Review: A HUNDRED THOUSAND WORDS by Nyrae Dawn
Title: A Hundred Thousand Words
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Release date: October 27th, 2015
Pages: 300
Tobias Jackson grew up in Coburn, a town where the gay population equaled exactly one: him. Add that to the fact that his dream guy was his best friend's jerky older brother Levi Baxter, and it made hooking up virtually impossible.
Now home from college for winter break, Toby is a different person. He left Coburn for San Francisco, where he wasn't the lone gay guy and the only black kid in town. And yeah, he took advantage of what the city had to offer.
Apparently Toby isn’t the only one who’s changed. Levi’s not acting like the self-centered guy with all the answers that Toby remembers from growing up. Oh and Levi’s realized he's bisexual, which makes things a lot more interesting…
Heading back to college, Toby doesn’t expect to meet up with Levi again, despite him being in med school not far away. A surprise visit from Levi blows that assumption out of the water. As they spend more time together Toby sees Levi as more than just the fantasy. He’s complicated, unsure…he’s real. But if Toby can’t get out of the past and find the words he keeps locked inside himself, he’ll lose his chance at Levi for good.
Read this book people. Like you need it in your life, in your blood, in your bones to be honest. It's so sweet and romantic and real and raw. I related to it, You will relate to it. It's about college, decisions, family, loss, love, friendship. It's so real that you will feel you're inside the story with these characters. Nyrae Dawn made my night when I read this. It's definitely one of my favorite now.
Some things I adored (and you probably will too):
- Biracial, gay character. Toby is the MC and the one POV you read. He has been crushing on his best friend's brother for a long time, but sadly, Levi doesn't take notice of him and just treats him like a little kid. But then he returns from college (and this is where the story starts) and some things change *grins* Toby made me laugh so much. He also made me cry a bit (oops!). His story gets to you and you feel with him. My heart gave out a few times but Nyrae always knew what to do to get you back.
- Levi is bisexual and the sweetest guy ever. You'll fall madly in love with him. He is the older brother of Toby's best friend. So Toby always saw him as being unreachable. Levi is passing through some stuff at school and Toby is there to help him and tell him his truths. I think I related most to Levi because all his life he has been in the direction of being perfect. And when he gets to college he finds out that it isn't all there is to life. It's so great to see how these to are there for each other and whenever they need someone to talk, they can support one another.
- There is a sweet tone to the story. But it's also pretty sexy. If you love sexy/hot scenes in NA (and well-written ones!) A Hundred Thousand Words is just perfect for you. The friendship and relationship of Toby and Levi is amazing to see from the beginning. They're so comfortable with each other and they are so #married since the start to be honest. They act like they have been married for a while. It's my fave
- There's family dynamics. And friendship. First love and college. You'll read through the pages and when you get to the end, you'll want so much more.
Writing has always been Nyrae Dawn’s passion. Even when she was too busy chasing kids or working, writing stories was never far from her mind.She feels a special pull to characters in their teens. There’s something so fresh and fun about the age that she adores exploring. Her husband says it’s because she doesn’t want to grow up. She doesn’t think that’s such a bad thing. Luckily for her, he doesn’t either.
Nyrae gravitates toward character-driven stories. Whether reading or writing, she loves emotional journeys. It’s icing on the cake when she really feels something, but is able to laugh, too. She’s also a proud romantic at heart who has a soft spot for flawed characters. She loves people who aren’t perfect, who make mistakes but also have a big heart.
Nyrae resides in sunny Southern California with her husband (who still makes her swoon) and her two awesome kids.
When she’s not with her family, you can be pretty sure you’ll find her with a book in her hand or her laptop and an open document in front of her.
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