Lock & West

By: Alexander C. Eberhart

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Note to self: Just don't be weird.

Lock is awkward. He can't make eye contact, counts when he's nervous, and has to remind himself several times a day how "normal" teens behave. Homeschooled most of his life, he's resigned himself to a friendless existence at his new Atlanta high school. Until he meets West.

List of reasons why my life is a mess: How much time do you have?

West has everything. Looks. Talent. Money. And secrets...so many secrets. Beneath the surface of West's perfect existence is a pain he's buried so deep a million therapists couldn't unearth it, and he's determined to keep it that way. He's an actor. He can act normal. But then there's Lock.

Sometimes two wrongs can be right.

They don't fit. Their lives are equal but opposite disasters, and the universe just keeps throwing obstacles in their path. Every time they are together, they find it harder to say good-bye, harder to keep their secrets, harder not to lean on each other. But for this relationship to have a fighting chance, the two must stop trying to rewrite the past and start figuring out how to build a future...together.

Contains mature themes.

©2019 Alexander C. Eberhart (P)2020 Tantor

Warning, very heavy

was a good book overall but could have been better. it is a gay romance but it's more about the things that the two characters are going though in their lives separately than their romance. and those things are really heavy.

So human, it hurts in the best ways

I don't often write reviews, but this book was so beautiful I had to say something. Lock and West, two humans trying to survive in this cruel real world. Two boys from from different worlds struggling and thriving with weights so heavy any regular person would crack under immediately. This is my second novel by this author, and I'm amazed and floored a second time. Joel Leslie is amazing as always, every inch of humanity brought to life in his narration. I finished this novel right in time for Christmas, and it's perfection. You'll laugh, you'll cry, your breath with catch and be lost. The support of family and friends in our hardest times, the loss of family, the give and take of innocence, we're all going though something, everyone of us. This book is for everyone who can't catch a break. Thank you Alexander, I didn't know how much I needed this book.

Absolutely wonderful coming of age book!

I so rarely see books featuring someone on the spectrum done is such an unapologetic way that it warms my heart. The MCs are beautiful! They feel so genuine and real! As a queer mixed kid on the spectrum who grew up in the south without a father and my aunt as a second mother - I felt hella seen! The narrator did amazing voices for all the characters and you could really feel the sweet iced tea. Several hard topics were covered and I was in tears more than once, but these are issues that are real and people face them everyday. I'm glad they weren't shied away from. All in all, I highly recommend this book!

A nice surprise

I jumped into Lock & West completely blind. Initially, I thought it would be a stock YA romance. What I got instead was a surprisingly deep story about trauma, loss, abuse, and learning to trust and love again. While I bristle at all of the criticism Heartstoppers gets, I think that Lock & West is the kind of story I wish I had as a teen.

It's all about West

Great story and the reader, Joel, gives it life. I fell so hard for West. Most definitely my favorite. I ordered the physical book cause I need this in my collection.

So many feels!

What a wonderful story! Once I started listening, I couldn’t stop listened to the entire in one sitting. A beautiful and heartbreaking love story through the eyes of teens. as always Joel Leslie’s narration is everything.

Intense but so worth it

Not for the faint of heart. This book deals with some very heavy issues. My heart broke for these guys and what they had to live through, but they made it and that's all any of us can do. The story and relationships are so well written, touching and REAL. Definitely a hard won happy ending, with love, laughter, tears, snark and all the feels. The narration is spot on and full of the south!

Not what you expect be aware

This book is really tough. It’s great don’t get me wrong. It’s well written the characters are compelling and I found it generally engaging. I just wasn’t expecting how intense this book is. When it says mature content as a warning it’s talking about rape, depression, abuse, eating disorders and dismissed differently abled ability to function as an adult. The relationship between the two main characters is secondary to everything else. I would say it takes up between 5-10% of the total books contents. The rest is about their own personal struggles. So if you’re looking for a happy YA book and a romance the only trope you’re gonna get is a HFN. Of course Joel Lesley was brilliant. He did make a high school Jewish white girl sound like a 30 year old black woman with sass not bad just a little jarring.

Not for the feint of heart

I’m 27 years old and this book for a YA book really brought me to my knees with its depictions of mature content. It’s a good read. Pleasantly surprised.

Thanks god the author dared to address something worth a plot line rather than cheap romantic boys love plot/ comedy out plot.

It’s slower than your usual gay romance story, yet the characters are actually believable.

Backgrounds actually constructed characteristics. And those characteristics expressing through daily habits. All consistent. It is basic but the bar for gay romance so low that this one stood out.

There’s actually more worth writing story line emerging towards the middle of the story rather than just boys romance.