The Bull Years [Kindle Edition]

Phil Stern (Author)

Book Description

A Novel Of America's Most Disillusioned Generation

"I LOVED IT! Captivating from the first paragraph." Eileen, Kindle reviewer

"The Bull Years was exactly what I like - Realistic Contemporary Fiction." Cindy Vine, reviewer and author

"Phil Stern writes with an incredibly sharp wit." The Ink Puddle


THE BULL YEARS

For Steve, Sophia, Dave, and Brooke, life hasn't turned out as planned. Rather than easy fame and fortune, these happy-go-lucky teenagers of the 1980's found young adulthood a mystifying series of dead-end jobs, failed relationships, family scandal, and surging frustration.

Now approaching middle age, all they want is to reverse their gradual alienation from life and one another, reconnecting with their earlier, innocent selves.

But there's a catch. Before any of them can move forward, they must collectively confront that one outrageous night back in college that first drove them apart, revealing secrets potentially shattering everything they ever were.


THE REVIEWS KEEP POURING IN...

"From the very first line I was hooked. I kept turning the pages faster to finally find out what happened to drive these friends apart. It did not disappoint." Karen DeLabar, author and reviewer

"I would recommend it for anyone with a very dark sense of humor, or anyone who loves a story with strong characterization and a gritty edge." Lou Wellman of the UK Kindle Users Forum

"The views that these guys have about life are so inspiring that one is compelled to highlight them. Honestly, you don't feel like putting the book down! Once you start off, it sure is difficult to stop." The Readdicts

"I found it really well written and very funny." Alison, independent reviewer

If you've ever wondered why life is so much harder than you ever dreamed, the promised land always just out of reach, then The Bull Years is an experience not to be missed.
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Phil Stern is a former radio talk show host and commentator. The Bull Years is his first novel.

Product Details

• File Size: 571 KB
• Print Length: 335 pages
• Publisher: Phil Stern; 3rd edition (February 6, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004O0U34K
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,861 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Interesting Read From the Start October 31, 2011

By Karen DeLabar

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

From the very first line I was hooked, "At what point in life have you officially not made it?" Who hasn't asked themselves that question?

Phil Stern takes us into the lives of four very different people in "The Bull Years." Taking a writing assignment called "The Life Project" Steve Levine, and three friends, write down recollections and stories from their lives, all questioning what is success? What is it that makes you who you are? How do you "make it" in anything?

Stern did an impressive job of capturing four very different personas and voices. He didn't stray away from taboo subjects and he let his characters have real opinions, sometimes harsh, sometimes hard to read, but they were honest, flawed. Yes, there are teachers out there that don't like children and are not always pc with their choice of definitions. That's life. He captured reality.

The stories also revolved around one incident that happened at the tail end of college that was kept hidden until the end of the novel. I kept turning the pages faster to finally find out what happened to drive these friends a part. It did not disappoint.

Life is messy, life is cruel and life is confusing and not to sound too morbid, but no one gets out alive. We're all just here trying to figure things out; no one has a handle on it any more than the next person. Stern proves that with his novel.

My only problem with the book was as the story progressed I found grammatical errors that could have easily been fixed. The errors became frequent towards the end and at one point took me out of the story. Luckily the story was so good I quickly fell back in step with it.

The epilogue was an interesting twist so I won't go into detail about it here, you'll have to read it to find out how. But I thought it was very creative of Stern to end the novel on such a note because after all, writing anything down is subject for future study.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Superfluous character September 12, 2012

By RoofingPrincess

Format:Kindle Edition

Why on earth did the author insert the character of Hayley Sykes into an otherwise great novel?
The interconnection of all of the other narratives is so rich. Those characters share a common past. Sykes is much younger than the prinipal character, just happens to live in his bilding, and is incredibly shallow and offensive.
The author does a great job of teasing us along throughot he book, wondering what happened to these college chums to drive them all apart.
One of the best reads I've picked up on Amazon for Kindle, although it does suffer slightly from the issue I've found with many works there: the inability to distinguish between the plural and the possessive, particularly when referring to couples or families.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bull Years February 19, 2012

By Jordan Butcher

Format:Kindle Edition

The Bull Years, a novel by Phil Stern, explores the lives of four friends who grew up together, and grew apart alone. The story unfolds from all four points of view, talking about how real life operates, and how everything isn't always quite how you expected it to be.

I feel like I was in an interesting position to read this novel. Primarily, it is about 40-somethings reflecting on their 20's. I'm the guy in his 20's, reading and hoping I'll never have to have these same conversations with myself.

The Bull Years is good. Not because of how it unfolds, or how it is written, but because of what it is. It's an honest, brutal, no holds barred look at the American Dream and the people who live it day in and day out. It's a book that really makes you consider what you've done in the world, or, like me, makes you contemplate what you want to do.

Phil Stern writes with a quick tongue and incredibly sharp wit, which is what makes passages like the one above (highlighted on my kindle now just so I can revisit it) such a joy to read. The book isn't strictly abrasive, as it often finds time to make comments on our social status, to the point that I'm laughing because I feel like I'm people watching anywhere around my town. And that, I think is what Phil does best. He takes a writing style with so much satirical tone, and brings it to topics and stories and things that are universally relatable. You genuinely feel for these characters, which is vital for the story to matter.

As far as the full story goes, I won't spoil it. It's available everywhere, and I would STRONGLY suggest you pick it up if my review has left you with even an inkling of interest. I'm sure you'll love it. I know I did.

More About the Author

Phil Stern is the author of both Contemporary and Science Fiction.

The Cross-Worlds Coven series chronicles the adventures of Tiffany Smith, an Earth-based sorceress trying to juxtapose her own morality with the less savory aspects of coven life. The third book is due for release in August of 2013, with Earth Fire, the second installment, recently published in April.

Stern is also the author of the Aydian Series. Fans can look for the second book, the sequel to Aydia, in January of 2014.

Rogue Powers, The Reclaimed, and A Time For Ryda are other Science Fiction titles now available on Kindle.

His debut novel, The Bull Years, was published in 2011. A hard-hitting commentary on both the frustrations and ultimate validation of modern-day life, The Bull Years follows the lives of four people throughout the late 80′s, 90′s, and into the 21st century, directly addressing the gradual alienation and disconnection often experienced during young adulthood.

"I wanted to write about characters everyone could relate to," Stern says. "We've all had our ups and downs. I think people sometimes feel everyone else has experienced more success than they have, or are more firmly grounded in our world than they could ever be. My hope is that everyone will recognize a little part of themselves in Steve, Sophia, Dave, and Brooke."

For more information, feel free to visit www.philstern.com, or the Phil Stern Author Page on Facebook.