Dreamin' in '89: A Novel

It's the summer of 1989. Batman owns the box office, Milli Vanilli rules the airwaves, stone-washed Cavariccis are all the rage... and Sebastian Riggs has bigger problems than being made to do the school bullies' homework or winning the attention of the coolest girl in his class. The one thing in the world he desperately needs is the one thing he can't seem to get: a vintage stunt radio-controlled airplane—the Dreamin'.

Seb's mission is clear: make enough money to buy the Dreamin' and become a world-renowned R/C pilot, thereby earning his father's respect... or fail and remain a tormented loser for life. The stakes couldn't be any higher and summer job opportunities are in short supply. Finding obstacles at every turn and help in some surprising places, Seb embarks on a mission to fulfill his dreams of R/C glory and prove to the world he's a force to be reckoned with. But in a small town built on well-kept secrets, could his dream bring everyone's dark side to light?

Praise for Dreamin' in '89

"T.G. Monahan convincingly conveys the awkwardness and uncertainty of adolescence while he vividly conjures the spirit of the late 1980s in this story of boyhood. The protagonist is especially well portrayed, although readers may question his single-mindedness. Monahan sensitively humanizes bullies, avoiding reducing them to caricatures. A redemption story for a boy whose carelessness has serious consequences, this work takes a fresh and candid approach to classic themes of growing up.” —The BookLife Prize

"Dreamin in '89, a captivating storyline with a tumbling twist through a prominent era of history, is woven with intriguing scene and characters that make us remember our own youth. The nostalgia, the yearning for more, the longing to be somebody and the realization of what actually matters: friends sticking together and dreams coming to life." —Chloe Rachel Gallaway, author of The Soulful Child: Twelve Years in the Wilderness

"A moving tale of one young man's journey to discovering what really matters in life. T.G. Monahan writes characters who either feel like your best friends or make you want to save them. A joy to read!"—Lorraine K. Toth, author of Run

"Dreamin' in '89 is outstanding with a well-presented storyline. Amazing author! Amazing book!" —Javier Ferrea, Retired Aviator, Current Sim Instructor and Author of To Live and Fly in the USA and The Gift of Travel