While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from reality, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, will their friendship become something more?
Chelsea Fine
In case you have been living under a rock and are new to OneGuysGuideToGoodReads and don't know of Chelsea Fine or my love for her, here is some information about the amazing Chelsea:
Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona where she spends
most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at
all costs. She’s ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to
laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy
socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her
inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the
kitchen.
Website: www.chelseafinebooks.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChelseaFine
Instagram: http://instagram.com/chelseafinebooks
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4984399.Chelsea_Fine***********************************************************************************
My Thoughts:
The other day it was brought to my attention that I have not read every Chelsea Fine book! I knew I had to change that pretty quick! I actually already had Sophie & Carter downloaded and had already read about 30 pages of it before I put it down. I remember now why I didn't finish that first time. My Nook version clock in at just shy of 80 pages. I thought I only had a partial copy. I thought I was missing the rest of the novel! So in an effort to not start something I wouldn't be able to finish, I stopped reading. I was wrong.
Now I can tell you all that Sophie & Carter is a novella. If only I had known that a year ago, I wouldn't be in this late boat now! It may have only been ~80 pages, but I can say this with near honesty: I don't know that I've ever read a better ~80 page story. Chelsea Fine has such a way with words. This short story is so wonderfully written that you don't need anymore. Chelsea give us everything we need in that pages and it is still more than enough to makes you want to cry for all the feels.
Check out this Tweet from Chelsea describing her experience writing Sophie & Carter:
@egrgry Aw...did you like it? It was my first book and so intense to write. I swear it almost demolished me. Haha.
— Chelsea Fine (@ChelseaFine) August 17, 2014
I will tell you that this short novel really hit me hard. The characters of Sophie and Carter are so well written and just.... wow. Raw, real... everything you could want from an amazing story. While most of the story had me on the verge of tearing up, the ending actually made me smile. This story is great. I really think everyone should have a friend like Sophie or Carter. I am so thankful that I have had a few like that. Rather than continue to write about how great the book is, I'd like to share a couple of quotes from the novel that really hit on the points I have written about.
"The houses are small and crooked, but the trees are large and stand up tall. Large oaks stretch their canopies over the leaky roofs and peeling paint of the homes below, keeping the secrets in and the sunlight out" Unfortunately, I was able to see many similarities between friends' lives and those of Sophie and Carter. It is so sad to read/know about people who live such unfortunate lives, but this novel gave us a great outlook on it. It really shows us that life, will eventually get better, if you only take the time to help yourself!
"Well too bad Carter! That's what life's about. There is no meaning in life unless you're sharing it, really sharing it, with other people. So you can hide in the past, and lie about your scars, and pretend all you want. But pretending you're someone else with those other girls will never, never take away the pain!" - Some of the lines in the book hit me hard. It's so crazy how you can relate to characters in book the way a reader can. I've had friendships like Sophie and Carter's and they really are so awesome. It really takes a true friend to tell you how it is like that. I think that's what I loved the most about this book. Sophie and Carter were not lovers who had problems, they were best friends. Best friends first and foremost. Best friends... who happened to be in love. That's a great story.
"I'm in love with Sophie Hartman, and it scares the crap out of me..." Lord Carter, after reading this book, I'm in love with Sophie Hartman. Watch your back pal. I think I've found me a new book girlfriend. I'm not even lying.
"I clear my throat. "No matter what happens in there, no matter what you see or feel, I want you to know that you are incredible. You are brave and wise and strong. None of your mother's choices have anything to do with you, okay? You are your own person. And at the end of this day, you will still be Sophie. And I will still be here for you. Always." I pause, because I'm close to saying 'I love you' and completely freaking her out. "Okay?"- Wow. Yep. Did you guys catch all those feels? I know I sure did. I don't even have to say anything else.
All-in-all, Sophie & Carter is just another testament to the amazingness that is Mrs. Chelsea Fine. A perfect 5-star rating! Every time I am blessed enough to read one of her works, I set it down after finishing and am always blown away. Chelsea is, in my opinion, one of the great storytellers of this literary generation. I may be a little bias, because she's amazing. But after having read all of Chelsea's published works now, I can officially say there isn't a bad one on the market. She blows YA away with this novel. She kills the paranormal genre with Archers and now she has taken the NA genre by storm with her Finding Fate series. Is there anything Chelsea Fine can't do? In the opinion of this blogger, no, there isn't. Thank you Chelsea Fine for supplying me with so many hours of incredible entertainment in the form of your beautifully written literature. It is a great honor to consider myself a fan of yours. Oh hey Chelsea, "I LOVE YOUR GUTS!" :)
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Where can you get yours?
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Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Sophie & Carter by the amazing Chelsea Fine! It's an absolutely amazing short story that will leave you with such a great feeling. I don't know why I keep reading Chelsea's books, because THEY KILL ME! Haha! Chelsea is one of my favorite authors and I am always so honored to check out her works. To see my reviews of Chelsea's other works, please click on the image above! As always, I appreciate you stopping by to hear my thoughts on this amazing read! I'll be on vacation all week, but I have LOTS of stuff lined up for y'all! Be sure to come check it all out! Until later, Happy Reading!
-Ethan
-Ethan
This book ripped me apart and had me looking at my students in a brand new light. It's SO AMAZING! And there's a sequel of sorts in the works!
ReplyDeleteOh, Ethan. This post got me all emotional and teary-eyed. Thank you so much! Your sweet words and endless support mean the world to me. I LOVE YOUR GUTS! I really do.
ReplyDelete