Review of You Were Always There
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Review of You Were Always There
In this book, Stephen Russell Payne wrote a heart-touching story about Luke Simms and Sarah Clement. Luke, a young countryside boy with a draft from the military hanging over his head, fell in love with Sarah, a beautiful girl from Washington, D.C., who turned out to be a federal judge's only daughter. What was presumed to be just a summer romance turned out to be much more. Despite the difference in their worlds, Luke and Sarah loved each other wholeheartedly. Judge Clement tried to separate them because he wanted a better life for his daughter. However, it would take more than just that to separate soulmates.
After he was drafted into the Army to fight in Vietnam, Luke lost touch with Sarah, and at that period, he also lost his mother and Jimmy, his best friend. He felt Sarah had abandoned him, and he stopped writing to her. What can he do when he returns home to discover that she has accepted the proposal of another young man? Will their love live through these tribulations? You Were Always There by Stephen Russell Payne has all the answers.
The author's diction was impeccable, and he used perfect imagery in this story. The characterisation in this book is applaudable. I loved that the author's work was original. It had this uniqueness to it, setting it apart from other similar stories. I also loved the perfect portrayal of the contrast between life in the city and life in the countryside without demeaning any of them. I loved that the author used this story to show the adverse effects of war on civilian victims but, most importantly, on the soldiers and their loved ones. The editing was exceptionally done as well. There were no grammatical errors or unnecessary mistakes in the book.
There is not much to criticise about You Were Always There except that the technicality, especially during the description of the induction and the war, will be difficult for readers who are not in tune with topics of that nature to understand. It could have been better explained, or rather, simpler words could have been used.
You Were Always There by Stephen Russell Payne deserves a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Not only is it an intriguing read, but it also calls out the negativity of war, which is a big plus for me. The technicality I complained about isn't enough reason to deduct a star from this book.
I recommend this book to lovers of coming-of-age romance fiction. They are the perfect audience for it, and they will enjoy it as much as I did.
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You Were Always There
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