Vintage: A Ghost Story

By: Steve Berman

Narrated by: Jason Frazier

A lonely gay teen bides his time with trips to strangers' funerals and Ouija board sessions, desperately searching for someone to love - and a reason to live following a suicide attempt.

Walking an empty stretch of New Jersey highway on an autumn night, he meets a strange and beautiful boy who looks like he stepped out of a dream. But the vision becomes into a nightmare when the boy turns out to be the local urban legend, the ghost of a star athlete killed in 1957 - a ghost with a deadly secret and a dangerous obsession.

Vintage: A Ghost Story is an intense thriller that looks at the dark side of gay urban fantasy, where the dead can never rest and trapped spirits never find peace.

©2008 Steve Berman (P)2014 Steve Berman

Sorry I waited

I had this book in my "wish list," for years. I bought it on a whim and was pleasantly surprised at the narration, narrative, and story. The characters sounded one-note at first but in no way did any of them remain as much.

This is a wonderful piece of gay fiction, with a touch of romance, intrigue, danger, and many other elements that simply made it enjoyable.

Unlike many gay "romance," works this work is perfectly reasonable for listeners down to the age of perhaps twelve. After all, no one even blinks when Prince Charming kisses Snow White.

As with my other recent purchase, "Full Service," I listened to this work all the way through. It was highly engaging and did not follow any path I expected or anticipated.

Steve Berman, you are a talented story teller, my compliments.

Vintage: A Ghost Story

It's been a while since I read or listened to a ghost story. I'm glad I chose this one. Steve Berman weaves a wonderful tale with lots of well developed characters. And I have to add that Jason Frazier does an excellent job of bringing the story and the characters to life. I look forward to more works from both artists.

An Already Wonderful Tale Performed Phenomenally

I haven't done this before, but I had already read this book before purchasing it here on Audible. When I read Vintage, it stole all my attention over the three days I read it - I was captivated. Vintage and I were inseparable. I was sneaking a read on breaks and bus rides, at breakfast and dinner, and finally, the last few pages before bed.

I loved it.

It's not often I feel lucky enough to find a young adult book where the protagonist is a well-written gay teen, and it's even less often that teen isn't your typical example. The goth, vintage clothes-loving voice in this book was a delight.

And I say that - now - in two senses. Narratively, I adored the voice of this story. From a performance point of view, Jason Frazier blew it out of the park. He's talented and evokes the words he's reading. So, I had a kind of a repeat experience - I listened to this audiobook whenever I had a spare moment, between chores, walking the dog, until the last few words a few hours ago.

Having run away from parents who absolutely will not accept him, the young man in VINTAGE comes to live with his aunt in a small town in New Jersey. He's a little lost, though he has a good group of equally marginalized friends, and works at a vintage clothing store and tries to find a future for himself. He has tried to commit suicide, but has moved past this to some hesitant sense of finding a life for himself.

Enter Josh, who the narrator meets on a long walk home at night. A handsome young man in fifties wear, the clothes grant the main character just enough courage to speak, and the two connect.

Except Josh isn't a lover of fifties wear who enjoys a retro look; he's dead. Our narrator has just crushed out on a ghost.

In turns fun, moving, dark, and tense, VINTAGE belongs on the shelf of great young adult fiction. Connecting with the character is effortless, and the growing tension and worry you feel on his behalf will drag you in, moment after moment. Frazier delivers a phenomenal performance that brings an already wonderful story to one of the best audiobooks I've enjoyed. Grab it. You won't be sorry.

kept me captivated.

Well written. I like the characters well. The story is fascinating. I wish it focuses more on the ghost Josh though and the ambiguous ending left me yerning for more.

Jason Frazier brought this book to life

What made the experience of listening to Vintage: A Ghost Story the most enjoyable?

Jason Frazier's narration was so great! He put so much feeling into his performance. You feel like you're living the story.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the evolving relationship between the MC and Second Mike.

What does Jason Frazier bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He really seems to care about making the story feel real. The emotion he brought to First Mike's death scene broke my heart.

Who was the most memorable character of Vintage: A Ghost Story and why?

I think Second Mike was the most memorable character. I can't even imagine what it would be like growing up named after a dead sibling. It's horrifying to even think about a parent doing that to a child.