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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
2 stars
In the first half of this year I discovered a sub-genre I'm totally in love with: stories involving alternate/parallel universes. I adore Pivot Point to pieces and Parallel was surprisingly endearing and good. Then I made it my goal to read all the books in this sub-genre coming out this year, and Just Like Fate popped up on my radar. I was excited, and I wanted to love it, but it brought nothing new to the table (except maybe eye rolls).
Within 50 pages, warning bells went off for me. It was something I should have realized when I first read the synopsis, but the set up for the alternate timelines definitely didn't work for me. Basically, Caroline's grandmother (who she lives with and takes care of her) has terminal cancer and is dying. She's in the hospice, basically waiting to die, and on the fourth night Caroline is faced with a choice: to stay by her side for the night or to go, on her best friend's insistence, to a party. Thus the two timelines are created but... hold up! In one timeline, she really leaves her grandmother on her death bed and goes to a party?
Admittedly, there's extra justification in that, well, what are the odds that she'd die on that night (spoiler alert: she does), her sister's being a total bitch to her and she can't stand being in the same room as her for a second longer, and after three whole nights of staying by her grandmother's side she deserves a break. ... Ummm...
Yes, I should have realized this from the outset, by reading the synopsis. But honestly, the set up could have been more acceptable if she'd just... you know, been there every night for two weeks, and there still wasn't a sign of an end to come. Just simply changing it by that much would have made the whole "Go" storyline more plausible. Because now, the result is, I'm already rolling my eyes at this contrived plot, thinking it was the "easy way out" in terms of set up, which diminishes my interest to keep reading in the first place, and even when I do push on, I find myself scoffing at the Caroline in the "Go" storyline because I already hate her selfish behavior.
My dislike for Caroline as a main character also spilled over into the "Stay" storyline. I don't know. Possibly due to the bad set up for the timelines, I found it very hard to find a connection with her. Her personality lacked a spark, and I was just bored reading about her. She was so much a typical teenager in terms of jealous behavior, overreactions, parental detachment... I was gleefully happy when she felt guilty about leaving her grandmother and not getting to say goodbye to her because I felt that was righteous justice. Erm, yeah, and when you start thinking that way about the main character, it's pretty much a done deal.
Though there are separate timelines, this is not sci-fi at all, and totally contemporary fiction, with a focus on relationships, be they platonic, familial, or romantic. I do like that focus, and I ended up really liking the development of the relationship between Caroline and her sister, Natalie. In the "Go" storyline, Caroline ends up moving in with her estranged father to have a fresh start, and I really liked that too, as I related to that quite a bit on a personal level. Father-daughter relationships are just very dear to my heart, and I liked how this one was ultimately presented, including the addition of a surprisingly sweet stepmother into the equation.
The romance was... all right, but I barely felt the chemistry. In each timeline, Caroline is met with the interest of a different guy. While Chris, in the "Go" storyline, was definitely more charming and very lovable, I was torn since I was sworn to hate that storyline in the first place. Besides, he was charming as a character, but I didn't really feel the romantic chemistry. Joel, in the "Stay" storyline, was, quite simply, a prat and he angered me. Lots.
At certain points, Just Like Fate was such a walking, talking cliché that I was overwhelmed with eyerolling. From the mean girl who literally says, "I don't need a reason to dislike you," and beats up the main character, to the sister who, at the beginning at least, constantly looks down on everything Caroline does, to Caroline herself being the most juvenile, jealous girlfriend in the world... It was exhausting to read.
All things said and done though, at the end of the book, the message definitely came across. Much like the themes of Pivot Point and Parallel, certain points in life are fixed, but you do have some self-control over the choices you make, and it's the journey towards your "fate" that makes all the difference. I like that message, overall, I do... But since I've already read two books that struck that chord and did it better, I couldn't help but grow annoyed that I sat through 300 pages to get to that point. The journey to that message here? It was just plain boring.
Summing Up:
Annoyance and boredom are the two prevailing emotions I had while reading this book. Though I did like certain aspects (the relationships between the characters and the eventual message of the book), when I look back on this book, the first thing I'll remember is how ridiculous and frustrating the set up of the timelines was. If you are interested in fate-related stories or alternate timelines, let this be your first foray into the sub-genre. If you've read others, like I have, this brings nothing new to the table.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Those very interested in the concept of fate.
In the first half of this year I discovered a sub-genre I'm totally in love with: stories involving alternate/parallel universes. I adore Pivot Point to pieces and Parallel was surprisingly endearing and good. Then I made it my goal to read all the books in this sub-genre coming out this year, and Just Like Fate popped up on my radar. I was excited, and I wanted to love it, but it brought nothing new to the table (except maybe eye rolls).
Within 50 pages, warning bells went off for me. It was something I should have realized when I first read the synopsis, but the set up for the alternate timelines definitely didn't work for me. Basically, Caroline's grandmother (who she lives with and takes care of her) has terminal cancer and is dying. She's in the hospice, basically waiting to die, and on the fourth night Caroline is faced with a choice: to stay by her side for the night or to go, on her best friend's insistence, to a party. Thus the two timelines are created but... hold up! In one timeline, she really leaves her grandmother on her death bed and goes to a party?
Admittedly, there's extra justification in that, well, what are the odds that she'd die on that night (spoiler alert: she does), her sister's being a total bitch to her and she can't stand being in the same room as her for a second longer, and after three whole nights of staying by her grandmother's side she deserves a break. ... Ummm...
Yes, I should have realized this from the outset, by reading the synopsis. But honestly, the set up could have been more acceptable if she'd just... you know, been there every night for two weeks, and there still wasn't a sign of an end to come. Just simply changing it by that much would have made the whole "Go" storyline more plausible. Because now, the result is, I'm already rolling my eyes at this contrived plot, thinking it was the "easy way out" in terms of set up, which diminishes my interest to keep reading in the first place, and even when I do push on, I find myself scoffing at the Caroline in the "Go" storyline because I already hate her selfish behavior.
My dislike for Caroline as a main character also spilled over into the "Stay" storyline. I don't know. Possibly due to the bad set up for the timelines, I found it very hard to find a connection with her. Her personality lacked a spark, and I was just bored reading about her. She was so much a typical teenager in terms of jealous behavior, overreactions, parental detachment... I was gleefully happy when she felt guilty about leaving her grandmother and not getting to say goodbye to her because I felt that was righteous justice. Erm, yeah, and when you start thinking that way about the main character, it's pretty much a done deal.
Though there are separate timelines, this is not sci-fi at all, and totally contemporary fiction, with a focus on relationships, be they platonic, familial, or romantic. I do like that focus, and I ended up really liking the development of the relationship between Caroline and her sister, Natalie. In the "Go" storyline, Caroline ends up moving in with her estranged father to have a fresh start, and I really liked that too, as I related to that quite a bit on a personal level. Father-daughter relationships are just very dear to my heart, and I liked how this one was ultimately presented, including the addition of a surprisingly sweet stepmother into the equation.
The romance was... all right, but I barely felt the chemistry. In each timeline, Caroline is met with the interest of a different guy. While Chris, in the "Go" storyline, was definitely more charming and very lovable, I was torn since I was sworn to hate that storyline in the first place. Besides, he was charming as a character, but I didn't really feel the romantic chemistry. Joel, in the "Stay" storyline, was, quite simply, a prat and he angered me. Lots.
At certain points, Just Like Fate was such a walking, talking cliché that I was overwhelmed with eyerolling. From the mean girl who literally says, "I don't need a reason to dislike you," and beats up the main character, to the sister who, at the beginning at least, constantly looks down on everything Caroline does, to Caroline herself being the most juvenile, jealous girlfriend in the world... It was exhausting to read.
All things said and done though, at the end of the book, the message definitely came across. Much like the themes of Pivot Point and Parallel, certain points in life are fixed, but you do have some self-control over the choices you make, and it's the journey towards your "fate" that makes all the difference. I like that message, overall, I do... But since I've already read two books that struck that chord and did it better, I couldn't help but grow annoyed that I sat through 300 pages to get to that point. The journey to that message here? It was just plain boring.
Summing Up:
Annoyance and boredom are the two prevailing emotions I had while reading this book. Though I did like certain aspects (the relationships between the characters and the eventual message of the book), when I look back on this book, the first thing I'll remember is how ridiculous and frustrating the set up of the timelines was. If you are interested in fate-related stories or alternate timelines, let this be your first foray into the sub-genre. If you've read others, like I have, this brings nothing new to the table.
GIF it to me straight!
Recommended To:
Those very interested in the concept of fate.
Disclaimer, read when I was far younger! 2.21.25
I picked up this book because I love both of these authors and they are both very good writers. So I had already, sadly, gotten this out from my library once before and didn't get the chance to read it. So I was determined to this time ;) And I did...and I loved it.
This is the kinda book that you fall into and forget your own life and get wrapped up in the character's life and become immersed in feeling their pain and happiness in the story. And at the end...in the middle...in the beginning, it all is very emotional. But I wouldn't have it any other way, the ending is perfect as is the way this entire book was written. All together, just amazing. So let me start at the beginning.
Ahem. This book tells the story of Caroline (don't sing Sweet Caroline cause she hates it) who comes from a broken family that just gets worse when her Grandmother gets very sick and passes away. This book is written in the extremely unique format of the two choices Caroline is given the night her grandmother dies. STAY or GO.
From then on the stay & go chapters go one after the other until the end. Telling the story from the POVs and story-lines of the Stay Caroline and the Go Caroline. Both are sweet and captivating and just beautiful. It's real and relatable. (which apparently isn't a word, but I'm using it)
At first I was a little confused when the authors switched into stay & go chapters but after a couple I got used to it and I loved it. I think this would make a great book club discussion because you can discuss so much. There's a lot that Caroline goes through, great characters, and so much more. I was calling which guy, picking my favorite and trying to decide which decision I liked better. In the end I liked Go, but for a while it was Stay. Anyway (pushing away my gushing) this was a great book. Caroline is someone that isn't perfect but you love her through it. Even if you might want to scream at her several times haha. Chris is the most adorable person ever, I'm in LOVE. I loved Teddy, Phillip, Natalie, Simone, Debra, Gram, and almost all of the characters :D
Overall, he characters and writing style are great...I adored them. The meaning that each reader will take away is specific for each and special. I really think that this is a great, deep book that is wonderful. I really enjoyed it :D But I would highly recommend this book because I really enjoyed it!! And when you get to the end...just hold out, it's perfect at the VERY END. ;)
I picked up this book because I love both of these authors and they are both very good writers. So I had already, sadly, gotten this out from my library once before and didn't get the chance to read it. So I was determined to this time ;) And I did...and I loved it.
This is the kinda book that you fall into and forget your own life and get wrapped up in the character's life and become immersed in feeling their pain and happiness in the story. And at the end...in the middle...in the beginning, it all is very emotional. But I wouldn't have it any other way, the ending is perfect as is the way this entire book was written. All together, just amazing. So let me start at the beginning.
Ahem. This book tells the story of Caroline (don't sing Sweet Caroline cause she hates it) who comes from a broken family that just gets worse when her Grandmother gets very sick and passes away. This book is written in the extremely unique format of the two choices Caroline is given the night her grandmother dies. STAY or GO.
From then on the stay & go chapters go one after the other until the end. Telling the story from the POVs and story-lines of the Stay Caroline and the Go Caroline. Both are sweet and captivating and just beautiful. It's real and relatable. (which apparently isn't a word, but I'm using it)
At first I was a little confused when the authors switched into stay & go chapters but after a couple I got used to it and I loved it. I think this would make a great book club discussion because you can discuss so much. There's a lot that Caroline goes through, great characters, and so much more. I was calling which guy, picking my favorite and trying to decide which decision I liked better. In the end I liked Go, but for a while it was Stay. Anyway (pushing away my gushing) this was a great book. Caroline is someone that isn't perfect but you love her through it. Even if you might want to scream at her several times haha. Chris is the most adorable person ever, I'm in LOVE. I loved Teddy, Phillip, Natalie, Simone, Debra, Gram, and almost all of the characters :D
Overall, he characters and writing style are great...I adored them. The meaning that each reader will take away is specific for each and special. I really think that this is a great, deep book that is wonderful. I really enjoyed it :D But I would highly recommend this book because I really enjoyed it!! And when you get to the end...just hold out, it's perfect at the VERY END. ;)
3.5/5
Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The concept for this book struck me as being very similar to Pivot Point's where at a critical juncture, a teenager's life separates and we follow her fate as she explores both option A and B. However while Pivot Point's premise employs characters with supernatural abilities, this book just has it happen for no reason other than for the authors to spend a lot of time musing on fate vs free will.
Here the book splits when Caroline's beloved grandmother falls ill and is rushed to the hospital. On what will be the last night of her life, Caroline has to decide if she will stay there with her family or go out for a night of fun and relaxation with her best friend. I kind of can't believe she even considered leaving as her grandmother seemed to be in very bad shape that last night but in one version she does go.
Caroline's family life is rocky. When her parents divorced, she found the tension so rough that she moved into her grandmother's house while her older brother and sister stayed with their mother who added another daughter with her new husband. Caroline's relationship with her sister Natalie is especially tense for reasons I never quite fathomed. My theory is that Caroline maybe caught her dad cheating on their mother and duly reported the news leading directly to the divorce. That is where the trouble seems to stem from and the sisters are very antagonistic from the start of the book. Other than that, I have no idea exactly why the sisters are so hateful to each other. Luckily in both scenarios, they seem to gain more understanding of each other although in general I found all the relationships lacking.
But the big difference in the stories is Caroline's romantic partnerships. In one version, she meets a cute new guy and begins a relationship with him; in the other, she finally gets to hook up with her long-time crush. And yet both paths lead her to the same seemingly inevitable conclusion so I'm not entirely sure what the point was. There is also a lot of repetitive talk about the meaning of fate with characters saying that certain events were fated-very heavy-handed!
Overall: I love the premise for this novel but found the relationships superficial and I especially never connected with the main character in the way I like to. If you really love the premise and/or are a big fan of the author(s), by all means give it a shot but otherwise, skip.
Cover: Sometimes, when I glance real quick, I think she looks like Emma Stone, which is definitely a compliment though I do prefer Stone as a redhead.
Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The concept for this book struck me as being very similar to Pivot Point's where at a critical juncture, a teenager's life separates and we follow her fate as she explores both option A and B. However while Pivot Point's premise employs characters with supernatural abilities, this book just has it happen for no reason other than for the authors to spend a lot of time musing on fate vs free will.
Here the book splits when Caroline's beloved grandmother falls ill and is rushed to the hospital. On what will be the last night of her life, Caroline has to decide if she will stay there with her family or go out for a night of fun and relaxation with her best friend. I kind of can't believe she even considered leaving as her grandmother seemed to be in very bad shape that last night but in one version she does go.
Caroline's family life is rocky. When her parents divorced, she found the tension so rough that she moved into her grandmother's house while her older brother and sister stayed with their mother who added another daughter with her new husband. Caroline's relationship with her sister Natalie is especially tense for reasons I never quite fathomed. My theory is that Caroline maybe caught her dad cheating on their mother and duly reported the news leading directly to the divorce. That is where the trouble seems to stem from and the sisters are very antagonistic from the start of the book. Other than that, I have no idea exactly why the sisters are so hateful to each other. Luckily in both scenarios, they seem to gain more understanding of each other although in general I found all the relationships lacking.
But the big difference in the stories is Caroline's romantic partnerships. In one version, she meets a cute new guy and begins a relationship with him; in the other, she finally gets to hook up with her long-time crush. And yet both paths lead her to the same seemingly inevitable conclusion so I'm not entirely sure what the point was. There is also a lot of repetitive talk about the meaning of fate with characters saying that certain events were fated-very heavy-handed!
Overall: I love the premise for this novel but found the relationships superficial and I especially never connected with the main character in the way I like to. If you really love the premise and/or are a big fan of the author(s), by all means give it a shot but otherwise, skip.
Cover: Sometimes, when I glance real quick, I think she looks like Emma Stone, which is definitely a compliment though I do prefer Stone as a redhead.
Sliding Doors is one of my favorite movies so any book that can evoke the same feelings is a winner in my book. This is the second Cat Patrick novel that I have read, and I really enjoy her easy writing style as well as her complicated characters. Nothing is black and white. I love that this book really delved into our choices and their consequences. And you definitely find out that one of the guys is a jerk - turns out I was routing for the right one!
If you like storylines with alternate possibilities and lots of feels this book is for you. I will definitely be reading more Cat Patrick in the future.
If you like storylines with alternate possibilities and lots of feels this book is for you. I will definitely be reading more Cat Patrick in the future.
Merry Christmas all! 3.5 stars. This book evidently reminds me of Pivot Point however I liked that much much more. Just Like Fate has so much potential but I feel the ending didn't do it justice! (Or was it to make us think about which choice is better?)
Either way, I did enjoy this book. It's a light fun read and Chris was an adorable love interest!
Either way, I did enjoy this book. It's a light fun read and Chris was an adorable love interest!
This is the first "sliding doors" book I've ever read. I have to admit that I was intrigued by the idea of seeing both sides of the same story. What choices would Caroline face, and what would she choose to do about them? When the dilemma was finally presented, I had to take a step back. It seemed so obvious, at least to me, what Caroline should do. Since there was no back story as to why she would want to do anything else, I started this book with a raised eyebrow.
It's true that once the book actually pushed forward, I ended up more invested. It turns out that, despite how weak the beginning felt to me, Caroline's two lives actually do play out fairly differently. Each reality had its own positives and negatives. Each one brought about its own set of problems. In fact, that's what I really enjoyed about Just Like Fate. It shows that life isn't cut and dry. One choice doesn't lead to pure happiness and the other to utter despair. Instead, they each have a bit of both.
Still, this book doesn't exactly dive as deeply as I felt it could have into the characters and their stories. I didn't learn much about Caroline overall, and I felt like things ended up predictable after a time. The romance here was cute, although not entirely believable. It was a love triangle, but then again not. In other words there were two different Carolines, but the same two guys in each. She never has to actually make a choice between them persay, yet it still feels oddly like a love triangle. I feel that if I had gotten to know them better, and maybe known Caroline better, I might have enjoyed the romance more.
Apologies if this review is all over the place, but that's how my thoughts on this book truly are. I liked the premise of Just Like Fate, adored the concept of seeing how choices affect the future, but I just couldn't get behind the execution. I did finish this book and, honestly, enjoyed the ending a lot. So I still recommend that you give it a shot! I feel it's the type of book you'll either love, or fail to click with, but it's definitely worth the journey to find out.
It's true that once the book actually pushed forward, I ended up more invested. It turns out that, despite how weak the beginning felt to me, Caroline's two lives actually do play out fairly differently. Each reality had its own positives and negatives. Each one brought about its own set of problems. In fact, that's what I really enjoyed about Just Like Fate. It shows that life isn't cut and dry. One choice doesn't lead to pure happiness and the other to utter despair. Instead, they each have a bit of both.
Still, this book doesn't exactly dive as deeply as I felt it could have into the characters and their stories. I didn't learn much about Caroline overall, and I felt like things ended up predictable after a time. The romance here was cute, although not entirely believable. It was a love triangle, but then again not. In other words there were two different Carolines, but the same two guys in each. She never has to actually make a choice between them persay, yet it still feels oddly like a love triangle. I feel that if I had gotten to know them better, and maybe known Caroline better, I might have enjoyed the romance more.
Apologies if this review is all over the place, but that's how my thoughts on this book truly are. I liked the premise of Just Like Fate, adored the concept of seeing how choices affect the future, but I just couldn't get behind the execution. I did finish this book and, honestly, enjoyed the ending a lot. So I still recommend that you give it a shot! I feel it's the type of book you'll either love, or fail to click with, but it's definitely worth the journey to find out.
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes