Fighting A Battle With Himself

by S.J. Gibbs

Wesley Ellery, a teenage boy, doubly hurt by losing both his parents, the death of his mother and finding out that his dad isn’t his real dad, hits out at the world. He finds out that he wasn’t the only one hurt and slowly, through the pain of abduction, realises how much he has hurt those he loves. This story portrays teenage angst and bitterness. Will he redeem himself when faced with a moral life or death decision?

37 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2018

About the author

Full-time author. Avid reader. Grandmother and mother to 3 daughters. My eldest daughter was born with cerebral palsy. Spiritual medium. Reiki master. Music lover. Dog lover.

Reviews

[J.M. McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story by a debut author.
Wow, a lot happens in 33 pages! Wesley finds out that his Dad is not his dad, and that his late mother had a daughter in a previous relationship. Said daughter,aka new half-sister, and her scary mate, kidnap him and threaten to abuse and kill him. He escapes, but not before saving the life of psychotic, asthmatic half sister. It all serves to make Wes realise how much he loves and appreciates his father (who’s not his father) and half brother. Phew!
I enjoyed the moral of this story and the evolution of an understandably confused teenager into a self-aware and appreciative young man.
Some nice little descriptions and phrases such as
“tiptoeing through a wilderness of wild animals”.
Fast-paced and exciting with lots of unexpected twists and turns.
Has the potential to be expanded into a longer piece which would add depth to the characters and give the plot more authenticity.

[Michael Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a first story, this is a well written, YA drama. Story is gripping and you can understand the actions of the boy. It's a nice length as well, suitable for a spare hour or transport to and from work. I will certainly be purchasing the next S.J. Gibbs book!