BLURB
There’s a single defining moment within every skater.
It lasts only a second. Two if you’re good.
Three if you’re really good.
It’s the moment you’re in the air, your board somewhere beneath you, and nothing but wind surrounds you.
It’s the feeling of being airborne.
The sixteen-year-old version of me would’ve said it was the greatest feeling in the world.
Then at seventeen, I had my son.
And every single second became a defining moment. Even the ones that consisted of heartbreak when his mother left us.
Seventeen. Single. Dad.
That’s what my life became.
Yet, every day, I managed to find that feeling of being airborne.
Or at least I convinced myself I did.
But I lied—to myself and to everyone around me.
Until she showed up; Tanned skin, raven dark hair, and eyes the color of emeralds.
You know what sucks about being in the air?
Coming down from the high.
Sometimes you land on the board and nail the trick.
Then kick, push, and coast away.
Other times you fall.
You fall hard.
And those are the times when it’s not as easy to get back up, dust off your pads and try again.
Especially when the girl with the emerald eyes becomes your drug…
And you become her poison.
I see you, Jay McLean!
I see your beautifully crafted, dynamic characters.
I see your story lines that leave readers with so many feels that they’ll be thinking about your words and the multiple messages they inspire for days after they’re finished reading.
I see how much you pour into your stories so that they becoming living, breathing parts of your soul that you willingly share with readers regardless of how scared you are to put yourself out there!
I see you, and I fire truckin love everything that you give to your readers through the words written on the pages and the characters created based on your ability to grasp what’s at the core of all human beings.
Josh is an enigma in Kick, Push. He sacrifices so much for his little boy, Tommy, and he does so effortlessly because he understands what needs to be done in order to be a dad.
Josh epitomizes the idea of Kick. Push. Coast, and with his help, at least for a stretch of time, he allows Becca to see past the darkness and just breathe.
Kick
It seems like life sometimes beats people down, forcing them to kick against it.
Josh became a father at 15 years old, turning his teenage years upside down and leading him now a path that he would never have chosen for himself. But he made a promise to protect and be there for his son at all costs, and he does it effortlessly kicking his way through his fears and worries.
Becca didn’t really know how to fight against her mistreatment, putting her in a situation where she had no choice but to give into the darkness that threatens to continually take her under. But then Josh shows her why it’s necessary to battle against it.
Push
There’s obstacles in life that people have to charge through, enabling them to continue to fight despite the desire to give up.
Most of the time, Josh is a formidable opponent against the crappy hand he’s been dealt, but there are times when it pushes back, and it says a lot about Josh because even when he is doing nothing but surviving, existing, he won’t allow the pain or the feelings of betrayal to consume him.
Becca finds the strength to push and move forward when Josh and Tommy surround her with love and support, but when she’s on her own, it becomes too much for her to bear, and she allows it to push her under, almost to the point where no one can help her.
Coast
That’s the ultimate goal in life – to work through the bullshit by kicking and pushing and then reap the benefits of the work by being able to breathe easy and soar.
Josh and Becca’s lives have not allowed them to sail through life at a leisurely pace – Josh because of becoming a teenage father and Becca due to the choices of others. But for a short time, they feel free to enjoy each other and their passions, giving them a sense of freedom and the ability to actually live for the here and now.
Kick. Push. Coast.
Three seemingly easy concepts to remember but three extremely difficult ideas to put into action.
The title of Josh and Becca’s story is a metaphor that extends throughout the entire text, allowing readers to understand that even though life is messy and some people have to deal with more than they should, if they can remain standing, fighting through the bumps and hills in life without giving up, they’ll find that gliding through life even for short amounts of time is worth the struggle.
Every reader needs to experience Kick, Push because it’s definitely an emotional and heartbreaking ride that teaches what sacrifice, family, and love/support really mean.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
5 poison apples
AUTHOR BIO
Jay McLean
Fairest Of All Book Reviews 