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A review by michalice
Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick, Suzanne Young
5.0
'Just Like Fate' tells Caroline's story as we follow two different paths she may take by making one decision, to Go or Stay. Before we learn more about 'Just Like Fate' let's take a look into Caroline's history, and that will hopefully explain why her Grandmother's sickness affects her so much. Caroline's parents are divorced, to escape the bickering and tension leading up to and during this divorce and Caroline goes to live with her Grandmother. When she gets the news that her Grandmother is taken ill and rushed to hospital you can understand how this affects her so much. Her Grandmother, the person who was always there for her, is not going to be around forever.
Caroline has two sisters, Natalie and Judith, who is absolutely adorable, and a brother Teddy. In choosing to live with her Grandmother, Caroline leaves them behind, and her sister Natalie resents her for moving out and brings it up constantly. This is one of the main things that forces Caroline to make the decision, to go to a party with her friend Simone, or stay at her Grandmother's bedside. In the 'Go' story, the argument with her sister is basically the final straw, and Caroline uses the party to escape from her sister, and her Mum. In the 'Stay' story, Caroline stays at her Grandmother's bedside.
By choosing to stay Caroline's relationship with her sister and Mother is affected in a positive way. She finally hooks up with her crush, Joel, and while it all seems full of sunshine and rainbows when they are together and alone, things are a whole different story in public. In short, Joel is a big headed egotistical ass and there is no way on this earth he deserves to be with Caroline.
By choosing to go Caroline ends up meeting Christopher, who is persistent in wanting to get her number, and while her relationship with her Father improves slowly, as does her relationship with her sister and Mother, her relationship with Simone is the one to break apart. By going, Caroline ends up staying with her Father, and has to attend a new school, make new friends, and try to figure out what she wants while still faced with the guilt of not being by her Grandmother's bedside. Christopher I instantly loved, and although there were rumours about his past with girls I felt like I could trust his intentions with Caroline.
I loved the near misses that Caroline has with people from her 'Go' story, and how things she wished would happen in her life actually happen but come at the completely wrong time. For example her crush Joel finally admits to having feeling for Caroline in her 'Go' story. I loved getting to see how little bits of the other story made connection to the story you are reading at the time, how you see little glimpses into what could have been, knowing we know the other side of the story.
'Because when your name is Caroline, every one thinks you wants to be serenaded with it. All the time'
[Page 107 UK proof]
I totally get this point and I laughed so loud and so long when I read it. Having a name that can be linked to a song isn't the best thing in the world, and I have two names that can be linked. My middle name is Alice, so I will let you guess which song I got serenade with, it involves swear words in the title. My real name is Michelle, and for a long while I had a very strong hate-hate relationship with The Beatles, and their songs
The telling of 'Just Like Fate' literally draws you in, and I had every intention of only reading a few pages and going back to my current read, and the next thing I knew I had finished the book. 'Just Like Fate' was easy to follow the different stories as along the bottom of the page was GO or STAY, and not once did I get confused over what was going on. The ending of 'Just Like Fate' was perfect, and I liked seeing how it all came together, how all the dots connected like putting the pieces of a puzzle back into place.
Caroline has two sisters, Natalie and Judith, who is absolutely adorable, and a brother Teddy. In choosing to live with her Grandmother, Caroline leaves them behind, and her sister Natalie resents her for moving out and brings it up constantly. This is one of the main things that forces Caroline to make the decision, to go to a party with her friend Simone, or stay at her Grandmother's bedside. In the 'Go' story, the argument with her sister is basically the final straw, and Caroline uses the party to escape from her sister, and her Mum. In the 'Stay' story, Caroline stays at her Grandmother's bedside.
By choosing to stay Caroline's relationship with her sister and Mother is affected in a positive way. She finally hooks up with her crush, Joel, and while it all seems full of sunshine and rainbows when they are together and alone, things are a whole different story in public. In short, Joel is a big headed egotistical ass and there is no way on this earth he deserves to be with Caroline.
By choosing to go Caroline ends up meeting Christopher, who is persistent in wanting to get her number, and while her relationship with her Father improves slowly, as does her relationship with her sister and Mother, her relationship with Simone is the one to break apart. By going, Caroline ends up staying with her Father, and has to attend a new school, make new friends, and try to figure out what she wants while still faced with the guilt of not being by her Grandmother's bedside. Christopher I instantly loved, and although there were rumours about his past with girls I felt like I could trust his intentions with Caroline.
I loved the near misses that Caroline has with people from her 'Go' story, and how things she wished would happen in her life actually happen but come at the completely wrong time. For example her crush Joel finally admits to having feeling for Caroline in her 'Go' story. I loved getting to see how little bits of the other story made connection to the story you are reading at the time, how you see little glimpses into what could have been, knowing we know the other side of the story.
'Because when your name is Caroline, every one thinks you wants to be serenaded with it. All the time'
[Page 107 UK proof]
I totally get this point and I laughed so loud and so long when I read it. Having a name that can be linked to a song isn't the best thing in the world, and I have two names that can be linked. My middle name is Alice, so I will let you guess which song I got serenade with, it involves swear words in the title. My real name is Michelle, and for a long while I had a very strong hate-hate relationship with The Beatles, and their songs
The telling of 'Just Like Fate' literally draws you in, and I had every intention of only reading a few pages and going back to my current read, and the next thing I knew I had finished the book. 'Just Like Fate' was easy to follow the different stories as along the bottom of the page was GO or STAY, and not once did I get confused over what was going on. The ending of 'Just Like Fate' was perfect, and I liked seeing how it all came together, how all the dots connected like putting the pieces of a puzzle back into place.