They had no idea the storm that awaited them as adults.
With each chapter taking place five years later, this heart-tugging novel will take you on an emotional journey through the lives of two men - who couldn't be more wrong for each other.
Caleb Fletcher was a shy and lonely kid who desperately wanted a friend.
He never dreamed that friend would come in the form of the troublemaking Beau Whitman, who was the neighborhood nightmare on the other side of the fence.
Their friends hated each other.
Their families kept them apart.
But Caleb refused to believe that Beau was a bad person. He knew deep down, the troubled kid was lost and hurting inside.
It would be that same belief Caleb carried with him into teenhood, when emotions grew more complicated, and the fine line between good and bad blurred.
It would be his hope that drove him through his college years, when the consequences of their pasts would catch up to them.
It would be their love that was tested into adulthood, when their lives were on the brink of achieving everlasting happiness — or falling to pieces.
Can Beau and Caleb's love withstand the test of time?
“When I See You Again” is a stand-alone novel. It contains potentially sensitive or triggering subject matter. Reader discretion is advised. (Full disclaimer is located in the Foreword.)
Caleb and Beau meet when they're little kids. Things aren't easy for the two, as Caleb longs to be Beau's friend, but Beau fights it.
I have to admit that the early part was tough for me. I felt something was missing. I felt I wasn't connecting enough with the characters. But then...
Wow, later it's pure brilliance and wonderful. The story truly fast forwards the way it seems to when you're older. Looking back at how the big things at the time felt they'd last forever, yet later knowing they were a small blip in time.
Seeing the way people come and go. Seeing the way people and relationships change over time. Seeing the way people change and relationships can be healed.
This is a story of falling for someone despite everyone rooting against you. Falling for "the one" early on and never getting over them. The ups and the downs of their relationship. The ups and downs of their lives. And ultimately the power of love.
This is a story of rising up above one's circumstances. We're all given a set of circumstances we didn't ask for in life...The world isn't built fair for all of us..." I love this element.
This is a story illustrating the power alcoholism and the struggle involved. The power it has to destroy and the power of reclaiming one's life upon recovery. As well as the continued struggle to stay sober. "Every day is a battle - a battle we've got to win. Our loved ones are depending on it."
There are family issues throughout. It's definitely one hell of a ride, with both good and bad.
This is a story full of pain and hurt, full of love and strength, full of healing and forgiveness. It's a wonderful glimpse at lives well lived.
This quote really stuck with me. "There's a reason not everyone sticks around in life. It's like sifting dirt for gold; eventually, the only ones who matter are the ones who stick around." As an almost fifty year old, this is easy to relate to. But, as a mom to teens, this is one of the lessons I am constantly trying to explain to my kids.
When I See You Again is a beautiful story. Daryl Banner brilliantly uses a lifetime of two men to show the power of love and the way life changes us constantly. I am truly impressed by this book and it's message.
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