Come See About Me

Aug 15, 2012 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-adult, contemporary, damn-gorgeous-males, death-tragedy-suicide, favourites, out-2012, realistic-fiction, romance, taught-me-lessons

Check out my BLOG for a very insightful guest post from C.K. Kelly Martin and get a chance to win a SIGNED HARDCOVER copy or an EBOOK copy of COME SEE ABOUT ME!

Come See About Me was a very well thought and written book about a girl who suffers from a great loss and how she tries to deal with it and picks herself back. I try most of the time to avoid emotional books but for some reason there was something in this book that just pulls me to it. So, even though it wasn’t on my reading schedule for...more Check out my BLOG for a very insightful guest post from C.K. Kelly Martin and get a chance to win a SIGNED HARDCOVER copy or an EBOOK copy of COME SEE ABOUT ME!

Come See About Me was a very well thought and written book about a girl who suffers from a great loss and how she tries to deal with it and picks herself back. I try most of the time to avoid emotional books but for some reason there was something in this book that just pulls me to it. So, even though it wasn’t on my reading schedule for this week I picked it up, squeeze it in and read it. And I’m really glad to find out and say that this book was a very good and lovely read.

First, I have to applaud, the author for writing such a very profound story of loss and overcoming it. She captured the emotions and feelings accurately and realistically making me understand the characters easily. The way she voiced Leah’s thoughts and feelings was so genuine and honest. So although some situations seem quite frustrating I could understand that it was her way of grieving and that her reactions were natural and expected.

I love how this book effectively showed that the world continues to move on and that no matter how much you resist it, you'll have to go along with it. That life continues even with all those devastating things you had experienced. That through time you'll learn to accept and live with it. Never forgetting though but still continuing to live life.

As much as I love romance I'm glad that the romance here never overshadowed the plot and that as Leah rediscovered herself it wasn't because of a new found love, albeit it did contribute a part on it, but still it was all her. I wouldn't exactly say that this is a love story because clearly this one focuses more in Leah's struggles on finding herself back, rediscovering and realizing things about herself. But still there were sweet and steamy moments that was very well played here that never failed to make me swoon.

I love how the author wrote the ending. Although it was a little open-ended it leaves you a reassuring feeling that Leah is indeed finally moving on and that everything is going the way it should be.

This is my first book of this author and after reading this I will definitely be checking out more of her books. This is a very well written book about self-discovery and picking one's self up after a devastating experience. The author captured just the right emotions and just the right way of dealing with it. I highly recommend this.

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: true-book-love

{This review was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}

Love is real and real love lasts. I used to feel sorry for people who didn't believe in it--the people who were lonely with someone else or lonely alone. For awhile I was was one of the lucky ones.

C.K. Kelly Martin, who's written several marvelous young adult novels, couldn't find a traditional publisher for her first book for adults, Come See About Me.

According to Martin, no one knew how to market a novel with a 20 year old pro...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Courtney added it

Shelves: 2012, adult-fiction

EDIT:
Heads up: this is out now and it's brilliant. Like I said, raw, realistic, heartbreaking, romantic, sexy. Good stuff.

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Come-See-About-...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3899978

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C.K. Kelly Martin's first adult book. There is nothing this woman can't write. I got to read it back in January and I will write more when she releases it this June, but it is one of the most raw, realistic, heartbreaking (and ro...more

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Jun 28, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

19-now-20-year-old Leah's boyfriend Bastien was killed in a terrible accident, and she is deeply grieving the loss. It's not easy (not that it would be) but his loss throws everything she's had planned for her future into a tailspin. She withdraws from everything that had been giving her purpose in her life -- school, work at the museum, socializing with her good friend Yunhee. She's stopped answering the phone, talking to her parents, caring.

When Bastien's aunt offers her a place to live outsi...more 19-now-20-year-old Leah's boyfriend Bastien was killed in a terrible accident, and she is deeply grieving the loss. It's not easy (not that it would be) but his loss throws everything she's had planned for her future into a tailspin. She withdraws from everything that had been giving her purpose in her life -- school, work at the museum, socializing with her good friend Yunhee. She's stopped answering the phone, talking to her parents, caring.

When Bastien's aunt offers her a place to live outside Toronto, she takes the chance. Besides being a change of scenery and a place not filled with the memories of her time with Bastien, this is an opportunity to figure out where to go next. And while she doesn't recover from her grief gracefully, it's through an encounter -- multiple encounters -- with Liam that help her realize how much she needed someone in her life.

This is an incredibly sad and incredibly sensual and hopeful book all at once. Martin has a gift for writing with an authenticity and given the freedom she has in writing a non-YA book, she offers us powerfully raw and honest character growth and interaction. Leah and Liam have a very intimate relationship, and it's from that relationship where the character growth occurs. But it's never obvious to Leah and it's not necessarily obvious to the reader, either. The sex is steamy (oh my word is it steamy) but it's less about the physical connection and much more about the emotional intimacy. About what Liam and Leah offer one another on a level that only comes through opening themselves up to their most basic physical desires. (view spoiler)

Leah has a great arc, and I really loved how things turned out in the end for her. I appreciated how much focus there was in the story on the mundane and the routine -- it's all a part of the process, and since we're in Leah's mind, these things are all a real sign to us as readers that she is learning how to move forward (not move on, but move forward -- you never "move on," and that in and of itself is something Leah learns (view spoiler)). Leah also learns that no matter how much you want to control life, especially when you're finally allowed to have your life for yourself, you can't always do it. That things sometimes are beyond your control. Isn't that the truth about this age and about adulthood all together?

This book will have great appeal to teen readers who want a book that is more mature without being "an adult book" dealing with "adult issues." It'll also appeal to adult readers. Everything Leah does and feels is true to adulthood -- it's about figuring out how to tackle life when you don't have your parents there to tell you what to do anymore. When you aren't sure you want them to hold your hand through it all because you DO have to figure it out yourself. Even if it hurts and sucks.

Full review here: http://www.stackedbooks.org/2012/06/c... (less)

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Feb 20, 2013 Nic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nic by: Nomes

Shelves: adult, new-adult, powerful-stuff, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, steamy, swoon-worthy-read, tear-jerker, favourite-of-2013

4.5 stars

Favourite quote“In two years you can love somebody with all your heart and lose them. You can become the very best of friends with someone and then neglect them to the point that they don't expect anything different from you anymore. You can become someone you never expected and forget things you believed you could take for granted about yourself.”

Come See About Me is contemporary fiction at is best. It is real and flawed. It completely got under my skin. And boy was it was heartbreakin...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Catie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya

3 1/2 stars

Unconventional review time!

Over at the blog today, I posted a double review of this book along with C.K. Kelly Martin's Yesterday. If you're starting here - great! Follow the links to read my whole crazy train of thought!

Many of my friends have urged me to try out C.K. Kelly Martin over the past year, and it just so happened that I ended up reading two of her books in succession this summer – two very different books, as it turns out. I liked one of them a good deal and the other one…...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: girls, death, read-in-2013, reader-s-advisory, self-worth, ya

*3.5 stars*

A refreshing, if not perfect, book that includes a realistic central character with an authentic voice and universal problems.

Leah is in the midst of a debilitating depression following the death of her boyfriend several months ago. She rarely eats or leaves the apartment they shared and ignores her job, school and family and friends up to the point that she loses said job and nearly flunks out of school. Just as she's about to hit rock bottom, she is offered a temporary refuge by her...more *3.5 stars*

A refreshing, if not perfect, book that includes a realistic central character with an authentic voice and universal problems.

Leah is in the midst of a debilitating depression following the death of her boyfriend several months ago. She rarely eats or leaves the apartment they shared and ignores her job, school and family and friends up to the point that she loses said job and nearly flunks out of school. Just as she's about to hit rock bottom, she is offered a temporary refuge by her boyfriend's aunt, who went through a similar situation when her husband died. Leah moves to a quiet town and stays in the aunt's spare house. It's this shelter, sense of anonymity and freedom from many of her obligations that allows Leah to finally get over her grief and move on.

Found about this story from a School Library Journal blog, which includes interesting commentary about the genesis of the book. Read the post here: Come See About Me.

What I most liked was the character's open, honest and unselfconscious narrative. Without ceremony or evasion, Leah describes her grief, ambivalence to her family and friends in the wake of her boyfriend's death and how she embarks on a casual relationship with a stranger following months of loneliness, numbness and boredom. I found Leah's frankness about her sexuality to be refreshing, as most women are still portrayed as either loathsome slags or saintly virgins in the best of literature. Leah personifies the real feelings and thoughts modern women have about life. While she's conflicted about many of the decisions she makes, Leah shares the details with the reader without reservation. In fact, the narrative style felt like an extended, open diary.

This narrative style certainly lent to giving Leah a realistic voice, but at times her descriptions dragged a bit. There was absolutely no stylistic nuance to this story even though it was extremely easy reading. I liked how cut and dry Leah could be, but at times I didn't know why I was receiving so many descriptions of her pet hamster or what happened between Leah and a friend the reader never actually meets on the page. I also was unsure why the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood played such a huge role.

Overlong descriptions aside, I ultimately found the book effective in portraying Leah's battle with grief and her foray into figuring out what it means to lead an adult life. I found the ending a little eye-roll-inducing, but I thought Leah dealt with most of the situations she faced with maturity. When she acted irrationally, I felt she at least behaved realistically for her age and given those situations.

Also, big thumbs up to the author for including a non-judgmental and matter-of-fact use of the morning-after pill. Leah and her partner fail to use contraception during their first encounter, and rather than just wait around hoping she isn't pregnant, she immediately seeks out a legal and effective form of birth control without catching hell from anybody about it. I suppose mention of the morning-after pill is a political statement in itself, but the author did a good job of dealing with it like Leah was taking any other medication for any other medical condition.

Final note: this book is a bit more detailed about sex than your average YA book. While the characters are adults, I don't think this story is meant for mature adults. This is for upper high school and college students. I'm long out of college and I'm not going to lie - my eyes goggled a few times while reading this. But that's not a criticism - it's just a story meant for mature readers.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Mariachiara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Titolo: Come and see about me

Autore: C. K. Kelly Martin

Inedito in italiano

Trama: Leah ha appena vent’anni ed il suo fidanzato è morto in uno stupido incidente. Tutti intorno a lei, la compiangono certo, ma al tempo stesso vorrebbero vederla riprendersi, mentre lei invece vorrebbe solo fermare il tempo e stare aggrappata con le unghie e con i denti al passato. Ha avuto così poco tempo con lui, poco ma abbastanza per sapere con certezza che se solo avessero avuto questa possibilità il loro amore s...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I’m a huge CK Kelly Martin fan and this book delivered.
Leah’s first love, Bastien tragically died in a car accident. She loses herself in her grief and their life lost. Leah’s family and friends rally around her but she shuts down and pushed them away. Leah has no desire to do anything except remember Bastien and fool the people who love her into believing she is moving on.

I love a book that makes me cry but even I found it hard to continuously read. I needed to take breaks to...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

Leah is morning the sudden death of her boyfriend. She has decided to close herself off from everyone and everything in order to be close to him and her memories of him. As she tries to venture out again she comes across a man in numerous places. Liam is an Irishman who is in a play while on break from his soap opera at his home. They started having conversations and decided that they could have a causal relationship until he leaves to go back to Ireland. Neither one of them thought that they w...more

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Jul 29, 2012 CC rated it 5 of 5 stars

Twenty year-old Leah is free-falling. Her boyfriend, Bastien has died tragically, and, unable to cope, she's flunked out of school, gotten fired from her job, and is living away from her friends and family.

She takes solace in Bastien's aunt's home in a suburb of Toronto. She's there to hide out from the world and try to heal herself. Soon she meets Liam, an Irish actor with a messy past. Drawn to him but hating herself for it, because she feels guilty about being "unfaithful" to her dead boyfri...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5, really, but rounding up because a million bonus points for not pandering to my standard human emotions when it comes to death and actually making me care about the individual characters the death affects and their specific circumstance.

This book came highly recommended to me by one of my good friends, and it's clear why. When it comes to writing a character coping with grief, C.K. Kelly Martin gets it. It's not sunshine and rainbows, it's not the hot troubled guy comes in and puts a band-ai...more 3.5, really, but rounding up because a million bonus points for not pandering to my standard human emotions when it comes to death and actually making me care about the individual characters the death affects and their specific circumstance.

This book came highly recommended to me by one of my good friends, and it's clear why. When it comes to writing a character coping with grief, C.K. Kelly Martin gets it. It's not sunshine and rainbows, it's not the hot troubled guy comes in and puts a band-aid on the past and you ride off into the sunset on a unicorn, and it's not gimmicky and cheesy and hackneyed.

We meet Leah at her lowest. And while usually it's hard to connect to a character whose so withdrawn and shut off, there's still an closeness between the reader and Leah. Because even though we see her at her worst point, through that time we also see her at all her highs--as we immediately get a lot of the history of her relationship with Bastien in the early chapters. It brings us up to the present, makes us understand Leah's feelings, and keeps us from throwing in the towel because we're not closed from the why's and who's until too late in the book when it's hard to see why I should care now (which, if you read my previous review, you'll understand makes me lose interest fast, especially when it comes to a missing/dead character). We get to see how she and Bastien were together, what their relationship was like, and as such, we connect with Leah's loss, which is brilliant.

The other thing I loved is that, while yes, this is a book about grieving and loss, I wasn't just sad and sympathetic with Leah because of that. Unlike in some books that handle these topics, I cared about these particular characters and their particular journey. It wasn't just like, "Oh, that's so sad. I like Leah because if I don't like her that makes me a bad person because she's been through so much." I wanted to see Leah be able to move on because she deserves it, just like anyone whose lost a loved one deserves. It's hard and it's painful, and C.K. Kelly Martin doesn't brush aside the crucial details. Grief affects a lot more than just the people immediately impacted. It affects people in various ways. Sometimes, you get over it and sometimes, it eats you up for months, and one way isn't more socially acceptable over the other. That's what we see in Leah's story, and I love Martin for writing it as excellently as she did.

But, having said all that, I wish I could've liked it more. And it's not any fault of the author's because the story being mostly kept in Leah's had makes perfect sense for what's gone through. I understand why the story was more told to us than shown, but that's just something I'm turned off by as a reader. We get to see straight into Leah's head, her character development, her wants and needs, which is great and ideal for the purpose of the story, but I also feel like because of that, we miss out on a lot. Although Leah tells us so much about the other characters in the novel, I felt a distance from them because we don't see them as much as we hear about them. Even her relationship with Liam is mostly told to us rather than seeing it "in the moment," as there's not much dialogue shared anywhere across the book. Their relationship still feels just as honest as all the other writing, but I wish we could've seen more of it. Just like I wish we could have seen more in general because I'll admit, at slower points in the book, I was tempted to skim. Didn't, but I was tempted.

And again, like I said, this is totally a personal preference thing and in no way a judgment of Martin's writing of the book because for the story that she's telling, she handles it expertly and so honestly that it almost frustrating because while you may want to see more from Leah (as her friends and family do), you know exactly why she's not there, why she can't bring herself to connect, and it hurts because it's so raw and real. And I think that shows how well Martin taps into human emotion because for as many times as I wanted Leah to finally wake up, I knew why she couldn't and a sympathized with her for that reason and it made me want all the more to see her finally be able to reclaim her own life.

So, this is definitely still a book I recommend, if not for anything else but the realness and rawness of Leah's journey. It'll stick with you, especially if it's a topic that hits close to home, and I know it's one I'm likely to read again down the line.(less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Shannon (aka Readergirl) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me start out by saying I love C.K. Kelly Martin. I've read a couple of her books and they just blew me away. That being said, this just wasn't one of them for me. I had quite a bit of trouble getting into this one. To be perfectly honest, I didn't finish it, and I'll try to explain why.

First of all, I've read quite a few books about people experiencing loss... and I have experienced loss myself through the death of a loved one. So I know how it can be. But there were times I felt that Leah's...more Let me start out by saying I love C.K. Kelly Martin. I've read a couple of her books and they just blew me away. That being said, this just wasn't one of them for me. I had quite a bit of trouble getting into this one. To be perfectly honest, I didn't finish it, and I'll try to explain why.

First of all, I've read quite a few books about people experiencing loss... and I have experienced loss myself through the death of a loved one. So I know how it can be. But there were times I felt that Leah's reactions were just a little too much. I can understand people "checking out" from the world to an extent, but the length to which Leah did it was a little over the top to me. A part of me understood it, thinking this is probably what would happen to someone if they lived alone and had no one coming and forcing them up out of bed, out of the house, etc. But she did have that, somewhat. Her parents come up to help her and she lies to them. But the part I found unrealistic was that someone knows they're about the get kicked out of a place for lack of payment, etc... and that doesn't wake them up just a little bit?

Aside from that, I just wasn't that enamored with the characters. And when they were together, it wasn't as attractive as I wanted it to be. Their reactions to certain events were just not what I would expect or think is right. She might have an excuse, but to me, he didn't. I can't say much more than that without ruining it for those wanting to read the book.

Finally, I have to say that way, way, way too much time was spent flashing back and explaining what happened prior to her boyfriend's death. Half the story was about that and I just felt the story wasn't doing much at all to progress forward. It grew cumbersome after a while and I kept wanting for things to happen, to move along, to grow and expand and for Leah to move beyond it. I know the author didn't show some of this, of course, otherwise the reader wouldn't understand the magnititude of his death and its impact on Leah, but at the same time, it made the story hard to read, like slogging through molasses and never getting anywhere.

Bottom line, this book just didn't work for me, but I will be reading this author again because I love her writing. I already have another book of hers waiting to be read right now. And am looking forward to it.

(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, ya-na, vanilla, favorite

This book was so not the style of my current reads; it's written in first person and frankly, while there are several passionate moments between Leah & Liam, it wasn't the usual freak fest I've been immersed in lately- there was actually so much tenderness. The first 30% depressed me~ seriously bawl like a baby, want to drown my sorrows in Jack, and made me wonder why the hell I was torturing myself reading it. Maybe it was because I related a bit too closely to Leah; but I am so glad I cont...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Crystal Spears rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-star-reads, book-i-own-on-kindle

First off I want to start off by saying that there are many ways to grieve, endless ways actually. And I felt every ounce of Leah's pain. When I can literally feel my heart ache or feel emotion just from reading a book it makes me happy but yet sad. Happy because the writer has done a fantastic job of writing. And Sad because people really do expierence so many emotions that it can literally tare ones soul apart.

Bastien's presence was felt throughout the entire book. I absolutely admired that wo...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, I really did! After reading the description, I was looking forward to an emotional read that would take me up and down and hopefully leave me feeling good when it was all done. This book fell short!

I thought this book would center around how Leah dealt with the loss of her boyfriend and learned to love again. It did deal with how she dealt with her loss but to me it went about it in the wrong way. The first several chapters of the book were mostly Leah's inner monolog...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: canadian, new-adult, ebook, my-books, favourites, five-star-plus

I loved this! 'Come See About Me' contained so many aspects that I love, including that it...

- Fits into the new adult category
- Has a Canadian setting, more specifically Toronto & Oakville, so it basically felt like reading a book about home
- Contains a whole lot of UK & Ireland love, with Leah working at a imported goods store, and with Liam, an Irish actor
- Has a famous actor on the down-low subplot (yes, I am totally smitten with these types of plots, and Liam fits the bill oh so wel...more I loved this! 'Come See About Me' contained so many aspects that I love, including that it...

- Fits into the new adult category
- Has a Canadian setting, more specifically Toronto & Oakville, so it basically felt like reading a book about home
- Contains a whole lot of UK & Ireland love, with Leah working at a imported goods store, and with Liam, an Irish actor
- Has a famous actor on the down-low subplot (yes, I am totally smitten with these types of plots, and Liam fits the bill oh so well)

Besides all these aspects that I always fall for, I just couldn't help but be drawn into the emotion of the story. You almost ache with loss yourself as you read about Leah trying to deal with the death of her boyfriend. You see how unhealthy Leah's lifestyle has become, and yet you can understand why she feels so lost and alone, because you see through her recollections how strongly she and Bastien felt about each other.

Equally emotional is the slow burning connection that Leah makes with Liam, who is also dealing with pain and loss of his own. I feel like the way they connected was so realistic, because neither of them started out wanting to let someone in emotionally. They couldn't deal with something serious or long term, so they connected in the way they felt was practical. Of course as the reader you can see their feelings weaving together under the surface into something more.

This book was so perfect for me in this moment, so I'm so glad I picked it up. C.K. Kelly Martin has an immense talent for writing layered characters who you root for and relationships that are absolutely beautiful. I can easily label 'Come See About Me' as a favourite of 2012 because of the connection I felt with the characters and the setting.

Note: I feel like I should mention, because I mostly just review YA, that 'Come See About Me' is a new adult book with quite a bit of sexual content. I feel like it was done tastefully, and it was important to the story and the characters, but I did want to bring that up since I know not everyone prefers to read it. You can read a great guest post from C.K. here on A Tapestry of Words where she discusses older characters, the concept of new adult, and the sexual content in the book.(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: death-dying, depression, he-wore-tight-breeches

Come See About me started out as a grief book but ended up veering into "chic lit" territory with a stale friends with benefits storyline.

Leah is a Canadian twenty year old college student with a perfect boyfriend, named Bastian. When Bastian is killed she is overcome with grief, and her life starts to fall apart. This is where the book had something to say about relationships. Grief is something that certainly everyone on earth will have to face. Why do we find ourselves at a loss as to what t...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Dahlia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was of two minds about this book. I thought some of the writing was really beautiful, and my heart broke for the main character over and over again. I have to admire a book that makes me feel that strongly, one that makes me want to call my husband every five seconds to say, "I love you! Be careful with life!"

On the other hand, I skimmed massive amounts; the pacing was just SO slow to me, and there were long stretches where I was simply bored. I felt the character arc was forced by an event t...more

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Jul 18, 2012 mrsj rated it 3 of 5 stars

A 3.5 read for this one.

I would have love to hate it but I would have hate not to love it.

The first few chapters were rough for me as it was kind of depressing reading Leah basically throwing her life away and living with her head in the sand after the death of her boyfriend, Bastien.
I get it.
But reading about it for a few chapters? It rubs me in the wrong way.
However, she had slowly "recover" by not avoiding human contacts and contacting her friends and even met Liam.

Liam... Sometimes, I don't...more

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May 14, 2013 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-fav, young-adult-romance

Worth 4.5 stars

The first thing caught my eyes about this book is the beautiful cover (my copy is the one with the bending girl only, not the dual separate image). But then the author was the other thing I decided to read it. Eventhough I hadn't read her other books, but I have heard a lot about her. And really I loved her style. It's beautiful and flowed easily, brought me directly to the character's voice.

I'm not really fond to grieving stories, and it's not a new subject either for me. I liked...more

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May 05, 2013 Nicky rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-reads, read-in-2012

I did not connect to this book at all. I'm not an unemotional person, I'm not the type of person who doesn't cry at books or during films. Around the same time I read this book I also read Tell the Wolves I'm Home and it had me weeping openly at my desk as I read it. At work! I didn't care, those girls and the uncle and the other guy, my heart BLED for them. The Reese Malcolm List drew tears from my eyes as big as marbles and it was the shallowest book in the entire world. This book had me bored...more I did not connect to this book at all. I'm not an unemotional person, I'm not the type of person who doesn't cry at books or during films. Around the same time I read this book I also read Tell the Wolves I'm Home and it had me weeping openly at my desk as I read it. At work! I didn't care, those girls and the uncle and the other guy, my heart BLED for them. The Reese Malcolm List drew tears from my eyes as big as marbles and it was the shallowest book in the entire world. This book had me bored out of my mind.

Overall I found the book very dull, lots of mundane and unecessary detail throughout. I don't need to read about every little thing this chick does. I don't need to read about how many bus transfers it takes for her to visit her friend. I don't need to read about how she's having a root canal and I certainly don't have to read about how she tells everyone she meets about it:

"HI CAN I GET A VENTI CHAI LATTE W/SOY MILK AND BY THE BY I'M HAVING A ROOT CANAL SOON SO DON'T LET ME EAT ANY PEANUT BRITTLE!!!LOL"

Really drags in places. 20% in I notice the story hasn't progressed. Her boyfriend is dead, she is sad. I get it. What now? This time could have been spent building tension between Leah and Liam. I was sick of reading about Leah's stultifying relationship with dead Bastien, "One evening we took the hamster outside and watched it". Beauty, you guys were really in love, huh? When Leah and Liam finally get together, everything goes all romance-by-numbers; they have awkward sex near a lighthouse, she watches him jerk off a little, they have sleepovers, etc. Just when things seem to be going so well, Liam's ex shows up and feeds Leah some bullshit. Leah believes everything this questionable character says and cuts Liam off without speaking to him. UGH. Liam goes back to Ireland. Leah goes back to moping about Bastien and obsessing over her dental problems. What do you reckon happens next? If you have ever read even a single Mills and Boon novel you'll know that Liam is biding his time, waiting to show up just when Leah thinks she's over the whole thing, he'll be wearing a woolly jumper and they'll hug and kiss and then it'll start snowing. ACK. (less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Shannon (aka Readergirl) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Let me start out by saying I love C.K. Kelly Martin. I've read a couple of her books and they just blew me away. That being said, this just wasn't one of them for me. I had quite a bit of trouble getting into this one. To be perfectly honest, I didn't finish it, and I'll try to explain why.

First of all, I've read quite a few books about people experiencing loss... and I have experienced loss myself through the death of a loved one. So I know how it can be. But there were times I felt that Leah's...more Let me start out by saying I love C.K. Kelly Martin. I've read a couple of her books and they just blew me away. That being said, this just wasn't one of them for me. I had quite a bit of trouble getting into this one. To be perfectly honest, I didn't finish it, and I'll try to explain why.

First of all, I've read quite a few books about people experiencing loss... and I have experienced loss myself through the death of a loved one. So I know how it can be. But there were times I felt that Leah's reactions were just a little too much. I can understand people "checking out" from the world to an extent, but the length to which Leah did it was a little over the top to me. A part of me understood it, thinking this is probably what would happen to someone if they lived alone and had no one coming and forcing them up out of bed, out of the house, etc. But she did have that, somewhat. Her parents come up to help her and she lies to them. But the part I found unrealistic was that someone knows they're about the get kicked out of a place for lack of payment, etc... and that doesn't wake them up just a little bit?

Aside from that, I just wasn't that enamored with the characters. And when they were together, it wasn't as attractive as I wanted it to be. Their reactions to certain events were just not what I would expect or think is right. She might have an excuse, but to me, he didn't. I can't say much more than that without ruining it for those wanting to read the book.

Finally, I have to say that way, way, way too much time was spent flashing back and explaining what happened prior to her boyfriend's death. Half the story was about that and I just felt the story wasn't doing much at all to progress forward. It grew cumbersome after a while and I kept wanting for things to happen, to move along, to grow and expand and for Leah to move beyond it. I know the author didn't show some of this, of course, otherwise the reader wouldn't understand the magnititude of his death and its impact on Leah, but at the same time, it made the story hard to read, like slogging through molasses and never getting anywhere.

Bottom line, this book just didn't work for me, but I will be reading this author again because I love her writing. I already have another book of hers waiting to be read right now. And am looking forward to it.

(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Isamlq by: Nomes

Leah is broken. But, understandably so because given what she’s recounted, I got why she was behaving the way she was. I understood where she was coming from, that others expecting her to get better a certain way, was miles away from what she wanted for herself. She’d found her perfect match in him after all and losing him was doing her in. So by the time we meet her, she’s broken and wallowing in all things Bastien, in her longing for him and missing him and not wanting to let him go. She’s bl...more Leah is broken. But, understandably so because given what she’s recounted, I got why she was behaving the way she was. I understood where she was coming from, that others expecting her to get better a certain way, was miles away from what she wanted for herself. She’d found her perfect match in him after all and losing him was doing her in. So by the time we meet her, she’s broken and wallowing in all things Bastien, in her longing for him and missing him and not wanting to let him go. She’s blanketed herself in him. Could I blame her? Eventually she’s left with no other options except Abigail offering her the space and time needed to get herself together.

So, when there’s another one (who’s less broken, more angry) that enters the picture, I thought what a pair they’d make!

“Our problems seem to be opposites- he wants to outrun his past and I’m clinging to mine with a tenacity that makes everyone I know uncomfortable.”

Despite both saying one thing (now, temporary, easy), I was feeling something else. I went with things despite all that but kept waiting for the shoe to drop. In the meantime, it’s all sexy times plus her finding bits of her former self again. Except things could get all conflicted! Shifting between easy and sexy THEN questioning and doubting and unsure; shifts that could wear me down some. Her missing Bastien but wanting someone else…? It’s all her questions about it, her, them that had her feeling only more real to me. Plus, there's an honesty to her that’s refreshing. That she was dealing with things the way she wanted to, not swayed at all by what others wanted/needed for her/from her. A lot of the time it’s her: distancing from others to cling to the memories of a guy who was simply ‘right’ for her. Interesting, I thought.

Eventually, she’s not just the girl she was making herself out to be at first. She’s not just the one left behind. She’ capable of more and was acting as such. She’s friend, daughter, lover etcetera … because life moves on even if she’s reluctant to move on with it. Sure, at times, I wanted to give her a swift kick in the pants… but not always. She’s (re)discovers things at her own pace and she was coming back. So that if it was all easy and temporary with Liam at first, it didn’t stay that way… and it’s so out of the blue for her! Swift kicks have never been so attractive especially in the form of an Irish soap opera star. He puts her back together? Not really. More like, she does it herself… slowly coming back to who she was and what made her her, with him a delicious ~~distraction~~ addition.

“The problem with your past is that it isn’t actually past… It’s still here in the present.”

3-4/5(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Nomes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, faves-of-2012, older-ya-protag, new-adult, quietly-awesome, riding-the-older-ya-vibe, swoon-worthy-crushes, tissue-box-books, kindle

The thing that most sucks me into C K Kelly Martin is how she gets right under he character's skin, and she has done it again in Come See About Me with Leah. The prose is pitch perfect, this elegant blend of simple and straightforward with some poetic turns of phrase sprinkled throughout. Martin is a talented writer, for sure, and there's nothing like sinking into a book from the first page thinking 'this is going to be good'.

And it was good.

From the blurb, you know it's a grief book, coupled wi...more The thing that most sucks me into C K Kelly Martin is how she gets right under he character's skin, and she has done it again in Come See About Me with Leah. The prose is pitch perfect, this elegant blend of simple and straightforward with some poetic turns of phrase sprinkled throughout. Martin is a talented writer, for sure, and there's nothing like sinking into a book from the first page thinking 'this is going to be good'.

And it was good.

From the blurb, you know it's a grief book, coupled with sexy times.

My gosh, C K Kelly Martin brings the angst and depression and sorrow and longing and utter devastation with such expertise. I really felt that. On the flip side, if there was one thing I would change about the book, would be that, although it felt 100% realistic, the first 20% where Leah was drowning, I started to feel like I was drowning, too. But, if the pacing feels a little slow at the beginning, hang in there, because it is so worth it. Just a few more chapters along, and suddenly I couldn't put the kindle down.

Liam.

My gosh.

You guys, it would be remiss of me to just get all SWOON and SEXY regarding Liam. Because he is so much more than that. I love all the shades of grey in his character and in his relationship with Leah. Liam is Irish and gorgeous and has some unique background/occupation not often seen in the YA scene making him completely intriguing. He is also complicated, messy, older. And Leah's relationship with him is complicated, messy and definitely older.

A word about the sex: It's sensual and steamy and completely hot (as in HOT). Without the bounds of being a YA book, Martin is able to explore more sexually, and the scenes are essential to the relationship and so gorgeously and evocatively done. The scenes weren't just some steamy filler, guys, they had depth and emotions and all kinds of excitement and confusion that comes with a sexual relationship in your early twenties. Caution: The sex scenes are not fade to black, and are for mature readers, not young teens (IMO).

Where was I before I was distracted by Liam? ;)

Oh, I was glued to the pages (after making it past the little 10 - 20% slow hump). Coming to the climax and resolution, I had this sudden panic attack. So bewitched by the story, it had slipped my mind that this is a Martin Book, and her stories often have these bittersweet (read: painful) endings. The suspense in those last chapters nearly broke me. Which is a true sign of my love for the characters, my gut clenching for them. No spoilers here, but absolutely everything I felt while loving in this world was worth it and I thought the ending was perfect.

This is what I want you to know: C K Kelly Martin is truly one of the talented writers for this YA generation. She brings what feels like the truth with a heartbreaking and hopeful clarity. Come See About Me is a New Adult novel, set outside of high school, with sex scenes more explicit than regular YA stuff. I was sucked in, swallowed up and mesmerised by this story. I read it over the course of one blissed-out ache-y day and one month on, I am still feeling the emotions of this read.

I find it hard to pick favourites, but I think Liam and Leah is my fave C K Kelly Martin couple so far x(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 kb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ayebooks, 4ever-young-adult

And because I liked I Know It's Over, I thought I could give C.K. Kelly Martin another round and picked up her latest novel, which has been tagged under New Adult. I kind of struggled with this one, though, but only because I was so hung up with the idea of comparing the emotions it will trigger from me as I felt with Janet Fitch's Paint It Black, which also centers around the death of a significant other. What eventually got me was just how Martin delivers her stories with such convincing reali...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Meagan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-adult, favorites, favorite-narrators

Grief and loss are two of the hardest things to write about. It can seem so fake sometimes, when characters cry and give speeches about what someone’s life meant to them. It might even feel staged, like the writer took the Kubler-Ross model as a law and had to hit on each one before the story could end. In those ways, it can be difficult to read about grief and loss, especially if you’ve been through something and nothing rings true.

But it’s even harder when it’s all so real, and that’s how it w...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Nyrae Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. I’m a huge CK Kelly Martin fan and this book didn’t disappoint. Leah’s journey was beautifully told. Her pain was so real… so raw that I felt it along with her. My heart broke for her. And her journey and healing was just as powerful. I loved watching her grow—though at times it emotionally wrecked me, there were also those moments where I couldn’t stop my smile. As she started to heal I loved watching her transition. And Liam. Fun sexy. The scenes with the two of them were definitely some...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Clementine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction, new-adult, favorites

When Leah answered the knock on her door only to find police informing her that her boyfriend Bastien was killed in a car accident, she’s been in a state of suspension. Unable to function, she flunks out of university, loses her job, and cuts herself off from most of her friends. When Bastien’s aunt offers her a place to stay, rent-free, in a nearby suburb, she jumps at the chance. It’s there that she finds life has to move forward, whether or not she’s ready for it to. It’s also there that she...more When Leah answered the knock on her door only to find police informing her that her boyfriend Bastien was killed in a car accident, she’s been in a state of suspension. Unable to function, she flunks out of university, loses her job, and cuts herself off from most of her friends. When Bastien’s aunt offers her a place to stay, rent-free, in a nearby suburb, she jumps at the chance. It’s there that she finds life has to move forward, whether or not she’s ready for it to. It’s also there that she meets Liam, an Irish actor with his own set of baggage. As the two enter into a steamy, complicated relationship, she starts to realize that she has a lot of learning to do–about herself and about others.

Come See About Me is C.K. Kelly Martin’s first adult title and falls firmly in the “new adult” camp of literature. It’s also self-published, for a number of reasons that Martin outlines on her website. Don’t let the self-published aspect of this book dissuade you, because you’ll be missing out on something really special: Martin’s book about grief, loss, and moving forward is a stunner and a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction.

Martin’s pitch-perfect prose is enriched by the fact that Leah is a quiet, completely authentic heroine. Although the book starts off rather slowly and takes a while to let the story really unfold, it never feels like it’s dragging. Rather, it seems like a calculated move to allow Leah a natural progression in her thaw after being frozen in her own grief for so long. Once Leah gets out of her head and starts interacting in the world again, the story leaps to life.

Sad, sensual, and emotionally raw, this novel doesn’t shy away from its heroine’s darkest moments. Martin also allows her twenty-year-old heroine to be a sexual being, and the novel offers some pretty sexy scenes for readers. Never gratuitous, this novel is as authentic a coming-of-age as I’ve ever seen.

Highly, highly recommended. Come See About Me is out now.

Come See About Me by C.K. Kelly Martin. 2012. Borrowed copy.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Trisha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: grief-loss, lgbt, romance, new-adult, smexy

I have already read two of Martin's YA novels both of which were excellent, so this move into (new?) adult and only (?) as an ebook is both interesting and significant.

Martin's writing is both assured and emotive. This is another novel about grief and loss (and I truly believe I have read enough of these this year). Leah's descent into despair is sublimely depicted. And her subsequent journey back to the land of living (& loving) is understated, yet powerful.

This is the work of a truly capa...more

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