K, it's late and I'm really sleepy but I told myself that I would review and so I shall. ^^
I really love this story! There's just something about it. Of course it could just be me being tired and having a major headach. Who know? But one thing I'm sure of is, I want that book list! :P Anyway it's more than 2 am here and it's new years eve tomorrow.. well today.. And I'm just going to stop now.

Happy New Year!

Anne

Oh what fun! this story is great, I can't hardley wait for more! I really like your idea here. It's fun and original! I find your writtung very clever. Some of your sentences are so well crafted that i pratically idolize your writting ability. I am a hopeless procastinator and may never post any of my own work, but know this; you are an inspiration! If i ever get enough courage to relenquish some of my own writting, you will deserve a part of the thanks. Great job on this story and all your others, I'm looking forward to more!

Ooh, yay! I just read this story and I'm glad that Cal finally got the guts to ask Liam. :D

I must say that I was utterly astonished to find something like this whilst randomly perusing stories on this site. It is not my experience to expect writing of this quality often outside of a book store. In fact this is the first story I've read on FictionPress that I've felt compelled to comment on. I even had to make an account to do so. Which inexplicably involved excruciating things like updating my whole operating system for some reason.

I think I only made it half way through the second chapter before I was screaming at several of my friends: "Go, read this now! NOW!!" But then I'm an insatiable bibliophile and it's not untypical of me to beat my friends with literature. It did not take long for us to start messaging each other back and forth with bits of dialogue and whole paragraphs so that we could all laugh at how utterly brilliant it is.

It boggles me that this is your first attempt at first person narrative. Honestly I can say that I've only read one other first person book that was as enjoyable for me to read, and that was the novel Sunshine by Robin McKinley which was a national best seller in the US. Definitely you write with the kind of skill I would expect of published work. It's a rare and precious gift.

I cannot express how delightful it is to read something that is above a 6th grade reading level! Keep up the diverse vocabulary, I beg you! I also delight in tortured sentence structures with obnoxious numbers of comas. Yes, yes I do. It's tasty. I don't know if you are aware of how rare it is to find writing with anything near the elegance you use in the US. Maybe they still teach people how to actually use English in Australia.

Hrm... um... constructive things to say... I'm so impressed it's actually really hard to think of something. I suppose a comment on proofreading for typo's is in order, but that's already been said.

Beyond that, I can only think of two things, one of which is: what is the length of this story intended to be? So far it's a wonderful short story, but where is it going I wonder. I didn't notice any real indication that there was much more beyond 'Cal and Liam fall in love'. Not that I'm complaining or anything. It was just a thought.

A touch more character development of Liam would be appreciated. He doesn't do much on his own, it's more that he reacts to Cal's actions and dialogue. I get a slight feeling that he's a bit like a cardboard cut-out that Cal talks at more than that he's a real person. This is just my first impression. I'm finding it difficult to articulate exactly why I think this, possibly it's just me. Feel free to tell me to go to hell at any time.

By the way... if Liam is an only child... why in god's name does he have two beds in his room? That was the only point in the whole story so far that broke me out of the flow of reading 'cause my head was going, "What the hell?". Is this a common practice, this having of superfluous beds? I was an only child and I didn't get to have two beds! Where was my superfluous bed damn it!?

One last thing, anyone who can bring up David Attenborough in a short story gets a great big shiny gold star! Typically, I'm extremely lucky if I can find anyone who even knows who David Attenborough is.

To sum up, I love your story so far. I love Cal. I'm jelous of Liam 'cause he gets to have Cal. I want a Cal of my own! Failing that I want to read more about Cal! Kyaa kawaii... and all that.

I LOVE YOUR STORY!
I read it all today.
It's absolutely PHENOMENAL!!

Update soon.

xoxoxo,
Ty

HOMG! OMG! -runs in circles until she falls on her back, twitching- I need my morning coffee. At least after the caffine, my weird-ness is focused. Now its all tentacle-y.. like a weird-squid.

Anyhow! Yay! Romantic proclamations of lurve in the games arcade! Anything else would just be.. hm.. not-Cal. Yay for excited and future incidents! I need to re-read all of Changes in one go- I find myself forgetting people. I didn't remember Ali unless she wasn't mentioned before and then that's points to me. Heh.

And nice to hear you got your interweb back! Finally! I hope you got that super long last email from me. I have it saved and I'll send it again if I have to dammit. lmao.

Hope you find a beta reader! I would like to find one too, but then again, I like editing my own stuff. Not that it works. lmao.

Cheers, hope you're well!

since you asked so nicely i thought i'd review. I really love this story, and I love Cal's character and I defiantly want him to ask Liam out in the nxt chapter. I think the story is brilliant and i cant wait til the nxt chap.

In regards to, "Review saying which one yo9u want and I’ll make sure it happens!" Please, don't leave it up to the reviewers to make your decision. The reason I added you to my favs is because of the high quality story you have written. I really don't want you to be influenced by the reviewers. You are the writer. Not them. (This is one of my pet peeves... ^^; Writer's who ask the readers to decide what happens next. The writer loses credibility when that happens... I think...) So, you should decide what happens next. Do what you think is best (the thing you need to ask yourself is, "what is the point of my story? What direction am I trying to go for?" Etc. I think if you can figure out what you want the readers to take/learn from this story, you will be able to make a good choice... XD

I know you are desperate for reviews. We all are. The reason I haven't said anything before is because of the qualitiness of your piece. I don't have complaints (except for the above mentioned thing) and I am selective about what I fave, so that should count for something, right? (Probably not... >.>; )

Best of luck,

Can

Fear the meaningless filler! But its so lovely :D

All I could think about while reading about Cal's job was... superstore... -cringes involuntarily- Except we don't have pumpkins and coconuts I don't think.. coconuts perhaps.. And our Deli counter is right beside the produce too O_o But we stock our shelves at night, so I won't go search for Cal rummaging about the produce or assaulting people with pineapples.

Mm Bailey's. We have some in our kitchen. Which I will dump a gracious plently into my coffee tomorrow morn. Nothing like drinking before noon lmfao. I sound sad and pitiful. But really, the Baileys ish the perfect cream/sugar subsitute. -mindless self-defense rabbles end here-

Anyhow, so you asked for some ideas? Weh-hell, I think something needs to happen with the whole 'mum leaving the house and Cal is oh so suspiciously alone' yes? Molestation? Alright, perhaps we're jumping ahead of ourselves with that one. (btw, "with the added aspect of having to artfully conceal an inappropriate tenting of my pants." is the best line ever. You win so hard.)

" I am free to elt my thoughts wander, and I’m able to ponder many things."

let? But elt works too -grin- I actually spent a considerable amount of seconds trying to figure out what elt meant.

Back to the plot thing.. hm.. I think some sort of chance encounter with out dear Liam could be in order..? Alas, some sort of 'this wasn't what we planned' sort of chance encounter? That goes either way of a.) delightful fanservice manlove or b.) holy crap something life threatening just happened that we need to deal with and because of said situation we will grow ever closer to the delightful fanservice manlove -gasps for air-
Alas, I am bad enough at stringing my own half-assed plots riddled with promises of manlove, to be able to think of anything good. I will try to keep thinking.. no promises save the manlove one. Heh.

And I shall depart from the longest review on earth now.
ta ta, love,
EA

wow, oedipus complex at its finest.

I review to say two things:

1) Plot. I must have it. Now.

2) I've fallen in love with the way Cal thinks and the way you write what he thinks. Quirks such as inane thought patterns always bring out the best in a character I believe.

~Wizard

I really like this story. You've done a good job of making a quirky, likable character in Cal, as well as all the other people. Keep up the good work.

Oh, I just found your story and I really like it. Its strange how when I just moved to australia out of no where everything I read seems to be set there. O.o

Anyways, I can't wait for more. But I think I'd like some plot, filler chapters make me die a little inside.

zomg the romance! It looms! -hugs the romance-

Aw, I want some of these, so-claimed, really great cookies you make. And I saw timtams in our import isle at work.. would it be worth my time to pick them up?

yay for ze pool! Great job describing the whole experience; I want to go swimming now :( lol. I love the cement marks on Cal's chin too. Hee.. cliche touchings. I lap it up like a puppy.

Awr, fantastic job, lurve! Rah rah rah, bring on the romance! XD

*bounds, bounds like a rabid happy fangirl monkey of joy-- which is never an easy thing to accomplish!*

First off, let me just nit pick you quickly.
"Visitors demanding to be looked after and plied with cold rinks " Missed a 'd' me thinks. Perhaps they could have cold rinks though. Is 'plied' supposed to be 'supplied'? Mur, that's it though, oh, save the 'They' in the next sentence after it which has an extra special space *grin* sorry I am the edit mongeror of doom.

*wags tail furiously* I loved it! So much giggling out loud! I seriously adore your protagonist *frowns* mine always turn out goofy. And your metaphores make me warm and fuzzy :D
"because the teacher’s glare slides off me like but in a non-stick frying pan and I breeze into the corridor unmolested"
I may have to study under you as your metaphore assistant. Your metaphorical assistant. Of Doom.

I suggest we start a protection league for The endangered Cal-monkey.

Eheh, before I write you an essay, I shall bound away. I want to know what happens when they go swimming -_-'! I may have to guilt you into writing ch 6. *plots* Yes yes don't you love it when your characters randomly drag the plot in a random direction? Makes for delightful complications XD

Toodloo dearie!
Much love from me and my boys ~