I do like easy reads, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, just because I don’t read the classics like Wuthering Heights (which I did borrow once, read the title, started reading another book and ended up forgetting about Emily Bronte and getting a library fine) doesn’t mean my opinion on books should be snubbed off. I love analysing and reviewing, and recommending people different books that I absolutely loved or think is a great way to pass the time. For me, reading is addictive and the more people I can share this addiction with, the better. And this particular novel, ‘Welcome, caller, this is Chloe’ by Shelley Coriell, I was very addicted to it and read it in just a day.
If you were to turn over my copy of the book, there is an extract of Publishers Weekly review, saying “Coriell shows sparkling wit and great skill in creating complex characters with memorable personalities. Chloe’s emotional growth is believable…” But instead of quoting the entire thing because I don’t want to be too lazy, I’ll fill you in with my personal opinion to the novel. I have to agree with Publishers Weekly, that Coriell’s characters all have developed the complexities that make them so realistically believable, and when I read a story, I like believable characters. The story itself isn’t a unique storyline, but the life that each individual person that Coriell has written, allows for this novel to stand out as a good read.
It is about a girl, Chloe, who was popular until suddenly her best friend stops talking to her and spreads a rumour around the student population of their high school, leading Chloe into isolation and having to endure the whispers that happen when she passes people. She has effectively become an “Outcast” like it says in the novel. It is during this time that her school guidance counsellor forces her to join the struggling school radio station, where all the other “outcasts” are found. And their welcome is far from friendly, with only the shy and distant guy, Duncan, is willing to acknowledge her, but soon, Chloe, with her warm, friendly, talkative personality, she is able to turn the radio station around, whilst also having to deal with the struggles happening in her personal life, with her gran’s worsening Parkinson’s, the need to pass her assignment, and her growing affection for Duncan and his own problems.
So, you can probably predict how the ending is going to turn out, but that is okay, because teen reads may have typical endings at times, but despite the wit that Coriell incorporates in her writing (which I love), serious topics are addressed throughout the novel in an insightful and sensitive way. It may not be a classic, or an absolute must read, but ‘Welcome, caller, this is Chloe’ was an enjoyable read and I couldn’t put the book down, because Chloe is such a loveable character.
8/10
If you were to turn over my copy of the book, there is an extract of Publishers Weekly review, saying “Coriell shows sparkling wit and great skill in creating complex characters with memorable personalities. Chloe’s emotional growth is believable…” But instead of quoting the entire thing because I don’t want to be too lazy, I’ll fill you in with my personal opinion to the novel. I have to agree with Publishers Weekly, that Coriell’s characters all have developed the complexities that make them so realistically believable, and when I read a story, I like believable characters. The story itself isn’t a unique storyline, but the life that each individual person that Coriell has written, allows for this novel to stand out as a good read.
It is about a girl, Chloe, who was popular until suddenly her best friend stops talking to her and spreads a rumour around the student population of their high school, leading Chloe into isolation and having to endure the whispers that happen when she passes people. She has effectively become an “Outcast” like it says in the novel. It is during this time that her school guidance counsellor forces her to join the struggling school radio station, where all the other “outcasts” are found. And their welcome is far from friendly, with only the shy and distant guy, Duncan, is willing to acknowledge her, but soon, Chloe, with her warm, friendly, talkative personality, she is able to turn the radio station around, whilst also having to deal with the struggles happening in her personal life, with her gran’s worsening Parkinson’s, the need to pass her assignment, and her growing affection for Duncan and his own problems.
So, you can probably predict how the ending is going to turn out, but that is okay, because teen reads may have typical endings at times, but despite the wit that Coriell incorporates in her writing (which I love), serious topics are addressed throughout the novel in an insightful and sensitive way. It may not be a classic, or an absolute must read, but ‘Welcome, caller, this is Chloe’ was an enjoyable read and I couldn’t put the book down, because Chloe is such a loveable character.
8/10
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