Review: The Journals of Kara and Jason by Charlie Wood

Amazon

Rating: 4

Synopsis:
A different kind of paranormal romance.

Eighth grade is not going well for fourteen-year-old Kara Bridges. Her best friend Stace has suddenly stopped talking to her, and she is having a hard time adjusting to life without her only real friend.

Luckily for Kara, she soon meets Jason, a foreign exchange student from Europe. And though Jason is more than a little awkward, he and Kara quickly form a friendship, bonding over what it's like to feel like an outsider who doesn't belong.

However, when Jason suddenly returns four years later when Kara is a senior in high school, she realizes not everything was what it seemed. Kara's world—and the way she looks at the world—is about to change forever.

THE JOURNALS OF KARA AND JASON is a 40,000-word novel about being young, falling in love, and all the terrible, wonderful feelings that come along with it.

My Review:
This is definitely not a novel that you can judge by the cover. If you do, you might be expecting a regular, cute, happy romance told in journal entries. I don't want to ruin anything, because I could not predict what actually happened. I was reading the beginning, which appears to be more realistic fiction, (although, I read too much fiction, my thought process consisting of he's an alien...he must be an alien...) Please don't think this is just another teen romance. It is a romance, yes, but it is so much more than that. And it is awesome.

I really liked the style that this novel was told in. Having the journal entries is a very cool way to put the story together, and having both the point of view of Kara and Jason definitely kept the story interesting! Both of the characters were well-developed, with extremely strong voices.

The beginning of the book is cute, but it is the middle and the end that are truly incredible. Portions of Jason's sections contained writing that was absolutely breathtaking. I feel that I use that word a lot, but there is no better way to describe it!

Although The Journals of Kara and Jason is a short read, what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. This is a beautifully written, brilliant novel that will especially appeal to young adults. The story captures what it means to love, feel, and be human, while keeping a humorous and lighthearted tone - and appealing to those of us who like a little more than reality.

I was pleasantly surprised, and would highly recommend. A wonderful, light read for the summer.