through Kyle's POV in the last book I had no idea that Brad had so much to work through. It doesn't make his transition and freak out moments...more
The sequel to Maybe With a Chance of Certainty is the Brad's story.
Straight after the event in which Brad has outed himself to his classmates, he is now contemplating about the consequences. I love this ... probably more than the first book. Why? Because, while Kyle is adorable, in some way, he already know who he is. Sure, Kyle is used to hiding, to be invisible, but at the same time, there is strength in Kyle that I admire. Brad, on the other hand, feels more complicated for me. Because he's...more
Straight after the event in which Brad has outed himself to his classmates, he is now contemplating about the consequences. I love this ... probably more than the first book. Why? Because, while Kyle is adorable, in some way, he already know who he is. Sure, Kyle is used to hiding, to be invisible, but at the same time, there is strength in Kyle that I admire. Brad, on the other hand, feels more complicated for me. Because he's...more
Meh, this wasn't half as good as the first book. I thought by reading Brad's POV I'd like him more but it didn't help at all... I actually had a petty hard time liking him at all. His inner-thoughts went on and on and on and on and I ended up skimming through a lot of it. He was such a prick, and again Kyle just forgave him in basically two seconds. Honestly, I don't wish this often to my MCs (never actually), but I'd rather see Kyle with someone else... I wouldn't mind him finding someone else...more
This is the sequel to Maybe With a Chance of Certainty and picks up right where the first book left off. This story is told from Brad's point of view as he struggles with the consequences of coming out to the entire school and ultimately his parents. I loved the first book, and this one is just as good. It was great getting to know Brad more personally. There's so much more to him than meets the eye, and after reading this sequel I understand why Brad has a poster from the movie The Breakfast Cl...more
This was so difficult for me to rate. On the one hand I loved the main character (John Goode is masterful at giving his characters a unique voice) and the general writing style, but on the other hand I was very frustrated with the actual story…
Brad Greymark is a rich and popular jock. Well he was, until he just came out to the entire school because of a crush on a cute kid named Kyle. Now he has to decide how to handle the aftermath. Should he risk his entire high school career and possibly his...more
Brad Greymark is a rich and popular jock. Well he was, until he just came out to the entire school because of a crush on a cute kid named Kyle. Now he has to decide how to handle the aftermath. Should he risk his entire high school career and possibly his...more
This was fascinating. It was extremely hard to like Brad- liking Kyle was easier but I guess that's mostly because he was a character I was instantly comfortable with. Being invisible in the halls, praying that no one will notice you...marking time in one form or another, it's all too familiar.
Brad...that was different. I know that people like him walk the halls of every high school in America, putting on a front, hurting. Doing things they don't believe in to protect themselves.
This is turnin...more
Brad...that was different. I know that people like him walk the halls of every high school in America, putting on a front, hurting. Doing things they don't believe in to protect themselves.
This is turnin...more
Giving you an insight into the inner workings of Brad this book continues where Maybe with a Chance of Certainty left off, only this time Brad narrates rather than Kyle, and boy what a pleasure it was!
I can't tell you how much I loved this book, and the characters in it. John Goode manages to give you a real sense of the confusion, the pain, the relief and the terror of what it's like when you begin to accept who you are against the expectations of those around you. He also conveys so wonderfull...more
I can't tell you how much I loved this book, and the characters in it. John Goode manages to give you a real sense of the confusion, the pain, the relief and the terror of what it's like when you begin to accept who you are against the expectations of those around you. He also conveys so wonderfull...more
This is a second Book of the Tales of Foster High Series.
It is told from Brad's point of view, Kyle's sweetheart.
Have you ever wondered how this story looks like from both sides? What is Brad's game, what's he thinking and what's he dealing with? This book is an excellent opportunity to find it out.
Brad's journey is different from Kyle's. For a popular kid to be outed to the whole school and community of a small town where the gossip rules - is not an easy deal too. You may think that confiden...more
It is told from Brad's point of view, Kyle's sweetheart.
Have you ever wondered how this story looks like from both sides? What is Brad's game, what's he thinking and what's he dealing with? This book is an excellent opportunity to find it out.
Brad's journey is different from Kyle's. For a popular kid to be outed to the whole school and community of a small town where the gossip rules - is not an easy deal too. You may think that confiden...more
I'm glad to read that there are more books planned for this series and I'm curious to see the direction they take. This is definitely Brad's story and more is shown of how much is assumed about people with the "face" they present, whether it's high school or supposed grown adults, how much we hide, how much we depend on how we are viewed and the ones who can get hurt and/or used along the way. I would not say this is an easy read because the internal dialogue is SO real, and can almost make you...more
I am really enjoying this series. John, how many books will there be?
This is the story of "the day after" - Brad outs himself at school in the first book along with Kyle. The next day, he's wondering what the hell he has done and how he's going to deal with it. He's got a lot to lose as the most popular male athlete at Foster High with the prettiest girlfriend, rich family, etc. Both boys are under quite a bit of stress and Brad has a bit of a freak out. Quite a bit of this story is shedding li...more
This is the story of "the day after" - Brad outs himself at school in the first book along with Kyle. The next day, he's wondering what the hell he has done and how he's going to deal with it. He's got a lot to lose as the most popular male athlete at Foster High with the prettiest girlfriend, rich family, etc. Both boys are under quite a bit of stress and Brad has a bit of a freak out. Quite a bit of this story is shedding li...more
If you haven’t read “Maybe with a Chance of Certainty – GO READ IT AND COME BACK! If you have, or don’t mind some minor spoilers, read on…
Brad and Kyle are students at Foster High School in Tyler, Texas. Brad, the star player of the baseball team, is popular, from a wealthy family, and has the run of the school. Kyle, from the wrong side of the tracks, is quietly intelligent and invisible, not even registering on the popularity scale. Somehow, improbably, these two have discovered each other and...more
Brad and Kyle are students at Foster High School in Tyler, Texas. Brad, the star player of the baseball team, is popular, from a wealthy family, and has the run of the school. Kyle, from the wrong side of the tracks, is quietly intelligent and invisible, not even registering on the popularity scale. Somehow, improbably, these two have discovered each other and...more
This is book number two in the Foster High series and I have to say that this work took me on a emotional roller coaster. Brad has just announced to the entire school that he likes boys, just started a relationship with Kyle, and just realized that life as he knows it is over.
A complete meltdown would be the only way I really have to explain Brad's disjointed, panicked, and sometimes irrational thoughts. He bounces between the feeling of freedom on one hand and the feeling of "oh god what the h...more
A complete meltdown would be the only way I really have to explain Brad's disjointed, panicked, and sometimes irrational thoughts. He bounces between the feeling of freedom on one hand and the feeling of "oh god what the h...more
This is the continuation from Maybe With A Chance Of Certainty and it was just as good as the first. I loved how the first was told from Kyles point of view and this from Brad's. I hated some parts where Brad was being a jerk but it made the story what it was. This is a very realistic series and I hope more books are written. :)
I have had to sit on my thoughts for a couple of days on this one. At first I was thinking, nope, not nearly as good as the first one. But then I started to think my reaction was due to my feelings towards Kyle. I want to protect him, to help him succeed. He brings out the Mother in me. There just seemed to be so much more pain in Kyle's story.
Now that we have switched sides to Brad's POV, the voice is so different. It is harder, you are less likely to give your heart to Brad because you want to...more
Now that we have switched sides to Brad's POV, the voice is so different. It is harder, you are less likely to give your heart to Brad because you want to...more
End of the Beginning is well titled, because that's just about what it is. There is a lot more of these boys' stories left to come, but this one wraps up the first precarious moments of coming out and coming to terms with who they are. I loved the fact that it is told from Brad's POV. He is a much more complex character than he seems at first. And a new secondary character with a lot of story potential comes on the scene. (He apparently already has a story line of his own in The Boy Behind the R...more
This one was so much better than the first one. It was from Brad's point of view and we really got to see what his life was really like. I think we all assume the popular kids have no issues of their own. I know it seems silly but hey its high school right? This book really helps you understand why he was the way he was in the first one. Its really tough being a teenager and to go through what he was on top of that. I'm amazed at how he handled everything. He realized what he was and what he did...more
While I didn't think this book was as great as the first, I did have a big smile on my face when I finished it. The book covers a lot of backstory of Brad's life. The only problem I had was that Brad was kind of arrogant (He called himself the best looking guy in school). The good thing is that while reading the book, you forgive him for acting that way. His struggle with his sexuality was very relatable. The book had some very touching moments. Especially the parts with Kyle made my heart melt....more
This second book, in Foster High tales, was written from Brad point of view. We were able to get into Brad thoughts and his fears. Damn, he was really scared down to his bones and everyone could understand why. I was thinking God, just face the problem and be yourself, but then I was unfair, the kid is 17. He is growing and he is suppose to be asking questions about his own future, his wishes, wants... I'm glad Brad at last talked to his dad and mom, at list they had a really needed talk. And th...more
The book chronicles the day immediately following the last chapter in Maybe With a Chance of Certainty. This time, the story is told in Bradley's perspective.
Honestly, I like Bradley's thoughts better since Kyle has this tendency to feed his angst in a way that prevents him from being practical enough to find a solution to his problems. Kyle has this dead end sort of mentality that's quite a burden on the psyche. Having read Brad's side of the story was a breathe of fresh air. For me, both chara...more
Honestly, I like Bradley's thoughts better since Kyle has this tendency to feed his angst in a way that prevents him from being practical enough to find a solution to his problems. Kyle has this dead end sort of mentality that's quite a burden on the psyche. Having read Brad's side of the story was a breathe of fresh air. For me, both chara...more
In this book we get Brad's point of view and Mr. Goode does not disappoint. I could really feel the struggle that Brad was going through with the decision he had made and I was happy to see the end result. It would be nice to see a little something of Kyle and Brad in their future, just wishful thinking. Anyway... I loved this book and recommend reading it!
T A (Tom) Webb has created a fantastic review.
This was a very interesting point of view--that of a jock who hates his life.
Full review on Raise Your Glass
This was a very interesting point of view--that of a jock who hates his life.
Full review on Raise Your Glass
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Dreamspinner Press: The End of the Beginning by John Goode | 3 | 22 | Dec 07, 2011 08:29pm |
John Goode is a member of the class of '88 from Hogwarts school of wizardry, specializing in incantations and spoken spells. At the age of 14 he proudly represented District 13 in the 65th Panem games where he was disqualified for crying uncontrollably before the competition began. After that he moved to Forks, Washington where, against all odds, dated the hot, incredibly approachable werewolf ins...more
More about John Goode...
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