All Over Him: The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett [Paperback]

Ronald L. Donaghe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2003

When Will and Lance decide to separate for two years while Lance goes to art school in San Francisco and Will moves to Austin, Texas, to attend university there, neither of them can imagine the powerful temptations that await them in each city. Lance moves in the lofty circles of artists and actors, while Will fights lingering temptations of his own, sharing an apartment with his beloved and beautiful Uncle Sean. Both young men stand at a crossroads and must decide if the love they have shared was merely a teen romance or the real thing.

"With the third book in The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett, we see once again why best-selling author Ronald L. Donaghe garners praise and respect from so many other authors, from Patricia Nell Warren to some of the undiscovered writers that he has encouraged. This touching gay romance brings Will's journey into a college setting, using his experiences to examine gay history and the problems that sometimes plague our organizations and our relationships. I feel that this could be an important novel not only in itself but also in getting young gay readers interested in gay history and the work that other gays did to make the world better for them. Furthermore, it explores the barriers and possibilities of a loving, lifetime commitment between two people who happen to belong to the same gender."
-Duane Simolke, author of The Acorn Stories and the sci-fi thriller Degranon

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ronald L. Donaghe is the author of several novels, including those in the series: Common Threads in the Life (which includes the best-selling COMMON SONS), the series: The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett, which includes UNCLE SEAN, LANCE, and this book. In addition, the first book in his fantasy trilogy was published in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (February 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595269141
• ISBN-13: 978-0595269143
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,486,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good News: The Saga Continues, March 7, 2003

By 

Rob Calkins (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All Over Him: The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett (Paperback)

The Journals of Will Barnett - "Uncle Sean", "Lance" and now "All Over Him" - make a wonderful series. In "Uncle Sean" we meet Will at age 14 when he untangles those mysterious feelings that lead to the understanding of being gay. In "Lance", Will meets the love of his life. Now, in "All Over Him", Will and Lance's love for each other is tested as they go off to college and experience being apart from each other.

As a fan of the first two books, I was happy when the third book was published. I wanted to learn what happens to Will and Lance. Writing a love story about two guys eighteen hundred miles apart is a particular challenge. Donaghe is certainly up to the task as he addresses separation, temptation and reunion of these two great characters.

Set primarily in Austin, Will lives with Uncle Sean as he attends the University of Texas. Austin's a great setting. Moving from a small town in the desert of New Mexico, we meet a variety of gay characters, good, bad and indifferent as Will is exposed to the bigger world and the temptations and complexities that it offers.

Off in San Francisco, Lance continues to develop as an artist. It would be nice to know more of what he's going through but, unfortunately, you can't be in two places at once. Donaghe does do a good job of keeping him an integral part of the story but it's primarily in letters or over the phone. I'd hate to have their long distance bills!

I especially liked meeting up with Sean again. He's as appealing now as he was in the first book. It's gratifying to see Will and Uncle Sean come to terms with their feelings for each other. Sean also confronts his own wounds and Will's amusing attempts to find him a partner.

"All Over Him" is a more mature book than the first two. It addresses the realities and complexities of maintaining a relationship. While I confess some disappointment that it moves away from the unabashed romanticism of the earlier books, Donaghe is still a romantic. Like the rest of us, Will and Lance have to grow up. Donaghe's major themes of love and family hold the book on course. And the endings for Sean, Will and Lance are rewarding. It makes you want to write Donaghe and beg for a fourth book in this superb series.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More complex, closing the series for now., July 19, 2003

By 

Duane Simolke "author, The Acorn Stories, Deg... (Lubbock, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All Over Him: The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett (Paperback)

While the first two books in The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett focused on young gay love in an anti-gay setting, this longer, more complex installment uses that relationship to explore the difficulties of lasting gay relationships and the challenges of a growing gay civil rights movement. Setting the book in Austin and San Francisco during the 1970s gives author Ronald L. Donaghe many opportunities to examine those changing times, while still keeping the focus on Will and Lance.

The young lovers now find themselves split between those two cities, because of college and life-long ambitions. As with any long-distance relationship, theirs becomes tested in many ways. However, unlike their heterosexual counterparts, they lack role models for their relationship, since even Will's beloved Uncle Sean has not maintained the lasting love he sought.

This book's epilog closes the journals out for now, with Donaghe giving some clever winks and nods to his many loyal readers. We know we can expect at least one more visit with Will and Lance, and that we can expect many more unforgettable characters from the ever-creative mind of Ronald L. Donaghe.

-Duane Simolke, author of The Acorn Stories and Degranon

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling! A series with a soul!, May 4, 2003

By 

R.Parklane (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: All Over Him: The Continuing Journals of Will Barnett (Paperback)

Donaghe gets better and better. "All Over Him" is a worthy addition to this lovely series. Here we find Will and Lance trying to stay true to each other though separated by distance. Of course this is not easy. Thrown into a different environment, each young man has to overcome temptation and desires which seems an impossible feat in the real world. But this is fiction, and should gives us hope that monogamy is possible.
Being a sentimental fool, I find myself screaming at Will to just drop everything and go to Lance. But I understand Donaghe's message. Will is only 19 and needs to sort out his feelings for his Uncle Sean, whom he loves since 14, and his husband, Lance. Uncle Sean's emotional search for one true love to spend his life with just tugs at my heart. I am glad he finally found Hank and Hanky Hank. The ending is satisfying but I hope Donaghe is not considering to end the series. All Over Him is one year in Will's life when he was 19. I am sure Will and Lance has much more to tell.