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A review by kaitrosereads
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
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.