Treading on Dreams

Jeff
Gardiner
Genre: 
Contemporary

Twins Donny and Hazel meet Jaz and Selena when Jaz gives them a place to stay while attending University. Donny is immediately smitten with his housemate Selena, but shy and inexperienced where women and the wider world are concerned. There is one other large problem – Melvin, her boyfriend. Hazel is portrayed as a supporting character, both in relation to her brother and in terms of the plot. Jaz, their landlord, housemate and Donny’s polar opposite, is into sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. Though Donny doesn’t always agree with the way Jaz handles things, he has confidence Donny admires and wished he possessed. A boost to that confidence occurs when he goes on holiday with Jaz to Gran Canaria where he meets Amanda, who has similar interests to his.

 

This is a story about love: not only the romantic type, but the love one has for friends and family. The fact that most of the characters are in school is used as a backdrop for enriching the plot. The author skillfully and unapologetically develops the characters physically and emotionally and places them in surroundings artfully described, allowing the reader to become immersed – walking the streets of Ealing or taking the tube to London. The story moves along at a nice clip, prompting readers to ask what’s next. And, just when the reader thinks they know where things are going, an eloquent wrench is thrown in the works, twisting the plot in another direction. 

Nicely done!

Heather R. Nielsen