By ImTheGirl

Ongoing
16 chapters

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BLURB
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In 2005, seventeen-year-old Alex Tredinnick's life as a British teen celebrity had come to an abrupt end. He was forced to start over as a normal person, but plans changed the moment he got a phone call. He was soon thrown back into the spotlight once again, this time as the new co-leader of Connect8, a co-ed pop act that was brought five months after their split. For Alex, he was faced with increased pressure from both the ever-growing paparazzi and the internet trolls. Rumors surrounded him, and all he could wish that they weren't true. Will he be honest with himself? Or will it take an up-and-coming American teen celebrity to help him face the closet door in front of him?

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REVIEW
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For those who are One Series fans, this is a must-read. For those who aren't, this is still a must-read. Alex Trednnick is a teen music star with a serious question about his own identity. While in the process of becoming the new lead singer for Connect8, he comes across fan posts about Andrew from the American look alike band U-Turn. His fascination becomes an obsession as his life changes.

Fan gossip about him and the former lead of juniorConnect speculates about his sexual identity and Alex denies any thought of being gay. Yet he's crushing about Andrew. It makes him uneasy. Everything about his life to this point has been straight. He even has a girlfriend. So why is Andrew the only thing on his mind?

This book is only 6 chapters in, and I can't wait to find out how Alex will react when he meets Andrew. As a teen, I went through the same questions about myself, and at least in this day and age it's a lot less stressful if you aren't on the "normal" side of things. It's nice to see I wasn't any different from others with the same fears and doubts.

ImTheGirl's treatment of the subject is insightful. She brings all the anxiety and stress into play with skilful descriptions and attention to character development. Dialogue between characters is lively and flows with real life truth.

I won't say this is an easy read. Drama lurks with each turn of a page, but then again, I can't wait for the next chapter to publish, so I can find out what happens to Alex next.

— uschibear

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Review first published in The Writer's Code Issue 3: Equinox. Find it at CoalitionMagazine!