Ami's Hoard

Nash Summers burst into my periphery last year. I love her writing, I love her characters, and I love the stories that she wants to tell readers. There is something fresh and unique and touching coming from her words that I couldn’t help making her one of my favorite new-to-me authors of 2014.

Maps reminded me slightly of her other young adult work, Outshine the Stars, because it has similarity of how one person could learn and be better because of his feeling and being loved by another young man. Maps came to me as rather quirky and self-centered – he loves being dramatic even if his quirkiness does result in some quote worthy dialogues. I mean, read how Maps reacts to his best friend moving out down the block.

“Well, that’s it, then. My life is over. This is the end, the finale, the bittersweet conclusion. The curtains have drawn, we fade to black, the orchestra hushes. Nothing further, everything lost, little gained, really. How sad, they’ll say. Oh, he was so terribly young and so terribly brilliant to have had his once bustling life ravaged so, and left for naught but scraps.”

I could see that those who loves Maps tolerate him – his family, his best friend Benji – but he’s not exactly the most popular when it comes to socializing with others because sometimes Maps also thinks that he is smarter than the rest of them.

Until Lane. The boy who moves next door. And Maps’ world changes…

Because Lane makes Maps willing to teach him math. Because Lane makes Maps goes out and learns to catch balls. Because Lane just gives Maps the most wonderful gift that he ever receives with handwritten note.

If you ever get lost, just follow the lane, and you’ll find your way home.

Of course, at that moment, my heart went boom. It’s such a lovely thing… small but so very thoughtful and I got all choked up – just as Maps did. This again, rocks Maps’ world, as he begins to also feel for the boy. I loved the subtle changes in Maps attitude and how he perceives Lane, because of this new feeling. Nash Summers writes that brilliantly because it is not in your face kind of change but it packs a punch nonetheless.

And that ending – ah, that one line that (almost) ends this story…

Be mine, even just for a little while.

How perfect is that?

Yes, I am only giving this story a 4-stars rating even if you can see how I’m praising it. But I’m keeping my higher stars rating until Nash Summers write a full-length novel that transcends every other story she has written... which I’m sure she can do. In the meantime, this is another beloved piece of writing from Summers and I loved every single minute of reading it. And young adult is not even my genre!


PS: For those of you who prefers steamy level, this one only has kisses :)






The ARC is provided by the author for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.