Publisher: Amulet Books
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
Source: Publisher for honest review
Goodreads
Goodreads
Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school's struggling radio station, where the other students don't find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Gram's mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and and helps others to find the fun and joy in every day life.
Looking at Welcome,
Caller, This is Chloe, one would probably think it’s all fluff, but that’s
definitely not the case. Throughout the course of the story Chloe has to deal
with some pretty hard stuff from cruel ex-best friends to feuding relatives.
I love the way Coriell wrote a story that defied
expectations. Chloe defied my expectations as well. I didn’t really think she’d
change in the end, but she did and it was awesome. In the beginning I could
kind of see where her friends were coming from. Chloe did seem a little
self-centered, but at the same time she has a huge heart that wants to take
care of everyone she loves. Despite the fact that Chloe’s personality is
basically the polar opposite of mine, I ended up really loving her and being
able to connect with her.
I loved the radio station and all its inhabitants. Even
though there were quite a few different characters at the radio Coriell managed
to make them all completely unique. I loved reading about them and seeing Chloe
find a family with them. Chloe’s talk-shows were super duper fun too :]
Though she doesn’t delve into the complete complexities of
it, I really appreciated that Coriell touched on the idea that just because
your problems are different than someone else’s doesn’t make them any less
painful or difficult. This is something I often think about and I love that
Chloe dealt with it a little too. Sure, a broken family and divorce really
sucks, but that doesn’t mean that a whole, “picture-perfect” family doesn’t
have problems that are just as bad for the person dealing with them.
Duncan was kind of infuriating at times, but I did like him
overall, though I didn’t fall head over heels for him. But not every
(fictional) guy is for every girl ;]
The Nutshell: If you’re expecting a cute read from Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe, you’ll certainly get that, but you’ll come away with something else as well. This read isn’t all fluff, there’s family problems, friend issues, and even some fiery troubles. If you want a cute read that’s also rounded out with some problems (in the story not because of it) then you should definitely give Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe a chance.
Pages: 299
Series: No
Series: No
Rating: Hit
Great review, Jasmine. I have this one on my shelf and I just haven't had the chance to pick it up yet. I'm glad it's more than just a fluff read. I love me some well-rounded books! =)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE contemporary books, so I'm kind of surprised that I hadn't heard of this book before. Now I feel like I must read it immediately! Time to check out yet ANOTHER book from the library... :P
ReplyDelete-Rachel
I am so glad that this book was a hit for you! I really, really enjoyed it too and wish it was getting more attention. It's kind of flying under the radar. I hope more people will pick it up. :)
ReplyDelete