"Chick Lit with Grit" said the introduction online. I was trawling WattPad looking to sort out the wheat from chaff. I didn't think I was going to find Clancy, W.E.B Griffin or Nelson DeMille on the free stacks, but who knew .... at least maybe this book wouldn't be staged in a middle school, written by an author who knew nothing else.
Pleasantly surprised I discovered, I chose my favorite authors above not for the military/spy action, but the well developed characters. Who knew?
Add Caroline Batten to my short list of favorite authors. And for those of you 1.5 million or so who read the free version on WattPad - THIS STORY IS DIFFERENT, and you need to re-read the published version, if for nothing else, the surprise ending.....
Ms. Batten presents an honest and well developed character study of a modern 21 century twenty something population of a small English town. The characters immediately impress me with their depth, believable, portrayal, humor, and of course the inevitable "OMG he/she didn't, you dummy" moments that cause us to shake our heads and smile, and wonder how they are going to get out of THIS ONE.
The story does every twenty-something credit - no negativity, whining, excessive video gaming, unresolved helplessness here. Ok, maybe a little wildness that carrys from University days, mixed in with having to get up in the morning and carry ou responsible jobs (teacher, veterinarian, ballet, rockstar painter) Get ready for deeply developed characters like a W.E.B. Griffin novel. Characters that make smart little remarks under their breath that would make DeMille smile, and there's even several Clancy-esque mysterious death, a car chase involving a helpless maiden, the theft of narcotics - ANIMAL narcotics... surrounded by the most honest portrayal of post university youth looking to make their way In the world despite their mistakes, realizing for the first time they have limitations they may be unwilling to accept, that I can ever remember reading.
Chick lit? Not from where I sit..... This American bloke(dude) flipped page after page, enchanted with fell (mountain) running, drunken football (soccer) games with spectators high fashion that ultimately devolves into the infinitely funnier antics of a fraternity intramural game.
Along the way expect to find honest portrayals of young families, single men no longer interested in keeping score, the trials of start-up businesses, spells, potions, several honest-to-god rock stars, actors, a world famous painter, a veterinary practice, and the aftermath of some wild parties - regrets? They have a few, but more than anything they accept their responsibilities and move their imperfect selves forward to a stunning conclusion you will not see coming.
To the 1.5 million wattpad readers who read Distraction, Nearly Almost Somebody is a different book, and will jerk you upright as soon as you assume you know what coming next.
Read this book! (Even if you THINK you already DID!).
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Top reviews from other countries
- luceReviewed in Germany on March 27, 2015
welcome back to Gosthwaite
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- Alison S. Parkins Book ReviewsReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2016
Hilarious mystery romance....
Format: KindleVerified Purchase - Night OwlReviewed in Australia on May 29, 2015
Thoroughly entertaining read with lots of laughs!
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