You Are Not Me ('90s Coming of Age Book 2)
After a tumultuous final year of high school, Peter Mandel needs a break. It's the summer of 1991, and his secret relationship with his ‘best friend’ Adam Algedi is put on hold as Adam goes away to Italy for the summer. On the cusp of adulthood, Peter has a couple of months to explore who he is without Adam at his side.
Enter Daniel McPeak, a slightly older, out, responsible college guy with a posse of gay friends and an attraction for Peter. Drawn into the brave new world of the local gay club, Peter embarks on a whirlwind of experiences—good and bad—which culminate in a hotel room where he has to make the ultimate choice.
But Adam will come back eventually, and there are promises that have to be kept. As autumn draws near and college awaits, can Peter break free of the binds of twisted first love? And what exactly is Daniel's role in his life - a brief temptation, or something more?
Join Peter in the second book of this four-part coming of age series as he struggles to love and be loved, and grow into a gay man worthy of his own respect.
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This new series by Leta Blake is gay fiction with romantic elements.
Book 2 of 2
Length: 100,000 words, 328 pages
These books contain aspects of: New Adult fiction, ‘90s gay life, small city homosexual experiences, Southern biases, sexual exploration, romance, homophobia, bisexuality, and twisted-up young love.
Reviews (31)
Unbelievably Poignant!!
When I finally set off to read this second book , knowing how devastatingly beautiful the first one was I knew I was going to be in for another nostalgic and heart tugging story that all at once comforted and scared me but ultimately had my heart ripped and sewn back up if left a bit broken. And I loved every precious word I read and easily felt at home continuing on with Peter's journey through love, heart break , hope and all the trappings I remember and might have gone through myself coming out gay myself in the late 80's and early 90's at 18 yrs old. I hope for Adam to find himself, I mourn for Peter's heartbreak, and see so much light and love with Daniel. Peter unbeknown to himself I think is becoming a more self assured and openly proud gay man even when he seems to think he is failing .Through his honest hope and desire to be true to his words and giving Adam all the chance in the world to see what is really right in front of him, yet he is so deeply in denial and living in shame of himself. Peter documenting his life with photos that I assume later in his life he can look back on and I hope in fondness is one of the real magic moments captured throughout the story. Daniel and Peter's relationship is so tender and full of love that I hope it's something that last through their lifetime however the ultimate end of this fantastic series ends. I truly love reading these books.
4,5 stars rounded up
This is the second book in the series. I've read it right after Pictures of You because I was so curious about Peter's journey. As much as I loved the first book, I was still furious with Adam, but also with Peter's inability to let Adam go. "Young twisted love" doesn't even cover it!!! I know there are many readers who love Adam and defend him. But I can't feel sorry for him. Of course Peter is to blame too... but I'm so furious with the unfairness!! In the '90s people were so scared to come out. What am I saying here?! Ugh! Right now gay people still struggle to come out and gay marriage is legal... Anyway, this series is supposed to have 4 books and only 2 are released until now 😔 I haven't seen any info about the next book 😢 Hopefully I won't forget about Peter and Daniel until then 😭 P.S. I so want Peter to end up with Daniel and not Adam 😈😛😁
I Need 10,000 Stars for this book
This book is like reading a Haruki Murakami novel: the symbolic way each action affects the story and the seemingly unimportant things that make the story a sea to drown in, breath it in until you can’t feel anything but the words, emotions and characters in it. This book left me gasping for air, feeling love and pride in Peter, Daniel and the future I believe they can build for themselves. This is the type of book I love most but am also scared of, because I know it will break me. Then please, let me be broken, because it was the best pain I felt in a long while. To me, the real appeal in this book was Peter- in all his wreaked confused uncertainties and bad choices. There is something so achingly human about him, fumbling and undecided as he is, that just breaks your heart at the same time it gives you an almost unbearable sense of hope. Peter embodies every youthful hope, romantic notion and brutal failure of youth (and reminds me of my own) in a whirlwind of first experiences and self-discovery. You truly want Peter to make the right choice, are devastated at times when he doesn’t, but can’t hate him or blame him for choosing them. The complexity of emotion Leta wove into this story is masterful and ingenious and each character has a world of feelings. Even the ones we don’t see much, like friends from Peter’s high school, shine when they appear even for a short time. This book is a complete story, there is no unnecessary detail, no missing plot-line, every word is right where it should be. The writing is beautiful, compelling, an art form, Peter’s world is constructed of the pictures he takes, of how he views it through the lens and filters. It’s a magnificent world, hurtful and cruel, yet sweet and romantic. The 1991 Leta describes is so familiar and yet far away, I keep thinking “oh, they didn’t have cell phones then” or reminiscing about some long forgotten small detail about daily life then. All these make the story that much better, you truly feel like you are growing up with Peter, hurting and loving with him in the ups and downs of his disappointments and yearnings. The love in these books is the twisted, non-fairytale variety and its as complex and changeable as the many ways Peter can capture a subject with his camera. The summer between high school and collage is a time for him to get to know himself, but will he find a man he can like, or even love, within? His journey is hard and sad, I spent one night crying myself to sleep while reading but was still always hopeful that it will be better, that he can break free from Adam and find a way to be a man he can love. The new characters are all unique, strange and lovable: Windy, Minty, Daniel and so much more. Every single person in this story grew in the sequel, even the ones you hate and want to disappear into a black hole, and it’s a beautiful thing to behold. Peter’s parents became a support in his life, unwanted at times as it may be, and he learns an important lesson: by letting go of loved ones even when it hurts us the most we can grow into people we can be proud of. I wish I had the chance to buy this book for every friend I have, because I feel like every adult reader need to red it.
Masterfully told, excellently crafted, will leave you begging for book three.
A masterful follow-on to Book One. The cast of characters widens, and we meet new characters, such as Daniel, undergoing transformation. Characters already in the mix, such as Renee and Adam, are highlighted for continued transformation. Perhaps Renee is not transformed, but our view of her certainly is, which may be just as important. We learn about many characters' relationships with Peter; their views of him, and interactions with him, help inform our understanding of the narrator. Peter's mother undergoes change, and we gain more understanding of her than we had from the first book. Adam's transformation from doubtful to confirmed scuzzball abuser is complete. In addition to coming-of-age tales, I am addicted to ensemble stories, in which there may be a central character or narrator, but the ensemble itself acts as character, illuminating the story line, and dimming the spotlight on the main character from time to time. Ensemble stories require not just enormous talent, but also finely-honed skills in the crafts of writing and story-telling. Few authors try to write ensemble stories, because they are exceedingly difficult to write, and management of plot arcs and sub-plots fails without an expert's touch. Another stumbling block to writing ensemble stories is ensuring that every character has a place, a purpose and an identity. I cannot identify a single character, regardless of how small a role, who does not meet these requirements. Read book one, Photos of You, first. You might as well order this second book, You Are Not Me, at the same time. If you admire writing at its finest, and love well-told stories, I promise you'll want to read the second book as soon as you've finished the first. Ms. Blake is prolific and busy, and I'm at wits' end trying to come up with an incentive for her to write Book Three. I might have to reconsider the "Kidnap and Dungeon" scheme.
I encourage everyone to please read this novel
I love this book; there's no better way to describe it, just that I simply do. I didn't think I'd 100% love it after reading the roller coaster love of Peter and Adam in the first novel of the series, but this one made me want to read more. I just can't help but get feels every time Daniel is mentioned in this. He's a solid dude. Adam is in need of some character development, but there are 2 more books left and I'm sure his day will come, but even if it does, I don't think he should be with Peter. I won't write any spoilers but I'm glad that Peter's character got some growth about his relationships on not only how he treats people and also how he should be treated. I'm happy to see some improvement with his parents, too. Their scenes in this were well-written, actually, the entire novel is well-written, as if Peter himself were a real person who wrote out his feelings to share with the world. That's pretty difficult to pull of with a first person novel these days, but Leta Blake does it so well, you that anyone besides Peter wrote it until you get to the end and realize, "Wait, Peter's a fictional character," even if he does feel like a close friend. Leta's a terrific writer. I get lost in her books, completely absorbed. Hadn't been so ready to read the next installment of a series in a long time and I'm psyched for the 3rd and 4th installments. Also, after reading Leta Blake's website, I encourage anyone who's reading this to check it out. Every author deserves a chance to finish what they've started and this series needs love and support! It also deserves more reviews and I wish more people would take the time to leave great authors like this more encouragement.
Great Read - Beautiful story
As with Pictures Of You, the first book in this series, I loved "You Are Not Me" just as much. This book is wonderful, beautiful and heart wrenching. Peter has definitely matured even though he's still finding his way around the world. I was so excited to meet new characters and Minty, Windy and Antonio were awesome and I hope they continue in the series. Robert/Renee and Barry still have Peter's back and I adore their loyalty to him. As with the first book, this story is bittersweet and at times, I want to shake Peter by the shoulders and tell him to wake up! I know deep down Adam loves Peter with everything he has but it's just not enough. Daniel has my heart, he's a stand up guy with his family and friends and I hope he becomes a permanent fixture in Peters life (in the next books). The 90's were not an easy decade for the LGBT and we lost so many good people, this book is a tribute to the ones who didn't make it. Leta, all your characters become my friends and I miss them when I get to the end of your books ! Looking forward to continuing my journey with Peter !
Cannot recommend enough!
This second book of the series is even better than the first. Peter has become one of my favorite fictional characters, although it's easy to forget it's fiction. I'm happy with the way it ended, I let myself imagine a HEA, but since I know there are two more books to go, and to wait on, I'm eager to see where this talented author takes this story. I know how I want it to go, but I'm not saying, because spoilers. You'll want to read book one (Pictures of You) first, but these two books will not disappoint.
Drama is Peter's middle name
This series keeps you right on the edge of wanting to throw the book at the wall and curling up in a ball and sob. I suspected Adam may not be the greatest guy, and in this book we get to know Adam a little better. As for Peter, he's not the greatest guy either, but he becoming his own man. Well on his way to greatness. As for Daniel, he claims to be flawed. I'm not so sure. Brilliantly written. After every scene at the club I felt like I had take a shower to rinse off the grime. Even watching Peter's mom evolve to her current state. The scene at the vets was very "too soon" for me. Bring on book three! 5.0 for Moon Pies and Jolly Zimas.
Such a good series!!
I love this series! This is a great second installment that shows Peter finally becoming the gay man he wants to be. I loved the scenes with Bobby and the glimpse of living with AIDS in the 90's. I like that he found some gay friends and they are all teaching him something different. I also hope Adam learns to live his truth and becomes a better man than what he looks right now. I can't wait to read the next book and see how this develops!
Fantastic story!
Great sequel to Pictures of You. An excellent and entertaining story
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