A Time Before Me

by Michael Holloway Perronne

Growing up in a small Mississippi town, shy and inexperienced Mason spends much of his time with his best friend and childhood crush, the charming and daring Billy. When a six-pack of beer leads to a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1583484639
• ISBN13: 9781583484630
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 188 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable, and extremely well written

To say the least I enjoyed this book tremendously. Not only for the story itself, but because of the creativity of the writing. The way the story was told it is as if I had stood next to these characters throughout their lives and lived with them through their journey. And it is a journey we all have faced at one time or another. I have become a fan of Mr. Perronne, and the way he made his creation become a treasured part of my collection of books. I can't wait to read more from this very talented writer. A job well done!

A Time Before Me

This is a great book. It is full of laughs and sadness all in one and keeps you to want to keep reading. I could not put it down it was that great.

Touching and engaging story

Coming-out and growing-up stories will perhaps never grow tiresome, as long as they're interesting. This one is about both growing up and coming out, but has a universal appeal beyond the typical coming-out story. Mason, from a small Mississippi town, is a shy teen with feelings for his best friend, Billy. Billy is a bold, clever guy that perhaps Mason would like to be-or just wants, period. Mason's boring summer changes when his Aunt Savannah suggests he come to New Orleans to visit for the summer. There Mason gets to know the vibrant French Quarter, and meets Joey, a good-looking and sweet companion. As his feelings for Billy re-emerge, Mason realizes he's got to think about his direction, and what his heart tells him. His aunt and a drag queen named Miss Althea help him through the perilous process of young love. A warm story of understanding the power of first love.

Insightful and moving story of growing up gay in the South

As a straight female from the midwest, I was not sure I could relate to a novel about growing up gay in the South, but Perronne does an amazing job of making you care about his protagonist, Mason. Universally, teenagers face the challenge of discovering who they are, but Perronne brings to life the special problems of a gay teenager. One of the things I liked best is that not only does Perronne deal with Mason's sexuality, but he also shows that many of Mason's concerns (whether to go to college, relating to his sibling, etc.) are those of every teenager. Perronne also does an excellent job of bringing to life the eighties era in the tale. I would not say the interest in this story is limited to gay people - it brings understanding about the tribulations of growing up gay, as well as simply being an engaging coming of age story.