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Tales from Foster High #1
Maybe With a Chance of Certainty
Tales from Foster Book One Kyle has worked hard at being the invisible student, toiling through high school in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. Brad is the baseball star at Foster High. Both boys are damaged in ways that the rest of the world can’t see. When they bond over a night of history tutoring, Kyle thinks that maybe his life has taken a turn for the not-so-lonely. He finds out quickly that the promise of fairy-tale love is a lie when you’re gay and falling for one of the most popular boys in school, and if being different is a sin in high school, then being gay is the biggest sin of all. Now Kyle and Brad need to come to an understanding amidst the scrutiny of their peers or their fledgling relationship will crash and burn before it ever gets off the ground. 2nd Edition1st Edition published as a short story under the same title by Dreamspinner Press.
98 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
50 people are currently reading
4422 people want to read
About the author
John Goode
35 books668 followersJohn 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 instead of the stuck up jerk of a vampire but was crushed when he found out the werewolf was actually gayer than he was. After that he turned down the mandatory operation everyone must receive at 16 to become pretty citing that everyone pretty were just too stupid to live before moving away for greener pastures. After falling down an oddly large rabbit hole he became huge when his love for cakes combined with his inability to resist what sparsely worded notes commanded and was finally kicked out when he began playing solitaire with the Red Queen's 4th armored division. By 18 he had found the land in the back of his wardrobe but decided that thinly veiled religious allegories where not the neighbors he desired. When last seen he had become obsessed with growing a pair of wings after becoming obsessed with Fang's blog and hasn't been seen since.
Or he is this guy who lives in this place and writes stuff he hopes you read.
Or he is this guy who lives in this place and writes stuff he hopes you read.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
October 23, 2011
"I don't remember the moment I knew I was broken...but I do recall when I started to understand it might be okay. It was the moment I fell in love with the boy with the green eyes."
Sigh.
Kyle is the loner in school - intelligent, socially awkward, alcoholic abusive mother. Gay.
Brad is the star of the baseball team, one of the gods of high school. Popular, beautiful. Unattainable.
When Brad asks Kyle to tutor him in history, it sparks a change in both young men that has to be read to be savored.
I LOVED this book. And I cannot wait for the sequel.
Mr. Goode captures both boys so heartbreakingly well. I found myself aching and crying with the care he invested in these characters. Other writers looking to capture what it is to be a gay man, or a boy, or whatever, should read this and pay close attention to the voices, especially of Kyle. So many don't get it right, that it is scary and unreal and that you feel broken when you realize you are different.
I wish I had had this to read with I was a teenager. Or even in my early 20s. At 50, I get it now. But the fragility of these boys' hearts and the fear and the ache and the love. Beautiful.
Just...read it. Please.
Tom
Sigh.
Kyle is the loner in school - intelligent, socially awkward, alcoholic abusive mother. Gay.
Brad is the star of the baseball team, one of the gods of high school. Popular, beautiful. Unattainable.
When Brad asks Kyle to tutor him in history, it sparks a change in both young men that has to be read to be savored.
I LOVED this book. And I cannot wait for the sequel.
Mr. Goode captures both boys so heartbreakingly well. I found myself aching and crying with the care he invested in these characters. Other writers looking to capture what it is to be a gay man, or a boy, or whatever, should read this and pay close attention to the voices, especially of Kyle. So many don't get it right, that it is scary and unreal and that you feel broken when you realize you are different.
I wish I had had this to read with I was a teenager. Or even in my early 20s. At 50, I get it now. But the fragility of these boys' hearts and the fear and the ache and the love. Beautiful.
Just...read it. Please.
Tom
July 2, 2016
At first glance I thought it was going to be a stereotypical nerd and jock fall in love story. In the end, although it was say 60% stereotypical, there was enough meat in it to make it a book I liked.
July 30, 2015
BR, with Paul and Sonia (re-read)
Re-reading this series has surprised me.... Knowing what the future holds for these boys, to read again how they first met is precious!!
I've said it before but I'm still in awe that John is capable in turning these "book characters" into real people!! Because they really do feel like my friends.
Also this series will always stay close to my heart because it brought me to my M/M family. I can't express myself enough to say what that means to me,
to be able to connect with people who take the same things at heart!! *sniffs*
Review-wise I will not add much more than my first review, cause it would never be never enough.....
I will end with one of my favorite quotes;
********************************************************
(review 2014, August 2nd)
I’m in awe with this writer!! It was like walking through the high school perimiters myself!!!
I will NEVER EVER want to be 17 jears old again….
The writing is beautiful, so recognizable. It was almost being in Kyle’s head..
Kyle
Kyle tries to stay invisible during school-time. He has a very specific pattern to the way he dresses. He calles it social camouflage. He’s surviving his alcoholic abusive mother. And he’s gay.
One day he’s asked by Brad to be his tutor in history. Brad, the high school star of the baseball team, one of the gods of high school. Popular, beautiful.
Two very different boys but who have a lot in common!
I don’t remember the moment I knew I was broken… but I do recall when I started to understand that it might be okay. It was the moment I fell in love with the boy with the green eyes.
Two broken boy’s:
Obviously furious, he snapped, “Is that what you think of me?” while coming to a stop in the middle of living room. I paused for a moment, not sure how to proceed. This was all too familiar to me, and that was throwing off what I was sure was righteous indignation.
“I don’t—” I blurted. “I mean I didn’t— He was demanding answers now, and his tone and manner were entering dangerous territory as far as my mind was concerned. He was starting to sound like my mom.
“Brad, I—” I started to say under my breath.
“What?” He took the final step toward me. “I can’t hear you,” he said as he reached out toward me.
I’m sure there were half a million reasons he could have made a move like that, but my mind only knew one.
I drew back and flinched…..
It was the flinch of someone who was used to being hit.
He froze instantly. His entire body looked carved out of wax as his expression morphed from anger to horrified shock, while mine dropped into a panicked cringe of abject terror.
“Kyle,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper. “I wasn’t going to—”
“I know, I know.” Then, after a few seconds, sorrow began to saturate his words. “My dad hits me too.” And then we began to cry together.
HEARTBREAKING…..
I was rooting for Kyle and Brad was acting so stupid..
I loves this scene:
What Kelly didn’t see was that I was no longer just standing up to him and his actions of the past few days. In my mind, this wasn’t about him and me and what we had done to each other. This was about a life spent in fear. A fear of people finding out who and what I really was. A fear that if I ever exposed who I really was, I would be shunned and hated for it. A fear that my mom would beat me up because she suspected who I was.
But honestly, how was that any different from the way I was already living my life?
I was alone, friendless, and generally considered odd by the few people who even realized I existed, so what did it matter if they found out? I was done running—from being gay, from my mom, from myself.
I was the hero of this story, and it was damn time I stated acting like I was.
Spoken like a true hero!!! Chappeau….
my other reviews of the series
February 18, 2017
4 stars!
When I read the blurb for Maybe With a Chance of Certainty, I was pretty sure that the story would just be like all the other ones out there, where the high school jock - in need of tutition in order to keep his place in the team - is suddenly falling for the shy nerdy kid.
But somehow John Goode was able to create incredibly well sketched characters I immediately started caring for. They have their secrets, they are feeling broken, but they are willing to believe in a better future. This is a story about letting yourself hope, about speaking up and about finding love.
I'm really looking forward to the next installment in this series! I can't wait to find out what the future holds for Kyle and Brad.
When I read the blurb for Maybe With a Chance of Certainty, I was pretty sure that the story would just be like all the other ones out there, where the high school jock - in need of tutition in order to keep his place in the team - is suddenly falling for the shy nerdy kid.
But somehow John Goode was able to create incredibly well sketched characters I immediately started caring for. They have their secrets, they are feeling broken, but they are willing to believe in a better future. This is a story about letting yourself hope, about speaking up and about finding love.
I don't remember the moment I knew I was broken, but I do know the moment I began to feel fixed. It was the day the green-eyed boy fell in love with me.
I'm really looking forward to the next installment in this series! I can't wait to find out what the future holds for Kyle and Brad.
September 21, 2019
3 stars**
I have mix feeling about this one! I love YA especially about first love. When I read the blurb I thought this one is for me. Sadly, it wasn’t a total winner.
I felt a disconnect with this story like how it started, and everything happened so fast. I don’t want to be too hard on Brad, but man he frustrated me. But part of me understood not being out and dealing with the pressure of high school though he kinda made up for it at the end. Another thing was I wished for less inner monologue and more actual conversation. I know this is a pretty long series at this point I’m not sure if I’ll read the next one or not but the ending did leave me curious to see what happens to Kyle and Brad. ♥️
I have mix feeling about this one! I love YA especially about first love. When I read the blurb I thought this one is for me. Sadly, it wasn’t a total winner.
I felt a disconnect with this story like how it started, and everything happened so fast. I don’t want to be too hard on Brad, but man he frustrated me. But part of me understood not being out and dealing with the pressure of high school though he kinda made up for it at the end. Another thing was I wished for less inner monologue and more actual conversation. I know this is a pretty long series at this point I’m not sure if I’ll read the next one or not but the ending did leave me curious to see what happens to Kyle and Brad. ♥️
June 11, 2018
*4.5 stars*
Who’s late to this party? Like…6 years late. In my defense, I very rarely read MM YA because my few attempts at it were a big failure. These days I only read YA by a couple of authors. But recently I read John Goode’s Jordan Vs All The Boys which prompted me to finally take the leap and start Foster High that has been laying in my kindle for ages.
This is not Ele’s essay about YA vs the rest of fiction. I’m mentioning it because if you ‘re anything like me, you 're steering clear from this because most YA stories seem fake and unnecessary censored. Do not worry. There is angst, humor, intense-heart wrenching moments, some mild steam because yes, most seventeen year old boys are horny AF, and the promise of huge things to come.
This is one of the most common tropes out there, and pretty much everyone’s favorite: the high school jock who falls in love with the high school nerd. I loved Kyle and I’m pissed on his behalf for how life’s treating him. I’m always floored (both in real life and in books) when I come across such blatant teenage cynicism. Brilliant and terrifying at once.
And Brad, Brad, Brad….I have a feeling I’m going to want to smack him multiple times in the future. But I also understand.
I’ll have to get used to the writing, though. It is pretty wordy and sometimes moves in circles, but not flowery at all. After all, it is the voice of the teenager.
On to the next!
-Posted on Gay Book Reviews.-
Who’s late to this party? Like…6 years late. In my defense, I very rarely read MM YA because my few attempts at it were a big failure. These days I only read YA by a couple of authors. But recently I read John Goode’s Jordan Vs All The Boys which prompted me to finally take the leap and start Foster High that has been laying in my kindle for ages.
This is not Ele’s essay about YA vs the rest of fiction. I’m mentioning it because if you ‘re anything like me, you 're steering clear from this because most YA stories seem fake and unnecessary censored. Do not worry. There is angst, humor, intense-heart wrenching moments, some mild steam because yes, most seventeen year old boys are horny AF, and the promise of huge things to come.
This is one of the most common tropes out there, and pretty much everyone’s favorite: the high school jock who falls in love with the high school nerd. I loved Kyle and I’m pissed on his behalf for how life’s treating him. I’m always floored (both in real life and in books) when I come across such blatant teenage cynicism. Brilliant and terrifying at once.
“Once upon a time there was a boy who didn’t get to fall in love. The End.”
And Brad, Brad, Brad….I have a feeling I’m going to want to smack him multiple times in the future. But I also understand.
I’ll have to get used to the writing, though. It is pretty wordy and sometimes moves in circles, but not flowery at all. After all, it is the voice of the teenager.
On to the next!
-Posted on Gay Book Reviews.-
August 22, 2016
Qué buen YA, con su dosis de dulzura, inteligente, con referencias a la cultura popular, bien escrito, con sentido del humor y con situaciones y personajes que hacen que se te rompa un poquito el corazón.
El chico nerd y el deportista, tan diferentes y tan iguales. ¿Cómo una preferencia sexual puede marcar así la vida de una persona? Por más que lo intento analizar ese rechazo y ese odio es algo totalmente incomprensible para mi.
Muy recomendable, yo seguiré con la serie.
El chico nerd y el deportista, tan diferentes y tan iguales. ¿Cómo una preferencia sexual puede marcar así la vida de una persona? Por más que lo intento analizar ese rechazo y ese odio es algo totalmente incomprensible para mi.
Muy recomendable, yo seguiré con la serie.
October 26, 2011
My original review for the short version of this book released as a daily dose said simply “I loved this one but way too short... not sure how I will wait for the sequel”
After reading the extended addition my opinion changed drastically. I hated the addition to the story. This ruined the book for me. I found Kyle’s inner monologue longer and less interesting in second half. The never ending car metaphor got tiring to read about.
What I really hated
After reading the extended addition my opinion changed drastically. I hated the addition to the story. This ruined the book for me. I found Kyle’s inner monologue longer and less interesting in second half. The never ending car metaphor got tiring to read about.
What I really hated
August 24, 2017
I knew I was going to *love* this book before I even finished the Author’s Note.
high school boys + plenty of angst + a plethora of John Hughes movie references + ME = A Sure Thing!! <= see what I did there, another 80s movie reference :)
I will admit, I’m a child of the 80s and a John Hughes movie junkie... Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles. I grew up on these movies and always dreamed of that fairytale ending. But sometimes that’s not in the cards we are dealt.
Kyle has spent most of his high school years being invisible. Wearing nondescript clothes so he doesn’t draw attention to himself, walking with his head down, eating alone, carefully hiding his secret that he thinks he's gay. All that ends the day Brad, baseball star and most popular guy at Foster High, asks Kyle to tutor him in history. I enjoyed their relationship, even with all the drama. I could so relate to Kyle’s heartbreak, waiting on his front steps for a ride to school, finding out about Jennifer. I think most of us have been there.
I’m glad Kyle got a “Happy for Now,” but I think there’s a lot more to Kyle and Brad’s story and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
high school boys + plenty of angst + a plethora of John Hughes movie references + ME = A Sure Thing!! <= see what I did there, another 80s movie reference :)
I will admit, I’m a child of the 80s and a John Hughes movie junkie... Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles. I grew up on these movies and always dreamed of that fairytale ending. But sometimes that’s not in the cards we are dealt.
Kyle has spent most of his high school years being invisible. Wearing nondescript clothes so he doesn’t draw attention to himself, walking with his head down, eating alone, carefully hiding his secret that he thinks he's gay. All that ends the day Brad, baseball star and most popular guy at Foster High, asks Kyle to tutor him in history. I enjoyed their relationship, even with all the drama. I could so relate to Kyle’s heartbreak, waiting on his front steps for a ride to school, finding out about Jennifer. I think most of us have been there.
I’m glad Kyle got a “Happy for Now,” but I think there’s a lot more to Kyle and Brad’s story and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
October 19, 2011
Okay, the opinion inside the spoiler tag is the comment I made for the 1st edition. I'm just going to add few things in this 2nd edition. The 2nd edition starts right after Brad says "Hi" ... and I must say that I love the expansion. Because by the end of this novella, we have Kyle standing up for himself. He is no longer a prince waiting for his handsome knight in white armor to save him. He becomes the hero, he slays dragon by himself. And by doing so, he actually saves Brad the prince from being broken. I will definitely be there for the sequel, since it'll be from Brad's point of view ...
October 1, 2024
4 Stars
That was definitely gloomier content than I’m used to encountering in my YA reads. It left me feeling raw and exposed, with a weird sense of foreboding the entire time It mentally took me back to that awkward and somewhat scary place one only truly experiences as a teenager, when every emotion was heightened, personal insecurities were running rampant, and the sense of being an outsider was so strong.
Yep, this story had all the angsty teenage feels—but it was done so well!
My heart ached for Kyle and all of his hopes and fears. Not to mention all of his pent-up anger and his vulnerabilities. Sure, his inner monologues expressed deep and complex thoughts and feelings, which were well beyond his 17 years, but I appreciated the intelligence and thoughtfulness of his character nonetheless, and related to him more because of this.
I’m currently on the fence when it comes to my impressions of Brad. There were aspects of his character I really liked and felt sympathetic towards, but then there were several actions (or inactions) that made me want to punch him in the face, so I’m holding off making a character judgement until I can read further along in this series and gain a better grasp of this guy and what he’s made of.
I should probably mention that I bloody loved the narrative style—I highlighted like a fiend.
Off to devour book #2.
That was definitely gloomier content than I’m used to encountering in my YA reads. It left me feeling raw and exposed, with a weird sense of foreboding the entire time It mentally took me back to that awkward and somewhat scary place one only truly experiences as a teenager, when every emotion was heightened, personal insecurities were running rampant, and the sense of being an outsider was so strong.
Yep, this story had all the angsty teenage feels—but it was done so well!
My heart ached for Kyle and all of his hopes and fears. Not to mention all of his pent-up anger and his vulnerabilities. Sure, his inner monologues expressed deep and complex thoughts and feelings, which were well beyond his 17 years, but I appreciated the intelligence and thoughtfulness of his character nonetheless, and related to him more because of this.
I’m currently on the fence when it comes to my impressions of Brad. There were aspects of his character I really liked and felt sympathetic towards, but then there were several actions (or inactions) that made me want to punch him in the face, so I’m holding off making a character judgement until I can read further along in this series and gain a better grasp of this guy and what he’s made of.
I should probably mention that I bloody loved the narrative style—I highlighted like a fiend.
Off to devour book #2.
January 13, 2017
I loved this one, a tale of the invisible school nerd Kyle and the extremely popular school jock Brad. 4.5 stars and ♥♥♥♥♥ from me.
John Goode's writing was divine, this was a really good contemporary version of a fairytale where the Prince always saves the hero/heroine...or does he?? This first book in the series is entirely from Kyle's POV. Kyle is only 'visible' to his teachers but that is his choice, he feels that the less he makes his presence known, the easier his life will be at school...he has more than enough problems at home with his drunken single mother who turns violent when she's had a few. He's noticed Brad of course, he's the school golden boy and hot, but never the twain shall meet, or so the saying goes however he's doing his usual thing in the corridor one day (head down and hurrying) when a pair of feet stand in front of him and block his escape. Brad plays football, but to carry on doing that he needs to improve his grades and get some tutoring...he's been asking around, and Kyle's name has been mentioned as a go-to guy, especially for history. Brad takes a chance and tries to talk to Kyle about some tutoring....the only thing Kyle can think about is not letting Brad see his enormous 'woody' which he tries to hide behind a school book which is too small (would have loved to gave been a fly on the wall for that scene, ha ha). At first Kyle is outraged that Brad would try to play a cruel joke on him like that, but eventually realises that Brad is being sincere and does need help, so he agrees to go home with Brad after football practice.
I should mention of course that Kyle definitely lives on the wrong side of town and Brad lives in a poster home for Martha Stewart...so well kept with maid service BUT of course, all is not as perfect as it seems. His parents scream at each other, a glorified car salesman dad who seems to be drunk all the time and a housewife mum who's drugged up to the eyeballs so she can cope with her awful life...neither of them spare a minute to think about what Brad wants from life. The boys start being study partners, and Kyle discovers that Brad is not straight even though he has to act as though he is, he has a cheerleader girlfriend...but everything in Brad's life is fake, and Kyle is so grateful that someone is taking an interest in him Kyle, that he lets his guard down and falls for Brad in a big way. When Brad's friends realise what's going on, one of them in particular decides to take matters into his own hands....I'll leave this story here and urge you to give this series a try, the writing is wonderful.
John Goode's writing was divine, this was a really good contemporary version of a fairytale where the Prince always saves the hero/heroine...or does he?? This first book in the series is entirely from Kyle's POV. Kyle is only 'visible' to his teachers but that is his choice, he feels that the less he makes his presence known, the easier his life will be at school...he has more than enough problems at home with his drunken single mother who turns violent when she's had a few. He's noticed Brad of course, he's the school golden boy and hot, but never the twain shall meet, or so the saying goes however he's doing his usual thing in the corridor one day (head down and hurrying) when a pair of feet stand in front of him and block his escape. Brad plays football, but to carry on doing that he needs to improve his grades and get some tutoring...he's been asking around, and Kyle's name has been mentioned as a go-to guy, especially for history. Brad takes a chance and tries to talk to Kyle about some tutoring....the only thing Kyle can think about is not letting Brad see his enormous 'woody' which he tries to hide behind a school book which is too small (would have loved to gave been a fly on the wall for that scene, ha ha). At first Kyle is outraged that Brad would try to play a cruel joke on him like that, but eventually realises that Brad is being sincere and does need help, so he agrees to go home with Brad after football practice.
I should mention of course that Kyle definitely lives on the wrong side of town and Brad lives in a poster home for Martha Stewart...so well kept with maid service BUT of course, all is not as perfect as it seems. His parents scream at each other, a glorified car salesman dad who seems to be drunk all the time and a housewife mum who's drugged up to the eyeballs so she can cope with her awful life...neither of them spare a minute to think about what Brad wants from life. The boys start being study partners, and Kyle discovers that Brad is not straight even though he has to act as though he is, he has a cheerleader girlfriend...but everything in Brad's life is fake, and Kyle is so grateful that someone is taking an interest in him Kyle, that he lets his guard down and falls for Brad in a big way. When Brad's friends realise what's going on, one of them in particular decides to take matters into his own hands....I'll leave this story here and urge you to give this series a try, the writing is wonderful.
October 9, 2012
Kyle and Brad are two teenagers who are both gay but neither are out to the world. Kyle comes from bad part of town and he is poor and has an abusive alcoholic mother. Brad's dad is abusive also and in an argument they admit the truth to one another. The book was really good and I liked the parts where Brad stood up for Kyle but especially where Kyle stood up for himself. I wanted to kick Brad once or twice but the course of true love never runs smoothly they say. :)
October 25, 2011
I read this bc it seemed to have decent reviews and I was looking for something not too heavy and this seemed like as good a book as any for what I wanted. It started out OK but, went downhill fast in my opinion. The whole story felt extremely rushed. At the beginning of the book, these two characters have never even spoken to each other and then a few pages later they're kissing? Oh and by the way, prior to said kiss Kyle doesn't even know that Brad is in the closet and Brad only has a suspicion about Kyle. I just thought the whole thing was ridiculous. I mean they are both SO worried about flying under the radar with this thing but, each of them jumps all over each other without any sort of sexual tension building, etc???
Don't even get me started on Brad. I thought he was kind of an unredeemable douche. I don't care how the book ended I kept wanting Kyle to tell him to F- off.
The only person that I thought played true to part was Kelly, the asshat.
Overall, by the end I didn't even care about the MCs getting a HEA or a HFN ending. I wa actually kind of hoping Kyle would find someone else.
Don't even get me started on Brad. I thought he was kind of an unredeemable douche. I don't care how the book ended I kept wanting Kyle to tell him to F- off.
The only person that I thought played true to part was Kelly, the asshat.
Overall, by the end I didn't even care about the MCs getting a HEA or a HFN ending. I wa actually kind of hoping Kyle would find someone else.
March 4, 2012
So besides having a great title, Maybe With a Chance of Certainty is a fun read with a wry, bright and engaging narrator, Kyle. He's pretty insightful too, although occasionally his insight went further into the vehicle analogies than I could follow. The up-and-down swings of hope and despair that Kyle went through were very realistic for high-school to me. The all-around perfect boy Brad turns out to have some feet of clay. And the resolution is satisfying. There are some great lines, which I am not going to quote so I don't spoil them for you. I really enjoyed this short novel.
I will say I'm glad there is a sequel though. Because as I closed the book, enjoying the Happy For Now moment, I thought to myself, this is where the really interesting and difficult part begins for these boys. I'm looking forward to getting the sequel and finding out how that works out for them.
For those who are debating whether they have time to read this now, it is quite a short and quick read. There is a small amount of on-page sex in this book, but not too much for older teens in my opinion.
I will say I'm glad there is a sequel though. Because as I closed the book, enjoying the Happy For Now moment, I thought to myself, this is where the really interesting and difficult part begins for these boys. I'm looking forward to getting the sequel and finding out how that works out for them.
For those who are debating whether they have time to read this now, it is quite a short and quick read. There is a small amount of on-page sex in this book, but not too much for older teens in my opinion.
June 20, 2011
This is a great story about two boys in high school getting to know each other better over a history tutoring session. The storyline really is as simple s that, but the richness of Kyle's thoughts and fears is amazing and well portrayed. There are a few surprises along the way, as Kyle learns more about Brad and why he was asked to help. This short book is written with great sensitivity, showing there is a depth to the characters which makes me hope for a sequel.
July 26, 2013
Broken Kyle managed to break my heart into tiny little pieces.
Kyle is damaged. He is the only child of an abusive alcoholic mother. An outlet for her rage and fists. He learns early in life to tiptoe through the house, because being noticed means pain.
Kyle is different. He realizes that he isn’t the same as the other boys his age. He doesn’t like girls, his eyes drift to the other boys, he’s poor, he’s socially awkward, and he’s probably a nerd since he was cursed with a brain.
Kyle is invisible. Since decided that he���s better off if no one notices him, he’s made a successful attempt at becoming invisible in his high school. With no friends, and minimal human contact, Kyle is going through the motions until high school comes to an end.
Enter Brad.
Brad is the most popular boy in school. He is a jock, he’s hot, he’s popular, and he is the last person who would ever notice Kyle. Until the day he plants himself in Kyle’s path just to get his attention. Brad needs help with his History class so he stops Kyle in the hall to ask for help. This one request will forever change the calm invisibility of Kyle’s high school existence. And both boys find that they have a lot more in common than anyone would think.
Maybe with a Chance of Certainty is an amazing read. I fell in love with the writing. The brutality of the high school social hierarchy brought me back. Kyle’s POV is great. It’s amusing, wry and painful. Kyle and Brad quickly climbed their way into my heart, and then stomped all over it.
I highly recommend this!
4 Stars
More reviews at The Morning After Romance
Kyle is damaged. He is the only child of an abusive alcoholic mother. An outlet for her rage and fists. He learns early in life to tiptoe through the house, because being noticed means pain.
Kyle is different. He realizes that he isn’t the same as the other boys his age. He doesn’t like girls, his eyes drift to the other boys, he’s poor, he’s socially awkward, and he’s probably a nerd since he was cursed with a brain.
Kyle is invisible. Since decided that he���s better off if no one notices him, he’s made a successful attempt at becoming invisible in his high school. With no friends, and minimal human contact, Kyle is going through the motions until high school comes to an end.
Enter Brad.
Brad is the most popular boy in school. He is a jock, he’s hot, he’s popular, and he is the last person who would ever notice Kyle. Until the day he plants himself in Kyle’s path just to get his attention. Brad needs help with his History class so he stops Kyle in the hall to ask for help. This one request will forever change the calm invisibility of Kyle’s high school existence. And both boys find that they have a lot more in common than anyone would think.
Maybe with a Chance of Certainty is an amazing read. I fell in love with the writing. The brutality of the high school social hierarchy brought me back. Kyle’s POV is great. It’s amusing, wry and painful. Kyle and Brad quickly climbed their way into my heart, and then stomped all over it.
I highly recommend this!
4 Stars
More reviews at The Morning After Romance
December 14, 2015
I found this short story edition on my Kindle. I thought it would be a better to read this first before I start with Tales from Foster High. Which I haven't read yet. (Shock!!! I know... I'm sooo late to this party.)
I liked it a lot and now I can't wait to start to read the series.
I liked it a lot and now I can't wait to start to read the series.
March 15, 2019
This was delightfully different than other teenage romance stories I've read. It was funny and also serious, and the MCs are somewhat realistic in their actions. :) Granted, I haven't been in high school in a while, but never in a million years would the kids in my school have done what Brad and Kyle did. Just sayin'.
The ending made me want to immediately start the next book, which is good because I have the next in my hands. I was able to borrow the first few in the series from my library so off I go!
Oh, 4 stars for this first installment.
The ending made me want to immediately start the next book, which is good because I have the next in my hands. I was able to borrow the first few in the series from my library so off I go!
Oh, 4 stars for this first installment.
February 8, 2012
Motherfucking fairy tales.
Forgive me for my excessive use of quotes. This book was written for me to quote...
Kyle knew he was different, but he was doing just fine. Well, not fine exactly, but he was making it through high school unnoticed and that was what he was going for. He was making it even with an alcoholic mother who beat him and a funny (not in a ha, ha way) feeling towards boys. He didn't realize he was broken and he wasn't crying out for help. After all, he knew the problem with cries for help. Even if people hear them, they can't do a damn thing about them. He knew better than to believe in fairy tales. He was doing just fine, until Brad Greymark stepped in front of him in the hallway.
This was such a great coming of age story and such an awesome tribute to pop culture and all things cool to us children of the 80s. What a roller coaster ride teenage love is, huh? Kyle was such a relatable character. It was easy to hope for a fairytale ending for him and heartbreaking when he realized that fairy tales don't exist. Real life usually sucks a little bit harder than that. Once upon a time there was a boy who didn't get to fall in love. The End. Kyle realizes that there is no prince that is going to save the day. And even if Brad was a prince, Kyle damn sure is no princess. I was going to be the guy he brought up when he wanted to seem more worldly than he was. "Oh yeah, I messed around with a guy in high school." And he would be the guy I brought up once I'd had two drinks too many. "Yeah, he was my first love, and he was straight." So Kyle does what any self respecting gay man would do. Because who needs Motherfucking fairy tales anyway? But maybe, just maybe,
I did kinda wonder what happened to But after the final quote, I just kinda didn't really care anymore. Off to read the sequel...
Forgive me for my excessive use of quotes. This book was written for me to quote...
Kyle knew he was different, but he was doing just fine. Well, not fine exactly, but he was making it through high school unnoticed and that was what he was going for. He was making it even with an alcoholic mother who beat him and a funny (not in a ha, ha way) feeling towards boys. He didn't realize he was broken and he wasn't crying out for help. After all, he knew the problem with cries for help. Even if people hear them, they can't do a damn thing about them. He knew better than to believe in fairy tales. He was doing just fine, until Brad Greymark stepped in front of him in the hallway.
This was such a great coming of age story and such an awesome tribute to pop culture and all things cool to us children of the 80s. What a roller coaster ride teenage love is, huh? Kyle was such a relatable character. It was easy to hope for a fairytale ending for him and heartbreaking when he realized that fairy tales don't exist. Real life usually sucks a little bit harder than that. Once upon a time there was a boy who didn't get to fall in love. The End. Kyle realizes that there is no prince that is going to save the day. And even if Brad was a prince, Kyle damn sure is no princess. I was going to be the guy he brought up when he wanted to seem more worldly than he was. "Oh yeah, I messed around with a guy in high school." And he would be the guy I brought up once I'd had two drinks too many. "Yeah, he was my first love, and he was straight." So Kyle does what any self respecting gay man would do. Because who needs Motherfucking fairy tales anyway? But maybe, just maybe,
I did kinda wonder what happened to But after the final quote, I just kinda didn't really care anymore. Off to read the sequel...
June 18, 2015
I was ready to give this story 3 stars when I came to the DREADED 70%...
...and then it ended. It made wanna shout a WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!
One of the better Gay YA novellas/stories out there. RECOMMENDED.
4 STARS!
July 17, 2015
*4.5 stars*
Why did I wait so long to start this series?! I like it, it's pretty intense though.
Why did I wait so long to start this series?! I like it, it's pretty intense though.
January 29, 2013
So I didn't like this book. I will try to explain why in a thought out way. :)
What I did like
Underneath the crap that pissed me off, there is a cliche nerd/jock high school story. The fact that it is cliche is not realy a problem. It's more of a trope than a cliche, and we know what to expect, so that's fine. And what I liked was the way that was handled. It moved quickly and there wasn't a lot of unnecessary angst. I like the way Kyle stood up for himself.
What I did not like
1. This book was overwritten. By which I mean, it was absolutely drenched in metaphors and similes that drove me bonkers. There were pages long soliloquies about fairy tales, about test crashes, about how he had to pack his emotions up in boxes and tape them closed... yuck. It seemed like every paragraph was written to within an inch of its life, like this author is just so in love with the sound of his own "voice".
Here's an example:
"I wished that my locker were some kind of Narnian-type structure so I could just climb inside and never be seen again. It wasn't fair to go so long unnoticed, then to get noticed by what what in my mind was the center o the universe, and then to metaphorically gnaw my own arm off to avoid being caught in a no-win situation all within twentyfour hours. If I had been a baby, concerned parents would have said I had had a long day and needed a nap."
Oh, the melodrama.
2. I was willing to skim and forgive the obnoxious writing described above, and I thought this was ultimately going to be in the range of 2.5 to 3 stars, until the ending. Oh my god, the ending. I don't know how to really explain it without spoilering, but let's just say it was so completely over the top and cheesy I wanted to throw my kindle at the wall. I think I said "Ugh, seriously?" out loud. It was just so unrealistic and ridiculous, it ruined the whole book for me.
Bottom line, the writing drove me crazy and the ending nailed that coffin. There's nothing special enough about the plot for it to be able to withstand those issues. I can't recommend this to anyone.
What I did like
Underneath the crap that pissed me off, there is a cliche nerd/jock high school story. The fact that it is cliche is not realy a problem. It's more of a trope than a cliche, and we know what to expect, so that's fine. And what I liked was the way that was handled. It moved quickly and there wasn't a lot of unnecessary angst. I like the way Kyle stood up for himself.
What I did not like
1. This book was overwritten. By which I mean, it was absolutely drenched in metaphors and similes that drove me bonkers. There were pages long soliloquies about fairy tales, about test crashes, about how he had to pack his emotions up in boxes and tape them closed... yuck. It seemed like every paragraph was written to within an inch of its life, like this author is just so in love with the sound of his own "voice".
Here's an example:
"I wished that my locker were some kind of Narnian-type structure so I could just climb inside and never be seen again. It wasn't fair to go so long unnoticed, then to get noticed by what what in my mind was the center o the universe, and then to metaphorically gnaw my own arm off to avoid being caught in a no-win situation all within twentyfour hours. If I had been a baby, concerned parents would have said I had had a long day and needed a nap."
Oh, the melodrama.
2. I was willing to skim and forgive the obnoxious writing described above, and I thought this was ultimately going to be in the range of 2.5 to 3 stars, until the ending. Oh my god, the ending. I don't know how to really explain it without spoilering, but let's just say it was so completely over the top and cheesy I wanted to throw my kindle at the wall. I think I said "Ugh, seriously?" out loud. It was just so unrealistic and ridiculous, it ruined the whole book for me.
Bottom line, the writing drove me crazy and the ending nailed that coffin. There's nothing special enough about the plot for it to be able to withstand those issues. I can't recommend this to anyone.
August 3, 2014
This story reads like a giant love letter to John Hughes (and I don't necessarily mean that in a good way).
It was a serviceable coming-of-age / accept-thyself story, but I found the characters to be too perfectly flawed to be believable. It also didn't help that the narrator's voice didn't sound like any teenager I've ever met (too hyper self-aware). That said, it had undeniably sweet moments and a handful of difficult/awkward moments that made for a good emotional balance in the story.
So... It was okay. Okay enough that I'd continue reading the next book in the series.
It was a serviceable coming-of-age / accept-thyself story, but I found the characters to be too perfectly flawed to be believable. It also didn't help that the narrator's voice didn't sound like any teenager I've ever met (too hyper self-aware). That said, it had undeniably sweet moments and a handful of difficult/awkward moments that made for a good emotional balance in the story.
So... It was okay. Okay enough that I'd continue reading the next book in the series.
September 28, 2014
One Word
"I think you need to get a bigger history book
if you're gonna sport wood in the hallway from now on"
After dialogue like this,thank goodness I get to read the next book right away
*Happy Dance* I wish gif came with music...lol
"I think you need to get a bigger history book
if you're gonna sport wood in the hallway from now on"
After dialogue like this,thank goodness I get to read the next book right away
*Happy Dance* I wish gif came with music...lol
August 16, 2013
Full review at madisonparklove.com.
September 25, 2015
I really, really liked this one.
Yeah, Kyle sounds a little too wise for his years, but it's not improbable.
But just as he sounded a little too wise for his years, some of his actions were very much that of a teenager.
It balanced itself out, I guess.
Even if it didn't though, I still really, really liked it.
Yeah, Kyle sounds a little too wise for his years, but it's not improbable.
But just as he sounded a little too wise for his years, some of his actions were very much that of a teenager.
It balanced itself out, I guess.
Even if it didn't though, I still really, really liked it.
July 25, 2016
My review of the first three novellas of this series
Just so I don't go crazy with keeping record of all the books in this series.
Just so I don't go crazy with keeping record of all the books in this series.
December 3, 2015
Read as part of Tales from Foster High.
May 12, 2019
Why would anyone write a book if they’re just gonna end it as if it were unfinished? Ugh, if this would have been an actual full-length novel, with an actual pace and character development and plot and stuff it would have been soo good!!
Alas… sigh, it was not.
I really liked the way everything was described. Metaphorically enough to make it interesting, funny enough to make it enjoyable and completely honest to make it super real and relatable. But damn it! It was just so… incomplete. Everything went by so fast and underdeveloped and the ending… so bad. I wish it would have been longer, but as it is, it’s just too sucky.
Alas… sigh, it was not.
I really liked the way everything was described. Metaphorically enough to make it interesting, funny enough to make it enjoyable and completely honest to make it super real and relatable. But damn it! It was just so… incomplete. Everything went by so fast and underdeveloped and the ending… so bad. I wish it would have been longer, but as it is, it’s just too sucky.
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