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A review by roannasylver
Caroline's Heart by Austin Chant
5.0
But the idea of Cecily being placed on the earth in such a damned confusion, just like him, and finding her way to be as extraordinary as she is—and him finding his way to her table, getting to sit across from her, quietly adoring her—the wonder of it all fills him with a swell of emotion that’s the closest thing to holy he’s ever felt.
* * *
I've been a huge Austin Chant fan since reading Peter Darling early last year, and had high hopes coming into this - and I was definitely not disappointed. Reading this was an experience. Uniquely immersive in that rare and wonderful way that sucks you in and makes you think every clock in the house has to be wrong by the time you look up. The world felt real, richly, atmospheric, eerily evocative, and bittersweet.
Others have gone over the plot and themes a lot better than I could - check out Shira's review here in particular - so I will just say... that the emotional core/'heart' is incredibly raw, and hit home for me in... ways that are driving the words right out of my head, honestly. It happens when I'm emotionally overwhelmed. The more important/wonderful/devastating a thing, the harder I find it to word. (In a strange way, this is very high praise. If I can't talk about it, it's Real.)
But reviews require words, so I don't have the 'luxury' of going nonverbal for an afternoon, so.
I've been where Cecily was. I've felt what she felt.
I might have done the same.
And I'm glad it ended the way it did, even if my own foolish heart kept hoping for everything to somehow... work out differently. But it wouldn't have been right for the story, as it isn't in real life.
Ultimately this is a story about letting go of a clenched fist so your hand can be open for whatever goodness next comes to you. The same is true of hearts.
* * *
I've been a huge Austin Chant fan since reading Peter Darling early last year, and had high hopes coming into this - and I was definitely not disappointed. Reading this was an experience. Uniquely immersive in that rare and wonderful way that sucks you in and makes you think every clock in the house has to be wrong by the time you look up. The world felt real, richly, atmospheric, eerily evocative, and bittersweet.
Others have gone over the plot and themes a lot better than I could - check out Shira's review here in particular - so I will just say... that the emotional core/'heart' is incredibly raw, and hit home for me in... ways that are driving the words right out of my head, honestly. It happens when I'm emotionally overwhelmed. The more important/wonderful/devastating a thing, the harder I find it to word. (In a strange way, this is very high praise. If I can't talk about it, it's Real.)
But reviews require words, so I don't have the 'luxury' of going nonverbal for an afternoon, so.
I've been where Cecily was. I've felt what she felt.
I might have done the same.
And I'm glad it ended the way it did, even if my own foolish heart kept hoping for everything to somehow... work out differently. But it wouldn't have been right for the story, as it isn't in real life.
Ultimately this is a story about letting go of a clenched fist so your hand can be open for whatever goodness next comes to you. The same is true of hearts.