2008-01-25 Ladlit but a wonderful heartwarming tale

You Are Here is about the rite of passage of 4 thirtysomething males in 2001 as they reach a crossroads in their lives. The 4 contrasting friends embark on a vacation to Crete and we learn a lot about their characters through flashbacks and their current careers....Office boy Dave is cool and good-looking; Credit controller Phil is a chubby clown; Estate Agent Tony is a shy thinker and salesman Gavin is a suave man of routine. Things come to a head in Crete as the catalyst of new relationships come into play. We get a really good feel for the Cretan landscape and meet some wonderfully constructed supporting characters; Theo the zany rock music loving barman & Albert the mysterious old ex-pat in particular. Through a number if comedic and poignant scenes we observe as Gavin, Tony and Dave all find soul partners whilst Phil faces up the stark reality of loneliness without his mates. The pick of the sub plots is Dave and posh carefree traveller Elsie as they take an incredible scooter trek. The book ends on a high note despite the backdrop of 9/11 being fittingly introduced as the start of a new world.






I have to say I really enjoyed this book and only gave it 4 stars as it was little bit too rude or erotic for my liking in some places. There is no denying that the story itself is written with a real passion and having read Steve Horsfall's 2nd book (It's Cold Outside) I would say the author has an absolute gift in creating wonderful rounded and colourful characters. You Are Here really does bring some sunshine into your life




Jakie Moore