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bookphenomena_micky's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautifully sweet read, that's not to say things were smooth for the main characters Adam and Charli. Charli lives in Tasmania in a small town that seems dead end. Adam is American and comes visiting his aunt and stays once he has met Charli. Charli is a little on the crazy side and she is such a fun and loveable character. The surrounding characters of Alex and Gabi are great. The ending.......wow, I just have to buy the next book.
graff_fuller's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book for FREE, so my expectations were fairly low. Wow, I really enjoyed this book. I will read the next two and a half...soon.
arthuriana's review against another edition
3.0
Alright, this book was actually good. Hence the three-star rating. However, most of the time, I felt weirdly unattached. It was as if instead of sympathizing with the characters, it was like I was watching a movie. In black and white. Muted.
Because this is what this novel is: muted. The tone is passive. The prose was, to be honest, not that stellar. There are character dramas that I think should have made me feel invested in these characters but ended up being like static on a television set. Irritating. Useless. A headache if you stare at it long enough, because, honestly, this book had all these words and all these paragraphs but it didn't really feel like it would add up to anything you know?
Walker-Smith employs the tell method. And that is where she struck out. All Charlotte could ever do was tell the readers—and other characters—about how troubled she is, about how she has these 'problems.' These issues. The thing is, it never felt like issues. It disappeared when it needed to be and it appeared when the plot called for it. Contrived? Yep, it certainly is.
Twas a pity, really. If this could have been done with better prose, we could have the next big coming-of-age YA novel. A novel about love lost and love found and lost again. About family. About friendships and betrayal.
Instead, we get muted colors of black and white. Safe. Natural. Comfortable.
Boring.
Because this is what this novel is: muted. The tone is passive. The prose was, to be honest, not that stellar. There are character dramas that I think should have made me feel invested in these characters but ended up being like static on a television set. Irritating. Useless. A headache if you stare at it long enough, because, honestly, this book had all these words and all these paragraphs but it didn't really feel like it would add up to anything you know?
Walker-Smith employs the tell method. And that is where she struck out. All Charlotte could ever do was tell the readers—and other characters—about how troubled she is, about how she has these 'problems.' These issues. The thing is, it never felt like issues. It disappeared when it needed to be and it appeared when the plot called for it. Contrived? Yep, it certainly is.
Twas a pity, really. If this could have been done with better prose, we could have the next big coming-of-age YA novel. A novel about love lost and love found and lost again. About family. About friendships and betrayal.
Instead, we get muted colors of black and white. Safe. Natural. Comfortable.
Boring.
jannah_22's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
frhwrdn's review against another edition
5.0
Glad that it was free on Apple Store and I got it anyway, i wasnt expecting that this book will left so much teary eyes and that ending was emotional and everything is perfection. Ok.
amirah_dobby's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
elephant's review against another edition
3.0
I had a difficult time relating to and understanding the characters in this book. Charli, a 17 year old high school senior, has serious low self-esteem. And then along comes Adam, who has been drawn to her hometown due to a photograph that she took and had made into postcards, one of which, his aunt, Charli's French teacher, sent to him. He is inexplicably in love with Charli, and really, I never can figure out why. Both of their characters seem flat and not well developed. The first part of the book is kind of boring. Then, all sorts of secrets and plot twists come out which make it more interesting. You finally get to see some of Charli's personality. I got this book free from Netgalley.
bucketheadmary's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh, no more of this, please. Apparently there are at least six books in this series, but I'd rather step on a Lego than read the rest of them.
shelbyksmith's review against another edition
3.0
I kept thinking to myself “this sound super familiar...”but the postcard scene hadn’t happened yet, then I got to that part and shot straight up! I read this book when it first came out in high school, but the others still weren’t published. I literally have a note on my phone telling me to look this book up in a couple years to see if the sequel is done! So glad I found this story again and cannot wait to catch up on the next seven!!
charlienora's review against another edition
4.0
read this for free when i was younger and reread it about a year ago, it’s a cute book and i can’t bring myself to rate it lower than 4 simply for nostalgic purposes. the book itself is cute and i love adam but i think charlie is kind of whiney