Title: The Hang Out Group: And the Creatures of the Garden
Author: Taylor J. Gase
Publisher: Book Vine Press
ISBN: 978-1955885492
Pages: 414
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington
Hollywood Book Reviews
If you are looking for an exciting and thrilling book about friendships, friend groups, adventure, wild experiences, and experimenting with life, then The Hang Out Group: And the Creatures of the Garden is the book for you. Author Taylor J. Gase chronicles the lives of a friend group, their happenings, schemes, dreams, objectives, strengths and weaknesses. We meet Parker, Derrick, Zack, Kyle, Logan, Jake, and Ezekiel, among others. These friends are intriguing to follow as they each have different personalities. Parker likes writing and is one of the great guys who displays kindness. Ezekiel can be a tad annoying but is still a necessary addition to the friend group. Zach was one of the modest characters, and Logan was one of the interesting to be with because of the random information he often spewed. Kyle and Derrick were also great friends, but not with strong personalities.
The author starts the book when the friends are on a camping trip. These friends, called the travelers, are bonding, experimenting with nature, and catching up. I like how easily the story starts with just a few friends who are having a good time. Taylor J. Gase’s book gets better with the narration as you begin to see the different dynamics in the friendships and what every traveler brings to the table. I like the vivid description used by the author in his writing, as the reader can picture the events at the camp and in every adventure that the friends go through. The diction in the book is also excellent and great for readers of all levels. The Hang Out Group: And the Creatures of the Garden is also an easy read because of the length of paragraphs and sentences. I like the brevity of the paragraphs as the help with easy comprehension of the story.
The storyline is entertaining through and through, and in between are impressive tales and lessons. I also like the themes presented in the book, as they helped communicate crucial messages in the characters’ lives. I also appreciate the author for the themes displayed in the book, as they enabled the readers to connect with the characters and gave the storyline a deeper meaning. Some of the major themes in the book include friendships, which was the main theme, loyalty, death, disappointment, adventure, and the importance of documenting events.
For readers who enjoy slow and fun reads, The Hang Out Group: And the Creatures of the Garden, will be a book to be appreciated. The flow of the story, illustrative accounts and analysis of the characters were exceptional. There is little drama in the book, which is okay. I like the suspense and little plot twists, especially when the author introduces a new mini-story.
I recommend Taylor J. Gase’s book to readers who fancy adventure and fantasy literature. The plot is exciting, and the differences in characters incredible.