This book was given to me by the author through Ethereal Book Reviews(-Guest Reviewer Program)

3 stars

I have to say this was a long book, an unnecessarily long book. I would be reading and my eyes would wonder off the page and then I would have my own daydreams. It kind of reminded me of how use to try and I mean try to study for biology when I was in high school (that was so long ago, oh how I don’t miss it). The same bloody thing would happen. I would read a whole page and not know what in flaming hell I just read.

This wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t really all that good either.

Foster would explain every little damn thing. I couldn’t follow the dialog because she would analyze it for like two pages and then I would forget what the hell the was said in the first place. There was no proper flow for most of it. At the times that there was some pretty good dialog, I would get into the story, because it flowed.

I’m not going to lie, I did speed read a lot throughout this book, because frankly, I found it a bit boring. I just couldn’t get into it; there was just too much description. I’m pretty sure if you cut out all the filler (because come-on that’s what it was) you would have a very good book at about 300 pages.

When the love interest finally came a barging in, at about, I don’t know, almost half way into the bloodily book, (he’s a total asshat) it did get a tiny bit more interesting. It prompted me to actually finish the book and not skip to the end, (Believe me it crossed my mind on more than on occasion) and to me, when Dominic finally enters, it was like the story finally got underway, still slowly though.

The ending didn’t really throw me that much, I kind of had it figured out that she was either one of two things (1) Dead and was living out her afterlife, doing all the things she wished she did or (2) She was in a coma. 1 or 2, what do you think. That ending did save the book for me, thus why I’m giving it a 3 star rating instead of a 2 star.

If you are going to read this book, note that you don’t have to read every single paragraph, you aren’t missing much of anything form the main story. It’s just filler and babble, that Foster is spurting while trying to state the obvious. For this book it’s all about the ending, even if you’re going to have to push yourself to reach it. (This is actually a little ironic, read the book and you’ll know what I’m saying.)

My overall impression, I’m happy the book is over.



Don’t stop being amazing.

Emily ;)


( )

Thank you to the author for sending me this e-book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in any way.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I was contacted regarding a review for this book. Tuesday night after my last exam I settled into bed, got comfortable and started to read. Four hours later, it was the middle of the night, the rest of the world was asleep, and I was enraptured. I couldn't put it down. Even though reading on a ten inch tablet can be frustrating, I didn't let this stop me as I powered through a good chunk of this 600+ page novel in one night. A couple of days later, when I reached the end, it was again the middle of the night and I lay awake for another hour, turning the whole thing over in my mind. I couldn't not think about it. What a book. I loved it. Not all the time, but overall I just adored it.

Foster Kelly is a senior at Shorecliffs High School, a musical genius who keeps to herself and has a penchant for tripping over her own feet. Her name has caused her quite a bit of grief over the years, and she prefers to keep to herself. On moving to Shorecliffs, she was befriended by the twins Emily and Jake, both full of life and fun. Still Foster keeps to the shadows of life, not wanting to bring attention to herself, much more an observer of high school life. Her life is brightened by her parents who she adores and the kids she cares for at the House of Hope. Her life changes the day she meets Dominic Kassells, who shakes up her quiet life. He challenges her and encourages her and gives her the push she needs to really start taking part in life. He also recognises how she needs to help herself - which was, to me, a very important realisation.

This book is about first love and the amazing things it can do, but it also about finding who you are and being true to all versions of yourself. Foster's slow progress through the novel, her confrontations with the half-truths she had been hiding behind, and her building confidence was heart warming to read. I felt like I was a part of Foster's journey. I smiled for her, was happy when things went right, my heart broke alongside hers, and then was amazed with the discovery toward the end of the novel. I laughed at her friends, Emily and Jake, who were brilliant characters. I cheered as she started to do things for herself. My heart melted as I watched her literally trip and fall in love. I felt protective of her, too. There were times when what I was reading would make me nervous and I wanted to shield her from the pangs that mistrust and heartbreak could bring. I felt like I knew her.

That being said, as much as I adored Foster and this book, I can recognise that this is not going to be for everyone. The plot development is slow, due to the fact that we read from Foster's perspective and everything she does is thoughtful, deliberate. She is not impulsive and does not make spontaneous decisions. Before she speaks, she gives every word a lot of thought. A single moment in time could be described over two pages. But this is necessary as it gives the reader an accurate picture of who Foster. Not everyone will understand, but to really understand the book you need to understand Foster. There were a few things that frustrated me, particularly to do with her budding relationship with Dominic, but the key word is patience. You need to patient to work through Foster's thoughts and to progress through the book. I would feel frustrated, like I needed answers more than Foster did, and because she didn't actively chase them, we didn't get them straight away. However, if you are patient, you will be rewarded. Everything makes sense in the end.

This is what kept me up so late, those light bulb moments coming on more and more as I got closer to the end. The wait is worth it when you get that 'oh, it all makes sense' moment of realisation. It kept me thinking about it long after I had finished reading. All my thoughts, feelings, ran around my head for an hour before I could sleep, and it's all I've though about all morning. This book has had quite an effect on me. A wonderful, wonderful read. I am buying a copy for my bookshelf because until I do, it will feel empty without it! A deserving five stars to a book that has given me a lot to think about. ( )

Review first published on fefferbooks.com. A free advanced reader copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. The review below is in no way influenced by this consideration.

I want to preface this review by saying that I feel strongly about encouraging new authors and writing in general. As a result, I've really struggled with publishing this review--my thoughts about being encouraging and being honest have left me really conflicted in this case.

In Awakening Foster Kelly, Cara Rosalie Olsen has spent 669 pages sharing a story that largely takes place in about the last 200. I have absolutely no qualms with a lengthy tome--I've read many a classic novel in my day, and so I initially took the book's length as a delightful challenge.

Instead, this book is simply long. Wordy. Overly aware of its own verbiage, and often distractingly awkward. The story is narrated by Foster, a character who is maddeningly insecure, indecisive, and introspective–and we’re along for the ride as she agonizes over everything she thinks, feels, and dithers over. Every idea takes just plain ages to develop: three pages for Foster to describe a room, SEVEN pages to decide whether or not to listen in on something…it just becomes difficult to care about what she’s up to.

The book’s largest problem, though, is its dire need for editing. The copyediting issues are absolutely impossible to ignore. There are so many obvious attempts to find a more grandiose, poetic sounding word choice when a simple, utilitarian one would do. Rich vocabulary is all well and good, when it's used appropriately, but there are SO MANY malaprops in this book that it went beyond laughable into the zone of downright maddening. If I hadn't felt obligated by having chatted with the author, I would have quit reading several times.

Even aside from the copy, the content of AFK is wholly unfettered. The text is filled with followed tangents, unnecessary secondary characters, and all kinds of vignettes that make little sense in context. Put simply, there is no dramatic structure: no sense of direction as one reads, and though I pressed on because I was certain there must be a story in all of it, somewhere, I found the experience frustrating and exhausting.

There is, by the way, a story there. It’s rough, and needs some work, but I believe it has some potential. I found myself surprised while reading the last 15% or so of the novel–the dialogue became far more dynamic, the word choices less awkward, the characters more authentic. There are some nice moments near the end, particularly between Foster and a new friend from school. Additionally, Foster’s friends Jake and Emily are fairly delightful throughout, and her mother is a nice addition. I just wish Olsen had been able to get some help before releasing her novel as “finished.”

I don't recall any language, and there's no sex or violence, so it does get a "clean" tag. I'd like to just not give any stars at all, yet, and send the book back for another draft, but if I'm going to rate it as-is, I can only give 1 star.

ETA: Just click here and read Thalia's "Reading Progress" notes. Because that pretty much sums up my experience with this book! ( )

Wow...Just wow. Beautiful story. Will absolutely be watching for more from this author. ( )