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richardrbecker's review
5.0
As a rudderless teenager still smarting from the divorce of his parents after his father declared he liked men, Justin Bailey was primed to look up to the mechanic. Nick Campbell was strong, intelligent, and masculine — everything he wanted his father to be. The internship was a dream come true until tragedy turns adulation into a passive-agressive obsession.
While author Wayne Harrison's experience as an auto mechanic lends notable authenticity to the novel, it's his ability to convince readers to be sympathetic to Bailey that makes this novel so remarkable. By moving the story forward with objectively vivid detail and as an unreliable narrator, it's easy to become lost in the environment and accept one justification after another until agreeing with darkest of revelations.
While author Wayne Harrison's experience as an auto mechanic lends notable authenticity to the novel, it's his ability to convince readers to be sympathetic to Bailey that makes this novel so remarkable. By moving the story forward with objectively vivid detail and as an unreliable narrator, it's easy to become lost in the environment and accept one justification after another until agreeing with darkest of revelations.
jessicabeckett's review
5.0
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When I received an ARC of this novel my first initial thought was that I love the title of it and I love that it’s something different from what I usually buy or receive. I couldn’t wait to crack into it because the promising storyline was very present in my mind and it looked to be a fun and thoughtful read, which is everything we can ask for in a good story.
It didn’t disappoint me and I definitely recommend checking it out on its release date: July 15th 2014. The Spark and the Drive draws us in with love, tragedy and betrayal. It offers us a reminder of first loves, first real experiences of adulthood and the life and times of a young man (Justin) who is, like most teenagers, searching for something real in his life. And we see the light in this kids life as he gains experience with working side by side with one of the best mechanics.
Friendships bloom and romance falls into place. Broken homes are explored in depth. Decisions are made and hearts are broken — perhaps not in the way you’d think. And by the end of this novel, it will have destroyed you in the best of ways.
When I received an ARC of this novel my first initial thought was that I love the title of it and I love that it’s something different from what I usually buy or receive. I couldn’t wait to crack into it because the promising storyline was very present in my mind and it looked to be a fun and thoughtful read, which is everything we can ask for in a good story.
It didn’t disappoint me and I definitely recommend checking it out on its release date: July 15th 2014. The Spark and the Drive draws us in with love, tragedy and betrayal. It offers us a reminder of first loves, first real experiences of adulthood and the life and times of a young man (Justin) who is, like most teenagers, searching for something real in his life. And we see the light in this kids life as he gains experience with working side by side with one of the best mechanics.
Friendships bloom and romance falls into place. Broken homes are explored in depth. Decisions are made and hearts are broken — perhaps not in the way you’d think. And by the end of this novel, it will have destroyed you in the best of ways.
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