Three Stories, Three Reviews

Three Stories, Three Reviews

Every great series is defined not only by the stories themselves but by the way readers respond to them. Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen together form a tapestry of memory, love, regret, and the fragile beauty of human connection. Each title stands on its own, yet they echo one another—threads of adolescence, adulthood, and emotional inheritance weaving into a larger narrative.

What makes these works shine is not just the writing, but the resonance they spark in readers across continents. From the United States to Canada, reviewers have found themselves transported, moved, and compelled to reflect on their own journeys.

•             Dawn Pisturino captures the bittersweet nostalgia of Reunion: A Story, a novella that takes us back to the innocence and awkwardness of teenage love.

•             Pooja, writing from Canada, praises the intelligence and emotional depth of Reunion: Coda, noting its poignant exploration of lost love, memory, and the complexities of human relationships.

•             Thomas Wikman highlights Comings and Goings as both a companion piece and a gateway into the Garratyverse, applauding its realism, dialogue, and narrative craft.

Together, these reviews showcase the universal appeal of my storytelling: intelligent yet unpretentious, emotionally rich yet grounded in realism. Whether you’re revisiting the past, navigating the present, or anticipating what lies ahead, these stories invite you to reflect, remember, and feel.

Reunion: A Story (Originally Written in 1998, Published in 2018, Revised and Republished in 2023)

Dawn Pisturino

5.0 out of 5 stars Five-Star Review

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2025

Format: Kindle

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In this sweet novella about teenage love, the reader is transported back to their high school days and all the feelings of awkwardness, self-doubt, and confusion. The author does an exceptional job of portraying the high school environment, teenage hopes and dreams, pubescent challenges and fears, and the complexities of interpersonal relationships. We all have memories of our first crush, that first tender kiss, and the innocence and purity of youth.

I found the story sad but endearing. Jim Garraty is a man filled with regret over his first love. When he discovers later in life that she has died in a car accident, he takes a walk down memory lane to relive the events. Written in the first person, the reader experiences firsthand all of Jim’s thoughts and inner conflict.

I enjoyed reading this heart-touching story and rate it five stars.

Reunion: Coda (Written 2023-2025, Published in Spring 2025)

Pooja

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!

Reviewed in Canada on June 7, 2025

Format: Kindle

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Firstly, the writing was excellent. I felt drawn in from the moment I began reading and I think it helped that I was already familiar with the characters. I appreciate that his writing is incredibly intelligent and well done without crossing the line into being pretentious.

I thought the themes that Alex Diaz-Granados chose to explore were very meaningful. Lost love, loss in general, being stuck in the past/memories of the past are things we can all relate to.

I really enjoy the way Alex creates characters because they very much feel like real people. They have flaws and they have redeeming qualities just as most of us do.

I won’t go into the details of the plot because with books like this one, giving away too much can ruin the experience for other readers. But I will say there are some beautiful moments, some heavy moments, some thoughtful moments and most importantly the plot deals with the complex nature of relationships that humans have with one another. We crave love, social interactions and connections yet when we achieve them things are often more complicated then we realise.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Reunion:Coda by Alex Diaz-Granados. I had pretty high hopes for this book and he delivered. If you enjoy a poignant, thoughtful and well-written book- this one is for you. I highly recommend it. And if you haven’t read the first book in the series, please do, as it will help you understand the plot of this one much better.

Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen (Summer 2025)

Thomas Wikman

5.0 out of 5 stars From Awkward Misery to Adventure

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2025

Format: Paperback

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I think this novelette is best read as a companion to the author’s larger masterpiece Reunion: Coda. Alternatively, it serves as an introduction to the author’s writing style and storytelling prowess. The author has an exceptional skill in crafting and delivering compelling narratives that engage audiences, and this short novelette could be one of the many chapters in the life of the protagonist Jim Garraty, a man who will become a celebrated professor at Columbia University.

In this book Jim Garraty is a first year student at Harvard and he is attending a party where he does not know anyone except for a fellow student who is quite busy elsewhere and leaving him on his own. He feels lonely, awkward and out of place until a girl, Kelly Moore, takes interest in him and his miserable night turns into quite an adventure. What stands out about this book is the realistic description of emotions, inner thoughts, and the realistic dialogue. It serves as a prelude to what to expect from his other books. I highly recommend this short novelette.