Every Time I Think of You by Jim Provenzano

It’s not often that a novel surprises me, and Every Time I think of You managed to do that, in a very positive way. First of all, I really hadn’t realized it was a coming of age story, and I’m a loser for that kind of stories if they are good, and this one is. Second I did wonder on the reason why the author picked the 1979 as year for his novel, and I will tell you later what I think was the reason.

Reid and Everett met during a spring break in the forest dividing their neighbourhood, Reid from the low-middle class side of the town, Everett from the very upper-class one. There is a little of Romeo and Jules, a little of star-crossed lovers, and there is even a little of drama, but above all, my heart ached on how pure, and innocent their love was. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Reid and Everett are 17 years old going 18, and they have sex, like any other teenager was probably having in that winter break, like it was a way to prove they were adult and ready for the world that was waiting for them in just few months, but their sex, and love, was without recrimination, without worries, and that first time in the woods it was almost metaphorical, like they didn’t need anything else if not their bodies and their desire: no background, no names, no expectation.

And I think this aura of innocence is also the reason for the author to pick a pre-AIDS time for his story; these guys don’t need the worries of the plague, and the fear of death, for their first time together, they are meeting like strangers in the woods, and they are exiting that same woods as lovers, they need to be free to express their joy through sex, without fear, without worries.

The first part of the story, exactly half of it, is sweet, and tender, the right feeling for a teenager love story; Reid and Everett don’t really have trouble, their parents maybe are worried, but more or less supporting, their future can be undefined, but it’s there, at hand reach. I was wondering how this story would have evolved, if it was possible for it to be so simple, and nice, if Reid and Everett were heading towards an easy romance; and I was worried since, my thought was, if they haven’t to fight for it, would they be able to understand how important it was? And then the author decided to put an obstacle on their path, a challenge, something that, as they said, if didn’t kill them, would make them stronger. Despite that, Reid and Everett don’t suddenly turn into adult, they are still teenagers, maybe less starry-eyed, maybe, in Everett’s case, less spoiled, but still in love, still believing their love was not a fluke, still wanting to prove to their parents they are worthy of it.

The drama hit, but didn’t destroy the sweet and tender feeling of the story, and I’m sure this is a romance that the more romantic readers will love.

Amazon: Every Time I Think of You: a novel
Amazon Kindle: Every Time I Think of You: a novel
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace; 1st edition (December 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1463778643
ISBN-13: 978-1463778644

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