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neglet's review against another edition
Excellent read, with a family mystery slowly revealed in alternating flashback chapters, and a delicate portrayal of trauma and it’s aftermath. Really fantastic use of metaphor.
bebbiie's review against another edition
3.0
Much much more of a book than I expected it to be...I was stunned to read some parts.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
4.0
Charm & Strange has to be the most perfect title for this book. It's just the right mix of charming and strange and it's completely unique to the YA market. While I didn't completely love it, I have to say I did thoroughly enjoy my time reading Charm & Strange.
First off, I just want to clarify. Charm & Strange is contemporary. I did not expect that at all when I first started reading it and it took me a little while to realize that I was, in fact, reading a contemporary novel. Don't be fooled by the cover or synopsis and read this one thinking it's paranormal, like I did.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the characters in Charm & Strange for a good portion of the book. Andrew is a very odd character. He's hard to get a read on and I never really felt like I connected to him. For once though, that didn't actually detract from my enjoyment of the story. Andrew's personality was definitely that of a loner and I felt like maybe I wasn't supposed to connect to him. He's a very messed up person and while I didn't connect to him, I really felt for him. And while Andrew is a loner, he can't completely shut everyone out. New girl in school, Jordan, brings out something in Andrew and he just can't avoid her completely. Jordan was a bit of a mystery to me for a while but she ended up being a very good person and a true friend to Andrew when he needed one most.
Fair warning: the story is very dark. This is definitely a book for older YA readers. There's sex, drugs, alcohol, abuse, depression, and more. It may be a quick read but it's definitely not a light one. You really need to be in the right mood to read this one.
Without giving anything away about the story, I just want to say this: it's not at all what's expected. Sure there were a few little things that were kind of predictable but that's it. With every turn of the page, I never knew what was coming. Once you start this book, be prepared to read straight through. It's a gripping read that will shock you more than once throughout the course of Andrew's story.
Overall, Charm & Strange may not have been the perfect read but it was pretty dang close. If you like a darker story, I highly recommend this one. Stephanie Kuehn is on my list of authors to check out from now on.
First off, I just want to clarify. Charm & Strange is contemporary. I did not expect that at all when I first started reading it and it took me a little while to realize that I was, in fact, reading a contemporary novel. Don't be fooled by the cover or synopsis and read this one thinking it's paranormal, like I did.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the characters in Charm & Strange for a good portion of the book. Andrew is a very odd character. He's hard to get a read on and I never really felt like I connected to him. For once though, that didn't actually detract from my enjoyment of the story. Andrew's personality was definitely that of a loner and I felt like maybe I wasn't supposed to connect to him. He's a very messed up person and while I didn't connect to him, I really felt for him. And while Andrew is a loner, he can't completely shut everyone out. New girl in school, Jordan, brings out something in Andrew and he just can't avoid her completely. Jordan was a bit of a mystery to me for a while but she ended up being a very good person and a true friend to Andrew when he needed one most.
Fair warning: the story is very dark. This is definitely a book for older YA readers. There's sex, drugs, alcohol, abuse, depression, and more. It may be a quick read but it's definitely not a light one. You really need to be in the right mood to read this one.
Without giving anything away about the story, I just want to say this: it's not at all what's expected. Sure there were a few little things that were kind of predictable but that's it. With every turn of the page, I never knew what was coming. Once you start this book, be prepared to read straight through. It's a gripping read that will shock you more than once throughout the course of Andrew's story.
Overall, Charm & Strange may not have been the perfect read but it was pretty dang close. If you like a darker story, I highly recommend this one. Stephanie Kuehn is on my list of authors to check out from now on.
blue124's review against another edition
3.0
DNF at 60%.
It's not a bad book. It's one of those "it's not you it's me" kind of books. Nothing really bad about it, it's just too vague for me and I got bored halfway. Still, it's not a bad book at all.
It's not a bad book. It's one of those "it's not you it's me" kind of books. Nothing really bad about it, it's just too vague for me and I got bored halfway. Still, it's not a bad book at all.
mengler87's review against another edition
5.0
another wow! a very difficult subject to read about, but could not put it down! a quick, intense, and poignant read! Look for more "seals" to be added in January!
windiego's review against another edition
4.0
I knew this book was going to break my heart, but I cannot look away.
downthebookhole's review against another edition
4.0
Strange. Baffling. Mysterious. Unique. Unexpected.
When I think of this book these are the words that come to mind. I have to also preface this review by saying that to read this book you need patience and to be able to continue reading although for a majority of the book you are completely confused and left in the dark in regards to just about everything. Although this is a semi short book, I personally felt like it took me a long time to read it all the way through. I kept getting frustrated and anxious, but by the end I was completely captivated, and in awe at the overall story and the deep feelings and meanings evoked by the story of "Win".
The book is full of mystery, secrets and twist that lead you to question what you thought was happening and what the outcome would be. It is told alternating between the past and present creating more confusion as you slowly learn parts of secrets that are all brought together towards the end and ties up all loose ends for the most part. The way this story was written was extremely unique and intriguing that although I had fits of frustration and anger I could not manage to put it down because I needed to know what happened and what was going on. There were also so many thoughtful and beautifully strung together sentences that were full of wisdom and made you think about life.
I don't want to really say much else because spoilers, but this was a wonderful debut novel by Stephanie Kuehn. If it doesn't sound like it I will state I truly did enjoy this novel in retrospect, I think the anger clouded my thoughts during the read because I was impatient and just wanted to know what was going on, but the beautifully written ending makes it all worth the read. It is definitely one of those books that I feel like people either hate or love, but I believe it is one to give a chance to, especially if you love being stumped and having no clue where the story will go.
When I think of this book these are the words that come to mind. I have to also preface this review by saying that to read this book you need patience and to be able to continue reading although for a majority of the book you are completely confused and left in the dark in regards to just about everything. Although this is a semi short book, I personally felt like it took me a long time to read it all the way through. I kept getting frustrated and anxious, but by the end I was completely captivated, and in awe at the overall story and the deep feelings and meanings evoked by the story of "Win".
The book is full of mystery, secrets and twist that lead you to question what you thought was happening and what the outcome would be. It is told alternating between the past and present creating more confusion as you slowly learn parts of secrets that are all brought together towards the end and ties up all loose ends for the most part. The way this story was written was extremely unique and intriguing that although I had fits of frustration and anger I could not manage to put it down because I needed to know what happened and what was going on. There were also so many thoughtful and beautifully strung together sentences that were full of wisdom and made you think about life.
I don't want to really say much else because spoilers, but this was a wonderful debut novel by Stephanie Kuehn. If it doesn't sound like it I will state I truly did enjoy this novel in retrospect, I think the anger clouded my thoughts during the read because I was impatient and just wanted to know what was going on, but the beautifully written ending makes it all worth the read. It is definitely one of those books that I feel like people either hate or love, but I believe it is one to give a chance to, especially if you love being stumped and having no clue where the story will go.
kreplehill's review against another edition
3.0
I would have given it a two, but it suddenly made sense in the final thirty pages. In retrospect, it was quite thoughtfully crafted but would be way over the heads of most teen readers.
jesscinco's review against another edition
4.0
Artfully written. This deals with some very sensitive issues; and may be triggering for some readers. I liked the writing style, and the way the plot kept you guessing about what happened in the past, and what would happen to the main character. I can see why this won the Morris Award, it's a good first novel, and shows a lot of promise from Kuehn.