review of everything, somewhere by David Kummer

Overview.

I was delighted to receive a review copy of the latest book by this talented young author. David Kummar has written mainly in the Horror genre up until now, but this book is very different. It is a coming of age story, but that does not tell us very much about it.
There are three teens in the book. Best friends.

Hudson is a troubled character. He is the only child of a couple struggling to make ends meet. His father has a job in one of the local factories, at the same time farming their small-holding. Hudson wants to leave the small town of Little Rush. At least that’s what he says. He also has thoughts of suicide, although he is unsure if he wants to do it or not.

Mason is his friend and the son of one of the rich property owners in the town. His ambition is to remain in the town and to take over his father’s business. A typical rich teen, the relationship between him and Hudson is somewhat difficult at times.

Willow is Mason’s girlfriend. She is beautiful, but from a broken home. Her parents live separately in the poorer parts of the town. She also wants to leave Little Rush as soon as she can.

The three get up to the usual kind of things teens will do, drinking and smoking and generally being a nuisance.

Their life changes when a popular film star decides to retire to the town. Everyone is excited, but is he all he seems?

Blurb

Little Rush is a sleepy town on the Ohio River. Bruce Michaels is a renowned Hollywood actor. The two should never cross paths, yet one summer everything changes. The actor, haunted by demons, chasing a ghost. The town, unaware. Until the two collide.

Hudson, Willow, and Mason are high school seniors with very different upbringings, but all on the verge of adulthood. As the sun sets on their final summer, questions abound. Will they ever leave the town? Is there a future here? As their plans waver, time is running out.

The struggle of mental illness.

As he loses his friends and sinks deeper into depression, Hudson forms an unlikely bond with the actor, Bruce Michaels. But the old man is a ticking time bomb. As Hudson relies on him more, the danger to them both grows.

When dark secrets are revealed, Hudson must confront the truth about his idol and himself. Bruce Michaels isn’t who he seems. Hudson is nearly lost. And in the end, they may be more similar than different.

The search for meaning.

Different paths, converging in a web of alcohol, fights, and romance. Worlds collide one summer in Anywhere, USA. The question is who will make it through.

EVERYTHING, SOMEWHERE is an ambitious, sprawling look at the stories, people, and places forming the nuanced landscape of rural America.

Characters

David Kummer has researched his topic well and shown us the despair of people suffering from mental illness.

The characters are all believable and real, with very human frailties. For such a young writer, he has empathised with them extremely well.

Michaels is tormented, as is Hudson, for different reasons. What is the secret Michaels conceals? The budding relationship between the old man and the young one is very real. Michaels can see himself in Hudson, and their conversations seem to be a help to the young man, but what will happen when Michael’s secret finally comes out?

Mason is a typical rich kid on the surface, but he has hidden depth. How can he keep the woman he loves from leaving the town? Will he have to give up his own wishes and go with her?

Willow is a confused young woman who desperately wants to leave the town, but not the one she loves. How can she reconcile her dilemma?
The other characters, I hesitate to say ‘lesser’ as they all play an important role are also fully formed. There is an unlikely friendship between Mason’s father and Hudson’s father. Two very different characters.

Writing

On the whole, the writing is good. One thing that I did find slightly jarring with is Kummer’s use of the word ‘just’. He does use it a lot, but that’s not a major problem. Many people wont notice it as it’s the way so many speak.

I had a clear picture of the town in my head from the way Kummer has described the town and its surroundings.

Conclusion

An excellent read. I found myself anxious to get back to it whenever I had to stop reading for whatever reason. The story is one that lingers in your head long after you’ve finished reading it. Well worth the money spent on a purchase.
I give it 5*.

The book came out on April 25th.

If you liked this review, please consider leaving a comment in the comments box.

An Interview with Author David Kummer,

Last week I published my review of David Kummer’s book, Until We Burn. This week, I have the pleasure of introducing you to David.

David is a promising young author, who has already published quite a number of books. He is one to watch for the future.His books are generally in the fantasy or horror genres.

Welcome to Dragons Rule OK, David.

 

1. What is the first book you remember either reading or having read to you?

One of the first books I remember my dad reading to me is C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series. He would read two or three chapters a night, and we zoomed through all the books. I really enjoyed those, and still do, as well as the memories it brings.

2. Who is your favourite author?

My favorite author is Mark Edwards

3. What is your favourite book?

Probably “The Magpies” by Mark Edwards. It was surprising and I read it in two days.

5. Apart from writing, what is the thing you enjoy doing the most?

I play basketball quite a lot, and work. See below.

6. If you weren’t a writer, what job would you do?

I want to be an English teacher once I get out of college, probably for middle school or high school.

7. If you have a “proper” job, what is it?

I do landscaping. And most of the time the heat index is well over 100 degrees, so that’s fun.
8. Why do you write?

Honestly, I just enjoy it and it’s something that’s now a part of my everyday life. I’m so immersed in it, I don’t think I could separate without losing a part of myself.

9. How old were you when you published your first book?

I was 15 years old, but 14 when I wrote it.

10. Do you write to music? If so, what music inspires you?

Occasionally, I will listen to soundtracks while writing. But when I’m not writing, I’m constantly listening to music. I prefer Alt-Rock, and my favorite bands are the Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, and lately Arcade Fire. Also, Twenty One Pilots, who I saw in concert back when they were still a tiny band with no fans.

11. A question I can’t answer, myself. Where do you get your ideas from?

Most often, I get them from a setting I see. I’ve had one short story come from a dream. Usually, I’ll be in a situation and think “What if this terrible thing happened?” so then it does in my story.

12. Do you have any pets?

My family has two dogs, but at one time we had four. Also, two cats.
13. Are you a dog or a cat person?

Dog

14. When you go out to eat, what type of food do you prefer?

I like Chinese, or buffalo wings.

15. Do you prefer the city or the country?

I prefer small towns, like Hanover, Indiana where I live. Somewhere in between the country and the city.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know you better, David.
You can contact David on the following links.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014606114521

My blog- http://davidkummer.com/

 

Newsletter- http://eepurl.com/bPgy4n

 

Goodreads Account- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14106755.David_Duane_Kummer

 

 

Blurb:

Cyrus Street never forgot about his home. It was always in the back of his mind, with the memories, the nightmares. Alluring, always pulling him back. There were so many questions unanswered. Something he left behind.

When he finally returns, he’s drawn back into a world even worse than he remembers. Werifesteria, with its dark secrets and murky past, never changed. It remains a cesspool, a danger. There’s something about the town unnerving, yet enticing. It isn’t normal. It isn’t sane.

As soon as Cyrus steps back into it, the murders begin. He’s the only one can catch this madman, if he can only control his mind.

Everybody remembers the fire. Everybody remembers him. But there’s a darkness he’s buried inside his own head. And unless he can remember, the entire town will burn.

 

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Until-We-Burn-Psychological-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07CXL1RSC

 

 

Review of Until We Burn by David Kummer

 

 

Cyrus Street returns to the town where he grew up. He returns to try to solve a mystery that had ruined his life.

15 years previously, the church in the town had burned down, killing, amongst many others, Cyrus’s young son. The fire had been arson, and he wants to find out who did it.

Helped by a young man from the town, he sets about trying to find clues as to the perpetrator of the crime. This becomes more important as murders begin to take place in the town, seemingly of people who were witnesses. Cyrus’s probing has worried someone.

David Kummer is a very talented young author. I found I couldn’t put the book down once I’d started it. He manages to grip the author and carry them along with him. It is a dark story, described as ‘psychological horror’, and I would go along with that description.

David Kummer has an insight into character unusual for one so young. His characters are real, and have both flaws and virtues. We find ourselves sympathising readily with them.

The ending is surprising. I thought I’d guessed the perpetrator, but I was wrong.

If I have a fault to find, it’s that at the end, we know who, but not why. There are also a couple of places in the book I was unsure about what had happened, but this did not spoil my overall enjoyment.

This is a young man to watch.

 

I gave it 4 stars on Amazon

 

A Visit from David Kummar

David Kummar is the author of a number of books, including the War of Enden series, which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed.

Welcome to my blog, David. I believe you have a new book out, called My Abigail. Please tell us something about it.

 

“She would always be my Abigail.”
It was always about Abigail, for me. The book is called My Abigail, the major plot twist has to do
with Abigail, and the character I was reduced to tears over was Abigail. Trust me, I cried
countless times writing this book.
So, why is the main character named Caleb? Let me explain this book.
Caleb is a teenager, who lives in a small rivertown. He isn’t the cool type of teenager. He’s
lonely, angry, moody, unhappy, and doesn’t really have any friends. Not one. So when he meets
Abigail, who is as kind as she is beautiful, the two mesh pretty well. After all, what choice did
Caleb have, unless he wanted his high schools years to -as the kids say- suck?
Around the same time, he meets Xavier, a nerd who he’s heard all about but never met. They
become friends as well. Then there’s Ayva, the little girl his mom babysits. She’s creepy… really
creepy… but nice enough. They get along, and for Caleb it’s like having the responsibility of
being a big brother.
Things turn dark, as things tend to do. Abigail has her secrets. Xavier isn’t who he says. Ayva
continues to act stranger and stranger. And Damian, the shadowy figure on the street who
haunts Caleb’s nights, threatens to reveal everything.
Never before has the saying “ignorance is bliss” been more true. Because when Caleb finds out
exactly what’s going on with Abigail, he wishes he never had. He wishes he had never met the
perfect girl turned monster.
What’s that secret? I can’t tell you that. I can assure you, however, that it’s something you’ve
not seen before and you won’t expect coming. Don’t take my word for it. The reviews on
Amazon say the same thing.
I could talk about lots of things in regard to this book, and I might in the future. I could talk about
the music I listened to, or the time it took me to write it, or the usual day and how typing fit into
my schedule. But I can talk about those later. What I want to let you know is what my purpose
was for this book, and how it became the most important book of mine.
First of all, I wanted to win an award and become a millionaire. Nah, I’m just kidding. That wasn’t
even on the plan, and probably never will be.
For me, this book wasn’t really about making money (haven’t done that) or shocking people out
of their socks (hopefully did that). It was about writing something worth reading, and something
unique.
This book is scary, sure. It’s definitely emotional, what most would call sad. But overall, my hope
is that it’s original. Because just like the title character, this book has its secrets. It has its dark
moments. It had its happy ones. And in the end, it has Abigail.

Thank you David. It certainly sounds a fascinating book.

If you have enjoyed this introduction to David’s book, please leave a comment below.