Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
To start with, I had a hard time figuring out how to classify this book. It’s on me that I thought this was a Romance going in because I don’t think I was ever specifically told that. This is more general fiction with romantic elements. But I will say, for my Romance peeps, it does have a HEA for Christa. And the last half of the story is a lot heavier on the romance than the first half.
There are some terrible people in this story. Underhanded, narcissistic, greedy people who only pretend to care about what their actions do to their supposed loved ones. Fortunately, Christa’s mom and sisters are not those terrible people. This book is, at its core, about Christa and her sisters and mom healing their relationships. They love each other hard and deeply, but many mistakes have been made through the years. Especially in Christa’s childhood. Christa has her faults, but it’s much easier for her to admit to those faults once her family members address their past mistakes with her. I loved seeing them come together and display a united front over and over, even before they had stitched up the tears in their family.
Nathan and Leo are wonderful additions to that family team. I would have loved to see more of Leo, but he was always there holding them up when they needed him. Nathan is the love interest and he’s also a comforting present for the women in the family. He was witness to Christa’s greatest shame (in her eyes, anyway) and that was one of my issues with the story. It was kind of kept as a secret from the reader and I didn’t really see the reason behind the secrecy. Everyone who mattered in the story knew what happened so it was strange to keep it from the reader. Regardless, Nathan is amazing and it seems he always has been.
This is a new-to-me author so I’m not sure if this book is a good example of her usual writing style. I found the flow to work well and, for the most part, the story was engaging. It threw me off that she switched from first-person POV (Christa) to third-person POV a few times. Those third-person bits weren’t very long, but it was strange to have them thrown into a first-person story. I still enjoyed the story and, even though this isn’t my usual genre, I would read more from this author if the opportunity arose.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Grief
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is unlike any romcom I've ever read. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it completely breaks the romcom mold.
Something I've always liked about Abbi’s books is that they often don’t focus entirely on romance. They’re romcoms, sure, but with a wider plot—usually focused on bizarre friend and/or family dynamics. In this case, the family dynamic is beyond bizarre.
Imagine an alternate universe where Steve Irwin did not, in fact, perish by way of stingray, but instead, was alive and well for 25 years in a remote location, and then suddenly, he decides to make a comeback and shock his family and the world with his sheer existence. Oh, but there's more. Imagine if his daughter Bindi had gone slightly off the rails in high school and then done her own version of "disappearing," by taking her work to a remote island and only resurfacing after finding out that her father is alive and well.
Yeah, that's what this book is like... and then add some romance in there. WILD!
Needless to say, Abbi's unique style of storytelling opens up the story a lot more than a typical romcom would. Not to mention that this particular book included footnotes. Yes, you read that right. There are footnotes since the FMC is a scientist. Not only that, but each chapter begins with an illustration of a creature or object, its name, and its "Latin" name (sometimes as goofy as "backpackus giganticus" for an oversized backpack). These are the kinds of things that keep me coming back to Abbi's books over and over again!
There was a lot of hidden depth woven into this truly witty and humorous story. Typically, I'm someone who looks up trigger warnings in advance, but I didn't with this book and I wish I had. If you're a sensitive reader, I recommend paying close attention to the warnings included here, since the heavier themes can be overwhelming. However, I do believe the content was handled with a lot of grace and it gave the characters a lot of power over the narrative, which I appreciated.
My only qualm with this book was that the romance moved a little too quickly for my particular taste. I liked the chemistry between the characters a lot, but things escalated at a pace that occasionally made me feel like that element wasn't as fully fleshed out. Regardless, the way everything was wrapped up in the end felt quite right, so I truly can't complain. There were certainly some swoony moments as well as some absolutely hilarious ones and I absolutely loved that!
I can once again circle back to how I've never read another book quite like Christa Comes Out of Her Shell. It made me crack up, had me in tears several times, and I definitely didn't want to put it down. If you're looking for something that breaks the romcom mold, this will absolutely scratch that itch!
Something I've always liked about Abbi’s books is that they often don’t focus entirely on romance. They’re romcoms, sure, but with a wider plot—usually focused on bizarre friend and/or family dynamics. In this case, the family dynamic is beyond bizarre.
Imagine an alternate universe where Steve Irwin did not, in fact, perish by way of stingray, but instead, was alive and well for 25 years in a remote location, and then suddenly, he decides to make a comeback and shock his family and the world with his sheer existence. Oh, but there's more. Imagine if his daughter Bindi had gone slightly off the rails in high school and then done her own version of "disappearing," by taking her work to a remote island and only resurfacing after finding out that her father is alive and well.
Yeah, that's what this book is like... and then add some romance in there. WILD!
Needless to say, Abbi's unique style of storytelling opens up the story a lot more than a typical romcom would. Not to mention that this particular book included footnotes. Yes, you read that right. There are footnotes since the FMC is a scientist. Not only that, but each chapter begins with an illustration of a creature or object, its name, and its "Latin" name (sometimes as goofy as "backpackus giganticus" for an oversized backpack). These are the kinds of things that keep me coming back to Abbi's books over and over again!
There was a lot of hidden depth woven into this truly witty and humorous story. Typically, I'm someone who looks up trigger warnings in advance, but I didn't with this book and I wish I had. If you're a sensitive reader, I recommend paying close attention to the warnings included here, since the heavier themes can be overwhelming. However, I do believe the content was handled with a lot of grace and it gave the characters a lot of power over the narrative, which I appreciated.
My only qualm with this book was that the romance moved a little too quickly for my particular taste. I liked the chemistry between the characters a lot, but things escalated at a pace that occasionally made me feel like that element wasn't as fully fleshed out. Regardless, the way everything was wrapped up in the end felt quite right, so I truly can't complain. There were certainly some swoony moments as well as some absolutely hilarious ones and I absolutely loved that!
I can once again circle back to how I've never read another book quite like Christa Comes Out of Her Shell. It made me crack up, had me in tears several times, and I definitely didn't want to put it down. If you're looking for something that breaks the romcom mold, this will absolutely scratch that itch!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Vomit
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell by Abbi Waxman took me to the small island of Violetta, a world away from Christa Liddle's highly dysfunctional family in California. The story unfolds as Christa's father, presumed dead for 25 years, returns, and Christa must leave her island and join her family as they struggle to process what's happened.
I wasn't prepared for such a delightful read filled with amusing situations. As I delved into the life of Christa, a researcher of bubble raft snails in the Indian Ocean who is ironically afraid of sharks, the stage is set for a story brimming with wit and humor. The over-the-top narrative kept me thoroughly entertained.
What truly intrigued me in the story was the exploration of the intricate family relationships. The journey of self-discovery that Christa embarks on, and her evolving understanding of her sisters, mother, and 'not-dead' father, kept me engrossed and turning the pages.
Christa is a delightful character with her quick wit and sarcastic observations about the people around her. Her narration of the story was a highlight for me, as I found her perspective and humor to be incredibly enjoyable and fast-paced.
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is the perfect read if you're looking for a fun story full of complex family themes.
I wasn't prepared for such a delightful read filled with amusing situations. As I delved into the life of Christa, a researcher of bubble raft snails in the Indian Ocean who is ironically afraid of sharks, the stage is set for a story brimming with wit and humor. The over-the-top narrative kept me thoroughly entertained.
What truly intrigued me in the story was the exploration of the intricate family relationships. The journey of self-discovery that Christa embarks on, and her evolving understanding of her sisters, mother, and 'not-dead' father, kept me engrossed and turning the pages.
Christa is a delightful character with her quick wit and sarcastic observations about the people around her. Her narration of the story was a highlight for me, as I found her perspective and humor to be incredibly enjoyable and fast-paced.
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is the perfect read if you're looking for a fun story full of complex family themes.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Another fun story by Abbi! I thought it was a lighthearted dysfunctional-family saga and it made me chuckle a handful of times. It's kind of like if Steve Irwin was a dick and went missing for twenty years, came back, and roped his whole ex-family into a media nightmare: chaos ensuing. (Of course, Steve Irwin would never be awful, so this is obviously a parallel universe.) Christa is a weird loner person that I connected with and I liked the shenanigans that her mom and sisters got up to as their lives got turned upside down.
This is solidly contemporary fiction and the romance aspect wasn't my fav. Actually it was my least fav part of it. Could have done without it all together. But the rest made up for it so I really enjoyed it as a whole!
This is solidly contemporary fiction and the romance aspect wasn't my fav. Actually it was my least fav part of it. Could have done without it all together. But the rest made up for it so I really enjoyed it as a whole!
medium-paced
Thank you to Berkley (Berkley Partner) for the free book and PRH Audio (PRH Partner) for the free audiobook.
NEW FAV.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
This book captivated me in all the best ways. I adored the plot and seeing Christa find her way through a lot of things thrown at her. This leans a little more fiction, but there’s definitely a romance present throughout.
And to go deeper into the romance, I loved the reconnection she had with Nate. They were starry eyed from the moment they found each other again. I loved the way Nate took care of Christa and also allowed her to be who she needed to be and where she needed to be. There was unconditional support and love woven throughout.
I also loved all of the dynamics between Christa and her Mom and sisters. It felt like an authentic family trying to move through some unimaginable happenings and looking for the best path together. There were fantastic conversations throughout and I loved the themes of forgiveness and healing.
The audiobook is stellar and I highly recommend that format. There are footnotes in the print copy that are added in flawlessly to the audio edition and I didn’t feel like the book was stilted in any way. They ended up being delightful anecdotes that made me laugh.
Overall audience notes:
- Fiction + Romance
- Language: moderate – strong
- Romance: 1-2 open door
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault and non-consensual drugging (recounted), cheating/affair (side character)
NEW FAV.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
This book captivated me in all the best ways. I adored the plot and seeing Christa find her way through a lot of things thrown at her. This leans a little more fiction, but there’s definitely a romance present throughout.
And to go deeper into the romance, I loved the reconnection she had with Nate. They were starry eyed from the moment they found each other again. I loved the way Nate took care of Christa and also allowed her to be who she needed to be and where she needed to be. There was unconditional support and love woven throughout.
I also loved all of the dynamics between Christa and her Mom and sisters. It felt like an authentic family trying to move through some unimaginable happenings and looking for the best path together. There were fantastic conversations throughout and I loved the themes of forgiveness and healing.
The audiobook is stellar and I highly recommend that format. There are footnotes in the print copy that are added in flawlessly to the audio edition and I didn’t feel like the book was stilted in any way. They ended up being delightful anecdotes that made me laugh.
Overall audience notes:
- Fiction + Romance
- Language: moderate – strong
- Romance: 1-2 open door
- Violence: low
- Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault and non-consensual drugging (recounted), cheating/affair (side character)