THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for bringing Leslie back! I was so sad when the book ended but I'm too narrow minded to write my own fanfic.

aww! happy ending! i luv it!

dude, this story was EPIC AWESOMENESS IN PURITY!

LOL, you dirty childmaster! (No offence, I just HAD to say that after reading this chapter)

I've read and re-read Groundhogs at Terabithia, and I can say it's an excellent interpretation of what could have been. Of course, just like many other readers here, I couldn't get to terms with Leslie's death in book and film canon. And so I try to keep away from insanity and depression by reading fanfics. Yours, MadTom, is one that really stimulates the imagination in so many ways.

I also like it how you get this story to come full circle by concluding it with Royal Court, and even expounding on several ideas and issues, like the blanket thing and the abstinence/celibacy (Plausible? Yes, but I think this would've probably taken much willpower on the couple's part; wait, I think this refers to Royal Court and not Groundhogs).

As for the skinny dipping and running around naked issue, I would tend to think it was tastefully done. And given the characters, I would still think it's plausible. It adds colors to your fic, and it goes beyond places that others aren't willing to go to, but deals with it in a way that does not seem malicious (or so I hope). I still see the innocence of youth. And then the pureness of love between the main characters that perhaps surpasses any romantic or sexual undertones.

The movie and literary references do seem quite numerous, but i guess that's how you write. And I must think you've either researched this well or those are the films that you've loved watching one time or another.

I do hope you write more BtT fics.

I read this story a while back, but i never commented on it. So, I thought that I would do it now. This story is freakin genius! I loved it so much, and it provided alot of depth to the leslie/jess relationship. This story was genius; brilliantly written.

So far, so good. Please update soon?

Bye,
Lisette

-tears up and glomps you- I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!

Hi, we met some time ago on a., but anyway, back to my point. I love this story, it seemed to me as one most realistic stories due to the way of thinking of characters and the way how they act. But, if I can say my opinion, I think you should reduce amount of mentioning other movies or books and comparing them with your story right in the middle of it. I still think that this is great story and if there will be more chapters I am looking forward to read them ;)

Regards, Martin

I haven't had time to read it all yet, but I'm definately interested in this! TTFN!

very good! My fav story bout them! Some perverted parts, but still great! Keep up the good work! ^^

I don't think they are in the 5th grade. I think they are in 6th or 7th. Great story btw.

Hello. I read this story back in January, but it was a toughie to write an overall review for. Yes, it took me that long to gather my thoughts. Of course, this review is just one from a writer at her computer, juggling seven different stories at one time (seven!), but I thought I'd just put in my two cents-worth.

Hm...chapter one is always a nice place to begin. That's why it's chapter one. So I'll start there.

I think that this started out well, with Jesse's suspicion that a prank was being played on him and that if his hopes were up they'd fall. And with the 'dream' concept in the book, it was in character as well. Also, his absolute joy at seeing Leslie again was in character a well, and a play-up of the shred of hope that was undoubtedly there along with his suspicion in the first part.

Chapter two...was 95% smoothly-running, but Miss Edmonds' reference to her childhood/teenhood had some 'stuff' in it that I didn't particularly care for. Not that this was a large bump in the road, but it definitely brought my eyebrows down a notch.

Other than that, this chapter was very light and happy. The Burkes being their usual fun-loving, somewhat goofy selves in this chapter, again, reminded me more of the book than the movie. The only mistake I spotted, however, was that you mentioned Miss Edmonds' first name being 'Candy', when, in the credits for the movie, and in the book, her first name was 'Julia'. The cliffie at the end of the second chapter? Impressive. Really keeps you waiting for the next chapter. Props.

I didn't like chapter three as much as the two preceding it. There was a lot of crying in it, which brought me down a little. And there were a couple of swear words, or near-swear words. But this doesn't mean it wasn't liked. To me, this was nothing less than the emotional backbone of the story. I think this would also be an appropriate time to throw in the fact that, when a lot of you other reviewers out there said that they were young to be exchanging kisses and 'I-love-you's, and said that they needed to be older (12, some of you said), they were 12, not 10, in the movie, which this is supposed to be based after. But, anyways, the whole 'you died' scene was well done, and fully-baked, with a finishing line that you managed to make not sound cheesy. And I must add, I can relate to the 'high on hits, low on feedback' scenario. Not to say that I'm not grateful for the reviews I've gotten, and the people that have added my story to alerts, it's just that I can relate.

Now, chapter four, that's when my stomach sort of dropped.

I agree with IHateSnakes--I hope you haven't gotten too much flack about the whole 'swimming naked' thing. However, it was somewhat awkward, what with the direct references to you-know-what, and the 'you just want to look at my tush' topic. I think that this was the one chapter that might have bumped the rating up to T, because of 'mild innuendo', to be a complete movie critic about it. Also, it was good to replace the world 'H-E-double-hockey-sticks-fire' with 'heckfire'. I know, I'm a complete flip to note things as small as that in a so-called 'big picture' review.

I can see in chapter five that Leslie is beginning to appreciate the things she has in her life, like Emily. And Jesse noting that 'Compassionate Daddy' has high-tailed it has, once again, put a picture in my mind of the actual actors and actresses doing this in the movie, because I can completely see the cast reenacting the scenes in this book (well, except for the swimming naked thing). And also saying that 'Compassionate Daddy' will be ready to show his face if his son needs him again is a good way to finish the paragraph.

I like the scene with May Belle. Even though May Belle is a headstrong ten-year-old that's as tall as her older brother and beginning to have some conflicts with him in my fanfiction, I like the fact that you highlighted the brother/sister relationship between them. I can relate that with my baby brother. '"The heck with my real brother!" she laughed. "I want you to keep this guy!"'

Chapter six was a nice way to end the story, full of plenty of suspense, and a little Jesslie fluff. Also, the psychological references, I could see those. I have been trying to deduce conclusions like that for quite a while, even though I'm not a psychiatrist, I've been trying to dig deeper into the emotions and dreams my friends tell me about than the stereotyping, and repetitive, 'And how does that make you feel?'

Mr. Burke initially not believing his daughter and her friend's impossible tale was also in-character for him, along with the exterior fool-around-y-ness that he and his wife make themselves out to be. An excellent contrast for the two 'latter-day hippies'. Also, bringing Grandma Burke into this was good proof for Jess's case and argument. Since his artistic talent hasn't showed its face much in this story, a drawing was perfect proof.

Ending with two twelve-year-olds sleeping together? Hm...not the choice I would've made, but it was a good, happy note to end a story with. I think they are a little young, however, to be sleeping together and certainly way too young to be 'sleeping together', which some people make take this for. However, I'm not going to give you too much flack about it, because I actually liked the happy ending you wrote. Keeping Leslie firm about the 'no sex' rule was a backbone to these topics, and also Jess's initial objections to her personal ideas. Way to keep the closeness in-character and in-check. The 'get-out-of-jail-free card' concept was still in-character for the outgoing Leslie, but somewhat of a foreign idea for BtT fanfiction. Not that that's a bad thing.

I don't mean to bore you and/or bring you down, and I know this review was obscenely long and somewhat critical, but I hope that my two-cents-worth has been worth two cents. Hey, they say 'a well rounded critique is often the most rewarding tool for the writer' in the little box below the 'submit review' speech bubble, and I think I accomplished that. All in all, I'd give your story four-and-a-half stars, half a star docked for the swimming naked thing, not that it's even my place to grade people, but it completes the general idea of my review here. Of course, my brain is probably half-melted from iTunes drainage for the last two hours fooling around on the internet...

I hope you're proud of this story, because you should be. It was a very good example of third-person, but other than that, just a good idea you had. The same idea had occurred to me at the same time 'Ghost' was born, but, of course, there was already 'Groundhogs at Terabithia' when I got here (not too long ago), and I thought, when I read it, 'That'll be hard to top. Better not try.'

-WordArtisan-

A very overall sweet fic. For me, this story is one of the rare ones that I feel needs to stick with the original, albeit, sad ending. But hey, I came here and was hoping to find a story exactly like this so I won't fault you for that! I thought the swim in the creek was handled well, I'm not sure how it added in terms of story but I didn't feel offended or scandalized by it. I also particularly enjoyed the Terminator reference, I couldn't stop seeing that as I watched the movie. Another thing that bothered me was how 'fake' Leslie coming back to life was. In the movie, haven't read the novel (yet) everything is made into something it's not but you explained her coming back with a -in my opinion- weak element, I think you tried to do so with the 'God watching over her' bit. I got from the movie that it was much less of a Christian story than yours was but that may be just your view on religion creeping into your writing. But amidst all that, congrats on a great, fluffy, little fic, on to the next!

great story