Because the first thing I wanted to do after reading this story was tell the world about it.
STORY OF THE YEAR:
"Twenty Thousand Gold Stars: A Novel About an Internet Community" by Dusk Peterson
(Link to the story at author's website)
Recommendation: I will try my best to be concise with because there is simply too much to say about TTGS. Briefly, it is a contemporary story based on reality about the struggles of adults attracted to minors. According to her author's note, Peterson spent three years researching this topic and seeking the heart of what is so often misunderstood and labeled "evil." She writes from the perspective of the so-called child-molesters and brings them to life in their interactions with one another, their struggles to find their place in the world, and their fight to not only survive but to love. No excuses or apologies are made, simply an honest, objective exploration of the human character, and the resulting masterpiece is powerful enough to change my perspective of the world and heartwrenching enough to leave me in sporadic tears for the rest of the week. The varying viewpoints in the story are intelligent, articulate, well-informed, in-depth, and thought-provoking. The characters challenge one another and the reader as well, and the characterizations are so real and human that I cannot help but respect - even love - every one of them (the character Gold Star, especially).
"That's why I hope you'll keep posting here, so that we can learn from your story, just as I've learned from the stories of the boylovers I've met here," says one character on the Internet forums in response to the mother of a child abuse victim. I beg you all to give this story a try, despite the sensitive content, because here is a story about love, about friendship, about forgiveness and acceptance and understanding, and I guarantee it will send your world lurching, as it has mine.
Warning: The subject matter is delicate, to put it lightly. Topics include to varying degrees religion (primarily Christianity), human rights, homosexuality, pedophilia, incest, and suicide.